In the market for my first pop-up camper- what do I need to know?

[ophelia2002]

I've spent hours online googling but I can't seem to find some BASIC information so I was hoping you all could help me out.

When I was a kid my family had a pop up camper and I have great memories of camping with them! I'm finally in a place where I can buy my first camper but I'm a bit confused about some of the lingo. What should I be looking for? What features are real necessities and which are just bells and whistles? Any help is much appreciated!

 

[jpm1st]

I own a 2001 Coleman niagara and love it.
A lot will depend on how large your family is and what your vehicle will tow.
Let me know I will will be glad to give you my opinion for what it's worth.

 

[dancer_mom]

Following

 

[JETS70]

We had a Coleman Utah and my parents had the Coleman Niagara. We really enjoyed these pop up campers and we took them many places. I think what made these especially nice was the slideout dinette that made into a bed and the storage underneath the seats. Because of the slideout, there was a lot of open floor space. Easy for 2 adults and 2, sometimes 3 or 4 kids moving around. Storage is big on a pop up and these also had the huge front storage trunk.

 

[Teamubr]

Popups probably have some of the biggest variety of all the camper types. They can run the range from "a tent on wheels" to a soft side travel trailer. The "have to haves" really depend on what you are looking for.

Help us out with a few more details and I'm sure we can point you in a better direction.

• How do you see using it? Just for sleeping? Cooking too? Bathroom? Shower?
• How many people do you plan on camping? There are some bigger popups with slide out dinettes or even 3rd bunks that extend out the side.
• What do you plan on towing it with? Some very small popups can be towed behind a motorcycle. Others need a Suburban.

I have a 5th wheel now, but once I moved out of tents, (Actually DW said she wasn't sleeping on the ground anymore) we rented a popup for a few summers. We got to try several different ranges (and amenities) renting. Then we bought a hybrid. Then a TT when the hybrid was too cold in late October. The TT led to a bigger tow vehicle which led to the 5er we have had for 12 years. So be careful. It doesn't take much to get from your first popup to a 35 ft 5th wheel.

Any help is much appreciated!

That's probably the best 'help' I can give you.

j

 

[KristinU]

I think the biggest off-the-bat consideration is what you're planning on towing with. Keep in mind that whatever your vehicle's tow rating is accounts (usually) for just the vehicle and a 150 lb. driver, so you'll want to give yourself a really nice margin between actual weight and what the vehicle rating is. For example, we towed a 1500 lb. Aliner with a V6 Santa Fe with a 3500 lb. tow capacity. Perfect, right? Well, once we got ourselves, a dog, a cooler, bikes, kayaks, and all the other junk all loaded up on the Santa Fe, there were plenty of hills where we had to turn off the A/C and open the windows to give the Santee enough "umph" to get up them. So I'm a big fan of not pushing too close to the vehicle's limit.

You'll also want trailer brakes, even if they're not required in your state for the size of camper you buy. They saved our bacon more than once.

As with any RV, water damage is your biggest thing to look for when buying used. Water entry is the enemy.

Creature comforts are up to you and might be dictated by your tow capacity. We went really basic and no-frills with our first camper (the Aliner) and then added a propane fridge, which was a great upgrade for us and we wished we would have had one in the first place.

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

If you go to the shows leave you wallet at home and just shop.

 

[ophelia2002]

Thanks for all the replies so far.

I have 2 pre-teens that will be camping with me. My vehicle has a tow capacity of up to 5000 lbs. The camper will mainly be used for sleeping and cooking/eating, so no bathroom stuff is needed.

Regarding brakes- do pop ups either have them or not or is that something that can be added on later?

 

[CJHokie]

We started with a popup and I spent weeks perusing Craigs List and rvtrader for used ones. I also went to local dealers to see what they had. One place had a ton, but they were all nasty inside. I finally found one at another dealer. It was brand new, but last year's model, so they were discounting it to move it out.

Like someone said, there is a huge variety. I ended up getting a basic no-frills Jayco model. Basically it had beds, a kitchen with fridge (not ice box), removable gas stove with gas hookup outside (we did most of our cooking out), awning, and the dealer put an AC unit on. I asked about heat and one thing I had seen in listings and didn't know what it was was "heat strips". He said they don't really do those and just recommended a space heater, which worked fine. I got a portable potty and a privacy tent for it for emergencies. Friends had a popup with a slide out and bathroom, but the bathrooms are kinda weird in a popup, so they didn't use it that much.

We decided to upgrade after a year and I sold it within a week on Craigs List without much of a loss. So in my research, it seems there's always a good market for popups.

I towed ours with my Buick Enclave, which is rated at 4500 lbs. We were not required to have a special brake setup here in NC.

The only feature I might've missed on it was extra storage, but that wasn't really a problem. Not sure my car could've hauled anything else. Oh, another thing - if you take bikes with you, some of them have bumpers that can take a bike rack or you can get one installed on the roof, but ours had a thin, flimsy bumper and was not one of the models that can take roof mounts.

