Pop-up camper questions.

[eribac]

I'm thinking about purchasing a pop-up camper/trailer to do some camping with the family. I have never owned a camper before, so I’m unsure of how to start our search. Some of the questions I have:

Will a pop-up style work for us? We have a large family (5 kids, oldest is 7 1/2)? Will there be enough room for us to be comfortable in a pop-up? (I was also thinking that as the kids get a little older/bigger, we could also set up a tent for a couple of them to sleep in.)

New or Used? Is buying used worth the money saved? Buy used from a dealer, or private party?

Any recommend dealers? Any dealers to stay away from?

Brands, do any brands stand out as a better value than others?

What sort of features should we be looking for?

I expect that we will get a good amount of use out of it during the camping season (May/June - August/September), and would expect that we will usually end up at family style camp grounds for 2 and 3 day weekends, with maybe one or two longer trips (1 week) during the summer. It may also be used a couple times a year for fishing/hunting trips.

Any information would be helpful.

Thanks,
Eric

[email protected]

------------------
---------------------
[email protected]
http://www.thebacklunds.org

[Guest]

Our pop-up was like one of the family. We cried when we finally sold it. It made it so easy to hit the road quick because you can stock it & leave anything non-perishable in it. When the kids are small, you can fit at least 3 on a queen or king bed, then put 2 in the middle. We used a pup tent when friends came along, plus it served as the "snorer" tent, if we had to kick out the hubby
We found having a heater indispenable for extending our camping season. and also having the screened in porch for those buggy sites.

We opted for the pop-up over another RV because it was so easy to tow, you hardly knew it was there. It's also easy to strap bikes or a canoe on top of it. 2-3 of us could put the whole thing up in less than 30 minutes.

We also opted for a used one because some people get them and hardly use them, making them a great deal.

Highly recommend them over tent camping with the kids!

------------------
Tight Lines

[SPIN DRY]

I have a pop up truck camper, so I can bring my boat or 4 wheelers with. Sleeps three very nicely. I would go to Pleasureland RV over by Anoka, it's right on HWY 10 just north of town. They have a big lot with every type of camper set up so you can look at all of them.Bring the kids that way you will know what fits. Good Luck

[fubar]

While growing up my parents had a starcraft pop-up that slept 6. We went all over the great states of Minnesota & Wisconsin. There were usually 5 of us at any given trip. I have a truck camper now only because I want to pull my boat. My father would put his 5.5 Johnson motor in the camper and then rent the boat from the campgrounds. If you can find a decent used one from a dealer, I would go with it, especially if it had a warranty. Buying from a private party may save you up front money, but if your luck is like mine (if I didn’t have bad luck, I wouldn’t have any at all) as soon as you get it home, something may go wrong. Just my 2-cents

Cliff

[MNice]

eribac, do a search for "pop up explorer". You should come up with a GREAT board dedicated to pop up's. With Rick's permission, I would post the direct link here. We almost bought one this spring, but decided to keep tenting it. With that big of family, you will need a big camper. Coleman is great name, but they have had many problems with their ABS roof warping, sagging & delaminating. You'll read all about it on pop up explorer.

[eribac]

Thanks for all the replys. This is the information I was looking for.

MNice - Found the site you are refering too. Thanks, I've been looking for a discussion board like this!

fubar - Yes, I have the same luck as you, maybe we should start a discussion on bad luck? The memories you have of camping with your family, are the memories I'm trying to create for my kids...

SPIN DRY - I believe that a stop at Plearsureland RV is in the near future.

BuffaloFisher - Why did you sell?

[IFallsRon]

If you're not in a rush, I may have a deal for you. We are outgrowing our 98 Starcraft Starlounge and have been looking to take the next step. Contact me at [email protected]

I think there are bargains to be found in the used market. You'll have to watch the classifieds. I've seen lots of ads that state the rig has only been used three times.

Four years back we bought the biggest tent camper (8 sleeper) available thinking it would fill our needs for many years. Kids grow, however, and so does the amount of "stuff" bring along.

We bring a 14-foot cartopper boat along and I bought a bike carrier that is built onto the hitch carrier. I presume you have enough vehicle to pull one at least my size. I think we're nearly 3,000 lbs. loaded.

If you're looking at used, check out the canvas carefully. Look for water damage inside, include the mattress pads. Make sure the fridge works with gas or electric. Make sure the furnace works. Make sure the power converter functions properly. It's a plus if you can bring the cooktop outside. In four years, I don't think we've cooked inside 3-5 times. If the awning is designed to work with a screen porch, get that. We spent a week at Itasca last summer and couldn't have been outside without the screen. And, it's like another room/tent for sleeping. We've never used the inside sink or water tank. The wife washes dishes on the picnic table.

That's about all I've got now, but you can e-mail me with questions.

[IFallsRon]

I've also found that it's some better to work with the smaller dealers who don't carry the highend RV units. Seems you get better customer service for spending less.