Fleetwood Neon Modifications

Northern Explorer

Northern Explorer

Explorer
offroadchef said:
Impression on the trailer..

If you would do it over again would you go a model up from it?

Markus
Click to expand...

If I had to do it over again (and money was no object) I would buy a 4X4 Sportsmobile.

The small size of the Neon doesn't bother me. I like the fact that I can see over the top of it and it really doesn't create any blind spots. The relatively light weight of the camper makes it easy for any vehicle to tow. The bed was surprisingly comfortable (foam mattress) and it kept out the rain.

My biggest complaints would apply to just about any pop up camper trailer.

First of all there are about 15 steps involved in setting up or breaking down the camper. If you plan on camping in one spot for an extended period of time this isn’t really a concern. Doing it twice a day starts to get tedious. Not only does the camper itself need to be set up and taken down but everything on the inside also needs to be set up and taken down. There is a fair amount of storage space in the Neon considering how small it is. The problem is that you need to wait till you have the camper set up before you can get at any of the stored items. This means that you will still need to carry a lot of supplies in your truck.

Another problem is the Neon doesn’t come with shocks. I’m sure a person could have some shock mounts fabricated fairly easily. I didn’t have time to do so before my James Bay trip (write up coming soon). The camper bounced around a lot and the first casualty was the clear Rubbermaid water jug I was going to use for my sink setup. I bashed a hole in it and I hadn’t even gone off road yet. This was mainly my own fault for not securing it properly during transit. I have a feeling that even with shocks a trailer is going to make any bumpy road feel bumpier.

Hail storm three days before my trip (roof of camper)
View attachment 9062
 
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Bergger

Bergger

Explorer
Nice little camper. I'm not sure of the suspension setup on yours but if its just a leaf spring under set up you can do a spring over. I just had an axle flip done on my Coleman Sante Fe and gained 4" of clearance. Shocks are the next thing I'd like to add.
 
offroadchef

offroadchef

Adventurer
Northern Explorer said:
If I had to do it over again (and money was no object) I would buy a 4X4 Sportsmobile.

The small size of the Neon doesn't bother me. I like the fact that I can see over the top of it and it really doesn't create any blind spots. The relatively light weight of the camper makes it easy for any vehicle to tow. The bed was surprisingly comfortable (foam mattress) and it kept out the rain.

My biggest complaints would apply to just about any pop up camper trailer.

First of all there are about 15 steps involved in setting up or breaking down the camper. If you plan on camping in one spot for an extended period of time this isn’t really a concern. Doing it twice a day starts to get tedious. Not only does the camper itself need to be set up and taken down but everything on the inside also needs to be set up and taken down. There is a fair amount of storage space on the Neon considering how small it is. The problem is that you need to wait till you have the camper set up before you can get at any of the stored items. This means that you will still need to carry a lot of supplies in your truck.

Another problem is the Neon doesn’t come with shocks. I’m sure a person could have some shock mounts fabricated fairly easily. I didn’t have time to do so before my James Bay trip (write up coming soon). The camper bounced around a lot and the first casualty was the clear Rubbermaid water jug I was going to use for my sink setup. I bashed a hole in it and I hadn’t even gone off road yet. This was mainly my own fault for not securing it properly during transit. I have a feeling that even with shocks a trailer is going to make any bumpy road feel bumpier.

Hail storm three days before my trip (roof of camper)
View attachment 9062
Click to expand...

thank you for the in-put... sorry for the roof, how large was the hail?
 
RedDog

RedDog

Explorer
Northern Explorer - I really appreciate the comments and experiences. I'm eyeing the Fleetwood Neon myself. I'm getting too darned old to sleep on the ground and the Neon is one of very few options that fall within my Jeep TJ's towing capacity. Any further comments and updates would be much appreciated. Many thanks.

Duane
 
Northern Explorer

Northern Explorer

Explorer
Heating the camper

The unit I have is basic and did not come with any options (no heater). However it comes wired for a furnace if I had to put one in. The furnace wires are what I tapped into for the exterior light I installed. It also has some mystery wire connections under the bench seat that I have yet to figure out what they were intended for.

