Will we hate having a pop up?

[Gillian]

There is a good chance that we will be offered a good deal on a well-kept used popup next year (Fall??) I think it's about 5 years old, a fairly small model with AC. That's about all I know, LOL! It was my SIL's and they (no kids) sold it to my other SIL (1 teenaged son). 2nd SIL doesn't like it that much and will probably ask us if we want to buy it.

They weren't thrilled with it because campgrounds are expensive, the pop up was a little cozy if DS wanted to bring a friend, and many places are charging high fees for a tent on the site. Plus their son is involved in a lot of sports and they don't have a lot of time. He's got 3 years of high school left. They won't go anywhere without him.

Anyhow, we liked car camping when younger and have always thought about a pop up. We have 2 kids, 4 & almost 2.

My concerns are dealing with maintenance, towing from NJ (to FL) in winter, and the need to get a tow vehicle. We will need a new car one of these days anyway, and have thought about a 4 wheel drive because my parents have a place in the Poconos. But we'd like seating for 6-7 and the price is an issue. SIL#2 bought a used Explorer and had the hitch upgraded.

Any suggestions for us? Should we just forget it? We are planning a big trip to WDW in May 2006 and staying at FW would be fun. But it's a big investment just for disney trips. We have time to plan for this possible purchase, but I'm not sure what things to think about!

 

[LMC]

Well you can't always count on FW being less expensive than a value resort. In January, we couldn't get a discount on a FW site so we decided to stay at a value resort and get two rooms. We saved $ even with two rooms due to not having the fuel expense of towing our 35'tt. I don't want to discourage you if you really want a camper but these days it is getting expensive to camp. We have another trip planned in May and did get an AP discount but I hate to think how much fuel will be. I tow with an excursion so we get about 7 mpg which is about 4 tanks down, 4 tanks back (40 gal tank!!).

We do use our camper locally so it pays for us in other ways. If it was for disney only, I don't think I would do it. We use ours for the beach (4 hr trip), college football games, and local camping.

 

[Nicks2Angels]

I have so enjoyed camping with our children (ds-1 & dd-3). Having the ability to put them down in a roofed place & have some of the added comforts at home would prove very nice-IF YOU ARE INTO CAMPING. We have a 5th wheel Toy Hauler. The only way a camper of any size, is worth it-IMHO, is to use it regularly.

Last year, we went camping 8 weekends & had 1 big trip to VA Beach Holiday Travl Park. And this year we have 9 more planned, plus a big trip to FW in September.

We joined KOA & other camping saver clubs & AAA to save here & there. It is the only time we can TRULY relax & enjoy each other the whole weekend. At home, we are always bogged down by "stuff" that needs to be done. We love it, so it is worth it to us.

Hope that is helpful.

 

[Carrie Ellis]

We just bought a 29ft TT last year. It was used but looked like new. We only paid $5K for it! We did get military discount last year at FW. Our site was only $23 night. I have 4 children so for the 6 of us..we either would have had to get a home away from resort or 2 rooms. Now that is high! Plus we save on food. Our gas from VA to FL ran us about $150 each way. It was cheaper than flying for 6 and if we had driven without the camper it would have still cost us 1/2 that much. So the camper cost us an extra $150 in gas...still not bad! Also!!! It depends on how long you stay verses your drive! I would never drive that far pulling a trailer for 4 or 5 nights! We stayed almost 2 weeks last year! I do love having all our clothes, bikes, swimming stuff, toothbrushes already packed in the TT! All we do is hitch up and go!

It is worth it for us. But I probably would not pull it more than a long days drive. probably!

 

[tim5055]

Check out my PopUp Frequently Asked Questions Web Page .

This may help you in your decision

 

[kakiegirl]

We went from tent camping, to a pop up, to a light weight Starcraft camper where the beds come out like a pop ups. There are definenlty some pros and cons to a pop up the main con being no bath room, we had a Coleman Pop Up and set up wasn't really that bad. Not having a bathroom never really bothered as long as the bath houses were nice. We do enjoy having a bathroom now but we miss our pop up sometimes. It was so easy to tow you hardly knew it was back there and could make almost as good of time as driving without one, we now are stuck having to camp close by on weekends and save our long distance trips for holidays and vacations because it takes us so much longer to get anywhere pulling the camper. Also with gas high like it is now pulling a pop up does not make your car drink the gas like pulling a camper.

Yes some campgrounds are expensive however we do most of our camping at state parks, they are very nice, in Georgia most of them have activities for the kids (especially in the summer) and very affordable. In Georgia it is an average of like $17.00 per night. At Disney We don't have any kinds of AAA or AP discount so that may be the difference, but when gas went up last week I called and checked the rate at staying at an All Star Resort vs. Camping the week we are going and to stay at the All Star would have been about $400.00 more. We really wanted to camp and figured it will not cost us nearly that much more in gas to pull the camper and we will save so much money being able to eat at the camper instead of eating out all the time.

If you think you might like to camp you should try it we love it. We would much rather stay in our own camper than a hotel. I personally think if you want to try camping a pop up is a great way to start and give it a try. I think at your kids ages the pop up would not be to small, you will probably spend most of your waking hours out doors or at the parks.

