Do you camp with RV, trailer or pop up camper?

[greenworld]

Hi,
Wow, I was searching for info on pop up camper and found this site!
We currently have DW membership (will expire soon) and have camped at FW last year before Christmas with tent. We stayed there 3 nights but had rain for 2 days (we were stuck in the tent for a few hours one time). Now we want to upgrade from tent and are in market for either Class C RV or pop up camper and I wanted if anyone here camp there with RV or camper. We have a mini van so we can't get a big trailer. We've thought about PU camper but lack of bathroom is unappealing to us since we have 3 young kids. Also with it being canvas top, I don't know how much it gets hot even with AC turned on during summer months of Florida.
Can someone give me some pointers for what you have, why you like them?
I can't wait to go back camping soon.
Thank you.

 

[becky1960]

I would check to see what weight your Mini van can pull first and then go from there. We have a 5th wheel as its got the room and gives a free vehicle (crewcab truck) to use off site when needed..

 

[North of Mouse]

Can understand you wanting to move on from a tent - we camped a few nights in Smoky Mtns. in a tent several years ago, rained, we were wet - end of tent story . We have had a class A MH for the last several years, but have had many sizes trailers and 5th wheel. As pp said, be sure you check towing capacity of your van first (and that weight HAS to include everything you put in your trailer - not just the weight of the trailer itself). DON'T rely on what they tell you at the dealer, as we've found the majority of them less than honest - they just want to sell you a TT. We've seen some very dangerous situations on the hwy. with vehicles trying to tow way over their limit. You could probably pull a smalish light TT or PU. Some PU's have "minimal" shower/potty areas, but they cost as much as a large nicer TT. Just do research and you will be able to find what is best for you. Happy Camping, there's nothing else like it, and the Fort can't be beat at Disney. You couldn't get the rooms cheap enough even at the GF for me to change! We leave Monday for 10 days

 

[2goofycampers]

First off WELCOME !
We have a travel trailer. It worked best for us because we already had a 2500 diesel truck for our business.
A minivan won't pull much, if any camper.
Best advice I can give you is buy what you want the first time. It gets expensive upgrading. And salesmen lie. Do your own research.

 

[vtjohn]

Big difference between a MMH and a pop-up-- if you will camp/travel a lot besides Disney you may be able to justify the Class C. Your tow rating is likely 3000-3500 lbs so you could pull a highwall pop-up (which tends to have a decent bathroom ) or even a TrailManor (hard-side trailer that tows like a pop-up) with proper equipment.

I'm one of those pesky RV sales guys, and most of us in the industry don't want to see anyone in a bad situation. Most bad situations are due to lack of knowledge(and sometimes on the side of the sales guy), not malfeasance but you should definitely do your research before getting one--on the camper you want AND the dealership/consultant you choose to work with.

 

[LynneyPooh]

While I don't know what you'd really prefer to have, I'll tell you about my pop up. There are 3 of us,and I'm really content with it. DH and Ihave tent camped twice in 20 yrs of marriage and i will NOT do it again!!! For us the popup is perfect. The ac keeps us nice and COLD, but we do all of our cooking outside except for the microwave. Then again, we do not spend much time inside it during the day either.
We have weathered a few storms, and the canvas kept us and our stuff dry. Our biggest problem was our own mistake, not having the awning down when we left for a few hours. A storm blew up, and we had a mess to clean up and replace when we returned home. Hard lesson learned
We do have a potty in our camper, but we've never used it.( then again my DD is 10).
As pp's have stated get what you really want to begin with. DH and I wanted a PU, so it's a good thing for us. If you're worried about space, bathrooms, etc research each class to see whats available. I really posted to say that there is a HUGE difference between a PU and a tent IMHO. Good luck and welcome to the world of camping!

 

[91oldkeywest]

We started back in 1979 going to FW in a Class A,then in 2003 we downsized to a class C but still maintain the comfort of the A.With a MH you have the advantage of having a kitchen,bathroom,and T.V. as you travel down the road.Its great for family members to be able to change seating positions or make a bite to eat without having to stop.You have a table to either school work or crafts,and best of all large windows to see all the sites that this country has to offer.And once you arrive its a breeze to set up and stop to relax.With most MH built now you can even tow a moderate size car(towed)so that you don't have to take the MH to check all that is around your CampGround.Have fun looking,sometimes that can be a thrill by itself.

 

[KristinU]

If you're leaning towards towable: first off, determine what your vehicle is capable of...here is a pretty decent resource that will help you familiarize yourself with the various terms: http://dcd96xmek71bc.cloudfront.net/trailerlife.com/2012_towing_guide_lo_res.pdf

All due respect to VTJohn, but with three young (and growing) kids, you need to be cautious with your mini van. As you'll read, the "tow capacity" often doesn't account for passengers and gear.

As you do your shopping, keep in mind that your kiddos will grow...something that we didn't really think about when DS was 4 and we bought our Aliner pop-up. We had a great time with it for a few years, but outgrew it as DS got older and wanted to start bringing along a friend sometimes...and the porta-potti in the doorway at night time became a privacy issue. Also consider the gear and "toys", which for us is bikes and kayaks.

Our 1500 lb. Aliner was easily pulled by our V6 Hyundai Santa Fe (tow capacity of 3500 lbs.)...but add coolers, food, family and dog, kayaks, and bikes, and she was sure taxed up in the terrain in Vermont and New Hampshire, like turn off the A/C kind of taxed. So, I guess what I'm saying is that something might look good on paper, but think about the real world capabilities and needs.

