advice on buying a pop up?

[lmbcdb]

So, I grew up spending my summers on a lake in East Texas in a pop up with my grandparents. Loved every minute of it.

Our first trip to DW was to the FW cabins last January. We are hooked on DW and The Fort. We want to buy a pop up (I need A/C at night!) but don't even know where to start.

Our budget is $2000. I checked out Craig's List and saw several used for that price with A/C.

Is this a realistic budget for something that's not going to need fixing up? I noticed none of them have toilets in this price range. Are toilets more trouble than they are worth? I don't mind walking to go in the middle of the night if keeping up with the toilet is a pain in the who-ha.

We want to start coming twice a year, and we figured this might be more economical (and fun!) being we can drive down instead of fly and stop along the way.

Is something like Craig's List an okay place to buy? Where could my DH read up on campers to know what to look at when we go "shopping"?

Any help is appreciated!

 

[stacktester]

Craigslist is a great place to look. The first thing to look for is water damage. A small leak can cause havoc and lead to costly repairs or even worse having to junk the pop up. If you have a friend who already has a pop up ask them for help when you go to look at them. Take some old clothes when you go so you can look under the unit for wood rot or structural damage. A person who has nothing to hide won't be afraid to let you spend time going over the unit or having it checked out by someone who does inspections.

 

[lmbcdb]

Craigslist is a great place to look. The first thing to look for is water damage. A small leak can cause havoc and lead to costly repairs or even worse having to junk the pop up. If you have a friend who already has a pop up ask them for help when you go to look at them. Take some old clothes when you go so you can look under the unit for wood rot or structural damage. A person who has nothing to hide won't be afraid to let you spend time going over the unit or having it checked out by someone who does inspections.

Thanks! I love the idea about finding a friend who has one to go with us. Off to Facebook!

Any thoughts on how I could find someone who does inspections?

 

[motherwild]

Just do your homework. Go look ask questions .Take your time look at a few before you buy.

 

[DaveInTN]

Go through the whole process of lifting the top and sliding the ends out. Make sure the lift mechanisms work properly, and check the canvas over real good.

If you think most of your use will be at the Fort, a toilet is probably not a necessity as the comfort stations are great. You can always get a porta-potti to use if you find you want one. However, when we had a pup the lack of a bathroom was a killer. But that's mainly because we have all daughters and my DW was always taking them to the bathhouse during the night when they were little. So depending on your situation, you need to decide if that is a problem or not.

 

[JacquiBee]

One other thing to watch is the GVWR of the camper (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) and the towing capacity of your vehicle. Some of the older campers are VERY heavy and should not be pulled with even small SUV's. The GVWR is the weight of the camper fully loaded (with water and everything). If the camper is too heavy, it can damage the tow vehicle and be unstable...Good luck in your search!

 

[mnsprk]

Any thoughts on how I could find someone who does inspections?

Any reputable RV dealer should be willing to do it at their normal labor rates. I have also found some very good deals on used pop-ups at our local dealer. Never hurts to check there as well.

 

[big kahuna1]

Here is a water damage finding tip for you.

If you are married have your Wife wear high heel shoes so if the flooring has water damage her heel will find it.

Check inside cabinets, if any for water damage also. Check the lift mechanism and have them have the unit set up with the A/C running and the fridge on if it has one and the beds out. Inspect it head to toe and top to bottom.

Good Luck!

 

[Tri-circle-D]

Disboarder Tim5055 maintains an excellent website with lots of great information about Fort Wilderness and pop-up camping.

This page has a lot of great suggestions on things to consider when looking at buying a used pop-up camper:

Buying A Used Pop-up Camper

We have a cassette toilet in our pop-up. It has worked great, and has saved many a late night visit to the comfort station!

TCD

 

[campingdawgs]

Definitely do a thorough inspection! And then make sure you caulk and seal everything!

We just sold our pop-up that we bought off Craigslist. We got a great deal and used it a lot for four years, but it had a leak we didn't find until recently. DH had to replace the floor- a big job, but he was able to do it himself. When we found water damage and rot in the roof, it was time to sell (with full disclosure!). Roof replacement was more work than DH wanted to do.

 

[bama_ed]

I would try to talk to some pop-up owners about their experiences. If you have a tent then go camping this fall, walk the campground, find some pup owners and ask them questions. Most like to talk about their unit and their experiences. I would recommend trailer shows too but those are normally in the months just past us.

At your price point you will be buying a unit several years old which is not necessarily a bad thing. But before you sign on the dotted line you will want to watch the current owner pop it up, set it up, do your inspection, and take it down.

Any unit you buy will probably require some maintenance like repacking the bearings (greasing the wheels at the axle), checking the tires, checking hydraulic or electronic brakes for fluid levels or working status. And first, FIRST, check the owners manual for how much weight your tow vehicle (TV) can pull. Use the search function on this forum on "Tow Ratings" or "Tow Vehicle" because we've had numerous threads about how to calculate that number.

As for a potty in a pup we have a built-in one that works fine. It is convenient for night time check-ins (if you know what I mean) We only do the #1 in the pup by the way. It's convenient (I have a DW and DD) but having a potty is not an absolute necessity. For the Fort we use their comfort stations anyway. But if you plan to be state park campers too (like we are) it's handy. I don't rough it out in the country with no hook-ups but some pups do. In a pinch you can buy a little porta-potty and have everyone turn their head when it gets used but that's not a good choice.

