Anyone prefer a pop up camper to a travel trailer?

[thumpersfriend]

why or why not? Thanks

 

[becky1960]

We have had both and the Travel trailer is way far better than the popup for comfort. Ours is 29' and is easier to walk around in and has much more room.

The popup is easier on towing and fuel and you can get better distance/time when traveling. As the cost of fuel is rising I am seeing a lot more interest in popup's.. I guess you will have to decide which trade off you like.

 

[BigDaddyRog]

I just bought a pop-up....and I have to be honest.....there is NO ROOM to "bust a move" in!!! We camp with four-Me, wife, 12 yr old and a 6yr old.....its perfect for shelter, but you have to be very creative when it comes to storage. My 19yr old camped with us one night with our grandson...it was fine for sleeping...but being so crammed together in such tight quarters....she decided to leave the following morning.

On the PRO side...the previous poster is correct....it save bundles on fuel, its very easy to pull(as long as you dont forget to latch the tongue properly to the ball!!! inside joke) and I can fit it in my garage for storage between trips (as soon as I clean out my garage!!)

I decided on the pop-up first for financial reasons, they often are a little cheaper than larger campers, thats not to say that a good bumper-pull or 5th wheel cant be found on ebay or craigslist for REALLY good prices, and secondly....if our camper is TOO NICE, as in LARGE AND COMFY...my wife would never go outside of it. She would spend the biggest part of the trip inside the camper instead of outside enjoying nature...this way she cant stand being cramped up in a little pop-up and so far has been the first one to say "Hey, lets take a walk on the nature trails"....so it works out fine for me.


It may do you well to TEST OUT each one....rent one of each for a weekend...and see which one works out best for you. If you can get by with a pop-up...then good,you get to save a few bucks here and there. If you cant live without the luxury of a bumper-pull or 5th wheel...then its better to know that BEFORE you buy a pop-up!!

 

[stacktester]

We have had both and the Travel trailer is way far better than the popup for comfort. Ours is 29' and is easier to walk around in and has much more room.

The popup is easier on towing and fuel and you can get better distance/time when traveling. As the cost of fuel is rising I am seeing a lot more interest in popup's.. I guess you will have to decide which trade off you like.

I have a 5th wheel and a pop up I use for a rental biz. I could only wish my 5'er pulled like the pup lol. Pop ups are great for a small family who are looking for sleeping space and shelter from a passing storm. The family who owned my pup before me had a ton of the plastic storage bins which will fit inside the pup when closed. TT's are much more maintainance and if you can't store it at home you will have a storage bill as well.

 

[thumpersfriend]

Thanks for the replies. Are pop ups easier to back into campsites? I assume they are but not really sure. I would have to have one with a potty, air and heat and room to sleep 6-8.

 

[stacktester]

Thanks for the replies. Are pop ups easier to back into campsites? I assume they are but not really sure. I would have to have one with a potty, air and heat and room to sleep 6-8.

I would suggest a TT or 5'er then. With that many people you're going to be too cramped on a pup. Make sure you have enough truck to pull what you buy before you buy it.

 

[BigDaddyRog]

Actually ....... NO. The smaller a pull behind item is,the less play you get to steer with. But its not something you CANT learn quickly.I was nervous as all get out about backing in because of all the ribbing and picking that goes on between the regulars here. But it didnt take long to get the hang of...dont let that be part of your decision making process....if "I" can do it...any monkey brain can!

 

[clkelley]

Yep, the shorter the camper, the HARDER it is to back.

My T@B is a booger bear to back in at less than 16'. However, it is so light that in most cases I can disconnect and push it exactly where I need it to go.

But then it is a DREAM to tow. However, it only sleeps two, but we do spend very little time inside.

 

[Abagpiper5]

You may want to consider a Hybrid Trailer. It has all to comforts of a larger trailer in the center, but the beds flop down like a Pop-up.

We own a Jayco 23B and love it. There is enough room for my wife and I, and to 4 wee ones for now.

Here’s a quick link to want I am talking about.

http://www.jayco.com/php/products/floorplans.php?id=174

 

[scot@dvcstore]

Our family has had both travel trailer and pop-up. Best thing about the pop-up is it's still possible to fit a pop-up in some garages and generally tows easier. The larger pop-ups are available with 2 king size beds while the number of travel trailers available with king beds is limited. The travel trailer is definitely more comfortable and roomy but the pop-up actually felt more like we were camping versus "RV ing." Set up on the travel trailer was also much easier even with the power lift on our pop-up. Both have their advantages.

