Pop up camper or RV

Hello,

I an currently planning a trip to the Fort in Late August. We are either going to rent a pop up camper from Fort camper Rental, or we're going to rent an RV from Greenberg. Which one would you recommend? Which loop is better, 1500 or 1600? Does the 1500 loop have sewer for a RV? Or would I have to go to a partial hook up site? Thanks!

davish562, the answer is, "it depends".

I owned a popup with canvas bunk ends for 10 years and traded it in last year. A popup is the lowest cost way to rent a trailer and gives you more of that "camping" feeling. You can hear the birds singing through the canvas in the mornings and the boom-booms of the fireworks at night (also the sound of your neighbor warming up his diesel truck at 5am). It probably has a small fridge and cook top for cooking meals. It can go in 1500 loop (which does NOT have a sewer hookup) which is lower cost than a Full loop. It does have water/power/cable so if you use the kitchen sink for example to run water, it probably drains into a gray water tank built into the popup.

The travel trailer is probably a little bit bigger inside, a little more expensive per night, and would go best on a Full (or higher) loop like 1600 which does have the sewer hookup. It probably has a built in toilet good for night use. The Fort Comfort Stations are nice so it's up to you where you choose to use the facilities or get ready in the morning. It would have a bigger fridge probably than the popup and of course a cook top for cooking as well.

So it depends on how much space you need/want, what kind of experience you need/want, how much time would you be at the site non-sleeping (rainy days) or would you be at the parks most days? Choice also drives cost both in sites and campers themselves.

Hard to recommend but you know what you want the trip to be like. A popup can work for a party of 4 comfortably. Although it might sleep more, there are more suitcases to shuffle around and the kitchen table to convert to a bed every night and take down in the morning if you plan to eat inside. If you have more than 4, I would recommend the trailer. But you CAN make it work with more folks in a popup.

Bama Ed

I agree with Ed, this really depends on how many people and how much room you want/need for those people. I wanted a popup, but my wife was not going to have that small of a space, so now I basically have a mobile home that requires a diesel (Ed, I have a policy that I do not warm up my truck prior to 0530 hours) to pull. If you plan on using the comfort stations then that eliminates the need for the bathroom, or at least the shower. The trailer fridge will probably be at least 2x the size of the popup fridge, but if you aren't planning on storing a lot of perishable food, the smaller fridge may be just what you need.

So it depends on what you think you will need room wise. If you can utilize the smaller space of the popup, then it will certainly save you some money.

tiggerdad said:

I agree with Ed, this really depends on how many people and how much room you want/need for those people. I wanted a popup, but my wife was not going to have that small of a space, so now I basically have a mobile home that requires a diesel (Ed, I have a policy that I do not warm up my truck prior to 0530 hours) to pull. If you plan on using the comfort stations then that eliminates the need for the bathroom, or at least the shower. The trailer fridge will probably be at least 2x the size of the popup fridge, but if you aren't planning on storing a lot of perishable food, the smaller fridge may be just what you need.

So it depends on what you think you will need room wise. If you can utilize the smaller space of the popup, then it will certainly save you some money.

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Thank you for giving your opinion!

bama_ed said:

davish562, the answer is, "it depends".

I owned a popup with canvas bunk ends for 10 years and traded it in last year. A popup is the lowest cost way to rent a trailer and gives you more of that "camping" feeling. You can hear the birds singing through the canvas in the mornings and the boom-booms of the fireworks at night (also the sound of your neighbor warming up his diesel truck at 5am). It probably has a small fridge and cook top for cooking meals. It can go in 1500 loop (which does NOT have a sewer hookup) which is lower cost than a Full loop. It does have water/power/cable so if you use the kitchen sink for example to run water, it probably drains into a gray water tank built into the popup.

The travel trailer is probably a little bit bigger inside, a little more expensive per night, and would go best on a Full (or higher) loop like 1600 which does have the sewer hookup. It probably has a built in toilet good for night use. The Fort Comfort Stations are nice so it's up to you where you choose to use the facilities or get ready in the morning. It would have a bigger fridge probably than the popup and of course a cook top for cooking as well.

So it depends on how much space you need/want, what kind of experience you need/want, how much time would you be at the site non-sleeping (rainy days) or would you be at the parks most days? Choice also drives cost both in sites and campers themselves.

