Which pop up should we buy?

[sha_lyn]

Hi guys,
A few years ago I received a lot of advise here when we were looking at used travel trailer/campers. However we rarely use our 37 Ft holiday rambler because we aren't happy with the gated community it is in. Keeping the camper to pull really isn't an option. We'd rather have something more portable.
Personally I and the kids are tent campers, but like having a private place to wash up, or to get in out of the weather. DH on the other hand does not like tent camping but isn't the luxury room with room service type either.

I think a pop up would be perfect for us, but beyond that I'm lost.
I looked at a local starcraft dealer and like the starcraft 2406. We're looking to spend around 9K. I really don't care about looks or extras. Just something well made with comfortable beds, and that is easy to set up and break down.

thanks

 

[Bichon Barb]

We had a Coleman Sun Ridge for five years and loved it. The Colemans are really sturdy. For the price you are looking, you could probably get a lightly used bigger Coleman or a smaller new unit.

Good luck!

 

[sha_lyn]

I actually found a used Coleman on line(it's a an RV dealer about 30 miles away), but we haven't even put the travel trailer up for sale yet. I think it was a 1996 and it was for only 2500. At least now I know that RV dealer sales used campers too. I really wish I had stuck With my original plan back 3 years ago and both the used Starcraft pop up I wanted instead of going in 1/2 with my mom on the camper/lot.

 

[aldebnj]

Many Colemans are good trailers but there are some issues with some roofs. Do some research before you jump on a Coleman and be sure you don't get burnt by a bad roof. Starcraft, Viking and Jayco are some leading pop ups. I just sold my Flagstaff after purchasing a TrailManor Hybrid. Mainly look for a floor plan that you like at the price point you can afford. There are a number of good trailers out there. Check out http://www.popuptimes.com and http://www.popupexplorer.com for more info.

Al

2000 Expedition towing a 2003 TrailManor 3023

 

[sha_lyn]

Thanks for the links. We looked a a Jayco and a coleman today, along wiht showing DH the Starcraft. As for the floor plan and looks I like hte new Starcraft RT series. They didn't have the floor plan I like but according ot their catalogue they have on in the RT series with hte same florr plan I have picked out in the Starcraft series.

 

[Dizneypins.com]

I owned a pop- up for years and a few months ago went with a Bantam Hybrid. Its a 21' nice thing is it is light weight, beds fold out like a pop-up does so you dont loose any inside area to the beds. It has a bathroom, stove, microwave,refer. and LOTS of storage area..Air conditioning and furnace.
I tow it with my 2003 Toyota Highlander. I bought this from NHMICKEY ( Nat) and towed it home to Fla. from NH. Towed and handled great.

 

[tim5055]

You have been given some excellent advice, especially the comments about PopUpTimes and Popupexplorer.

Not knowing details about your family (i.e. ages and number of children) I can't give specific suggestions, but I will tell you - look around.

For 9K you can probably get into a new unit, not a used one.

We keep our pop up in the garage between trips which makes it very convient.

I have been hanging out on the pop up boards for a few years and have compiled a lot of the information on my web site.

A couple of pages you may be interested in are:

Pop Up Frequently Asked Questions

Purchasing a Used Pop-Up-Camper

Good luck in your search! Let em know if I can answer any questions.

 

[sha_lyn]

Great sites.
The kids are 14 and 6 and are very comfortable with tent camping. However do tend to camp for 3-4 days at a time in places with only out houses. So a potty and shower, and a good sized water tank are what I'm looking at.

 

[tim5055]

Originally posted by sha_lyn
Great sites.
The kids are 14 and 6 and are very comfortable with tent camping. However do tend to camp for 3-4 days at a time in places with only out houses. So a potty and shower, and a good sized water tank are what I'm looking at.

Well, 2 kids 14 & 6 would be made for most pop ups, including the smaller ones. Parents on the big end bunk, the 14 yo on the smaller end bunk and the 6 yo on the dinette bunk. So, I really don't think your are "required" to have a larger pop up, but more room does make it nicer.

Right now, if I had it to do again I would look for one with a slide out dinette, this adds great usable space.

our camping is very similar to ours, but we go places that don't even have outouses.

We make do with Our Outdoor Shower and Our Porta Potti both being outdoors. This gives us a little more room inside. If you are comfortable with tent camping neither of these should be a problem for you.

Take your time, do your homework and look at all the manufacturers who have dealers within a reasonable distance to your home. Most pop ups are of similat construction, so a good dealer will usually make or break the sale.

 

[sha_lyn]

I have seriously thought about the Portapotti with the tent for it, for our tent camping. We actually have a 3 man back packers tent that I thought about trying out with a cheap wal mart camping potty. However with a family of 4 I thought we might fill one up too quick. That and as I mentioned DH isn't too hot on tent camping, so a pop up with a heater and a fan might get him more interested.

Oh I love the check list for buying a used pop up. When we are ready to purchase one, I'll have it on hand.

 

[LostBoyinVA]

If you are really looking for a shower then you may want to reconsider a pop-up. Privacy in a pop-up shower and the humidity it causes are all big issues with a pop-up. For 9K you might want to consider looking at a hybrid or a smaller travel trailer. After looking for a few years I'm very happy with my up grade from pop-up to Travel Trailer. We looked at hybrids and deciede against them and went with a full hard sided Travel Trailer. We went with an Outback 25RSS which has a slide out queen size bed and 2 bunks. I really liked hybrids as they gave a lot of room with 2 dedicated beds, but after some of the hard rains we got in July at FW and in May/June in Williamsburg I'm glad I went with a Full Hardside with no wet canvas.

However, that said what you can get vs what you want to get is always decided by your tow vehicle and comfort level in towing. So what is you tow vehicle?