Researching pop up campers...info/advice would be appreciated

[dnurk]

I've been a hard core ultra light backcountry camper for most of my life. But the wife doesn't really care for that style of camping and our 6 year old simply isn't big enough to carry his own weight.

So I am thinking seriously about getting a pop up camper.

SO much information on the web....thought I would ask INGO for their thoughts

Particular brands to look at or avoid? Features I really do or do not want? It will be the 2 adults and one child, along with our dog. I think I want one with a toilet/small shower to make the wife happy. Furnace and AC would be nice to extend the camping season.

Other than that, I am clueless.

Any help and insight would be appreciated.

 

[Stschil]

Go check out Braun's Funtime Campers on Pendleton Pike.

My brother and I have bought campers from them and they are good folks.
They have a pretty variety of models on display, including used campers.

I have a 12' Coleman Sante Fe (2004) that has a full sized bunk, a King sized, and the dining area can be converted to sleep space as well. It has a cassette toilet that is easy to maintain. A gas furnace and WH, fridge, outdoor shower, and two cooktops (one inside, one outside). I bought it used a few years ago for $4K.

 

[HavokCycle]

if you're buying used, the biggest problems with pop ups is the canvas, and mold issues. many are put away wet which can rot the canvas. its about as expensive to replace that as it is to buy another one.

 

[Blackdog765]

We have a Coleman, but those are no longer made by Coleman anymore. The name has been sold a couple times. Plenty of good options made in Northern Indiana for pop-ups.

If I could do it again, I would do a high-side version, which simply means the side walls are a little taller, so there is less folding and breakdown to do before returning home. They might be slightly more expensive though.

We were cautioned to NOT do the shower or toilet, as they tend to smell, and just take up space. So we didn't. We did get the slide out dinning area though, which was a great help on rainy days for giving us a little more room inside. We also do ALL our cooking outside, to keep the smell and grease outside the camper, and that has helped a lot as well.

We are going to be putting our camper on the market in about a month, because we are now on to other things as our kids are older and we just don't want to store it any longer. I don't remember the year of our camper, but I believe it is called the Coleman Bayside if you are interested in seeing the floor plan online.

We have an air conditioner which is a great help, but don't have the heater. We found the space heaters did just fine at keeping us warm in the fall months. We had several good years and good memories in ours, so I highly recommend them. We felt just getting up off the ground was a huge help in sleeping better and more comfortably. Also, ours has 2 king sized beds on either end which has been a great help. For the kids we can store all their gear on the bed, plus have room for them to sleep. For me and my wife it's nice to have a normal king like we are used to at home to sleep on.

Good luck with your search!

 

[TheDude]

Tagged

 

[dnurk]

Thanks for the replies so far. Interested to hear other "if I had it to do over again...." Stories.

Good info on checking the walls and roof. Also like the idea of doing most of the cooking outside.

I think we definitely want a toilet for those middle of the night pee breaks.

Saw this brand on another site and they look awesome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofLDS8lQbYU&sns=em

Kind of salty price though.

 

[Stschil]

My brother has one similar to this one (minus the slider room)
I've often thought that when I decide to sell my pop-up, this will be the direction I go.

(He towed his with a 6 cyl Mitsubishi Montero for several seasons even)

http://www.youtube.com/embed/cdgLMdPSVHc?autoplay=1

 

[No2rdame]

We never bought one but looked into pop-ups as well. However, like you, we wanted amenities to make it more friendly for year-round use. Once we added all the "goodies" we wanted it actually became more feasible for us to consider a smaller, less expensive travel trailer. Price-wise, there wouldn't be a huge difference and what the difference would be was more than made up with more functionality and amenities.

Just a consideration, but the travel trailer seemed to be more practical than a pop-up.

 

[trophyhunter]

They don't age well, not that RV's ever do but the cost of new canvas and or repairs to the lift mechanisms can easily exceed their value. Anytime you can find a used pop up or travel trailer that's been stored inside when not used they tend to be a much better value for used money, sunlight and weather does bad things to the seals and roofing materials used to build those things.

Anythings that's been set up and used as a summer cottage at a campground has more hard use in one season than others that are used only a few times in any season as the years come and go.

Just look anything over carefully for any signs of water having gotten in under the roofing or sidewall areas and by all means if you get lucky and find one used that doesn't spend the money to get it re-sealed to protect your investment.

 

[Squirt239]

Come by my place and check out mine. My family and I love it. It's quite roomy and we picked it up for next to nil on craigslist.