Also, you will have to check the weight of the pop up and what your vehicle can tow but I know our pop up was light weight and almost any vehicle would tow it. Maintenance was no problem and pulling a pop up is really easy.

 

[VAN]

We got our first pop-up, a small one, when the kids were young and used it for 10 years. Because it was small, we didn't worry about having to use it all the time and were lucky enough to be able to store it for free.

The only big "maintenance" cost is to have the wheel bearings repacked and that needs to be done about every 2,000 miles towed. We pay about $69 each time to have this done. We would also buy new tires every 3rd year ... the camper is stored most of the time and the tires were small, so it was better to buy a new set at $80 than to have a blow-out on the road from having old tires heat up (which happened to us one year - never again).

We always pulled the pop-up with our mini-van which is rated to pull 3,500 lbs. Empty, our small camper was 900 lbs.

Last year we purchased a larger camper which we are enjoying; however, because of the design and the heavier weight our gas mileage went from 18 mpg on the highway to 16 mpg. We also had electric brakes installed, which we like, but is something else we need to adjust.

The tires on the larger camper are bigger, which is better for when you travel on the highway (less times around per mile).

We are driving 1,300 miles each way to WDW from Michigan about every 4 out of 5 years with the camper (staying 9-14 nights).

All in all, I am very thankful for the years we had with the smaller camper while the kids (2) were younger. The larger camper does take a little more work/cost, but once you get there, it's great!!!!

I'd say, start with the smaller camper and then move to something larger in a few years if you find that it works for you and your family enjoys it.

 

[bicyclemark]

If you liked tent camping, you should love a pop-up. Many can be towed by mini-van, sport-ute, or similar 6 cyl vehicle. We putchased a used one and camped in it for 6 years until we upgraded to a TT. For most of our trips we towed with a Pathfinder. No problem doing 80 on the interstate. We sold the pop-up to friends with a min-van. They have had no problems towing.

As far as camp grounds, try state parks. 95% fo the time, that's where you'll find us. The rest of the time is at national parks, or Fort Wildernsess

 

[loriandmatt]

we love our pop up!

i wasn't much for tent camping, too much packing and stuff to lug, plus i never felt like there was enough of a barrier between me and the elements.

we have a small (very small - 9 foot box) viking camper and there are 4 of us. (me, DH, DS - 10 and DD 8 months). the pop up gives us the feel of a tent (with the bunk ends and all the parts you can zip open to mesh) and the security of a roof and floor that is hard sided.

Towing isn't a real problem. with a small camper you don't need a moster truck to pull it. We currently tow with our V6 mini van. We also have towed with our V8 pickup, but that was a bit of overkill. We have friends that have towed their very similar pop up with a 4 cylinder car, so it can be done.

We have towed the camper to FW more than once and love it. the campground is like no other. much less expensive than a value resort.

packing for a trip in that camper is minimal - a trip to the dollar store and we bought a "camper" version of just about everything we would ever need. all i truely have to pack for a camping trip is our clothes and food. every thing else is already in the nooks and crannies of that camper. If the mood hits us we can be on the road in under an hour.

yes, some campgrounds have gotten a bit full of themselves over the past few years and are charging what i consider to be high rates for sites, but if you look you can find a reasonably priced, nice campground near just about any attraction in the country. much cheaper than a hotel for 4 and i know who has been sleeping in that bed and how often and how well the place is cleaned.

- lori

 

[mdoc]

We have a 34' travel trailer, so I know that after that I would not like a popup. However, my BIL and SIL had a popup for years before they got their travel trailer, and they loved it because it was so comfortable and convenient after their tent. If you're used to car camping, you'll probably love a popup. I don't think that camping with a camper is a cheap vacation anymore, between the cost of the camper, the tow vehicle, fuel and campground fees. I know that I could stay at a value resort at Disney for less than the combined cost of FW and getting the trailer to Florida, but the experience at FW is so much better. I'd much rather be in my own bed with my own sheets and the great outdoors right there than in a tiny room at the All Stars. But I feel that way about camping in general - I'd much rather camp than stay in a five star resort hotel. It's all what you like.

 

[Kae]

I love pop-ups. I have camped in every class of Rv/camper you can think of & to me nothing beats a pop-up.

Kae

 

[tinan]

I am with everyone else.......if you are buying it for a Disney trip only it's not worth it. If camping is your thing and you believe you will get a lot of use out of it then by all means, buy it! We love camping and started off in a huge tent and switched to a HUGE pop up. I swear this thing has to be about the biggest pop up! I think opened up it runs about 25' long.

As much as we love camping, we were in a similiar predicament as you. We are heading down to Disney during Value season. With our AAA discount it really wasn't much more to get a Value resort instead of hauling the trailer all those hours from OH to Fla. So it was worth it not to have to haul it and go without my "own bathroom" for 10 nights. I know when camping around home I can request to be close to the bathroom and usually get it. With how large everything in Disney is, I just didn't want to take a chance.

