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My understanding is that these are a very popular first choice that people quickly move out of, once they determine they really like RVing. You should be able to find many on the used market. The cost depends on the location, age, etc, but you should be able to run some repetitive online searches to get a ballpark. Craigslist is a great place to shop the nation.
We started with a pop-up truck camper, but after two years I had to move up to a regular truck camper, and after several more years we are now in a 38' motor home (diesel pusher). We still see a lot of the popups in the places we've camped, but where we can just pull in and be set up to go enjoy the area within 15 minutes, they are still setting up hours later. Tearing down to leave is the same, in reverse, obviously.
If you are a patient person, it's probably a good way to go.
Your understanding of pop ups is all wrong, sorry, they set up and down in minutes not hours
Your understanding of pop ups is all wrong, sorry, they set up and down in minutes not hours
Especially these newer model, unlike thier older more cumbersome ancestors they pop-up in a snap . I still prefer a hardshell camper over the ragsides, hardshell stay cooler on a hot summer nite and warmer in the cold season. No setting up, just unhook fron the truck, crank down the stablizers and hook up the juice and we're doing the camptown boogie.
I have a 1992 Palomino pop-up that was purchased in 1998; We have used it every year, and our family has expanded to include to kids (in fact, our first camping trip came with my wife 8.5 months pregnant. It does not take hours to set up, but my model predates the newer ones (it cranks open, for example).
I have had nuisance problems with my camper, but nothing that a) I couldn't handle, or b) would rival some of the repair costs of a Class C or A. We towed it for years with my 1998 Malibu; it is now pulled behind our van (first a Chevy Venture and, now our 2009 Grand Caravan). In fact, tmorrow we are heading for a week at Niagara Falls - (Canadian side) at a Jellystone campground.
A pop-up is a great start if you are a new camnper. There are relatively inexpensive and don't take up nearly as much room in the driveway. In addition, if you are not real handy, having a full-blown RV - and the many issues that may require attention - can be daunting.
I have met people who swear by them (ease of use; able to leave the campground without having to uproot everything if you are sightseeing, taking a day trip, etc.). I would like to upgrade at some point to something a little larger - a hard-sided trailer, maybe (not a 5th wheeler, though), but I think I will stay in the towing family .
Good luck in your search, and I'll see you in the campground!
We started with two pop-ups in the late 1990's before going to full size travel trailers.
The pop-ups were ok. Yes, you do have to set them up and tear them down, but that was pretty easy once you get a routine. Ours had a refrigerator, furnace, and a/c so we were quite comfortable. Granted, with the rag sides, the heat and the air dissapate rather quickly, so those units ran much more than in a regular RV.
The downsides to me were no toilet and shower in the camper (although some models have cheesey versions), no cabinets or anything above the height of the box walls (it's all tenting and plastic windows), and the fact that you have no security (since these are more like a tent than a RV).
They do tow very easily as they have a low height profile, meaning you don't catch the same wind sway as a full sized camper. They are very easy to maintain since there are few mechanicals on them, and I agree they are a great alternative to tent camping.
Hey thats pretty cool, thats the thing with us we like to go to remote areas and that really fits the bill.
We bought ours from a young girl who's VW Thing was on "Pimp My Ride" on MTV. She is quite the camper and they gave it to her after raising and painting her Thing like a snake skin. Sadly the convertable top can not be raised on the thing with the camper in place. We carried it on our thing for a few years as we never hardly raise the top on the thing.
Well now, would you look at that. How cool . What about the hieght factor on the roof of your vehicle?
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. I still prefer a hardshell camper over the ragsides, hardshell stay cooler on a hot summer nite and warmer in the cold season. No setting up, just unhook fron the truck, crank down the stablizers and hook up the juice and we're doing the camptown boogie.