But we love our pup and I plan to use it for a long time. Craigslist is okay but be a good buyer. As Ronald Reagan said, "trust but verify".

Good luck to you!

Bama ED

 

[lmbcdb]

Go through the whole process of lifting the top and sliding the ends out. Make sure the lift mechanisms work properly, and check the canvas over real good.

If you think most of your use will be at the Fort, a toilet is probably not a necessity as the comfort stations are great. You can always get a porta-potti to use if you find you want one. However, when we had a pup the lack of a bathroom was a killer. But that's mainly because we have all daughters and my DW was always taking them to the bathhouse during the night when they were little. So depending on your situation, you need to decide if that is a problem or not.

Thanks for the advice. The bathroom thing is definitely going to be something we will discuss!

 

[lmbcdb]

One other thing to watch is the GVWR of the camper (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) and the towing capacity of your vehicle. Some of the older campers are VERY heavy and should not be pulled with even small SUV's. The GVWR is the weight of the camper fully loaded (with water and everything). If the camper is too heavy, it can damage the tow vehicle and be unstable...Good luck in your search!

Thanks for the information - I am going to hand that job over to my DH. He's real good with numbers and figuring out things like that.

 

[lmbcdb]

Here is a water damage finding tip for you.

If you are married have your Wife wear high heel shoes so if the flooring has water damage her heel will find it.

Check inside cabinets, if any for water damage also. Check the lift mechanism and have them have the unit set up with the A/C running and the fridge on if it has one and the beds out. Inspect it head to toe and top to bottom.

Good Luck!

haven't worn high heels since I got married - and probably never will again! I do like the tip about looking in the cabinets for the water damage.

Also like requesting the A/C, etc being on. If they turn them on before I get there, it should give me an idea of how cold they get! Thanks!

 

[lmbcdb]

Disboarder Tim5055 maintains an excellent website with lots of great information about Fort Wilderness and pop-up camping.

This page has a lot of great suggestions on things to consider when looking at buying a used pop-up camper:

Buying A Used Pop-up Camper

We have a cassette toilet in our pop-up. It has worked great, and has saved many a late night visit to the comfort station!

TCD

Thanks for the sites. I've bookmarked both of them. I started reading them last night then looked up to see it was past my bedtime!

 

[lmbcdb]

Definitely do a thorough inspection! And then make sure you caulk and seal everything!

We just sold our pop-up that we bought off Craigslist. We got a great deal and used it a lot for four years, but it had a leak we didn't find until recently. DH had to replace the floor- a big job, but he was able to do it himself. When we found water damage and rot in the roof, it was time to sell (with full disclosure!). Roof replacement was more work than DH wanted to do.

oh my! That's awful! We will definitely do a thorough inspection!

 

[lmbcdb]

I would try to talk to some pop-up owners about their experiences. If you have a tent then go camping this fall, walk the campground, find some pup owners and ask them questions. Most like to talk about their unit and their experiences. I would recommend trailer shows too but those are normally in the months just past us.


Any unit you buy will probably require some maintenance like repacking the bearings (greasing the wheels at the axle), checking the tires, checking hydraulic or electronic brakes for fluid levels or working status. And first, FIRST, check the owners manual for how much weight your tow vehicle (TV) can pull. Use the search function on this forum on "Tow Ratings" or "Tow Vehicle" because we've had numerous threads about how to calculate that number.

As for a potty in a pup we have a built-in one that works fine. It is convenient for night time check-ins (if you know what I mean) We only do the #1 in the pup by the way. It's convenient (I have a DW and DD) but having a potty is not an absolute necessity. For the Fort we use their comfort stations anyway. But if you plan to be state park campers too (like we are) it's handy. I don't rough it out in the country with no hook-ups but some pups do. In a pinch you can buy a little porta-potty and have everyone turn their head when it gets used but that's not a good choice.

But we love our pup and I plan to use it for a long time. Craigslist is okay but be a good buyer. As Ronald Reagan said, "trust but verify".

Good luck to you!

Bama ED

We do have a tent. (two actually!) My DS is in Boy Scouts and goes camping 3-4 times a year. We have several nice spots around us, so your advice is a good reason to head out for a weekend!

I like what you said about the potty. Maybe just #1 keeps the maintenance easier?

We have several nice state parks near us, so I may need to think about getting one with a potty.

 

[big kahuna1]

haven't worn high heels since I got married - and probably never will again! I do like the tip about looking in the cabinets for the water damage.

Also like requesting the A/C, etc being on. If they turn them on before I get there, it should give me an idea of how cold they get! Thanks!

LOL! My bad. I did not look at your sig before respoinding. I SHOULD have said have your Husband where high heels. Heck, after seeing that the selling party may give you a deal.

 

[lmbcdb]

LOL! My bad. I did not look at your sig before respoinding. I SHOULD have said have your Husband where high heels. Heck, after seeing that the selling party may give you a deal.

Shoot, I don't think they make them that big! (he wears a men's 12)

 

[Judy in Texas]

There are several places in your area where you can get a camper checked out - depending on there the camper currently lives.

There is a Camping World on the north side of Denton on I 35 southbound access road.

There is a Camping World just south on Forth Worth on the I 35W southbound access road.

If the camper is in the Gainesville area, check out RV MAX in Whitesboro.

In Fort Worth, United RV and Vogt are both on Airport Freeway inside the 820 loop.

Good Luck.