Hard to recommend but you know what you want the trip to be like. A popup can work for a party of 4 comfortably. Although it might sleep more, there are more suitcases to shuffle around and the kitchen table to convert to a bed every night and take down in the morning if you plan to eat inside. If you have more than 4, I would recommend the trailer. But you CAN make it work with more folks in a popup.

Bama Ed

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Thank you very much for all this info! There will be 4in our party. How is the walk from loop 1500 to the beach area? My family does not mind walking as long as it is nice.

davish562 said:

Thank you very much for all this info! There will be 4in our party. How is the walk from loop 1500 to the beach area? My family does not mind walking as long as it is nice.

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Walk to "beach area"....easy 10 to 20 minutes depending on whether the deer show up for photo shoot.... and remember, the "beach area" is in name only since swimming is not allowed.

John VN said:

Walk to "beach area"....easy 10 to 20 minutes depending on whether the deer show up for photo shoot.... and remember, the "beach area" is in name only since swimming is not allowed.

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Thanks for responding! Yes I know about the whole thing with the no swimming at Disney in the lake. When my dad went there in the 70s, you could swim in the lake, before they found that nasty disease.

I would do the RV. Having been to Disney in August I can tell you this : crowds are light and that is fantastic but they are light because it is HOT AS HELL! There I said it! I threatened to strip in the Nemo show because the AC was so glorious!

We just stayed in the 1500 loop and it was great. The pool is very close and the beach is an easy bike ride away. I highly recommend bikes if your family is able...we had so much fun riding around.

I would not want to stay in a popup during the summer in Florida. Even with a/c those camper sidewalls are just like a tent and will become an oven that the a/c will not be able to cool down enough to make it comfy. Our last trip we rented a 30 foot camper that was wonderful, plenty of room, the a/c kept it cool, and having a full bathroom was great for those late night trips. We never did use the comfort station, our shower was a bit small but it did the trick.
If you use Greenburg they also rent bikes for $25 each for the week or a tandem bike for $35, the fort is a great place to ride bikes.

The other thing I will add is that we keep referring to loop 1500 in the case of the popup with a Partial site. But it's possible you won't get put in 1500 but would get 2000 instead. There are only 21 or so sites in 1500 and it fills up often due to requests because of its proximity to things. There are nearly 70 or so sites in 2000 so the odds out of the gate are over 3:1 in favor of 2000.

The times I've stayed in 2000 I wish I'd paid the difference for a Full or higher site (1500 was full the 2 times in the past I was in 2000). Something to consider....

Bama Ed

I

bama_ed said:

The other thing I will add is that we keep referring to loop 1500 in the case of the popup with a Partial site. But it's possible you won't get put in 1500 but would get 2000 instead. There are only 21 or so sites in 1500 and it fills up often due to requests because of its proximity to things. There are nearly 70 or so sites in 2000 so the odds out of the gate are over 3:1 in favor of 2000.

The times I've stayed in 2000 I wish I'd paid the difference for a Full or higher site (1500 was full the 2 times in the past I was in 2000). Something to consider....

Bama Ed

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think I might be leaning on renting an rv from Greenberg!

I know I am late to this discussion, but I have used both Pop-up and Travel Trailer (RV).

When we were kids (4 of us plus mom and dad) we went camping all the time. We had a Popup with Canvas Bunk Ends. The kids slept in the pop-up while mom and dad slept (on cots) in a Canvas (not Nylon) tent. We would also set up a "Shelter" which was about 15x15 foot screened in area. This was our "Kitchen" area. Unlike most pop-ups now-a-days, ours was strictly no-frills. No electric, water, sewer, fridge, stove, etc. We had the bunk ends (that could comfortably sleep 2 people on each end) and the center table area that would convert to another bed area (that could easily sleep 3 people and probably 4 if needed). When set up as a table you could "Squeeze" 6 people (3 on each side) at the table.

In the heat, however, the camper would get HOT. You could "Unzip" the windows and hope for a breeze but it was still hot. We had 5 gallon water jugs that we used for our water needs and filled them up daily. As "Kids" we had a little "Potty" chair to use for night time so we didn't have to walk to the CS in the middle of the night. (also this was not at Disney). So while it may sound like this is terrible, it wasn't. We loved it and it definitely would give you more of the "Camping" feel (as ed pointed out).

