I've been sniffing around for a lightweight toy hauler that we could pull with the FJ Cruiser and decided that a "sport utility popup" was the best option. The smallest hardwall toy hauler campers I could find were still too heavy, and way pricey. I looked at a couple different models, particularly the Starcraft equivalent, but the features and build quality of the Coleman won me over. It's extremely roomy when opened up, and the Toyota should pull it with relative ease.
I plan to use it for the racetrack, so I'll be selling off my kidnapper van and installing my Pitbull trailer restraint on the Evo's deck.
We're going to start doing some camping, and in the future a dirtbike will hopefully inhabit the deck for some weekends out west.
We'll be picking it up probably next week, and plan to take it out for Victoria Day long weekend in May. I'm excited to try it out and I'll give my full report.
Evil will always triumph, because good is dumb.
-Dark Helmet
Crime ain't sumfin you should do. It's sumfin you should don't.
-Ali G
Lobster tail and Beer. Tree o' my favorite tings.
-Newfie Proverb
I don't have any good pics yet, but here's one taken with my phone...
You don't haul stuff on top of it or in it... There is a 4x8' deck on the front, with folding aluminum ramps that function as rails. It'll accept 1 quad or 2 bikes.
Evil will always triumph, because good is dumb.
-Dark Helmet
Crime ain't sumfin you should do. It's sumfin you should don't.
-Ali G
Lobster tail and Beer. Tree o' my favorite tings.
-Newfie Proverb
I don't know if it's a Coleman, but a co-worker has a similar rig for going to Burning Man, and tow it with an old Xterra.
They love it.
His also works as a good utility trailer when you pull the "tent" out.
"It's not debt per se that overwhelms an individual, corporation, or country. Rather, it is the continuous increase in debt in relation to income that causes trouble." --Warren Buffett
They used to be branded as a Fleetwood, but they've gone back to the Coleman name.
Starcraft makes a series that's almost identical, but the features and build quality were head and shoulders above on the Coleman. Plus the Coleman was a couple grand cheaper.
edit: also the Coleman matches our yellow FJ. :P
Evil will always triumph, because good is dumb.
-Dark Helmet
Crime ain't sumfin you should do. It's sumfin you should don't.
-Ali G
Lobster tail and Beer. Tree o' my favorite tings.
-Newfie Proverb
I don't have any good pics yet, but here's one taken with my phone...
You don't haul stuff on top of it or in it... There is a 4x8' deck on the front, with folding aluminum ramps that function as rails. It'll accept 1 quad or 2 bikes.
Ahh very cool.
If everything tastes like chicken..... what does chicken taste like
Those things are pretty cool. Very popular around here with the dirty toy crowd.
I like them far better than your typical toy hauler that stores your dirty toys in the living area. Plus you can have your toys on the rig and sleep at the same time, most toy hauler trailers don't allow that.
You also get better mileage with them.
But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government.
Ya I never liked the idea of storing a dirty bike in the kitchen. The haulers with separate garage areas start at about 31 feet and you need a 1-ton... This will pull behind the Toyota nicely.
Evil will always triumph, because good is dumb.
-Dark Helmet
Crime ain't sumfin you should do. It's sumfin you should don't.
-Ali G
Lobster tail and Beer. Tree o' my favorite tings.
-Newfie Proverb
I got laid off on Monday night so I postponed the purchase indefinitely. We'd already had the hitch installed on the FJ and everything was ready to go. Losing my job really caught me off guard. Through the (very difficult) last few months I had ran my department very lean and did what I thought was neccessary to keep the bleeding to a minimum. Some very positive signs were starting to show and we were making progress towards a profitable month, the first of the year. My bosses panicked at the numbers and fired a bunch of people. As far as management goes I was low man on the totem pole so my chunk of the payroll was the easiest to shed. I believe it was a short-sighted decision that they are going to start regretting very soon.
