For those who have it, do you like it? How did it turn out when it comes to a rainy weather? Comfy? My hubby and I would like to buy a small traveling trailer, but our HOA won't allow us to store it on our driveway/backyard, so pop-up camper is best way to go. It can be easily stored in the garage. We like camping, but got tired of tent already. Want something new.
We had one years ago and loved it! It's very easy to haul, and set up isn't that hard, took maybe 10 minutes for my hubby to do it. I get a little claustrophobic, but it didn't really bother me. I don't know if you have any kids, or how many, but I wouldn't recommend it for a family larger than 4 people. The only reason we got rid of ours is because we got a bigger travel trailer (we have 3 boys). Make sure you shop around, and get a good one. Ours was a Coleman, they are made well and their roofs are one piece, so you don't have to worry about water leaking through seams. Hope this helps you!
A popup is better than tent camping especially if you have A/C :-D We sold our popup last month so we can start saving for a hybrid or travel trailer. With a popup it is a pain to open and close it every time you need to get something out or put something inside (i.e. packing for a trip / unpacking). You also don't have much storge so have to pack some things in your vehicle. However ... a popup is much better than a tent! IMHO You should consider how often you plan to camp. Many campgrounds (i.e. KOA) have nice cabins which are a little more expensive than camper sights however you don't have the taxes, maintenance costs and extra gas to pull a popup. So those may be a better option if you only plan a few trips a year. You might also try renting a popup a few times to see if you like it before you make the investment. If you buy ...purchase a used one ... it will save you a lot of $ because of depreciation. You can often find them posted on craigslist.
the wifey and i have wanted to get a popup for some time know. the financials have not allowed us to. i am wanting one because i will get a new-to-me truck!
they are worht it and you can get nice ones now. they are more comfy then tent camping. I have a pop up and just the other week went thru a storm at teh beach in it and was dry and safe.,
I just came back from 3 days in Charleston, SC with the family and our popup. Every time we take it out, we remember why we like it so much. Everything NCMOM said is true, but for additional storage capcity you can purchase a popup with a front storage compartment. Some even have slideouts that make it a little easier for two people to pass each other inside. There is a little work involved in setting up and taking down, but once you get the routine down, it's a breeze. I highly recommend one!
CakePrincess: a pop up is a great next step if you like camping. Yeah, you do have to set them up and if the weather's not great when you arrive at the campsight, you just have to go with the flow. If it's wet when you take it down you'll have to set it back up when you get home so the canvas won't mildew. You won't have any problem reselling your pop up. We sold ours on the 1st phone call at my asking price and the phone rang off the hook until the ad came out of the paper. A pop up is alot easier to tow than a typical travel trailer. Better visibility, too. And of course, alot cheaper. Our pop up had a slide out and it greatly increased the feel of roominess. I definitely recommend getting one with a/c. You can make it OK w/out a heater. You can put on some clothes if it gets a little cool, but it's hard to cool off if it's hot, especially when you're trying to sleep. We had a Viking, which is a good pop up brand: http://www.vikingrv.com/ It had a propane heater and hot water heater, sink, and an inside toilet/shower. The built-in toilet comes in handy, especially for the ladies and kids in the middle of the night when you really don't want to trek to the bath house. My daughter had a sleep-over birthday party in the camper when it was 14 outside and they all stayed toasty. Ours had a king-size bed on one end and a queen on the other, plus you could sleep two on the dinette table area. Oh, our pop up had a screen room that you could attach to the outside. The awning acted as the roof. This screened room was a great feature if you wanted to sit outside at night and not get bit by the skeeters. Even if it was raining you had a nice dry room attached to your camper. If you're only camping for a night or two, attaching a room like this may not be worth the trouble, but any longer, and it comes in handy. Also you'd be surprised at just how much "camping stuff" you can store in a pop up, so that really isn't a problem. One of the mistakes I see for novice pop up owners is they get in a hurry to take it down. Take your time. You don't want to tear the canvas. One thing to consider are the hi-lo campers that tow like a pop up, but are all hard shells. http://www.hilotrailer.com/ http://trailmanor.com/?gclid=CPmYho7bqY4CFQZbHgodQyS5Sw More expensive, but give you the benefits of a travel trailer. Here's a pic of the camper we had: Hope this helps.
We bought a used Coleman pop-up this summer so my son wouldn't miss out on camping this summer due to our daughter's birth at the end of May. Ours has heat/air a small fridge, a shower & a little potty. My family LOVES it. Even baby girl seems to enjoy camping. The 1st time she ever slept through the night was while we were camping in the pop-up.
You sound just like my hubby! He, too, want to get a big, new truck! I told him we can still get his dream truck as long as we can find a used pop-up to start out with.
Kent: LOVE your pop-up camper! This is what we're looking for: a/c, screened area, etc. I've checked Ebay and I don't feel comfortable buying it without looking at it first. We just found out that there will be RV expo this weekend at Raleigh fairground, so we're going there to get some ideas and see if there's any bargain. Everyone who responded to my question - THANKS for helping. This sure helps me making a right decision.
We went straight from tent camping to the travel trailer, skipped the pop-up...............but.................there have been a few times it sure would have been easier. Our travel trailer is 27ft long, and some campsites can be a squeeze. Don't know how some of the bigger ones do it. We bought ours from Camptown RV right here in Clayton. We looked all over, including going to Greensboro, and ended up right back here. The RV show is a great place to start.