 

[parrothead64]

Are you looking new or used or either or? We had a Flagstaff 207 which had a queen on one end a full on the other. No bathroom, but had A/C put on.Had a fridge, stove and sink, no hot water and you need a bucket or jug for water, no waste tank on board. It does have a fresh water tank if you don't have hookups, but I nevere used ours. It was basically what you are describing. If you need a little more sleeping area the Flagstaff 208 has two dinettes in front of each bunk that also turns into a bed.
Here's the 208 for an example
http://robertssales.com/sales/model_pages/flagstaff_208.html

Here's the 207
http://robertssales.com/sales/model_pages/flagstaff_207.html

Good luck in your hunt.

 

[jpm1st]

We started with a basic pop up with one queen bed One full bed and I dinette that made a small bed.
It is me my wife my 18-year-old son and my 13-year-old daughter
By the time the kids had a friend or two the pop-up was really packed
We decided we needed more room and found coleman Niagara on craigslist
It has two king beds and the bigger slide out dinette bed.
Also a refrigerator and 3 burner stove.
It has air-conditioning and heat and a bathroom that we mainly use at night
There is so much more storage in it that is much more comfortable when we have to stay inside
The camper weighs about 3000lbs in my explorer will total 5000 so it is no problem to pull.
For the little more we paid for The bigger camper I wouldn't go back to a smaller one
Hope this helps

 

[KristinU]

Thanks for all the replies so far.

I have 2 pre-teens that will be camping with me. My vehicle has a tow capacity of up to 5000 lbs. The camper will mainly be used for sleeping and cooking/eating, so no bathroom stuff is needed.

Regarding brakes- do pop ups either have them or not or is that something that can be added on later?

Cool on your capacity, so you have a lot of variety to look at and decide upon.

I'm not sure about brakes being added after the fact, I would think it easiest and cheapest to have them as OEM. You'll need a brake controller for in your tow vehicle unless you have a vehicle with one built in (I know some Fords do). Like I said, and CJHokie confirmed, they're not required in all states on small trailers, but the first time someone cuts you off on a freeway and you have to stand on the brakes you'll be thankful to have them. Our closest call was on the way to the Fort, in Jacksonville. Some yahoo decided that he needed to exit right from the far left lane, all I saw was a blur of blue coming in front of us and I had to slam on the brakes to avoid clipping him. It might not have been such a fun trip had the trailer yanked us around rather than stopping/slowing with its own brakes.

 

[PEC]

I have a Fleetwood Bayside. My pop-up has a toilet that has never been used. Unless you plan to use it at primitive or pioneer sites or you have a family member that realy cannot hold it at night a toilet is not necassary. We generally cook outside our popup though it has a gas stove. If it is just my wife and DD twins 14 we may eat inside. If grandchildren come along we eat outside unless raining (they tend to have more spills and make more of a mess). With two king beds, the table folding to make a twin and then a couch making a place for one person I could probably sleep 10. Understand that includes grandchildren 7 and under. I have slept with 9 for a few days with no problem.
The A/C works well. To the point we have turned it off or on very low at night because it would get too cold.
The sink is great for washing dishes.

I tow it with an F150. It is well under the trucks towing capacity. My advice for any popup would be to have a truck or at least an SUV on a truck chasis. Sure some minivans and cars will list a towing capacity that meets specs but keep in mind you will be low to the ground and quite frankly will not handle as well. One of those lessons of just because a vehicle can do something does not mean it should. Trucks are for towing not cars.

 

[ophelia2002]

[QUOTE="parrothead64, post: 54046835, member: 371622] you need a bucket or jug for water, no waste tank on board. It does have a fresh water tank if you don't have hookups, but I nevere used ours. It was basically what you are describing. [/QUOTE]

I'm not tired to new or used.

Could you explain the above a little more. What's a waste tank? Fresh water tank? Hookups? What happens to water, say, in the sink if you need a bucket for dirty water?

 

[bama_ed]

Ophelia,

I had a Jayco highwall popup with a slideout dinette that I bought new and kept for 10 years (175 nights camping) before I traded it in for my hardsided folding Aliner Expedition. My kids grew up with it but now the last is a year away from college and it was too big and heavy for me to push around the driveway. Your kids might be able to camp now often with you but with mine, once they got to high school and were in the high school band, almost every weekend from July 1 to December 1 was off limits. So how long you plan to use it relates to how much you might be willing to spend.

You've gotten some great advice above. We had a built in potty shower and the potty was good for night time number 1 visits. We are state park and Fort campers. If you want to go simple, get an air conditioner (depending on where you live) and a fridge. An electric skillet or simple 2-burner Coleman propane stove can round out cooking needs.

Are you considering new or used only?

I will add to consider how/where you will store the popup when it's not used. Outdoors in the back yard? Indoors in the garage? Paying to store it in a lot? Do you live in a homeowner's association neighborhood with restrictions on trailers?

Never, EVER leave wet canvas closed up for a long period of time. This is the number 1 no-no in my book. Even if it's raining and you have to pack up to go home, pop it up to air it out and let it air dry at the first opportunity (at home, the next day, etc). Mold will grow (and smell) and while the canvas is not going to deteriorate because most canvas is boat-grade, the thread that stitches it together could rot and give slightly and that will start the leaks while you are set up.