It will almost certainly turn into a blessing in disguise for me... I was at a dead end in a family-owned dealership with no further room for advancement. I already have a couple of offers on the table. I'll be making a decision tomorrow afternoon and probably re-join the work force by Wednesday. My most promising offer is a middle-management position within a major dealer group that will open a lot of doors for me if I can make a splash and get myself noticed for the right reasons... which I think I will.
As for the camper... Right now I'm looking at 6x10 cargo trailers instead to haul my motorcycles. The security and protection of a proper cargo trailer for my expensive toys is pretty tough to beat. We still want to get into more of an outdoor lifestyle and will probably look at small lightweight hardwall campers (without toy hauling capabilities) after the wedding, so I don't think the "Evo" is going to happen. The friends that we are likely to camp with don't play with motorcycles, so my trail-riding (on the dirtbike that I'll eventually buy) will be done on different weekends anyway... with my trail-riding buddies.
Sorry I couldn't give a review! I still think it's a cool little unit but I don't think it's gonna happen.
Evil will always triumph, because good is dumb.
-Dark Helmet
Crime ain't sumfin you should do. It's sumfin you should don't.
-Ali G
Lobster tail and Beer. Tree o' my favorite tings.
-Newfie Proverb
THe credit crunch hit us hard in retail... we had a 50% delivery ratio on cars we sold last month.
I went home, updated my resume and made a list of places I wanted to work. It might surprise some here to hear what my top 2 were, given the righteous know-it-all trash I've spewed here over the years. Ford and Hyundai. I'd happily give my reasons if anyone wants to hear...
Depending on what they offer, I could be the floor manager in a Hyundai store by tomorrow afternoon, with my sights set on a new car manager position and eventually GM. If that doesn't pan out, I've got my choice of 2 Toyota stores, but neither of them are ideal scenarios for me right now. I've also been offered a position as finance manager at a Honda store (within the same group as the Hyundai store) but I just never really wanted to work in "the box" as we call it. I won't give my reasons for that.
So like I said, it was definitely a shock to the system but should turn out to be a positive change in my life.
Evil will always triumph, because good is dumb.
-Dark Helmet
Crime ain't sumfin you should do. It's sumfin you should don't.
-Ali G
Lobster tail and Beer. Tree o' my favorite tings.
-Newfie Proverb
Phobe, I am sorry to hear the loss dude, that sucks. I am glad to hear you're already updated and moving ahead with something.
I won't speculate as to your thoughts on moves, but I will say I agree with both/either (Hyundai/Ford) 100%. The situation above sounds better to me personally as I believe Hyundai is one of the ones that will be a good company on the other side of this mess. They also have alot of interesting cars coming out, and they produce a few inexpensive subcompacts with decent warranties that should still keep the load load to a minimum.
Good luck in whichever you end up with, not that you'll need it
Come find yourself - GPS Discussion Forums
Time is the ultimate currency.
The Seamii are awesome.
Good luck with the new challenge! You seem to have the good attitude about the whole thing, so should go well
Now that you won't get it, I'm 99.9% sure that you would have regret the EVO with your bike. Think you're going to a race on a Thursday evening and it's pissing rain. The nice 600RR is getting everything coming out of the back wheel of the FJ right in the face, or the cover you put on it is flapping so hard that it's scratching that nice paint job. This is a dirt bike toy, not a trick out race bike one.
I watched some commercial on the what is it, Tiburon?, drifting with Smashing Pumpkins providing the music, but still...damn, what an ugly, downright stupid looking car. The Koreans seem to struggle like hell with styling.
Ford....I can see that...
"It's not debt per se that overwhelms an individual, corporation, or country. Rather, it is the continuous increase in debt in relation to income that causes trouble." --Warren Buffett
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Those are great but the Coleman we had as a kid folding down low also 
Originally Posted by SheepOfBlue
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) will be done on different weekends anyway... with my trail-riding buddies. 
This is a dirt bike toy, not a trick out race bike one.
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