Got any advice on a pop-up camper?

[shep]

We have been shopping for one...
what do I need to know..?

 

[disny4fun]

Hello and congrats!

What brands are you looking at? We just bought our first after many months of research. We bought a used (1999) Starcraft Galaxy. My recommendation would be to look for a newer used pop up. You save thousands of $$ and have tons of amenities. We found many from 199 to 2001 that people used just a few times and traded for a larger one or a hardside trailer. Another good thing to look for is plenty of storage space and accessability to the fridge when its' popped down.

For less than $4750 we have a 12 ft, sleeps 8, 3 way refrigerator, heater, bunkend fans, upgraded stove, storage drawers in our cabnets, add-a-room, awning, and skirting around our unit. It also came with scissor jacks, leveler platforms, bubble levels, double lp gas tanks with cover, spare with cover, and a cover for storage. We didn't look for one with a potty or shower because we always camp where there are nice facilities.

Have fun looking and make sure you check the quality!

 

[disny4fun]

I forgot, we got most of our information from this board and popuptimes.com.

 

[shep]

wow..thanks..
I looked at the Vikings today and the cheapest one was $3800..
I will have to go to a bigger dealer...
I have been checking the papers too...

 

[Gillian]

There are also used pop ups on ebay

 

[Cinders]

If you can wait until fall/winter to buy. Around here before the camper shows start dealers get a bit "hungry" for a sale and want to move the 2002s before the 2003s arrive. Check out as many brands as possible and pickup floorplan sheets. Around here Coleman's come highly recommended.

 

[Camping Cat]

I see you have already received a lot of great advice. I have only a couple of suggestions to add. If you are planning on doing any camping in the south, I highly recommend getting a popup with AC. Also, make sure you get one with a storage trunk in front. We would have been lost without ours. You can access it from the top before you open the popup, and once it is raised, you can access it from the outside and also from inside the camper. We lucked out when we bought our second-hand 1995 Jayco. Like you, we had no idea what to look for, but once we had used our camper, we realized how great the trunk was.

 

[vsb372]

DH researched, researched, researched............. get the idea! After everything we decided on a starcraft with a slide out. We down graded from a 27ft motor home and with the slide out we have more room in the pop-up than we did in the motor home. We waited untill the new ones were in and went for last years model and they were only too eager to come down to our price. Did I mention we also have a bathroom and a shower.
Good luck!







Can't wait!

 

[abaldacci]

Shep
Shame on you !!!!!!I am now researching popups. I think i might need one.

 

[auld5]

I have one word for you, Coleman, Coleman, Coleman!!!!

They are superior in quality and craftmanship. We did A LOT of research on pop-ups last spring while looking to buy our first. We finally found a 98' Coleman Grandview (now called the Niagra) and have been thrilled with it. In our searching, we heard that Coleman is top-of-the-line and is worth the investment. We have had it in some good rain, etc., and it has held up well with two little boys as well!

 

[Plan Man]

Coleman - Coleman - Coleman

I don't care what anyone says on these boards.

We reseached forever and checked out used ones to see how they hold up. Without any doubt the Coleman tent trailers were always in the best shape and working the best. The money you save on other brands will not make up the difference in the long run!

 

[shep]

there aren't any Coleman dealers close...
I seen a used one & really liked it...
Will look again in the spring..
We didn't buy the Skamper..It wasn't a 99..It was a96...

 

[auld5]

Shep-

You only need a Coleman dealer if you wan to buy new. We only have 1 Coleman dealer in our area but a lot of RV places and all of them sell used pop-ups. We ended up buying ours from a motorhome place that doesn't even sell pop-ups but took one on a trade. I would buy the local RV want ad book as it will give you all the local rv places in your area. That's how I found all the local rv places in our immediate area. Again, I highly recommend a Coleman, the quality will withstand the test of time.

Good luck!

 

[disny4fun]

Just don't rule out Starcraft. We looked at both Starcraft and Coleman and while the decision was very hard we bought our starcraft and love it. It is very well built and we have had no problems at all. Since you have the time - do your research and look at the different brands. I wouldn't buy anything else but a Starcraft or Coleman though (JHMO)! Have fun!

 

[Tuffcookie]

I thought it was good to buy new because of the warranty. Am I correct in thinking the warranty is useless if you are not the original owner?

TC

 

[disny4fun]

You are correct. We checked into that ourselves. However, our thoughts on this are this...If something is going to go wrong with the unit it will most likely happen within the first two years. We were told that the reason they put the warranty on the units (many are a long, long time 25 yrs - lifetime, etc.) was that the mfg. knew that most people trade or sell their pop-ups well before the warranty period is up. It is a selling point for a dealer on a new pop-up.

We bought a "new to us" pop-up. It's a 1999 and the previous owners only used it a few times and took very good care iof it. They traded it on Friday and we bought it on Saturday - it was only on the lot overnight! You just need to look. Also, bu buying it at a dealer (not private party) they go through it to make sure everything is in working order before you leave with it. If something major was wrong you do have the option of canceling the deal.

 

[auld5]

You are right about the warranty. On RV's the warranty is only good for as long as the "original owner" owns it. However, that is another reason to buy a good brand, in our case Coleman, because you don't have as much of a worry about things going kaput as you may have with a lesser quality RV.

 

[Larry Nice]

This is a great site www.popuptimes.com for popup campers

 

[NHMickey]

On RV's the warranty is only good for as long as the "original owner" owns it.

This is true on most... But check with the manufacture as some brands allow transfer of warranty on units that are a year or two old. For a fee of course. Also check to see if the brand you are buying has had any changes in it's construction in the last few years. If they did ask why? I see a lot of 2 and 3 year old Pop-ups that have had to have new roofs put on them cause they were made wrong or just cracked. Starcraft, Coleman and Jayco seem to be the best out there in the long run. I sell Starcraft so I am a little biased towards those. But in the secondary market these 3 seem to hold up the best. And the best deal from a dealer in the north would be right now... We don't want to sit on Pop-ups through the winter months. Also check out NADA.com to make sure you are not paying to much....

 

[bobcat]

I'm looking to buy a pop-up as well and have been researching for about a year. In addition to all the good advice find a great dealer. Luckily we have a great dealer locally. I'm leaning towards a Starcraft but would also buy a Coleman. The pop-up times boards are great and helped clarify a lot of questions I had.