Looking at popup campers

[blackhillsbiker]

Getting too old to sleep on the ground. We found a used one we really liked, then found a closeout one for a bit more with a few more amenities. Now I'm confused. We're hoping to have a home base for our adventures. We just learned how to fly fish and I'm totally hooked. Not to mention riding trails.

Deb

[bmccasland]

Just make sure it doesn't leak when it rains. :( I have some soggy memories of borrowing a pop-up for a camping trip, only to discover that it leaked at the canvas edges when it rained. Which it did every afternoon.

Just how old and used is the one you're looking at?

Otherwise, I rather liked them. You don't have a lot of room for cooking inside if the weather is bad. Hauling a pop-up behind a truck or SUV is slightly better than hauling a tent, pitching it, then stuffing cots and everything else inside.

[blackhillsbiker]

One was a ’91:eek:. The one we are most interested in is an ’07. There is also a nice ’09, but it is a bit out of our price range (it has all the possible bells and whistles, including a cable tv hookup and heated mattresses).

[badger]

I don't really have anything to add on to your pop up campers (though I'd love to have one myself!) but thought I'd wave at a fellow fly fisher :)

[yellow]

After having a camper for a while and being fully immersed in the RV world, here's a list of things that I would think about if I were shopping again:


Size and functionality of refrigerator
Sink size
Durability for/ease of hauling on dirt roads--this is a biggie, assuming you will haul it on dirt roads
Size of bed--if not standard, PITA to find linens
Ability and ease of hooking up a generator if needed


I'd definitely go with a newer one. Parts are plastic and parts get old. Plus, if the older one was stored uncovered, all kinds of pieces/parts could need replacing. Heated mattress? Cable TV? Probably things I would do without :) Ours has TV hookups and brackets (that we don't use), a built in TV antenna (that we don't use), and a satellite hookup (that we don't use). (But then we don't even watch TV at home, so no surprise there!)

[kermit]

We used a dutchman pop-up for years and loved it. The news ones are so much more updated (some even have a head). I would go with the newest you can afford, the A/C units are newer and more efficient(quieter) and the mattresses are probably nicer than the older model.

[surgtech1956]

We have a 2000 Palomino and love it. We got the smallest size pop-up. The 2 things we definitely wanted was a furnace and refrigerator(as opposed to an icebox). Both beds are full size beds.

[warneral]

We would love a popup camper but I would want one with a potty :) I always have to go potty at night and that is the one thing I really dislike about tent camping.

[blackhillsbiker]

So far my must-haves are a furnace, a fridge, and a potty! I don't relish the thought of finding an outhouse in the middle of the night. I always have to go at least once during the night. Now DH is looking at little trucks to pull pop-ups. It's hard to find a used truck that didn't belong to a smoker.:(

Deb

[Koronin]

No real advise. As a kid my parents had a pop-up for awhile. There were 5 of us, my parents, my two sisters (who are twins and younger than me) and myself. The table lays on the benches and makes the extra bed, which is where I slept. When we got a bit older, my parents bought a larger travel trailer (I do not remember how long it was). But I much preferred sleeping on the couch it had, then on the table. LOL. I remember we sold it, when I was in high school. Then my dad got a tent we he and I started going to Bristol for the NASCAR races. Now my husband I go to to those races and we finally were able to get into a hotel. Believe me, I prefer a hotel to any kind of camping when it snows. I'd definitely take a pop-up over a tent.

[Bike Chick]

I'd definitely take a pop-up over a tent.

Funny, but I prefer a tent to a pop-up. We had a pop-up a few years ago with A/C and heated mattresses. Sleeping on the ground with a good mat is far more comfortable that those skinny mattresses on plywood! And if you are the one stuck out closest to the canvas wall, it's just darned cold. They have their good points too I suppose but if we ever bought another camper, I would spend the extra $$$ to get a regular camper with a potty.

[badger]

aside from a couple of summers of using the travel trailer we've always tented. The trailer wasn't that much better. It was so small, I belive 15'? and with 2 adults and 2 teenagers, it wasn't all that fun. I got stuck in the "loft" where there was maybe about 3" of space above my face.

I don't really mind tenting, per se, but I do hate having to crawl in/out of the tent. And I detest cooking in the dark.

DB is obsessed with fly fishing, so one time conditions were sublime and he refused to leave the lake until it was so dark we couldn't see 2 feet in front of us. We hadn't had dinner yet, and I had to cook by a dinky lantern light. I HATED it. Cold, wet, hungry, and cooking in those conditions made for one very cranky girl!

So I told him we need to invest in a tall tent with a "den" where we can set up a semi-decent cooking station with netting around that no bugs can get in.

