Own a pop-up camper? What do I need to know?

[shortbun]

We're looking for a pop-up camper because we miss camping and DH and I absolutely refuse to sleep on the ground anymore. We tried air mattresses and cots but we need the comfort of a bed. We'll be taking DS and his friends with us and they will sleep in tents when there are a whole 'pack' of them but we want our camper to sleep 6 comfortably. Comfort would mean two queen size mattresses and a couple of adult sized singles. We would also want a potty en suite that really is suitable for an adult sized person, not an 8yo girl. kwim? We can cook outside because we already have all the stuff. A table would be nice with roomy and comfortable seating -DH is 6'5" with long legs and my knees make it hard to scoot around. I'd want rain protection, electric hookups possible for a small frig and maybe a small a/c unit in case we decide to camp in a really hot climate. Used would be ok if it was gently used but I don't want to inherit someone else's problems-like rot. I'm thinking we'll set out to see some more of the USA over Spring break and next summer. Websites? What to avoid? Brand names to recommend?
TIA!!!

 

[C.Ann]

Can't give you a brand name, but I would strongly suggest (if it's in your budget) to look for the "hard sided" pop-ups.. Never a need to worry about "rot".. My late DH & I looked at them years ago - I never liked the "canvas" type pop-ups.. We had hoped to travel around the country when not at our place here at the lake (wooden structure).. Of course then he was diagnosed with cancer and that never happened, but they do have some beautiful ones out there..

Good luck!

 

[KiKi Mouse]

Be bought a used Jayco last year and we are taking it on the road for the first time tomorrow. It was in excellent condition and well taken care of. We checked every nook and cranny for any type of mold and it was good. the screen was intact and it was spotless. the only thing we did is buy new tires and re-pack the wheel bearings.
Make sure all the lights work etc. inside and outside. You don't need electrical problems. Lights can be burned out...you can replace bulbs but you don't need a wiring issue.
We looked at some used trailers and my nose can pick up musty smells pretty easy thank goodness.
We have two queen beds and the table that converts into a bed too.
It has a small fridge but we also bought a small bar fridge to take as well.
It doesn't have a screen and to buy one for the trailer they are about $1000 so we got a screen house from Walmart for $100. As for a potty...ours doesn't have buy my friend bought herself a "lug-a-loo". Can't remember if that is how you spell it but it did the trick.
There are lots of nice ones out there but it all comes down to how much you can spend. We weren't going to use ours much as we have a 28' trailer at the lake with a deck etc.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

You have to air pop-ups out frequently. You can't just stow them and forget about them as it can cause problems with the canvas and such.

Also--be careful of any wind driven rain--and in the event of a storm it would be wise to pop it up and check it out.

We had a tropical storm last year--but thought our camper was fine. 2 months later we went to open it up and there was water everywhere and much wood was ruined.

It was not a project we wished to tackle so we gave it to friends of ours whose husband was looking for a refurb project. He was able to air it out and remove the rotted would and fixed it up. But they do keep it covered iwth a tarp.

I would aslo make sure to get a camper with heating/air and that will give you year round camping.


We never used the potty in ours b/c it was a port-o-potty. Unlike the big campers, it doesn't connect to sewage so you empty it the good ol' fashioned way. We kept it in in case of emergency potty needs, but never needed it.


I would also recommend finding one with a powered lift. It just makes set up so much nicer. Ours did not have this.

You can find a basic old/used camper for $500-$1000 but you will likely have issues like we did.

Our next camper would probably be a $2500-$4000 budget so that we can get some of the features we prefer.


A/C's can be installed AFTER you buy the camper--it isn't necessary for you to find one that already has it. They are only about $500 or so (can't recall--we priced a replacement and I didn't balk at the price). Ours did okay--but the A/C was old.

 

[terri01p]

Come on you gotta ask this question on the camping board, they/ we are a wealth of information, plus we love to give advice.
I started out in a pop-up and loved every minute of it, we also had a jayco and you can't go wrong with that brand, we never had a problem.

 

[Hercules10]

I'm renting a camper soon and found out a couple things.

Depending on the size you may have to check into electric brake controllers. For me it was a easy installation on the tow vehicle.

If you go to a park without electrical hook-ups and want to run the A/C then you'll need at minimum a 3500W generator.

Get one with a shower. This was a major you-will-or-I-ain't-going stipulation from my gal-pal who's going with me.

 

[minkydog]

We had our pop-up for about 6 years, after several years of tent camping. You get to a certain age, ya know? When sleeping on the ground just ain't happening anymore.

Anyway...ours was a small used pop-up(a PUP, in camping circles) with a king-size bed on one side, a queen-size bed on the other end, a gaucho couch that made into a twin bed, and a dinette that made into a twin bed. The most we ever slept in it was 6. Ours had a small sink and fridge inside and a 3-burner stove that connected to propane and could be used inside or outside. We elected to use it outside only. We also opted out of the indoor potty. Frankly, my kids would be horrified to have to hear one of us using the toilet. We just run up to the bathhouse. Get the A/C and heater if you can. It will really extend your camping season.

We really loved our PUP. I miss it. We have a 30' travel trailer now, which fits our needs better(we have some disabled folks now.) I'd go back to a PUP in a second if I could.

 

[CowboyCO]

The bathroom and two singles could be tough combined with an en suite bathroom in a pop-up. My recommendation is to get a "hybrid". My favorite is the Rockwood Roo. I'm saving up to get one. It has a whole side slide out for more room inside to stretch your legs, and two fold down beds on the ends. They can sleep 6-8 and have a real bathroom with shower. It's the best of both worlds.

My pop-up is an 18 year old Coleman and I love it, but DW wants a real bathroom. I'm hoping for two years from now to get a Roo.

 

[Papa Deuce]

I bought a pop up from a DIS member 2 years ago..... we have, so far, only used it to camp in our driveway.