We're a family of four, including a 2 year old and 5 year old, and we're seriously looking to get our first camper so we can start getting out of the house more. Pop-up campers seem to be the best option for us mainly because of cost and the only vehicle we have that might pull a camper is our 2008 Ford Escape which has a pulling capacity of 3500lbs which most popups seem to be under.
Ideally we'd love to find one with a small toilet and shower, which some of the Jayco ones have, but are there any caveats with this? Also I've seen lots of talk about hybrids, but can someone give a good definition of what this is? I'm guessing it's a harder side pop-up camper which might put us over our tow limit, but just curious.
Also what things should be really look for or avoid?
As for places to go, any suggestions or ideas for a family as green as we are? We live in Waco, Tx which has Lake Waco and Lake Whitney not far from us so I can see us cutting our teeth at both lakes, but can someone recommend other places around Central Texas?
And are clubs like Good Sam worth looking into, at least for us starting out? Do they have family oriented groups? When I think of Good Sam I think of when my grandparents were members 10+ years ago, and then it seemed mostly older, retired folks were involved, so has this changed?
Thanks for any suggestions or ideas for someone who's just getting started ;-)
It has been quite a few years since we had a pop up, but you might want to look for a used unit, 3 to 4 years old, as they might be less $$$. Check canvas on ALL units, ease in setting up, type of brakes, we liked the surge brakes in our last unit. Going to different dealers to view units is a good idea, that way you can compile a list of good to bad points in each unit. Our unit never had A/C , but being from the south, it might be a good idea. The wheel bearings re packing history is important, as we had one NEW unit that was never greased properly, thus we had problems with it right away. Pulling pop up units does not require any type of sway hitch, but remember to load the unit tung heavy, this will prevent fish tailing of the unit when under tow. Just GOOGLE pop up units with your zip code, and see what comes up. Joining any type of camping club is up to you, many do and do not.
Pop up units are easy to tow and park.
Ideally we'd love to find one with a small toilet and shower, which some of the Jayco ones have, but are there any caveats with this? Also I've seen lots of talk about hybrids, but can someone give a good definition of what this is? I'm guessing it's a harder side pop-up camper which might put us over our tow limit, but just curious.
We have an older Coleman Niagara with a "wet bath" - toilet/shower combo. We used the toilet a lot but never the shower. The few times that water dripped out of the faucet, it ended picking up dirt from our shoes and making mud. I can't imagine an entirely wet experience if we used it that way. Not to say no one uses theirs- we just didn't. We just used the campground showers (or for a weekend trip, many times went without).
The hybrids are generally full height trailers, but have pop-out bunk bed(s).
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Had a Starcraft pop-up for ten years. Put lots of miles on it, including two trips to California. Toliet will be very useful, especially at night. Shower will be less useful - you will probably want to use campground showers.
Some people use paper plates, but we had a complete set of lightweight dishes, bowls, etc., from Walmart. All these lived in one of those plastic tubs with lid. For cookwear, we had a set of nesting pots from a camping supply store. Cookwear plus complete set of everything you need for cooking goes lives in another plastic tub with lid. We kept (real) glasses in their original box. (You will want plastic drinking glasses for the kids.) Traded popup for fifth-wheel in 2008, but we still use the same plates, cookwear, glasses -- not a single one broken yet!
Our popup had a screen room that attached to the awning. We used the screen room a lot when mosquitos were around. Cooking range could be moved outside, under the awning. Did most of the cooking outside to keep things cool inside. You're in Texas, so you will definitely want air conditioning.
Just sold my coleman tent trailer and went to full size trailer but be very careful on your weight. my pup was 3000 lb without water and propane. yes it was nice having that toilet and shower and with little one's it is a must have unless you like trying to find a restroom in the middle of the night not fun in some camp grounds. don't know your area but if i was you i would try to find one to rent test your truck while pulling and camp in it for 2 or 3 days and see what the family thanks. I now pull a 31foot travel trailer at 6500lbs and i do miss the tent trailer i could see out my back window and the 360 views you get with a tent trailer when parked at a nice campground is better then any RV when you open all the tent windows. let us know when you go this is one of the best things you can do for your family have fun and be safe.