I'm not fussed at all about going potty outside, I much rather do it in the bushes than in an outhouse. I just hate crawling in/out of the tent!

[Veronica]

A PETT toilet and a changing room to put it in made our off road Grand Canyon trip just about perfect. We also made a point of getting a tent we could stand up in. The shower/bathroom is just out of the picture. We hung a small LED lantern in it to make night use a bit easier.


http://www.tandemhearts.com/coppermine/albums/GC-2010/Grand-Canyon-8.jpg

Things we want to change:
an awning that attaches to the truck. Our awning was just a PITA to set up.
a better kitchen set up. We're thinking about some bear proof boxes since that's an issue for us at a lot of places.

In this picture you can see the solar charger for the frig. The frig runs off a separate battery and the solar charger kept the battery topped off. The charger folds up. When we were actually driving the frig was connected to the truck battery.

We go back and forth on a trailer because the places we want to go do not have any water. We had plenty of drinking water on this trip, but after 4 days we were running low on our wash water. If you're planning on doing dispersed camping, you'll want to consider how much water you can carry.

Veronica

[Irulan]

I don't really mind tenting, per se, but I do hate having to crawl in/out of the tent. And I detest cooking in the dark.

Headlamps are the best invention since sliced bread.

We are diehard tent campers here, too; for the same reasons as Veronica - we can take everything places that you can't get to with a pop up or other trailer. Unless you have one of the 4X4 pop-up customs but thats's a pretty spendy toy. After years of doing this, we've got a great set up that's comfy and quick to pack.

V, I can share my kitchen box checklist. After years of tent (and raft) camping, I've got the kitchen set up pretty dialed in for real cooking.
We bought a large outfitter wing tarp many years ago, 30' point to point, and that thing is awesome, especially if rain is in the forecast.

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_hsDVR6ZLPcI/TIaOK3on0eI/AAAAAAAAAdQ/ubUqRoDsS_U/s800/IMG_3317.jpg

[Veronica]

V, I can share my kitchen box checklist. After years of tent (and raft) camping, I've got the kitchen set up pretty dialed in for real cooking.
We bought a large outfitter wing tarp many years ago, 30' point to point, and that thing is awesome, especially if rain is in the forecast.



Thanks - it's not so much what to put in it - as having to pack it all up and put it away after every meal. And because it's all currently in two large tubs - having to root around to find what you want. :p

The kitchen set up is definitely a work in progress, so I'd love to see what's on your list.

Veronica

[Irulan]

well, ours is in one giant box, so there is the "rooting around" aspect. But for me, that is preferable to having to keep track of several boxes. Sometimes I will glean things down for a short/simple trip but it's almost easier just to take the whole box.

We do keep all chemical/toilet related items in a separate crate, and we have an overall equipment checklist for everything else ( tent,chairs, tarps, first aid, roll-a-table etc). I also do an individual food list; this one is just for the gear part. We are also very big on kitchen sanitation, using the three bucket system most of the time for dishes.

If you haven't seen the new silicone folding bowls and colanders you are really missing out, they are the greatest!

http://www.simplysmartliving.com/assets/images/pg_collapsible-bowls-s3.jpg

Large Kitchen Box Checklist

Pots & Pans
__Stove
__Propane(__)
__Small Skillet
__Lg. Skillet/lid
__Big pot/lid
__Small pot/lid
__Coffee/water kettle
__Large group pot
__Large group water kettle
__Propane hibachi
______________________
______________________
Utensils

__Cutting board
__Chef knife
__Folding colander
__Silverware bag
__Steak knives
__Plates (paper)
__Plates (__)
__Bowls(__)
__Mugs(__)
__Can opener
__Lighter
__Matches
__Tablecloth (you would be surprised out how handy this is for covering up gross tables at campgrounds)
__Grater
__Folding bowl
__Folding measuring cup
__Foil
__Folding Mellita holder
__Paper filters (#4)
__Large Mellita holder
__Paper filters (#6)

Clean-up
__Trash bags
__Ziplocks
__Pot holder
__Dish towel
__Paper towels
__Dishpans (3)
__Gloves
__Scrubber
__Strainer
__Dishsoap, biodegradeable
__Bleach
__Dish dryer
__Hand sanitizer
__Wipes for hands
__TP
__Butt wipes

DO Cooking
__Dutch Oven
__Charcoal
__Chimney
__Newspaper
__Channel locks
__Tongs
__Lighter fluid

Misc
__Bug repellent
__Sunscreen

[Veronica]

I've got some of those silicon foldable things that I use in the house. Really like 'em!

Veronica