Now that I am older with a family of my own (me, DW, DD17 DD10 and DD17's BF), we go camping (and to the Fort). While I would be happy with our old pop-up from when I was a kid, My wife needs more "Creature Comforts" (hopefully not to many creatures though). We have a 27' Travel Trailer. It is nice to have A/C and a kitchen as well as TV, Refrigerator, and of course a toilet and shower (albeit small). We were like having the facilities in the camper, but tend to use the CS in the fort, and tend to eat our meals at the parks or out (last time we got the DDP so why not use it right?). It's also nice to have the space to move around it if the weather is not so nice. It is however still cramped in the Travel Trailer so I expect it would be more so in the Pop-up. For us the Camper is mostly about a place to lay our heads down at night and to take a break from a day. (at least when we are at WDW). The Trailer does allow us to "Camp" but it's not quite the full camping experience. (Give me a tent and a sleeping back to really get the experience)

As Sundancer330 points out, I could imagine that a Pop-up (without an A/C) would get EXTREMELY hot in the summer time. If, however, you are planning on spending the "Nice" days Out at the parks/pools, then I think it's less of an issue. The Bad weather time (such as Rain) wouldn't be as hot anyway. Although I don't know for sure, but I know many pop-ups now also come with an A/C so that would make it bearable.

Really, I think it depends on how much of the Camping experience you really want. If you are ready to go full into camping, go with the pop-up. If not, go with the Travel Trailer (RV). Just know that there are advantages and disadvantages to both.

We rented a pop up from Fort Camper Rental in August 2013 and never had a problem with the air conditioner not keeping it cool enough. It was me and 3 recent graduates and the only thing about the pop up was one of the guys was a tosser-turner sleeper and it shook us all when he changed positions...all except him, that is, he slept through it . We paid less for rental and the site than we would have with an RV and it was big enough for them to play board games and watch TV when it rained. Otherwise they were out and about except for sleeping.

JanL said:

We rented a pop up from Fort Camper Rental in August 2013 and never had a problem with the air conditioner not keeping it cool enough. It was me and 3 recent graduates and the only thing about the pop up was one of the guys was a tosser-turner sleeper and it shook us all when he changed positions...all except him, that is, he slept through it . We paid less for rental and the site than we would have with an RV and it was big enough for them to play board games and watch TV when it rained. Otherwise they were out and about except for sleeping.

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Glad to hear the pop up was kept cool in August, what loop were you in?

JanL said:

We rented a pop up from Fort Camper Rental in August 2013 and never had a problem with the air conditioner not keeping it cool enough. It was me and 3 recent graduates and the only thing about the pop up was one of the guys was a tosser-turner sleeper and it shook us all when he changed positions...all except him, that is, he slept through it . We paid less for rental and the site than we would have with an RV and it was big enough for them to play board games and watch TV when it rained. Otherwise they were out and about except for sleeping.

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I would say that you could get the same result in a Travel Trailer too. Even with the stabilizers, I can feel others who are tossing and turning. Small price to pay though.

davish562 said:

Really, I think it depends on how much of the Camping experience you really want. If you are ready to go full into camping, go with the pop-up. If not, go with the Travel Trailer (RV). Just know that there are advantages and disadvantages to both.

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IMO,

full into camping = sleeping on the ground with sky above, minimalist

camping = tent plus added amenities to make things easier

RV = recreational vehicle having wheels used to go do easy camping

GLAMPGING = $$$$$ ??????

@John VN I can do all of them, but GLAMPING only if someone else brings the $$$$$$$s

I really do like the "Full into camping" and have done that many times too, particularly with the Backpack and hiking over the hills.

We've rented from Fort Camper rental three times, and we've always been happy with their campers and service. You won't have an issue with the pop-up AC in my opinion. We have two kids, 4 and 6, who love to be outside all the time. For us then, having a travel trailer was going to be an extra expense for not much benefit. We cook and eat outside also, and really don't spent much time in the RV other than sleeping and waiting out bad weather.

TT's are much more expensive to rent and you're paying for full hookups, so again you need to weigh the cost vs. benefit, which is going to be different for everyone. Good luck!

davish562 said:

Glad to hear the pop up was kept cool in August, what loop were you in?

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1600 Loop as I was with a group so we got a discount.