 

[dnurk]

We never bought one but looked into pop-ups as well. However, like you, we wanted amenities to make it more friendly for year-round use. Once we added all the "goodies" we wanted it actually became more feasible for us to consider a smaller, less expensive travel trailer. Price-wise, there wouldn't be a huge difference and what the difference would be was more than made up with more functionality and amenities.

Just a consideration, but the travel trailer seemed to be more practical than a pop-up.

I hear ya on this. Price isn't the biggest factor for me. It is more about convenience. I'd like to stow whatever I buy in my garage instead of having to mess with finding someplace else to store it. My garage is about 21 feel long so I could get something good sized in there as long as it folds down flat. I.E a pop up.

 

[dnurk]

Come by my place and check out mine. My family and I love it. It's quite roomy and we picked it up for next to nil on craigslist.

What brand did you buy? What do you love about it specifically? And as important, are there things you don't like about it? So many models and manufacturers out there to choose from.

 

[VERT]

We have a small 8 foot popup and love it. Pulled it with a large car. We recently bought a truck and are thinking about a larger popup. The little one runs out of room with the second kid and dog. But it still meets our needs. I would avoid the bathroom. Air conditioner is a must. Heater is optional. I prefer a cooler over a fridge.

 

[dnurk]

We have a small 8 foot popup and love it. Pulled it with a large car. We recently bought a truck and are thinking about a larger popup. The little one runs out of room with the second kid and dog. But it still meets our needs. I would avoid the bathroom. Air conditioner is a must. Heater is optional. I prefer a cooler over a fridge.

Heat and AC are on my must have list as well.

Can you expand on two points....why would you avoid the bathroom and why you prefer a cooler over a fridge?

 

[VERT]

Heat and AC are on my must have list as well.

Can you expand on two points....why would you avoid the bathroom and why you prefer a cooler over a fridge?

Because if you are taking food with you it is a lot easier to load the cooler. We had a small dorm fridge that we plugged into a power inverter in the car for travel then moved to the camper. What a pain. Fridge went out, so I will be buying a better cooler.

Bathrooms are stinky and take up room. Campgrounds have a bathhouse. I am considering a portable potty though. I have some rural property that does have power but not running water.

My camper does not have a heater but does have heat strips in the air conditioner. Similar to a space heater. I do have a milk house heater as well.

 

[Blackdog765]

I understand the interest on the bathroom idea. I also wanted one before we purchased but kept having people that HAD bathrooms in theirs tell me not to get one. They reported that they simply stopped using them because of the chemical smells. The camper I did buy has a storage space that is possible to hold a small compact port-a-potty, so I always thought that was something we could add later if deemed necessary. We use campgrounds with the bath houses, and find their facilities very adequate. We haven't really missed having a toilet.

I forgot about the fridge and water heater in my initial post. We have a 3-way powered (LP, electric, DC) fridge, but it isn't adequate to keep items truly cold. How we ended up using ours is stocking it with frozen meat, and a few items like milk. The frozen items help keep the milk cool, and once the meat thaws we cook it for dinner. Obviously there is some timing and staging of items in the fridge. And we do also put things in there that are nice "cool" but not cold. We get better luck with an ice chest that we also take with us.

The water heater I thought would be great for doing dishes etc, but it is really a pain to keep going, and fairly small. We don't use that any more and simply boil water for the dishes.

I think the simpler you can keep things, the better. They tend to add all the bells and whistles to get your attention when considering a purchase - but life rarely turns out like the pictures in the sales brochures.

Best of luck to you in finding the right combination of features that fit your needs. We have enjoyed having ours.

 

[kludge]

Don't forget Hi-Lo and Aliner.

Also, more tent-like and less RV-like, but maybe suits your need for a less money...

Lifetime Tent Trailer Kit (Sahara Tent)

 

[No2rdame]

I agree with Kludge, I think the hi-lo or the aliner may be the best of both worlds for you.

 

[Wesley929]

I researched the crap out of pop ups and drive a vehicle with a 2000 lb tow rating.
I really liked the quicksilver series by livinlite.
Livinlite RV QuickSilver ultralight all aluminum tent campers

 

[dnurk]

I agree with Kludge, I think the hi-lo or the aliner may be the best of both worlds for you.

Interesting. Looks like the Hi Lo and Aliner of a similar style as the Trailmanor one I linked to earlier. I might have to find a dealer and check those out.

Thanks for the info.

Regarding the question about toilet vs no toilet, I am leaning toward getting one. Rather have and not use it than want one and not have it. I really think it would be SO nice for those middle of the night callings. And it would be great lot have for some middle of nowhere camping I plan to do in Michigan's UP later this year.