toucan
Newton, NC
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Joined: 01/05/2005
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OK. I know I saw somewhere a picture of PVC piping attatched to back PU bumper for carpet storage, etc. Does this work good? Are there other ways? I don't (but wish I did) have a PU storage trunk, so any details/ideas on this would be grand. The last thing I want to haul back inside my PU is wet and dirty outdoor carpet. Thanks.
2005 Jayco 1207 PU
2004 Toyota Tundra Double Cab
2006 Toyota Sienna LE
1966 DW
1994 Son
1997 Son
"Ranger" the not-so-mini Schnauzer
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MT_aliner
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Joined: 07/06/2003
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We keep our in the bed of the truck, which has a cap, while traveling. We have a storage box on the front of our Aliner but it has a real condensation problem and does not stay dry. One mod we plan to work on this spring is insulating the storage box--we hope this may eliminate the condensation problem.
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MnStar
Burnsville, MN
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Joined: 05/12/2004
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Check out the link in my signature, we have a 6" piece of pvc strapped to the back of the PU. Works out great, although 6" pvc ain't exactly cheap. 
[b]Larry and Kathy [/b]
[b]Burnsville, MN[/b]
2002 Starcraft 2105, Tricked Out.
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Spirit Deer
Boundary Waters, Minnesota
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Joined: 03/07/2002
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We thought about the PVC carrier, but couldn't see the point of parting with all that money. A bumper and a couple bungee cords are all that's really needed to hold a roll of carpet. I did eventually get around to making a Cordura bag for ours, with custom webbing straps that clip on with parachute buckles.
Spirit Deer
One husband
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2005 Chevy Astro
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campergirl46
Iola, Wisconsin
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Joined: 07/19/2003
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We have a front trunk on our camper, so we store our carpet in there. Our Rockwood has a removeable tub, so it's easy to clean if it does get dirty. We have the artificial grass stuff, so when we get home, we just hose it down to clean it.
Don & Linda
1997 Ford F150 2003 Rockwood 2307
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John Z@Fl
Titusville, Fl
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Joined: 02/04/2005
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MT, perhaps your storage box needs some small holes in the bottom.
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MnStar
Burnsville, MN
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Joined: 05/12/2004
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Strapping the carpet on the back works too, but looks bad and results in the carpet picking up road spray and leaves it exposed to rain, etc.
I would agree that the A-Liner compartment probably needs some ventilation if you plan to store items in there which might be wet (like the patio carpet). Our front trunk is pretty much air tight, I'm sure putting a damp carpet in there would result in condensation as well.
The nice thing about the PVC on the back is the patio carpet is totally isolated from the rest of your camping gear. Won't get anything else wet or dirty. When you arrive at the campground, just pull it out and spread it on the ground again.
I did drill some holes in the top of the tube for ventilation, so even if we put it in wet it will dry over time, yet not pick up road spray. And, it really isn't all that expensive, probably $40. Over the life of the camper it seems like a good investment.
Anyway, that's what we did and it works well for us.
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MnStar
Burnsville, MN
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Let me elaborate on this a little, since I have gotten a few private messages on the topic.
As far as I'm concerned, you can throw the patio carpet into the back of your TV, the front trunk of the camper...for that matter toss it into the back seat of your car.
But think about it...We (we personally) use a 6x9 foot piece of indoor/outdoor carpeting. We lay it on the ground where it wicks moisture from the ground. We track sand onto it. We might spill coffee, pop, or beer onto it over the course of the camping weekend. It might rain during those days, which makes it wet.
At the end of the camping weekend, it is the last thing we pack up when we head for home. And now we are going to put it into our TV? I don't think so.
As mentioned before, strapping to the back with some bungie cords works too. But, personally, I don't want to be running down the road with a rig I am proud of, with a roll of wet rug tied to the back.
So, we go with the 6" PVC. Yeah, you buy a 10' length and cut it down, throwing away 2-3 feet of it. You need a cap, a female adapter and a plug. It's not cheap. But, over the life of your camper...to me it is worth it.
Just my opinion.
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Mike in Calgary
Calgary, Alberta
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Joined: 03/10/2005
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We have a piece of that green stuff too. Ours is about 12' X 10' Mine gets rolled up into a little bundle about 2 1/2' long and 1' in diameter and bugee corded to the top of the propane tanks. If its wet, I take it off and lay it out on the driveway on the first sunny day. Total investment $50 for the carpet and 50 cents for bungee cords. (And those were Canadian dollars)
Mike
Me, DW, 2 little boys 6 & 7
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Spirit Deer
Boundary Waters, Minnesota
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Another totally different option is to go with an RV mat instead of carpet. Those are woven plastic that lets water run through, so even after rain, they're supposedly not wet and heavy, and dirt won't stick to them. We just bought ours for our motor home, so I don't have any personal experience with them yet, but I've read good things. Our 9x12 mat folds into a bundle about four inches thick, three feet long, and a foot or so wide, and it's not very heavy. I made a canvas case for it, too, to capture any dirt that might otherwise escape inside the RV during travel and make it easy to carry using the handles on the case. We got ours from eBay from a seller called rvmats.com, I think it was. Camping World also sells them. They aren't much more expensive that a piece of sewer pipe/fittings would be, and then you could avoid the whole issue if you want.
People also use the plastic woven beach mats sometimes, too, which are pretty much the same as the RV mats. I have one of those I picked up cheap for our pop up, and intend getting another one sometime as we'll need two to cover the whole floor in our AAR. The one we have is about 5x7, I think. I paid $2 for it at a rummage sale, but I think new ones are around $15 or less. It folds up on itself and creates its own carry case with webbing handles. I don't recall for sure, but it seemed to me the bundle was about a foot square and four inches thick, very small and convenient.
While our carpets in their cases strapped to the bumpers have worked well for us, and the bungees alone before that, I'm looking forward to the easier handling of the mats, so I hope we like those too.
* This post was
edited 03/13/05 07:54am by Spirit Deer *
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