Pop up camper info

[brucethebroker]

Am considering buying a used, pop up camper. Just thinking it through. Anyone with any tips/advice (good/bad) please? Have a medium sized SUV and cannot pull heavy trailers-one of the reasons to look at pop-ups.

 

[Jerry1]

My DD has a pop-up. The pros as I see it are that it's easy to store (takes up one side of their 2 car garage) and it's easy to pull (they have a Chrysler mini van). You do have to be careful, some pop-ups are pretty heavy so pay attention to that. It also has a good amount of sleeping area. The downside I see is that it doesn't have a bathroom. So, for me, it seems better than a tent, but not actually and RV. Personally, I'd look at a small/mini RV but it would be just me and DW. That wouldn't work for DD because there's five of them.

 

[swakyaby]

My brother has a pop-up camper that he bought used. He likes that it tows with less wind resistance. It can be parked inside a garage if it’s deep enough whereas my tiny Airstream Basecamp trailer is too tall to clear the garage door opening. There was some minor cosmetic damage when he bought it because the owner forgot to remove a small lamp on the table when he lowered the trailer for towing. Be sure to get a hardsided popup, because bears will tear through a soft side to get any food, and therefore food storage is prohibited in a soft sided popup or tent or car.

 

[audreyh1]

My DB is thinking about it and I am encouraging home to take that approach. It will match what they like to do including taking their kayaks everywhere. They are close to lots of great camping parks.

They seem to be quite hardy too - I thought a major hailstorm was going to shred the canvas, but they looked fine. Hail must have bounced right off!

 

[skyking1]

Our first adventure off the ground was a really frugal $900 Coleman. It was pretty rough, we traveled with needle and thread and canvas to patch it.
It turned out to be a really good experience for us.
Ours had a shower and a place for a cassette toilet, so we did not have to make that morning dash for the restrooms.
It had electric brakes and weighed a little over a ton, and the Honda Pilot towed it with ease.
The propane furnace was good enough to allow shoulder season camping.

 

[Going camping]

We traveled across the country and back in a pop-up trailer when the kids were in elementary school. We loved the space, storage, and ease of towing. The tent areas were very well sealed with no leakage. Stored it in the garage between trips. We loved the simplicity of the unit.

Cons: no bathroom, on dewy mornings the beds felt wet like being in a tent, packing up on rainy days was miserable when storing the beds wet, and we didn't have a sway bar so the trailer was subject to small swings with high winds coming across the highway on the plains.

All in all, great memories and we're glad we had that unit for our many adventures.

Before buying used, I would ask that a hose be used after fully popped up to assure no leaks anywhere.

 

[dixonge]

we spent 7 months in a pop-up in 2011 - 14-foot Jayco - cassette toilet/shower combo, slide-out kitchen/dining, slide-out beds on each end (queen-sized!) - it was the palace of pop-ups. We both have very fond memories of that year. Went from Texas to Cali to Seattle to Michigan and back to TX.

 

[skyking1]

we spent 7 months in a pop-up in 2011 - 14-foot Jayco - cassette toilet/shower combo, slide-out kitchen/dining, slide-out beds on each end (queen-sized!) - it was the palace of pop-ups. We both have very fond memories of that year. Went from Texas to Cali to Seattle to Michigan and back to TX.

Some of the beds are beyond king sized in the front, ours was ~80" square.
The cassette toilet was life changing, but we only washed our hair with the shower a couple of times as we had no tank and had to set a bucket under the outlet and carry the shower water to a dry well in the campground.

 

[Teacher Terry]

There’s 2 concerns with pop ups that I have. You can’t leave your dogs in them as anyone can take them and they aren’t bear proof depending on where you are traveling. For instance in some of the national parks you are limited to where you can camp inside the park if you have a pop up.

 

[Chuckanut]

There’s 2 concerns with pop ups that I have. You can’t leave your dogs in them as anyone can take them and they aren’t bear proof depending on where you are traveling. For instance in some of the national parks you are limited to where you can camp inside the park if you have a pop up.

Little dogs left in a tent are called food out in the wild.

 

[like2]

We had a nice Jayco back in 97 and loved it! Definitely a big step up from our tent camping days. Like any RV there are pros and cons and in essence most pop up trailers are basically an elevated tent with some amenities. Ours had a sink and fridge.
Looking used, some things to look at thoroughly would be -


Tires- they are basically the suspension for the trailer and are typically pretty small and fairly cheap to replace

Canvas- make sure it has been stored properly no mold or mildew and no rips or tears.

Lift mechanism for the pop-up- be sure it has been properly maintained and operates correctly (up and down with ease and no bent supports)

Air conditioner- ours did not have one but our friends did and it made a huge difference in comfort! If it has one make sure the condensation is clearing off of the roof and not leaking into the trailer.


Of course be sure to check everything for rust, rot, water damage, condition of the box, etc. etc.
Hope you find a good one, they are a lot of fun! As far as RVs go they are pretty simple and pretty fun!

 

[Teacher Terry]

Little dogs left in a tent are called food out in the wild.

Exactly).

