Add-a-room for August?

[Anne's Family]

We planned on at least bringing an extra awning, but I'm thinking an add-a-room would really help with rain in August since we'll be coming back to the fort pretty much every afternoon. Looking at fully enclosed, not just a screen room.

I have no experience with these things although I hear they can be a pain to put up.

Would it be useful in August?

If I leave the door to the camper open, will it at least make the add-a-room temp bearable (maybe with a fan in it as well?)

There's 4 of us in that camper and a little extra comfortable space would be wonderful.

And another question... how do I go about getting one? Should I get one directly from Coleman/Fleetwood to be sure it fits our camper or are the generic ones off eBay workable?

 

[Anne's Family]

Nobody, huh?

 

[bama_ed]

If you are trying to push back on the heat, the humidity, and dampness by leaving the camper door open and letting the cold air flow into the add-a-room, IMO you're leaking faster than you are bailing. It will still be hot and humid and the inside won't be cool.

Fans directly blowing on you would keep you cool. Fans outside with the door closed and the A/C blowing full blast inside would be the way I would go. Having said that, I would go with a stand-alone screen room (like 10x10); the mesh will keep the water out and it's big enough to have some elbow room. A screen room attached to the trailer is not as big and being up against the camper gives you a closed in feeling.

BTW, you probably would get more responses if you didn't have that Alabama Polytechnical Institute logo in your signature.

Bama ED
In Saban We Trust

PS-BTW, all kidding aside, we have a rig similar to yours (a Jayco 12HW popup with a Chrysler T&C with tow package) and above is what I did for flexibility and space. I've looked at add-a-rooms and passed. I've been in August on day trips and it's brutal - the sun and the humidity. You're very brave to contemplate an August trip.

PPS-We're passing on our annual trip to WDW to do the "Griswalds Go To Washington DC" so I'll be interested to hear how your trip goes.

 

[medic9016]

When we had our PUP we looked at the add on room. We went to a dealer and had them show us how to set it up. It was a pain in the rear. The one we looked at had a metal frame door not a zipper. I think it was about $400. We ended up with a stand alone screen room with a box fan and it worked fine for us in late Sept at the Fort. A whole lot cheaper going this route.

 

[djblu883]

If you are trying to push back on the heat, the humidity, and dampness by leaving the camper door open and letting the cold air flow into the add-a-room, IMO you're leaking faster than you are bailing. It will still be hot and humid and the inside won't be cool.

Fans directly blowing on you would keep you cool. Fans outside with the door closed and the A/C blowing full blast inside would be the way I would go. Having said that, I would go with a stand-alone screen room (like 10x10); the mesh will keep the water out and it's big enough to have some elbow room. A screen room attached to the trailer is not as big and being up against the camper gives you a closed in feeling.

BTW, you probably would get more responses if you didn't have that Alabama Polytechnical Institute logo in your signature.

Bama ED
In Saban We Trust

PS-BTW, all kidding aside, we have a rig similar to yours (a Jayco 12HW popup with a Chrysler T&C with tow package) and above is what I did for flexibility and space. I've looked at add-a-rooms and passed. I've been in August on day trips and it's brutal - the sun and the humidity. You're very brave to contemplate an August trip.

PPS-We're passing on our annual trip to WDW to do the "Griswalds Go To Washington DC" so I'll be interested to hear how your trip goes.

Tell my sis hello while there lol...we are Bama natives although she has lived up there for years....been there..can't imagine why anyone would want to live there...enjoy....I'm from Tuscaloosa BTW!! howdy Neighbor!

 

[TG4AKV]

We have a really big Pop-Up from Coleman/Fleetwood. Some people have actually referred to it as a "big dog" rather than a "PUP". We purchased the Add-A-Room from Coleman/Fleetwood when we bought it and have really enjoyed it. However, it is a fair amount of work to put up and take down. If you are only going camping for a few days, forget it! That being said, if you are camping for an extended period of time, the extra room is great. We have moved picnic tables inside on rainy days and are able to store personal items like bikes and coolers discretely. The clear/white flaps roll down on the inside walls and keep everything pretty dry but the room really isn't sealed so I don't think you would be able to air condition it very effectively. Good luck.

 

[Anne's Family]

Fans directly blowing on you would keep you cool. Fans outside with the door closed and the A/C blowing full blast inside would be the way I would go. Having said that, I would go with a stand-alone screen room (like 10x10); the mesh will keep the water out and it's big enough to have some elbow room. A screen room attached to the trailer is not as big and being up against the camper gives you a closed in feeling.

