Fort withdrawal....how long does it last?

[Cindy F]

I can now say I've heard the pop up story!!

This is one of the great things about this forum, we get some great advice from seasoned campers, super stories and fantastic pictures.

Campers are a happy lot!! (Hey, is that tag worthy?) I'm still in need of one!!

It's a pretty good story...if you only have to hear it once BAHAHAHA

I grew up going to FW in a pop up it was a lot of fun. One morning I could not find my pillow. It had fallen out between the bed and the canvas. Found it out side in the sand.

Sounds like yer bungees were shot!

Cindy....I LOVE how you guys have turned that pop-up into a little disney haven!!! Great job on the updates. I check craigslist everyday just about....hoping to find a deal like you got...congrats. And ya made such a good point about hurricane "get-aways"...you're a smart kid!!

Awww, thanks! Don't forget to place an ad in Craig's List too, that's how we got ours. I had been looking for weeks, I don't know what made me think to place a wanted ad but...it worked. I had 5 people contact me within 2 days!

We're planning on getting a hybrid by Christmas 2010 (we have friends coming over from England for several weeks and would like to have more space), I don't know how I'm going to sell it. I still have the conversion van... over a year after getting the camper van.

 

[DisneyBishops]

Oh and by the way. the Fort withdrawals never subside until you go back to the fort.

 

[LONE-STAR]

Oh and by the way. the Fort withdrawals never subside until you go back to the fort.

But they start again when you leave.

 

[BigDaddyRog]

I bought a conversion van off of ebay a couple of years ago...it was in immaculate condition...ran strong, it was a 95 chevy 1500, hitop, queen conversion sofa in rear, tv 2 stereo systems..everything I wanted for under $5000!!!!! Flew to Boston and drove it home....last year one of the brake lines rusted through, brought it in for repair....mechanic told me Im lucky we havent fallen through the floorboard...completely rusted through from that Boston snow/salt...being drom Louisiana...we've never even had to consider undercarriage rust.....still not unhappy with the purchase though. I traded it in and got $2000 for it, and we did take LOTS of trips in it before we lost it.

 

[Shan-man]

Campers are a happy lot!! (Hey, is that tag worthy?) I'm still in need of one!!

I sure think it is! But I have no pull with the tag fairy, forsooth!

 

[LuckyinGa]

I sure think it is! But I have no pull with the tag fairy, forsooth!

Hmmm but you do have pull with Santa and he is, after all, the Big Kahuna of all fairies!!

 

[BradyBz12]

We're planning on getting a hybrid by Christmas 2010

We love, love, LOVE our hybrid...

Aside from 7 weeks total that we've spent in it at FW in the last 3 years, we've also used it a ton during the summer up here as well. In fact we've used it a whole lot more than we ever would have dreamed! We don't have kids, but find that the other tent end is the perfect "puppy wing"

I'm sure you'll turn yours into a wonderful Disney escape and then we'll need an updated "hybrid story"

 

[Cindy F]

I bought a conversion van off of ebay a couple of years ago...it was in immaculate condition...ran strong, it was a 95 chevy 1500, hitop, queen conversion sofa in rear, tv 2 stereo systems..everything I wanted for under $5000!!!!! Flew to Boston and drove it home....last year one of the brake lines rusted through, brought it in for repair....mechanic told me Im lucky we havent fallen through the floorboard...completely rusted through from that Boston snow/salt...being drom Louisiana...we've never even had to consider undercarriage rust.....still not unhappy with the purchase though. I traded it in and got $2000 for it, and we did take LOTS of trips in it before we lost it.

OMG! I would have been PO'd but like you said, you ended up only being out $3000 and took a lot of trips in it. Of course, I was not allowed to go get either the camper OR the campervan by myself. My brothers went to get the camper van without me and had to go with me to get the pop up.....because I'm not an adult and they had to make sure the vehicles were perfect I think my dad and brothers think I'm still 12. But they are perfect and I love them so I will forgive them.


Hey! Where are the pics? You can't talk about a cool van and not show any pics!

And with that........I will now "show and tell" the conversion van and camper van. When we first brought the camper van home, I was afraid it would hurt the conversion van's feelings. BAHAHAHA...no, I'm kinda not kidding LOL.

 

[LONE-STAR]

I like that camper van.

 

[Shan-man]

My withdrawal pangs are getting stronger! I have 305 days before I MIGHT get to go to the Fort again! Ughhh!

 

[Cindy F]

We love, love, LOVE our hybrid...

Aside from 7 weeks total that we've spent in it at FW in the last 3 years, we've also used it a ton during the summer up here as well. In fact we've used it a whole lot more than we ever would have dreamed! We don't have kids, but find that the other tent end is the perfect "puppy wing"

I'm sure you'll turn yours into a wonderful Disney escape and then we'll need an updated "hybrid story"

It looks like you were posting the same time I was, I didn't even see your post until now! I am soooo chomping at the bit to get a hybrid and I have seen so many "Perfect" ones. A hybrid seems perfect for us, the best of both worlds and I can't wait!

I just don't want to hurt the pop up's feelings
Oh my Lord...I'm going to end up with 2 vans, 2 cars, a pop up AND a hybrid......with only 2 drivers in the house!