I'm glad my family has the memories of camping and being together (although they have some memories of Dad standing in the rain expanding their vocabulary).

A popup is hard to keep warm in late fall/winter weather. It can be done but it takes a lot of work, prep, and propane. Once the night temps got below 40F, it became an effort. Below freezing temps require additional work. Another reason I got an Aliner for me and Mrs. Bama Ed was we could do 4-season camping. My bed was on the side of the popup with the propane heater. When the fan kicked on, I got no sleep. The canvas is poor at keeping in the hot air in the cold times and the cold air in the hot times.

We had a dinette with lots of cupboards but I wish we had had a second place to sit inside. A couch, a gaucho, etc. One person at the dinette table could spread out a newspaper or work on a puzzle but the only alternative was to lay on a bed which wasn't always desired. My Aliner has 2 sitting locations (dinette and the sofa that converts into the bed).

These are just some thoughts. Good luck on your search.

Bama Ed

 

[CJHokie]

[QUOTE="parrothead64, post: 54046835, member: 371622] you need a bucket or jug for water, no waste tank on board. It does have a fresh water tank if you don't have hookups, but I nevere used ours. It was basically what you are describing.

I'm not tired to new or used.

Could you explain the above a little more. What's a waste tank? Fresh water tank? Hookups? What happens to water, say, in the sink if you need a bucket for dirty water?[/QUOTE]

So, stuff from the toilet is black water and everything else (shower, sinks) is gray water. Our MH has tanks for both of those, so if you're camping without sewer hookup, you can still use everything and just take it by a dump station on the way out. Our pop-up didn't have a bathroom so no need for a black water tank. There was no gray water tank either, so if we were at a site with sewer hookup, we just drained the sink into that. I think in the old days people just drained gray water onto the ground, but that is not allowed in most states anymore. If we didn't have sewer hookups, we used a portable gray water tank. We did have a small fresh water tank with a water pump, but I don't think we ever used it. With that, you can camp somewhere without a water hookup and still get water from the sink.

Hopefully that makes sense? Rereading your questions - hookups are any combo of water, sewer, electric that the campground offers. When you see "full hookups" it usually means all 3, sometimes I think cable is included in full. Water hookup allows you to get water into your camper and sewer hookups allow you to drain stuff out. Water will be a faucet that you hook your specially designated fresh water hose to (we always put a water filter on as well). Sewer will be a pipe sticking up or a small hole in the ground. We've been to places where it was hard to find. Usually sewer hoses are bigger than regular water hoses, but our popup only took water hose size for the gray water drain, and then we had to use like a donut type fitting to make it fit in the sewer pipe.

Hope this helps. I grew up camping, but was never involved in anything but going to the campground and having fun, so I got several RVing books when we started it. There are some good ones out there.

 

[Jaylens Papa]

As far as the bathroom thing, out here in California the state beaches won't let you camp unless fully self contained. I believe that means a toilet, not sure if it means a shower. Not sure where you plan on camping, other than FW, but that may make a difference.

 

[parrothead64]

CJHokie explained it, There is no grey water tank which would be your sink water. When you drain your sink it goes right to the outside, so you need a bucket, jug or some cntraption to catch the dirty water. I used a 5 gallon bucket at first, than I purchased a 5 gallon water jug like this http://www.walmart.com/ip/Coleman-5...bcfg=44e039c695eb388c36cfb2af8cdb0060&veh=cse and would dump it either in a toilet or the dump station at the campground when full.
Fresh water tank is for putting fresh water in if you don't have a water hook up at a campground site. Like I said, I always had electric and water sites, so I never used mine.
Hookups are campground sites that have electric, water and or sewer. Sometimes hookups also include cable depending on the campground. When looking at a campground website, the may have symbols for the different sites they offer. Most use something like this:
30 AMP, W, S, C Which would mean it is a site with 30 amp electric, water hookup, sewer hookup if you had a bathroom and a black waste tank, and cable.
Hope that helps.

 

[Flametamr]

I had a Jayco 1207. It was pretty big with a King bed on one end and a Queen on the other. Also a U shaped dinet/bed. It was comfortable enough but we outgrew it when I remarried. The thing about Pop Ups is they are either hot or cold. Ours had a the air conditioner with a heat strip. It would get it comfortable in the heat of the day but not real cool. and in the winter I had to use a space heater or two to get very warm. If you do buy one invest in good tent covers like the ones from Pop Up Gizmos. They work wonders keeping heat out or in as needed. Other than that I wish I still had mine. I have traded up twice and now have a large 5th wheel. It's nice having our own house to go camping in but we are limited on where we can go.

 

[Boopuff]

We had a Jayco popup and pulled it with our Caravan. It had the potty/shower combo (great in a pinch!) We also opted for the screen porch. It was wonderful. Extended the living space but also kept bugs at bay. We had the moveable stove top and always attached it to the outside so we didn't heat up the interior. We ended up trading for a hard-sided trailer as the kids grew so did the trailer! Good luck and have a lot of fun!