Looking to Buy! Need Advice

[chasineyes]

With spring just around the corner, it's time to seriously think about buying a camper this year. I'm debating between and pop-up and a hardside. Here is my situation...

1) 2 girls 5 and 9 and the wife.

2) Have an expidition to tow it.

3) Will be financing so I would like to keep it for a while.

4) Storage not a huge issue.

5) I would like to use it to attend family reunions, weddings etc.,. so A/C would be kind of nice.

I've found I can get a good used pop up for about $7000 and hardside for about $11000. Is it worth the extra money for the hardside?? Thanks, already dreaming about Yellowstone!!

[bak2MN]

We had a pop up for several years and we went out to Wyoming and camped the way out and back. They are alot of extra work to set up and tear down. You have to have everything packed just right to make everything fit and slide in just right. I would personally go with the hard side. Alot less work.

Also if you pack them up when they are wet you need to set them up and dry them out. Or the canvas will mold. Good luck on your decision.

[dan z]

look at the biggest floor plans for the pop up style campers. parents have had there coleman for ten plus years and it shows a litle bit of wear. And they use it all the time and they even let us boys us it on the fishng trips we go one. It has been outside its whole life and it is holding up great. the crack has stuck a few times but It has never let us/them sit. great camper and very durable material.

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

Bak2MN hit it right on the head. I had a pop-up for several years and my next rig will be hardsided.

[woodsmanmn]

I've had both. Since you already have the Expedition, you're in good shape to tow a hardside. The best thing to say about a pop up is their towability, but that's not an issue for you. The previous posts about pop ups being more work and a pain when wet are right on. Hardsides are way more comfortable. With the wife and 2 daughters, a hardside gives you... AN INDOOR BATHROOM!!!! You will be able to keep your women warmer, drier and way happier in a hardside. Then there's the advantage of a full kitchen for the lousy weather days. It's much nicer having to hole up in a hardside for the day than a popup.

[Hafnutz]

I've had several of each. Pop-up is easier to store, cheaper, easier to tow, nice if you like to "camp". A travel trailer is way nicer. Your own clean bathroom and shower, much more secure, easier to heat and cool, much quieter, toilet facilities are available on the road if needed, no setting up taking down in the rain. You will need a weight distributing hitch and brake controller. Remember the salesperson couldn't care less about what your vehicle will really tow safely. Be careful not to go too big. 22-24ft is about max for your Expy.

[Powerstroke]

Something to consider is the "hybrid" campers. They are part hardside and part popup. The main "box" is a hard-sided camper. This area is the kitchen, dining, bathroom and storage area. FOr the bedrooms, the front, back and/or a side panel will fold out much like a pop-up so you do not spend additional interior space on sleeping.

This style camper has all the advantages of both a pop-up and a travel trailer with very few of the negatives. I bought a Rockwood Roo last year. I have the 19ft version.

When you're looking for a camper, figure out what you can tow. That doesn't mean look up the number in your owners manual. You need to consider how much your Expy weighs with family, gear and fuel in it plus thew tongue weight of a camper. Then when checking out a camper, check out the GVWR of the camper. Dry weights mean nothing. Plan to use the camper near its maximum weight cause you may eventually get close to it and you don't want to overload your Expy. Plan for at least a 10% safety margin in weight. Once you have those numbers you can start checking out campers and ruling out ones that are too heavy for you.