Storage space is a big issue when you're using a pop-up camper. Look for compact storage solutions. Try hanging hooks from the ceiling and using hanging baskets. Multiple hanging baskets that fold into one another are even more useful. Mount basket cases, hanging shoe racks and other hanging storage items from the pop-up's interior roof racks. Equip cupboards with slide-out plastic bins to maximize storage. Install racks on interior cupboard doors for small-item storage. Use items with magnetic mounts on metal surfaces -- such as stoves and refrigerators -- for stability during travel.
Keep aerosol spray grease and lubricants on hand. Apply them to locks, latches, bed slides, lifter cables and hinges to keep them operating smoothly and prevent corrosion. Check your tires for wear and air pressure before towing a pop-up camper. As part of your maintenance routine, repack your wheel bearings and tighten your lug nuts. Keep your pop-up's furnace exhaust free of cobwebs, spiderwebs and other foreign elements. Before each trip, light the furnace, water heater and stove; you don't want to be on the campsite when you discover a problem.
Pop-up campers usually rely on ball and coupler hitches for towing. Before setting out, make sure the pin securing the ball mount to the receiver is intact and the hitch coupler is secure. Tighten all spring bar hinges, and double-check your safety chains. Cross your safety chains in an "X" formation below the ball mount, leaving a little slack so they don't restrict turning. On the inside of the pop-up, distribute the weight of your items evenly while traveling. Step back, and make sure the pop-up trailer is level. If it is not, raise or lower the hitch ball height.