Regarding the towing of the pop up, you have to worry more about hitch classification than you do the vehicle. Our monster pop up I tow with a Jeep Wrangler. Although we had to buy a larger class hitch. I can't recall if it was a class 2 or 3. I think our aftermarket hitch ran right around $250-300 installed.

Campgrounds definitely vary and some are getting just downright ridiculous! The one we frequent is a little more, but they offer a LOT more than most. Every weekend they have some activities going on for the kids, they always have a dj and/or band, church services, painting, etc.

We've also had our pop up to VA Beach in Holiday Trav L Park. I have been going there for about 25 years now. I still need to get an A/C unit put in our pop up to make the VA trip more tolerable. This particular campground offers a lot as well and is not all that pricey. I think it's right around $200/week.

 

[garyamy1]

We love our pop up its very cozy. Although it is alot of work the memories the kids will have last a life time. We are taking it to FW for the first time from Central New York Leaving April 13th can't come soon enough.

 

[Gillian]

Thank you for all your replies! I really think we will love it, once we get used to it. It wouldn't just be for Disney, I hope!

We do like car camping but I'm getting too old to sleep on the ground. BEds & AC would be really nice.

I will check out the minivans, tow ratings & hitches. Plus I'll find out from SIL what the weight of the unit is. I like Hondas, but I know their minivan & pilot SUV are not much for towing, so I'll start shopping around.

I think I'm going to start looking for a job also. Anyone want to hire a real estate sales person in Princeton NJ or nearby? I just need to reinstate my license.

 

[newtowdw1]

DH and I have gone back and forth on the camping issue. We've decided we can stay at a lot of nice campgrounds, in their cabins or cottages, for a lot less than we can spend on a new trailer.

We both camped LOTS as kids and loved it. We've had a few used trailers, and love the memories, but the preparation for the trips wasn't that fun. I'm no clean freak, but any time you are outside with little kids, they track in dirt. That's fine when we're camping, but when we get back, I want a clean start for the next time. And trailers are not as good at keeping out dirt as a house, and my house is plenty dirty!! Plus, when you buy used, you buy someone else's dirt. And it can be hard to get into all those little nooks and crannies.

And what about the winter? You're going to have to winterize that sucker unless it doesn't have a bathroom. And you'll want a bathroom with little kids (see above). And, if you don't take everything out of the trailer in the winter the mice will get into it. I realize that it may be possible to avoid mice in the trailer in the winter, but we never could manage it. Nor can any of my camping friends. The only mice I want to camp with are Mickey and Minnie!

Another thing to think about: we're not handy. Any little thing that goes wrong...are you going to want to fix it? DH doesn't want to fix the sheet if it pops off the bed at home, he sure ain't gonna do something more major when he's on vacation. When the water lines split on our motorhome, DH really did not feel capable of fixing it. Nor did he want to on vacation. So we had a sopping wet floor, and are now dry camping. With little kids. Who are dirty. All the time (see above). I realize that I should have fixed it, but with mobility/disability issues the Dr.s really aren't impressed with me climbing under motorhomes.

We decided that our personalities are incompatable for camping together. If I wanted messy and not working properly, we'd be okay. But I don't!! Further, he's squeamish about towing anything over 18'. We aren't a small crew (DD8 is only 9" shorter than me, and DH is a XXXL-type person, and I'm not quite a plus-size anymore). I love them, but do NOT want them in my lap every time it rains. DH complains occasionally that our over 2000 sq ft house is too small.

So we stay at the cabins and get the best of both worlds. Now, that's not a substantial savings at Disney (oops, NO SAVINGS!), but at many other really beautiful campgrounds, there is a savings. For example, North Pole Motor Inn and Campground up near Lake Placid, NY, we can stay in a 2 room cabin, with all the luxuries of home (pretty much) for $45.00/night. Picnic table and fire ring right outside.

Sorry to babble. But we were all ready to plunk down significant money on a 25' Outback, that was pretty close to what I wanted, when we shared an epiphany. We don't want to stay in a trailer. We want to stay in a campground.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[wildernessfamily]

Disney does get it's share of rain and if the pop up has soft sides(canvas like material) You will want to guarantee that it is water proof before you try a trip to Disney especially in the summer(daily 4pm thunderstorms). You can waterproof(depends on the type of material) it yourself just to be sure. My family camped growing up, now my family camps. We also went from tent to pop up to travel trailer. It can save you money, but you need to decide what you want from a vacation. (luxuries/ homecooked meals?) Pulling a trailer usually involves more gas stops and slower speed limits. Weekend get away's are nice too, once you own your camper. Disney's bath houses are very clean but not all campgrounds are, so think about that if you will use the facilities a lot. Either way camping is great for family togetherness. You will make memories. Hope everyones suggestions help.

 

[Whosemom]

My six year old said "At home we are all doing our own stuff, and even at church we scatter to do different things. I like camping because camping is the place we are all together the whole time."

We love our pop-up. The 4 year old is currently napping in it in the garage. I do have to sweep a few times a day, but gee, its like 2 ft x 12 ft worth of floor, so I'm okay with that.

Come ONNNN free-weekend! (we're too busy )