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You are where we were 4-5 years ago. Then, our kids were 3 and 1. We went with a 10' box Jayco. It was nearly perfect for us - lightweight, easy to handle and setup, etc. The only "mistake" I made in getting it was that it did not have a potty in it. We actually used the kids' toilet training potty and brought it along for the middle-of-the-night occasions. I had to make the trip to the bathroom to dump the little pail inside. Sigh.
Now, we've remedied that, but at greater expense and weight. So, you can't always buy the right thing the first time, but know what you want and stick to the "have to haves". I would strongly encourage you to get something with a potty.
As others have said, we've yet to use the inside shower in ours. Some do - we don't. We use the outside shower frequently.
With PUPs, you generally don't have an onboard holding tank for grey water. There is a garden hose-type connector on the exterior wall that you will use to collect the grey (sink) waste water. Lots of folks create their own from an Aquatainer or even just a 5-gallon bucket. No one explained that to me up front. So, get that figured out before you go out the first time.
Back to the potty. When looking at one, I would recommend the PUPs that have cassette potties. This is a small, self-contained tank that you can remove and easily carry to the campground toilets or the sani-station (dump station). When we were only dumping grey water, it was very nice to be able to take it to the dump station or pour it into a campground toilet if the dump station had a line. Now that I have an actual black water holding tank, I have to get in line with all of the big boys on departure day and wait. So, cassettes are nice, they just don't hold as much before you have to dump them. The other folks in your family will appreciate having them, even if they don't say it.
Waco, TX... air conditioner is a requirement, IMO. If you ever plan on camping in the southern or mid regions, in anything other than winter, you will wish you had an A/C. They can be added to a PUP that you really like but doesn't already have one. Figure $600-700 before installation.
Microwaves are nice, but you can certainly get a standard household microwave (smaller wattage can be your friend when camping) and place it on the counter when you're set up. We sat ours on the counter by the door. I put in an 800 or 900 watt unit. We used the top of it for counter space, although you had to keep the counter in front of the door relatively free of stuff, so you could open the door.
Other things to look for, or avoid:
BUY USED. If you want, and want that new owner experience, go right ahead and buy new. But I would look at 3 year and older PUPs as the biggest hit on depreciation has already happened. Prices decline at a slower rate after the first few years. Two used PUPs under my belt and I haven't been bitten yet. However, condition is EVERYTHING, almost regardless of age. I wouldn't be bothered with buying a 10-15 yr old pup if I knew the history and current condition was good.
I would avoid the doors that are two pieces. Newer units have a door that stores inside that is all one piece and is the way to go. Older PUPs may have a lower part of the door, that is the door when PUP is down, that attaches to the upper when the PUP is deployed. These aren't the greatest.
Look at the roof - a lot. Look for signs of repairs or leaks, impacts, water damage, etc. Damaged and leaking roofs seem to be the biggest issue and sources of problems for PUPs.
Also check the flooring by walking on it to find soft spots. The floor might flex a little, but it shouldn't be much.
Check under the bunk ends at the wood there for signs of water damage, although I've not seen a PUP with any yet, when looking.
Make sure there aren't any holes in the canvas or tenting material. If you're handing with doing those kinds of repairs, have at it, but that's a hard repair to get right right out the door.
Awnings are great. Most PUPs will have them. I rarely use ours as it is a pain to set up for short/weekend trips. If we're somewhere for a week, I'll put it out. Instead, I carry along an EZ-up that can be placed wherever I want it, including over the picnic table. Set up the awning as needed.
Tires/suspension/braking: each state has different requirements for trailers at certain weight ratings. A common requirement is to have brakes on anything with GVWR of 3,000 pounds or more. Our first was fairly light-weight at about 1,700 pounds dry, ~2,000 loaded down. It did not have brakes, and was quite manageable. The current unit is almost twice as heavy and I would say brakes are a requirement even if there wasn't a law! You may be able to find something that the Escort can pull, that has brakes. If so, get the brake controller and vehicle wiring to operate the brakes. Some states require that if there are brakes on the trailer, you must operate them and even have a break-away system (if the PUP gets loose from the tow vehicle, it has a switch tethered to the tow vehicle that activates, and a battery to operate the electric brakes, if equipped).