 

[skyking1]

The dog thing doesn't come up because I would never leave my dogs in the RV or at the campsite for any length of time.
I do pop them in the fifth wheel trailer for grocery shopping, because it is nice and cool and dark there, and they are so happy to help me put away the groceries when I get back.
There's no restriction in the national parks where I'm at for pop-up trailers because every site where there's a bear problem has a bear box. I have not been to a campsite that doesn't allow tent camping.

 

[swakyaby]

My brother was researching today whether a new mid-sized pickup like a 2023 Chevy Colorado with trailering option (to replace his aging failing Ford F150) would be sufficient to tow his HI-Lo 23 foot hard-sided popup trailer. He found the weight limits were too close to the maximum, so he’s back to looking for a full-sized used pickup truck.

 

[SJhawkins]

Had a popup for a good number of years when the kids were young, loved it.

Setting up a pop up in the rain can be interesting but generally it goes fast so not to big of a deal. Taking one down in the rain stinks, when you get home you get to set it back up to dry it out. We were lucky do have a big shop to set it up inside to dry out. We called it a big wet burrito when packing up in the rain!

Moved up to a little travel trailer with a bathroom, that was fabulous for camping and roadside bathroom breaks!

We're just getting ready to get back into a travel trailer again then Covid happened. Maybe this year of or next will pull the trigger. It's going to be a small trailer for sure.

 

[ElizabethT]

We owned a pop up for six years, after which we traded up to a hard side, though it does still fold and fit in our garage (TrailManor.com).

We loved our pop up, and yes, ours also had a small wet room for showering and cassette toilet. Very convenient. The only reason we traded it for above was the issue of rain, a non issue for the most part in S. Calif, but a bigger issue in retirement, when we planned to go further and longer. The pop up canvas stitching points aren't 100% water resistant, meaning eventually water will likely find it's way in.

They have great resale value, so there is little risk in seeing if your family likes it.

 

[Slim11]

I had a pop up before getting a Travel Trailor. They are good and peiple love them. Visit the pop up portal for advise. They have lists of thinks to look for in used and new pop ups. Like people said above thier are pros and cons, and it depends on what you like and want. Most bigger pop ups have a cassett toilet , but if it dosent you can get a portable one and a outside potty tent. They are atually pretty good, and some prefer them to waste tanks. Again this depends on where and how you camp. I say, go for it. Try it out. If its not for you sell it. Just make sure that you know what you need to register it in your state, and make sure the owner transfers that info. Way to many people buy them and then cant register them becasue they have the wrong paperwork. Good luck.

 

[ElizabethT]

There’s 2 concerns with pop ups that I have. You can’t leave your dogs in them as anyone can take them and they aren’t bear proof depending on where you are traveling. For instance in some of the national parks you are limited to where you can camp inside the park if you have a pop up.

Pop ups have locking doors, just like all trailers. Could the canvas be ripped open? Well, sure, but not something I've ever heard of occurring in my 20+ years of RVing, and not exactly subtle or quiet, as crime goes.

 

[molly312]

Pop Ups are great. When we sold ours, we then bought a travel trailer. It had all the "goodies". I was disappointed in the TT and looked back longingly to our pop-up. PU had AC and a cassette toilet. We always stayed someplace that had nice showers, etc. It was easy to tow, hook-up, and very comfortable. We found it to be much more flexible than the TT.

 

[ElizabethT]

Pop Ups are great. When we sold ours, we then bought a travel trailer. It had all the "goodies". I was disappointed in the TT and looked back longingly to our pop-up. PU had AC and a cassette toilet. We always stayed someplace that had nice showers, etc. It was easy to tow, hook-up, and very comfortable. We found it to be much more flexible than the TT.

What I missed/miss the most about our pop up is how airy it was with all that screening. It was quite an adjustment to go hard sided due primarily to how not-airy traditional trailers are.

 

[molly312]

I totally agree. When you are in a popup, you feel more like you are sharing the great outdoors experience. TT gave me the "tin can" experience. When we wanted luxury, we would take a few days off and go to a nice hotel.

 

[skyking1]

^Yes when you pull back the curtains you do feel closer to what is around you.^
I like the step and a half up into it as well. I am building a custom trailer after we get the shop built and that is one of the features that is important. The new 5th wheels and travel trailers seem like a half a flight to get up in them.

 

[youbet]

Before going canvas, be sure to look at the hard-sided campers such as Aliner’s.

 

[SJhawkins]

Before going canvas, be sure to look at the hard-sided campers such as Aliner’s.

If we were going with a pop up again, this would be a contender for sure.

 

[Teacher Terry]

The dog thing doesn't come up because I would never leave my dogs in the RV or at the campsite for any length of time.
I do pop them in the fifth wheel trailer for grocery shopping, because it is nice and cool and dark there, and they are so happy to help me put away the groceries when I get back.
There's no restriction in the national parks where I'm at for pop-up trailers because every site where there's a bear problem has a bear box. I have not been to a campsite that doesn't allow tent camping.

There’s definitely restrictions at some national parks. When we had 4 dogs every day we would take 2 with us and leave 2 in the motor home rotating the dogs.