I have been watching all the hybrid trailer tours on YouTube and salivating So here is my dream camper

1) 2 queen/king beds (although I have seen some with a 3rd pop out on the side too-- that is way cool)
2) bathroom with that little sit down tub thing
3) the slide out doo-dad on the side
4) a U dinette
5) Toy hauler on the front to haul around a golf cart

Love the pics, MORE MORE!!

I like that camper van.

Thanks, we love it and the older couple we bought it from was just the sweetest couple you could ever want to meet!

 

[Tigger1966]

After working on enough pop up campers at work and seeing the problems people have with them I would never own one. But I do understand thet pop up campers are diehard and some wouldn't have anything else.
We bought a camper van 3 years ago for my 16 year old daughter. It is a 1990 Dodge Xplorer 21' fully self contained with a full size bed, dinette a full bath room even a generator and roof air. Clean solid body runs and drives good $2000. Didn't realy have the extra money but couldn't pass it up. This is not ours but it is the same model.

 

[BigDaddyRog]

I say you should GET A HYBRID!!!!! And sell your pup to a good, caring person who will pet it, and hug it, and feed it twice a day...LIKE ME!!!!!

 

[Cindy F]

I say you should GET A HYBRID!!!!! And sell your pup to a good, caring person who will pet it, and hug it, and feed it twice a day...LIKE ME!!!!!

BDR! Are you coveting thy neighbor's pop up? For shame!

I would never covet someone else's hybrid...oops, I mean pop up. ~grin~ As a potential prospective buyer, I feel I must disclose that the original owner removed all of the shower curtain tracks/hardware so I had to improvise.

After much thinking

and thinking...

I came up with a perfect solution

...a hula hoop hanging from ceiling hooks by nylon ties. Yes, I know it is not "factory" but DD likes that when you hit it... it lights up

After working on enough pop up campers at work and seeing the problems people have with them I would never own one. But I do understand thet pop up campers are diehard and some wouldn't have anything else.
We bought a camper van 3 years ago for my 16 year old daughter. It is a 1990 Dodge Xplorer 21' fully self contained with a full size bed, dinette a full bath room even a generator and roof air. Clean solid body runs and drives good $2000. Didn't realy have the extra money but couldn't pass it up. This is not ours but it is the same model.

Cool camper Tigger! I bet your daughter was ECSTATIC! We have a cute little 1972 Shasta Class C (ut oh...I divulged another vehicle ) that we renovated and adore. We are definitely going to sell that one though-it needs a new transmission so we'll sell it to someone who wants to deal with the headache of having it fixed. Sigh, we are becoming a used car lot!

I'm surprised to hear that about popups, the only problem we had was when we broke the lifter cables by overlifting. Oops. Since it would cost $800 to have them replaced, we did it ourselves over the weekend for $60.

 

[BigDaddyRog]

BDR! Are you coveting thy neighbor's pop up? For shame!

I would never covet someone else's hybrid...oops, I mean pop up. ~grin~ As a potential prospective buyer, I feel I must disclose that the original owner removed all of the shower curtain tracks/hardware so I had to improvise.

After much thinking

and thinking...

I came up with a perfect solution

...a hula hoop hanging from ceiling hooks by nylon ties. Yes, I know it is not "factory" but DD likes that when you hit it... it lights up

Cindy...you are like an evil genius of improvisation...both in your crafty "do-it-yourself"isms..and your posting!!! You're a trip!!

 

[Tigger1966]

Most of what we run into is top and floor rot and canvas leaks and also my personal fear of riding out a wind storm in one.
Also this is kinda mean but I do get a kick out of watching someone trying to set up a pop up in the dark while it is raining. I have turned on my headlights several times so at least they could see what they were doing.
I like my MH it may be old but if it is dark or raining as long as the site is close to level just plug me in and we are good to go. Only one person has to even get out in the rain.

 

[Cindy F]

Cindy...you are like an evil genius of improvisation...both in your crafty "do-it-yourself"isms..and your posting!!! You're a trip!!

LOL thanks BDR! Speaking of crafty "do-it-yourself"isms...

Here's our do it your self den renno

Before:

After:

 

[Cindy F]

Most of what we run into is top and floor rot and canvas leaks and also my personal fear of riding out a wind storm in one.
Also this is kinda mean but I do get a kick out of watching someone trying to set up a pop up in the dark while it is raining. I have turned on my headlights several times so at least they could see what they were doing.
I like my MH it may be old but if it is dark or raining as long as the site is close to level just plug me in and we are good to go. Only one person has to even get out in the rain.

That's what I love about having a camper van as a tow vehicle! If I don't want to sleep in the pop up or if the weather is bad-we just stay in the camper van. We originally had just planned for it to be a luggage hauler/screen room for the camper van but we fell in love with it. I'll say this for it-it was popped up when the huge hail storm came through and it came through without a problem! I was surprised.........since we had to have our entire roof replaced on the house AND it caused $1500 worth of damage to my car!

 

[BradyBz12]

1) 2 queen/king beds (although I have seen some with a 3rd pop out on the side too-- that is way cool)
2) bathroom with that little sit down tub thing
3) the slide out doo-dad on the side
4) a U dinette
5) Toy hauler on the front to haul around a golf cart!

Great list! Ours only has #1-2, but the newer version has #1-4, plus the cooler, easier tent ends too. Still looking for one that combines all that with the toy hauler option too.

...a hula hoop hanging from ceiling hooks by nylon ties. Yes, I know it is not "factory" but DD likes that when you hit it... it lights up

LOVE that!