Popup trailer advice.

[tooldud]

My wife and I went on our first camping trip this weekend in a tent. Sleeping on the ground was not for us. We are already talking about getting a pop up camper. I am looking for any and all thoughts on these trailers. We will looking at a small one at first to keep costs down and make sure we like using it.. I am very curious about how well they heat and cool the insides. Any features that are must have? What are some of the negatives on this type of camping?

TIA for your help!!

[SDtundra858]

What about a bed tent with an air mattress?

[sequoiasoon]

Many places by me rent trailers all makes and sizes. You could try a few different ones to see how you like it.

[tooldud]

Originally Posted by SDtundra858

What about a bed tent with an air mattress?

We each had our own full size air mattress under our sleeping bags. It got down to 35 degrees and that is to cold for this old out of shape body to handle with out heat, and a solid floor under my feet.

[THarms]

Would definitely recommending renting a pop-up first. I have a Jayco and like it very much. At < 40° the heater will run most of the night trying to keep up and you will go through most of a tank of propane in the process if you want it to stay above 60°... but if all you want to do is take the chill off, then the heater will cycle on and off during the night. In summer, the A/C keeps it very cool and comfortable.. even when temps are around 100°. Wind is probably the only thing of concern with a pop-up. They can really get rockin and rollin if the wind kicks up.

Coleman are probably the best made pop-up quality-wise. But they cost a lot more and we questioned whether it was worth spending a couple extra thousand dollars for something we were only going to use a few weeks a year. Jayco's were a close 2nd. Heater, A/C, 3-way refrigerator and a porch awning are mandatory IMO. I would not waste money on the toilet/shower option. Most of the propane stoves are portable and can be used either inside the pop-up or moved outside where there is also a propane connection on the side of the camper. We do >90% of the cooking outside under the awning.

You can get some pretty good deals on used pop-ups by watching the want ads in the newspaper or on ebay... and you will find that many have been seldom used.

[randyeverett]

Originally Posted by THarms

Would definitely recommending renting a pop-up first. I have a Jayco and like it very much. At < 40° the heater will run most of the night trying to keep up and you will go through most of a tank of propane in the process if you want it to stay above 60°... but if all you want to do is take the chill off, then the heater will cycle on and off during the night. In summer, the A/C keeps it very cool and comfortable.. even when temps are around 100°. Wind is probably the only thing of concern with a pop-up. They can really get rockin and rollin if the wind kicks up.

Coleman are probably the best made pop-up quality-wise. But they cost a lot more and we questioned whether it was worth spending a couple extra thousand dollars for something we were only going to use a few weeks a year. Jayco's were a close 2nd. Heater, A/C, 3-way refrigerator and a porch awning are mandatory IMO. I would not waste money on the toilet/shower option. Most of the propane stoves are portable and can be used either inside the pop-up or moved outside where there is also a propane connection on the side of the camper. We do >90% of the cooking outside under the awning.

You can get some pretty good deals on used pop-ups by watching the want ads in the newspaper or on ebay... and you will find that many have been seldom used.

Ditto......... tharms just saved me alot of typing. I agree completely and will add one thing: A queen-size, thick, comfortable mattress is a must for the old bones.

We had a Jayco for 12 years and loved it.

Good luck,
RE

[Geodude]

I agree with renting first, see if you like it. Basically you get up off the ground, first and foremost. But then you still surrounded by canvas so you have to decide if that's for you. There are pros and cons.

Popups are really great but they can be work. How much is really up to you. Setup is normally 30-45 minutes, teardown is at least 45 minutes. Doing either in the rain isn't on my top 10 list of favourite things. It also depends on what you want out of your camping experience -- the odd weekend here and there vs. epic road trips are two very different things. If you like to vacation in one place - drive there, set up, stay, then a PU is really good.

I have a web page that chronicles our popup days with our Coleman Sun Valley, and our new toy, the Antigua 305QBS. I also have the whole story on why we made the switch (might be a really good way to cure insomnia, if you have it). Maybe it'd help you decide on what you want to do.

I highly recommend getting involved at PopUpExplorer.com - it's one of the best sites around (but hey, I'm biased since I'm a moderator there) for popups and more.

Once you figure out what direction you think you want to go in, there are a bazillion options and floorplans to choose from, you need to think about storage options, towing gear (you should be able to tow any popup out there) to make a better tow, etc.

[Owyhee tundra]

For pricing I would check out Peco's RV. I think you are close enough to them to make it worth your while. I have had two tent trailers (also called folding trailers) and love them. I camp in the winter when it is 18 degrees out. The furnace will keep it warm for cooking and lounging around, but I never sleep with it on. Just get a good quality sleeping bag (15 dreeg bag minimume) and you will be hot for the furnace.

Peco Campers-Discount Camping-Travel Trailers-5th Wheels-Atlanta GA RV Dealer

I also recomend spending a little time on RV.Net in the folding trailer section. Here you can learn more than you cared to about tent trailers.

RV.Net Open Roads Forum: Folding Trailers

Good luck.

[tooldud]

Thanks everybody for some great advise so far. I have mentioned to the wife about renting a trailer next time out and she thinks that is a great idea! We are very careful about large purchases, so it will be awhile before we buy anything. After looking around on t h net it does seem like the best deals are buying a lightly used model. I am a strong do-it-yourself / fix-it kind of guy. I just wanted to get my feet wet and start collecting some thoughts. It looks like there is a lot of great reading out there to do, to learn and understand the whole RV experience.

Keep the thoughts and ideas coming !
Thanks

[willy]

Surely rent one first. I would rent a comparable sized non-pop-up as well. Many folks like the standard (non-pop-up) campers instead, so that they don't have to collapse everything anytime they want to move, and so that they can get in to it whenever they need to, like stopping for lunch.

[Geodude]

If you rent, check with the dealer about putting the rental fee towards a purchase. Most will do this if you buy within a specified period after the rental.

Some will apply it to new, some to used as well and some to the rental units they sell at the end of the year (although the rentals are often stripper models).

[tomhole]

I am glad you are taking the slow approach. I would rent, and rent more than one time. We were tent campers for 3 years and we decided we wanted to be able to enjoy ourselves even if it rained. So, we bought a new pup. Loved it, upgraded it, sunk $11k into it and then my wife and 2 girls decided they were done with public restrooms. I couldn't understand their frustration, but I have spent years on aircraft carriers and my standards for heads and beds are skewed.

So, we went looking for something with a head in it. Bigger pups have heads and we were headed down that path until we saw a hybrid travel trailer: 1/2 pup, 1/2 travel trailer. It was the same price as a big pup, so we bought it. Now we are in happy land.

I sure wish we had skipped that intermediate step with a pup as it cost us $4,000 in depreciation. I sold my 7 month old, perfect condition pup for $4,000 less than what I had in it. So, you are on the right path. Rent a pup and see if it meets all of your requirements. Then buy a lightly used one from someone like me. You could start looking around for a used one now. This is a prime buyer's market with folks like me trying to get out of a pup before spring so they can buy a bigger trailer.

rv.net is a good source of lots of info as well.

Let us know where this ends up. We still giggle every time we go campin'. Might even plan a cross country drive if I can find the time off from the Navy.

Tom

[tooldud]

Well, you all have been great, but my wife and will have to put this on the back burner for a little while. I hope to start looking again this time next year.

Thanks again for all the help.