Tires will generally rot out before they wear out. If the tires are 4-5 years old, it is time to consider new ones. Cracking and dry rot on the sidewalls is the obvious indicator. However, check the treadwear on the existing tires. If the inside treads are worn off, or other kinds of uneven wear are present, these are signs of bent axles or overloading, etc. Often fixable, but know that up front before buying.
Bearing have been mentioned by other posters, but I knew nothing of axles, (really, anything of RVs or automotive beforehand) bearings and maintenance. But ask about the history of bearing maintenance. It's not hard, just messy (grease). Disposable gloves are my friends now.
Some accessories to get right away are: leveling blocks (wood scraps or even the Lynx blocks), grey water holding tank and connecting hose, drinking water hose, water pressure regulator for campground water hookups,
15 amp to 30 amp adapter plug
each less than $10. Yes, you can buy better, and should, but I still have and use the above, 5 years later.
Those are the absolute minimums to get you set up at a site, IMO. There are TONS more of accessories and helpful items, but this will get you going.
The Escape is a smaller vehicle with a relative short length and does limit the size of what you can pull behind you. Weight, GVWR are important numbers but not the only numbers to consider. Full height hybrids and TTs also have a much greater wind drag on your tow vehicle. PUPs go a long way in reducing that impact.
Generally, the 10' box PUPs should fit behind you, depending on configuration/amenities. But you'll have to search to get all of the things you want, including shower/potty, in a 10' box. It is easier in 12' and 14' boxes, but then the overall weight can exceed what you can currently pull. Lots of variables. Fun, and frustration, all in one.
Good luck on finding something to fit your family. I wouldn't trade our experiences in the PUP for anything. We're having great times together. Come back with more questions.
I’d be careful of weights; I’ve seen many PU’s heavier than my 3000# loaded TT. Personally, I’d skip amenities like showers, etc., to keep the weight down. And don’t put much stock in dry weights; the unit will weigh a good deal more loaded for a trip. I’d also second the suggestion to go used for your first unit. If you find it’s not what you really want you won’t take the big depreciation hit of a new one.
I bought a 1977 Coleman PU in 1978. It was a great PU, light, all metal, an easy tow that barely affected my gas mileage and far more convenient for traveling than my tent. I used it even after I got my TT in ’89 and finally gave it to a son in 2002. Many of our best trips were in that PU.
A hybrid is just that, the body of a TT and the canvas ends of a PU. Because of weight and air resistance, though, I think the PU is a better choice with you present TV. Just don’t be in a hurry, do a lot of reading and look at a lot of units before you commit.
FYI, I looked about 18 used units before actually pulling the trigger on the first one. Sit inside and imagine what life would be like with the four of you in there, sleeping, eating, playing, cooking. Remember that rainy days do happen.
bondebond wrote: FYI, I looked about 18 used units before actually pulling the trigger on the first one. Sit inside and imagine what life would be like with the four of you in there, sleeping, eating, playing, cooking. Remember that rainy days do happen.
Yep, knowing where those inside malls are really helps on a rainy day. Board games only last so long with kids.
mpfireman wrote: Yep, knowing where those inside malls are really helps on a rainy day. Board games only last so long with kids.
Heh, true We travel quite often now, which is one reason why we hope the pop-up will help saving some $$$ on hotel rooms plus giving us more things to do since many parks offer activities we wouldn't otherwise have access to if staying in a hotel. But either way definitely finding the local malls or hangouts in town, even seeing a movie, is always on the list.
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We travel quite often now, which is one reason why we hope the pop-up will help saving some $$$ on hotel rooms plus giving us more things to do since many parks offer activities we wouldn't otherwise have access to if staying in a hotel. But either way definitely finding the local malls or hangouts in town, even seeing a movie, is always on the list.