ETA: a great site for all things pop-up is:www.popupexplorer.com

 

[gillenkl]

We have a popup 2007 Fleetwood Westlake with a toilet/shower -we use the spotty but only have used the shower 2x because it's a hassle. We have A/C, a must for us -never had a problem being cool and often the family complains I keep it like Antarctic! We use popup gizmos. We have towed with a 2000 Chevy Venture v6 front wheel drive which we added elect brake and hitch to. Also added a transmission cooler as a precaution. It was ok on a flat run but not for any mountain trips. Now we tow with a 2001 Chevy Express v8 rear wheel drive.

 

[jonimce]

We tent camped for many years. Loved it until I spent 2 weeks in Maine a couple of years ago and froze due to rain most nights. Decided it was time to shop. We went to a camping show intending to look at pop ups. I had 3 must haves. A decent size fridge, bathroom and a slide. Not many there, fell in love with a Shamrock. Full camper with the fold out beds like a pop up. Decided to wait a couple of months, went to another show and fell in love with a 24' TT. No regrets. It's an Aero Lite and we tow with a 2002 Chevy Express V8 van. Looking for a truck now.

 

[retired and happy]

We have a Class A and are looking for a 3 slide model. We tow a cargo trailer for our GC and other supplies and decorations. We recently researched PuP's for our daughter and found several Pup's and TT's that her minivan could tow. It does take research for your particular tow vehicle.

 

[ClaudeZ767]

Hello, we had a pop-up that we've taken to Disney on at least 3 trips in the last 6 years. Our popup did not have a bathroom either, but the bathhouses in the campsites are immaculate. One way to counter excessive heat in a pop up is to use reflective bunk end covers. There is a site called Popup gizmos that sells them. they really do make a difference in the interior temperature as well as help your roof a/c keep up with the demand.

 

[ctpooh]

Just wanted to put in my two cents as well. We camped many times in a tent at the Fort. We then went to a pop up. Two infants later and we JUST upgraded to a 19bh trailer. We also have a mini van. We went to a RV show here in CT thinking we were going to just upgrade our pop up, but after looking at prices and weights we were surprised to find out we were able to tow a 19 foot trailer with about 1000 pounds to spare for cargo weight etc. It was also cheaper than the new pop ups were were looking at. We are booked for July 2013 and can't wait. Besides the toilet and shower, we also have a microwave, stove, fridge, AC, and heater. You do have options we really did our research and were really surprised what was out there. Good luck!

 

[mikron]

Started with a tent and sleeping bags. Did that for one night and bought a pop up did that for one week. Bought a 27 foot class A motor coach and that was 20 years ago. We are now on our 4th class A coach which is 35 feet with 3 slides and I would not go any other way. I guess I am not the rough it type but boy do I enjoy camping.

 

[articfox676]

Been camping 42 years. Started with a pop up and now have a travel trailer 30ft. Love the slide out feature. Now they make a great selection of light weights. Good luck in TT shopping.

Welcome to FW

 

[sandieb]

We were rained out tent camping 3 times and then decided to look for a popup. We purchased a 9 year old popup which we used for 13 years - even in a terrific NorEaster, and we never got wet. I loved it. We had replaced the cables and canvas at some point. Truly, most of our time was outside except for sleeping and rain.

My husband wanted to move to a travel trailer - just unhook it and go - which we did. It has everything! We did need to purchase a Suburban 3/4 ton to pull it - we also have 4 kids, and we needed the seating room. We just spent a week camping in Myrtle Beach, and we had a blast.

We keep it on a year round site at a nearby campground, and we use it most weekends as a home away from home.

Next year we are staying in Ft. Wilderness for 2 weeks! Wow.

Some lessons learned:
1. Only use about 3/4 of your tow capacity to avoid excess wear on your engine and transmission.
2. Be prepared for higher fuel costs.
3. A bath is wonderful - we almost always use the toilet, sometimes use the shower. We use the minibath with the little ones.
4. An outside shower is wonderful when you are camping and don't have sewer hookup. They are available on PU and TT.
5. Class A and Class C motorhomes are wonderful, but children (and adults) should always be secured in seatbelts to avoid injury with sudden stops or a crash. We knew how much we would have to argue with the kids, so we avoided this option.

Happy Trails, Sandie

 

[CommaHolly]

First off WELCOME !
We have a travel trailer. It worked best for us because we already had a 2500 diesel truck for our business.
A minivan won't pull much, if any camper.
Best advice I can give you is buy what you want the first time. It gets expensive upgrading. And salesmen lie. Do your own research.

I spit coffee at my screen

We just bought a new to us pop up,,,,,DH wanted the largest possible and I wanted a smaller one for ease,,,,,

he won.

we got a 15 foot (before the beds slide out) Jayco. I bugged him and bugged him and bugged him about whether our minivan could pull it or not. He assured me over and over it would be fine.

Yep, 2 days after we bought it,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"Honey, I think we need a new tow vehicle"




I was good enough not to tell him "I told you so" while truck hunting.

 

[bama_ed]

CommaHolly,

Man, your DH is one smart guy.

He's gonna end up with the pop-up he wanted AND a new tow vehicle.

Sheer genius.

Bama ED

PS - and welcome to the Camping Board Holly

PPS - hey, us guys gotta stick together

 

[CommaHolly]

CommaHolly,

Man, your DH is one smart guy.

He's gonna end up with the pop-up he wanted AND a new tow vehicle.

Sheer genius.

Bama ED

PS - and welcome to the Camping Board Holly

PPS - hey, us guys gotta stick together

Do you know that is the reaction of every single MALE I have told that story to?

Hum,,,,I think I was played

 

[CommaHolly]

and thank you for the welcome! Nice board you have here