 

[thumpersfriend]

Thanks again for the replies. It would usually be just my DH and myself and our sweet dog. Thought a bigger pop up would give us lots of extra room? First started thinking of this when I tried to find a rental in Venice, Florida for a month or so but so hard to find ,and they don't accept dogs. If they do, they are so expensive. We would travel from Michigan.

 

[BigDaddyRog]

Check out www.CampAtTheFort.com or www.CampingMadeEasy.com for camper rentals in Florida for un-equalled service.(deliver to your site,set up and tear down service included)

 

[MALE*RN*777]

We got the best of both and got a hybrid KZ Coyote 23CR. We traded in our pop-up for more room but also had to consider the weight issue. F150 towing 5500lbs of camper over mountains. Lots of room, better handling than the pop-up. Don't get me wrong, we loved our pop-up and took great care of it. In fact the dealer gave use $1500 over book price due to the great shape it was in along with the bargaining over the price of the hybrid before the quote on the trade in. The only problem we had with the pop-up again was the room due to all the things we had to bring for the young ones. If they were older and had less stuff to bring than maybe we would have stuck with the pop-up.

 

[Shan-man]

Since it sounds like you want to travel with your pet I would recommend a hard-walled trailer, especially if you are planning to use it at the Fort. The Release and Indemnity Agreement you sign states that pets are not allowed in pop-up trailers or tents. Some folks have said Fort staff have clarified that statement to mean "unattended" pets, but unless you plan on never leaving your campsite then a hard-walled trailer would be your best option and safest for your pooch (they can claw-and-chew their way out of a canvas-walled trailer).

 

[thumpersfriend]

Shan-Man, I just read on the other camping board about pop ups and dogs and was going to ask here. Thanks for the info. Guess a pop up is out, will try to look at some Hybrids now. Thanks everyone. Wouldn't travel without our dog ,and if FW has these rules, who knows how many other campgrounds have the same rules.

 

[stacktester]

Since it sounds like you want to travel with your pet I would recommend a hard-walled trailer, especially if you are planning to use it at the Fort. The Release and Indemnity Agreement you sign states that pets are not allowed in pop-up trailers or tents. Some folks have said Fort staff have clarified that statement to mean "unattended" pets, but unless you plan on never leaving your campsite then a hard-walled trailer would be your best option and safest for your pooch (they can claw-and-chew their way out of a canvas-walled trailer).

We stayed at the fort 2 weeks ago and a couple left a poodle in their pup. I called the front after we listened for hours of barking. Security came by and didn't even leave a note. I called the front back and asked the girl what happened. She said nothing they could do. I said but what about the rule of no leaving pets unattended in a pup or tent. She said it's no longer enforced.

 

[kc5grw]

You need to make sure that the hybrids you look at have hard walled pop-outs and not tent ends. A great many of the hybrids I have seen use tent ends for the "hybrid" part of the trailer. You're other options would be the Trail Manor or Hi-Lo brands of "pop-up" trailers.

http://www.trailmanor.com/
http://www.hilotrailer.com/

 

[tlh0726]

You may want to consider a Hybrid Trailer. It has all to comforts of a larger trailer in the center, but the beds flop down like a Pop-up.

We own a Jayco 23B and love it. There is enough room for my wife and I, and to 4 wee ones for now.

Here’s a quick link to want I am talking about.

http://www.jayco.com/php/products/floorplans.php?id=174

Just curious,
If the beds flop down like a pop up I would presume these have canvas sides/walls correct?
Then would a hybrid be considered a no go for leaving pets in unattended?
Wouldn't a pet be able to do the same damage and escape?

 

[Poohbear5]

We've always had a popup over a travel trailer because it's easier to tow, I can see over the camper with the mirrors and we can easily tow with a minivan. For us, it makes for easier winter storage as well.

 

[LarryJ]

why or why not? Thanks

We owned a hard sided Apache PU for 8 years, then a 26' non slide TT for the next 26yrs, and now are on year two with our 31'2" single slide TT and would never consider going back. As mentioned not that much room and you have to stow everything, you can't use it on the road to pottie, or fix lunch, tiny refer, most are poorly insulated if you're talking a tent sided, more moving parts and stuff to maintain and if tent sided can't put away wet (or you have to dry it out).

Now with all that negativity, they do have their place from a cost and a TV standpoint along with being able to get a lot where a huge regular TT can't go.

Larry