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Was wondering what one of those smaller sized pop-up campers that can be towed by a small car (hopefully)) would cost USED and in general how are they? I'm a complete newb to any type of camping but have developed a love of the outdoors since traveling the country 5 yrs ago and was making plans to buy a tent but started thinking about these smal pop-ups as perhaps a nice cheap alternative to sleeping on the ground. What can anyone tell me about them and how are they for someone on a budget like me, thanks.
Tent trailers have come a long way in the last 30 years. They used to consist of strictly a canvas enclosure on a small chassis, but now come with options like sink, fridge, stove, etc. Of course, prices now range fairly high for a new unit with all the bells and whistles.
Tent trailers can be a good entry-level choice for a couple or small family. It gets you off the ground for sleeping and gives the family a more substantial indoor shelter in inclement weather. Any tent trailer made after the dinosaur era offers a hard top which is usually raised through a simple winch system. With a little practice, the entire unit can be set up by one person in less than 30 minutes.
One downfall to the tent trailer involves wet weather; if the unit is collapsed while wet, it's essential it be raised and allowed to dry as soon as practical to prevent mold and mildew.
The smaller units tend to fairly light and have small tires. This can make them a little hinky at highway speeds. The relatively short distance between the trailer axle and the tow hitch can make them a little tricky to back up.
New units can be surprisingly pricy, but I know of several customers who have picked up decent used units for under a $1000.
Depending on how many folks you plan to take camping, you might also keep your eye out for something like a Boler or Trillium ultra-light trailer. These were small, fibreglas trailers which offered sleeping accommodation for 2 and a small sitting area.
Depending on how many folks you plan to take camping, you might also keep your eye out for something like a Boler or Trillium ultra-light trailer. These were small, fibreglas trailers which offered sleeping accommodation for 2 and a small sitting area.
Thanks for all the info and I might look into these too. I did a quick Craigslist check on used pop-ups and prices are reasonable but I'm worried about the mold problems you mentioned.
I'm just thinking about going camping for the 1st time in my life so to start out with I guess bare bones would fit me to see how I like it and don't have any big plans on long stays or driving long distances with one. Probably would think about State Parks to begin with and using a cooler with ice wouldn't be a problem and I'm not a bg eater either but could always throw a burger on a grill. I could probably even bring my own water too so yeah bare bones model would do because it would be either just myself or perhaps 1 oher person and not for more than a couple days at a time.
I am interested in this thread and hope there will be responses from those "in the know" about pop ups. Please keep us posted as to your experience, tripod. good luck.
I've also got an interest. I'm trying to decide on a small (19-22) RV or a pop-up. Unfortunately there are many more pop-up's (used) on the market place than small RV's. I have this delusion of toolin down the highway with a pot of coffee brewing in my RV rather than stopping at a restaurant. Call me a dreamer.
I've owned pop up trailers for 30 years, they have many good points, easy to tow, easy to back, set up in just a few minutes, plenty of room inside when set up, you can go basic, bed sink, stove and ice box or you can go all out with a shower, toilet, fridg and heat and air. My current trailer I bought new in 1990 and it's still in great shape.
Things i like about a pop up trailer is that you can take it places where your not going to take a regular trailer, I camp at a lot of backwoods camps, It has a water tank sink stove and heater, two large beds and the dinnet folds into a bed, plenty of storage and ventalation on warm days. As far as rain goes if you set it down wet just set it up at home until it dries, I've done it many times.
If you plan to use one for a road trp where you need to set up every night consider a trailer with a short front bed, that way you don't need to unhook to set up, real good if your just stopping for the night.
Of course security could be a problem if you leave it at camp, anyone could easily get in but then agian if someone wants to break in anything they will do it, I have never had a problem.
Theres a lot of differant brands and models out there, I would look at all of them I could and pick one that has the features you want, I've owned many differant types of campers but have always held on to my pop up trailers and ended up going back to them. It's not really an entry level camper, many people will own nothing else.
Any questions fire away.
This year I have started camping at state parks, so far I have rented cabins but I would like a more economical option. I have seen prices for used pop-ups on eBay and those seem reasonable but I would like to look into buying new. All the online searches just bring up the manufacturers and I can't find any info on prices of new campers. I am in mid east Alabama and I have not seen any local dealers where I can go and look at campers. Does anyone have any info about how I can find pricing info for new campers?
I posted virtually the same interest on RV.net and was told that it is not uncommon to have to drive 3 - 4 hours to find RV dealers that have the stock to actually see models that you are interested in. On my last trip from Asheville, NC it seems that I saw a lot of RV lots off of I 40. The same with my trip from Florida a couple months ago. At the time I wasn't really interested but as has been mentioned, the cost of cabins has driven me to look for a more economical solution.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mekia02
This year I have started camping at state parks, so far I have rented cabins but I would like a more economical option. I have seen prices for used pop-ups on eBay and those seem reasonable but I would like to look into buying new. All the online searches just bring up the manufacturers and I can't find any info on prices of new campers. I am in mid east Alabama and I have not seen any local dealers where I can go and look at campers. Does anyone have any info about how I can find pricing info for new campers?
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.
Was wondering what one of those smaller sized pop-up campers that can be towed by a small car (hopefully)) would cost USED and in general how are they? I'm a complete newb to any type of camping but have developed a love of the outdoors since traveling the country 5 yrs ago and was making plans to buy a tent but started thinking about these smal pop-ups as perhaps a nice cheap alternative to sleeping on the ground. What can anyone tell me about them and how are they for someone on a budget like me, thanks.
Tripod,
Pop-up are a great little camper with more to offer than meets the eye. And not forgetting with it being in the down possition you can rig the top for carrying items on top of it such as boat, canoes, bikes, skies and the list goes on. You may also want to look into the "A-frame" campers or the "Hi-Lo" campers. They make all of them small enough for a car to tow, but Look at your cars owners manual and see what the tow capacity is for your vehicle. To much stain on the transmition can cause you to burn it out and that can be costly to repair. Most of the time with a pop-up or other smaller campers you don't even need to mount a stabilizer hitch on it.
The Alpine "A-frame" and Hi-Lo campers are neat lookin little things that give you a pop-up compacted look with the hard shell comfort incase you like to camp in a little colder zone, where the pop-up is mostly canvas.
Take a look around befor you jump into a buy, and if you wait until the end of the camping season to buy, you can cash in on some really great deals and prepare for next years camping season and not be in a rush. And it will also give you plenty of time to learn every aspect of your new home away from home on wheels .
Happy Camping NewB,
Chow, SeabeeBolt
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