I CAN SEE THAT. NOT A BAD IDEA. ALREADY HAVE ONE OF THOSE.

BTW, you probably would get more responses if you didn't have that Alabama Polytechnical Institute logo in your signature.

PFFFFFFFT!

You're very brave to contemplate an August trip.

YEAH, WITH THE KIDS OLDER NOW, SUMMER IS IT. THEY'VE GOT SWIM TEAM THE FIRST TWO MONTHS OF SUMMER TOO. LIMITS US A LOT.

PPS-We're passing on our annual trip to WDW to do the "Griswalds Go To Washington DC" so I'll be interested to hear how your trip goes.

GOING IN THE CAMPER TO D.C.? I WANNA DO THAT TOO.

Thanks for the info!

 

[Shannone1]

We went back and forth about an add-a-room vs. a free standing screen room. Everyone told us how hard the add-a-room's were to put up and take down and the free standing room's were cheaper...so we went that route.

After 15 months of camping, we sold the free standing room and bought an AAD. We were tired of zipping and unzipping the room constantly when we were trying to have meals in there. Quick...everyone help get the food in there and all the people and zip it up.

And then there are always forgotten things so we had to keep going back and forth, zipping and unzipping. We also found there was not enough light in there at night to play cards and stuff, even with a lantern.

It was also really hot in there during the day, even with both doors tied open. So we didn't end up getting much use out of it...not like we thought we would.

With the AAD, yes it is harder to set up. But is is SOOO much more convienant. You don't have to zip and unzip when bringing the food out from inside the motorhome. If you forget something or need to grab a drink or use the bathroom...it's right there.

There is also more light at night because we can use the light on the outside of the motorhome as well as the lantern. And this way we can also leave the door open to the motorhome and the dogs can wander in and out, giving them more space.

When it's raining we can put the rain flaps down and have plenty of room to hang out.

We use the AAD when we are going to be camping for more than 3 nights and will be spending lots of time at the campground.

Hope this helps

 

[auntie]

Just curious..but how would one of these screen rooms hold up to the August thunderstorms that are heavy, and frequent in Florida heat?


___________________

 

[Shannone1]

Just curious..but how would one of these screen rooms hold up to the August thunderstorms that are heavy, and frequent in Florida heat?

Well, I can only speak for Michigan thunderstorms. Some people swear they leave them up all season on their seasonal sites around here and have never had a problem. You can tie them down like a regular awning and even tilt them for rain run off. Some people say they are stronger than just an awning because the wind isn't getting under the awning and lifting it up.

But then you have other people who don't even leave their awnings up anytime they leave the campground, let alone an AAD.

I guess it just depends on the person, their preference and where you are camping.

We didn't use it at FW because we weren't cooking/eating at the campsite very often. We were busy most of the time and only back at the campsite for a little bit at a time. It's funny how not being able to have a campfire on your own site forces you to find other things to do in the evening

 

[Pirate-Jeff]

We used ours the entire time we were there in AUGUST 2006 and it rained a monsoon every day and it held up. We did bring an A/C unit for the add a room and indoor out door carpet for the ground inside the room. The A/C unit was slid under the camper so the cold air would blow into the add a room and it worked great. I used a 110volt - 10,000 BTU window unit. That room is the 1 thing I miss from our old motor home.

How did it work??? My Sister visited us and said that she almost froze to death in Florida in August.

If you get the add a room stop by a swiming pool store and pick up a few water bags to hold down the bottom of the room. Since you cant drive the hold down stakes into the cement pads you will need something to hold it. We used 5 of the water bags that are 8' long and 1 that was 12'. I think they were about 4 or 5 bucks each.

here are the bags=

http://www.poolcenter.com/winter_po...essories.htm?gclid=CM7x856QppMCFQECGgodvX2Eng

Jeff

 

[Shannone1]

If you get the add a room stop by a swiming pool store and pick up a few water bags to hold down the bottom of the room. Since you cant drive the hold down stakes into the cement pads you will need something to hold it. We used 5 of the water bags that are 8' long and 1 that was 12'. I think they were about 4 or 5 bucks each.

Jeff

Great idea about the water bags Jeff I bookmarked the site. There have been times when we wanted to use it but were on a paved site.