I have a friend here at work who is wanting to take the step from tent camping to pop-up camping. He has asked me for advise, but I really don't know where to point him. He is looking for recommendations as to brands to look or (and brands to avoid) in entry-level type units. This will be for himself, his wife and his two pre-teen kids.
Entry level popups are dangerous,(or can be) The manufactures seam to put more time in to pretty instead of safety. My personal recommendation is to figure out how much he wants to spend and find a good used Coleman/Fleetwood folding camper. They have always been the safest most reliable, in my opinion.
Actually. Most all pups are very good. Not really any entry levels. The WAY more expensive Fleetwoods, and old Colemans, are just that. More expensive. You really have to be careful with a used Fleetwood/Colemen. for several years since 2000. They had a really bad problem with thir roofs cracking, and having to be replaced. I would steer clear of them. Also the Fleetwood Baysides, Or most call them swaysides, Have a built in swaying problem. And there was one year recently. Viking had a lift problem. The Fleetwood Roof has been fixed on the new models, as has the Viking lift. Swayside is still a problem.
You can get a lot more pup for your money. If you look at Viking, Coachmen, StarCraft, or Jayco. All good reliable pups. We have had Jaycos, Stars, and, Vikings. All good.
The best part is. Just about any size pup will sleep six., Our last Viking would sleep 8, and "most" can be towed with smaller vehicles, like Cherokees, Blazers, Rangers, Explorers and minivans. Some with cars. He will need to match the pup to his TV.
He will need to decided what options he wants. Like a J-sofa, or indoor outdoor stove. I really liked that. And there are pups with 2 tables, and some have a U shaped lounge area. Some have a King bed on one end, and a full on the other. Some have a shower/ potty. where they are one, and you shower on the tolite. I don care for them, as moisture in the pup, Is the worst thing you can do to it. Can cause Mold.
He will just need to pick one out in his price range. Used ones from a individual are a good buy. The things last durn near forever. If taken care of. If he sees black spots on the inside canvas. Walk away. Mold
If you see loose roof hold downs. Walk away. If when it goes up. There is little pieces of wood left on the bunkends. Walk away. All that suggestes rotton wood. That is the one thing you don't usually have to worry about with a Fleetwood.
Have fun helping him. Popup camping. Is just about the most fun camping there is. Easier than a tent, or TT. and they fit nearly anywhere.
Tell him to run over to Western Campers on Camp Bowie in Ft. Worth, they carry Fleetwood, Starcraft, Palamino, and Jayco....they usually have about 50 setup, all styles. Also, Fun Time RV over in Cleburne handles Rockwood. Honestly, I have heard good and bad about all....about the same as everything else.
Have your friend sit in a couple and look around at how things are situated. DW absolutely did NOT want anything where someone had to climb over a seating area to get to a bed - unobstructed entry was a must.
Other suggestions made are all good. If given enough floorplans to look at, he'll find one he likes. Next step is to find the PUP at a good price.
I prefer Starcraft and feel them to be the highest of quality PUP out there. I also feel Jayco is another quality camper. I've seen older Viking PUPs that held together well and would consider them but they have a weaker frame that doesn't support a weight distribution hitch that's need by many of the new crossover cute 'utes and minivans.
The brands I recommend to my friends to stay away from are Forest River (Rockwood and Flagstaff, just acquired Palomino in 2005) and Fleetwood.
Forest River based on my 2005 and many of the 2 different dealer showrooms with 2005, 2006, and 2007 models. I had tons of problems due to inferior build quality and inferior materials, mainly their weak frames. Appliances are nearly the same on all models but building materials greatly differs with my old Rockwood being a prime example. On top of this, I feel that Forest River has the worst customer support and warranty repair policies out of any. I delt with their poor service as has many on this forum.
I dislike Fleetwood mainly because of their misengineering. Cracking ABS panels and roofs, sagging roofs, cracking and leaking front storage trunks. Then there's their poor warranty to only replace the roof and charge the customer $1000 or better for delivery on a known defectively designed product. I just feel Fleetwood is a company that uses their customers as Guinea Pigs and then doesn't fully cover the delivery of the said experimental part.
So I recommend avoiding Forest River and Fleetwood products to my friends and family.
It's your choice so you're free to choose what you feel is best. Good luck.
All I have to say is steer clear of Coachmen/Viking. Jayco, Starcraft, and Palomino (owned by forest river, but hasn't had as many problems as Rockwood/Flagstaff), are all very good, high quality considerations. Mike Up made alot of good points about Fleetwood also.
Tyler
Martin, as is obvious from the replies you are not going to get a consensus on brands. For every one that has had a bad experience or is talking about past and resolved problems, there will be some loyal owner who has had a great experience with a particular brand. And with full disclosure I'm am pro-Fleetwood.
I think a better approach is for you to help your friend develop the criteria and options that he and his family wants.
As someone mentioned a major limitation might be the current tow vehicle and hitch. You need to help him understand what weight PUP he can tow and confirm that upgrading his TV is not an option.
Since he has tent camped, he may know what features he wants as part of this upgrade. How important will the AC, fridge, water heater, furnace, microwave, toilet, shower be to him and his family?
I think the best way to address floor plans is to go sit in a PUP for an hour and get a real feel for what is being offered. Case in point, I couldn't really tell the difference between a non-slide out versus a slide out based on floor plans and measurements until I got a PUP with a slide out. Also sometimes little things like the fabric of the the cushions and curtains become deal breakers. Another case in point... I've been in PUP's where the counter tops are so low I would never get one even if it were free.
As important as the brand is the dealer. This is the most difficult aspect to determine unless you can talk to current owners. However, sometimes the pushiness and lack of knowledge of the sales person is a tell tale sign of future problems.
Finally, it is said that you should not buy the PUP you want now but the future upgrade. So I know your friend is looking for an entry level PUP but make sure he and most importantly his wife is firm on the options they want today and tomorrow.
Hope this helps.
Ruide
Fleetwood Evolution E3 - Yellow (DW let me get a Yellow one since she wanted an E3 with a slide out )
Hummer H2 - Black (DW vetoed the Yellow one, but I got two Yellow Hummer Folding Mountain bikes )
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