I went to my local rv dealer to get a quote on installing a new forced air furnace. They told me it was going to cost over $600. They also gave me a quote of over $300 to install my break controller that I ended up installing myself for about $100.

I ended up getting a Mr. Heater portable catalytic furnace. http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Heater-Portable-Propane-MH9B/dp/B00005LEXI I set it in front of the door right on the floor and aim it back at the bed. It has a low and a high setting. I think the low setting is 5000 btu's. I read somewhere that you should have one square inch of open air (open to the outside) for every 1000 btu's. The Neon isn't exactly airtight. Plenty of air gaps around the door and where the fabric meets the solid sidewalls. I'm sure I have more then 5 square inches of open space if you add it all up. In addition, the sidewall fabric itself is breathable. It has a low oxygen shut off and a sensor that shuts off the gas if it tips over. In fact if you move it while it is lit it can sometimes shut off if it senses to much vibration. The camper came equipped with a carbon monoxide detector. This heater in any significant amount doesn’t give off carbon monoxide unless there is a major malfunction. Better to be safe then sorry.

I only have a few problems with the heater

The one-pound canister of propane isn't enough to make it through the night even if it is kept on the low setting. (I haven't timed it exactly) They make a 12-foot extension hose to hook it up to a 20-pound tank. I may do this but it would involve drilling a hole for the hose in either the side or floor of the camper.

The heater doesn't come with a thermostat. It is either on or off.

Setting it on the floor is working for now with only the main bed being used. If a get a friend in there on the pull out bed I don't want the heater anywhere where a blanket might be tossed over it in the middle of the night. I will have to find a higher place to put it. The floor is good because obviously heat rises and this keeps the whole camper heated fairly evenly. If I have to place it up off the floor I may have to hook up one of those 12-volt car fans that I have seen at Wal-Mart.

The heater uses oxygen to react/burn with propane to produce heat, CO2 and a small amount of water vapor. On the one cold night that I used it I didn't notice any condensation on the inside of the camper in the morning (with two people breathing). This means that either the breathable fabric walls were really doing their job or the heater really doesn't kick off that much moisture......One notable exception. The propane canister had some frost on it in the morning with a very small puddle of water underneath.
 
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chet

chet

island Explorer
Cool little rig! I have the same heater and used it in my small coleman pop up with two guys. what I did was fire it up before bed so its warm to undress then switched it to pilot over night then in the morning I reached out and switched it to high and warmed it up inside. this was slightly above freezing though. I also plan to get the long hose to attach it to a tank. you can get them at walmart.
 
Northern Explorer

Northern Explorer

Explorer
Dave said:
Any updates on the trailer? Likes/disklikes, etc?
Click to expand...

No updates. The last time I used it was this past September for "bird camp". It worked out quit well for that but see post #4 in this thread for my major complaints about it. I may sell it this summer and look for another solution. I'm very indecisive at this point.
 
W

Wurlitzer

New member
NEON modifications

Hi guys, I'm happy to meet some NEON owners. I bought my NEON 2006 in july 2007 it was used but looked like new. I did some modifications to it too. I added some access panels to get to my gears out of the storage area without having to pull out the sofa-bed every time. The fire extinguisher is now placed int the middle of one of the panels. (see picture) I too really like it's size and my Toyota Matrix can tow it without any problem. However I'm planning some big modifications for the interior. I think it can be re-arranged so it would have even more storage, better seats, a table and a counter top! All that without adding too much weight. I believe it is not necessary to have a sofa-bed if you always use it to sleep only two peoples.

I'm working with 3D computer models at this moment to verify my theories and so far it is very promissing. Who knows I could even sell my ideas to Fleetwood! (It's good to dream...) By the way mine is equipped with the furnace and it is very low on gas consumption and keep humidity out. The cables you found under the seat are for the furnace thermostat.
 
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