Years ago with camped with our daughter and son-in-law in their tt. I woke up in the night with a super case of claustrophobia! I knew then I could never sleep in a metal box! We found a great deal on a used Coleman Fleetwood Bayside. It was in like new condition. We've had it for over 10 years now. We camp at least twice a summer with it and even though some of the kids are adults, they still try to come up and camp with us. DH and I can set it up by ourselves so if we ever decide to go on our own it is totally doable. Being off the ground is like a 5 star hotel compared to some of our blow up beds in a tent days! It has given our whole family many, many happy memories!
Do people only choose Pop Ups because they have no other choice?
- Thread starter z.saw
- Start date
Tom and Teresa
Active Member
We looked at every kind of camper…NEVER would want a class A or fifth wheel…we considered a class C and then realized unless you tow another vehicle, you’re stuck at the campground…we don’t want the maintenance of another vehicle…already have three. A BIG deal for us is being able to see out our rear view mirror…we live right where I 81 and I 64 intersect. If you’ve ever travelled interstate 81, you know what a HORROR it is! The easy and safer towing was the deciding factor in my husband’s and my decision to buy a Rockwood A-frame pop up in 2016 and we have never regretted it. We’ve had two of our grandchildren with us at times. We LOVE it; my husband’s profession allowed us to choose whatever we wanted and we have no thoughts toward how others wish to camp…tent, pup, bringing a small house, etc…
. If someone judges us by how we camp, that’s pretty ignorant and we just have to laugh. We aren’t friends with those kind of people anyway! I love talking to ALL campers if they’re friendly…it’s SO interesting and beats staying in a hotel every time! I find staying in my “tiny home” to be very refreshing, easy, and relaxing…a real break for me!
. If someone judges us by how we camp, that’s pretty ignorant and we just have to laugh. We aren’t friends with those kind of people anyway! I love talking to ALL campers if they’re friendly…it’s SO interesting and beats staying in a hotel every time! I find staying in my “tiny home” to be very refreshing, easy, and relaxing…a real break for me!
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Warfarin
Active Member
I never wanted a class A either and didn’t look at C’s for the reasons you mentioned. We did think for a bit that we wanted a small 5th wheel for camping and in a few years a monster 5th for when we snowbird to live in. Nope not now. When we retire and snowbird to AZ we will get a 40’ ish TT to live in. We want to keep the amount of stairs to a minimum. As far as camping goes (unless you are a full timer) I don’t understand those big pigs. That is why I got a pup, so much easier to tow.
Kaniti22
New Member
I have a 35' Winnebago Voyage and I bought a 2000 Bayside just so I can use it for fishing and hunting trips. Citigo Creek in Tennessee is a tight dirt road to some of the best fishing and the Voyage is way to big. I suspect I will be spending more time in the popup than the big camper.
Sandy Ogletree
New Member
We also had the comment that we'd trade up as time went by. We knew we would not because of the openness of the pop up. We love that. We had our first pop up for 17 years and traded up to a newer popup last year.
BlackJackAlley
Member
- Dec 3, 2017
- 41
I've had popups since the early 1980's and they still serve the purpose they have been intended for. Hunting platform. We've also had a ToyHauler for several years to carry our Harleys on longer trips. The popup can store for free in our cabin garage during the winter. For several years we paid $100/month for the ToyHauler covered storage. We moved to a home with a barn that has a pull through for the ToyHauler. After not using the ToyHauler for a few years, we sold it but still keep the PopUp. I've always felt fortunate to be able to afford both trailers and have a Ram 2500 gas engine that more than meets the needs of pulling either. As we have gotten older (75), we only have one Harley and don't need the ToyHauler. Pick what works for you, what fits in your budget, and enjoy.
The openess of the tent trailer is the attraction for my wife and I as well. My wife didn't get it at first, because her parents had a trailer. I used to tell her, "I don't go camping to sit inside of a closet." Once we went and looked at one she started to understand understood what I was talking about! We always try to get a camp site with a lake view if possible. Even a nice meadow is a pretty relaxing view to behold while making breakfast or dinner. We love sitting inside eating breakfast or dinner while enjoying the view around us, we're out of the weather and away from the bugs. The rest of the day we're out hiking or kayaking. At night we close it up to retain any warmth we may need, then sit around the fire roasting marshmallows and sipping our Brandy. It's almost like tenting it, but with the the amenities of a trailer. It is especially nice to be able to take a shower before going to bed! And then there's the toilet, which is a real luxury in the middle of the night!
Went to the Darkside this spring bought a 39' camper........ I'm betting I sell it before we ever use the house on wheels 
just walking though it makes me wonder why anyone would buy something like that and even consider it "camping". OK I didn't buy it to use it the previous owner was "giving " it away because he didn't do any maintenance and it needed a 12' slide out rebuild, hopefully will be flipped and out of the yard in a month. Wife and I love either of our 2 StarCraft popup campers and doubt with as easy as they are to use, pull and maintain will give them up anytime soon
just walking though it makes me wonder why anyone would buy something like that and even consider it "camping". OK I didn't buy it to use it the previous owner was "giving " it away because he didn't do any maintenance and it needed a 12' slide out rebuild, hopefully will be flipped and out of the yard in a month. Wife and I love either of our 2 StarCraft popup campers and doubt with as easy as they are to use, pull and maintain will give them up anytime soon
Warfarin
Active Member
My BIL bought a 39' 5th toy hauler. Lasted one summer sold it and are now looking for something smaller. SIL is to pampered to get a pup. Missing out.
raising4daughters
Active Member
- Aug 24, 2019
- 169
This continues to be an interesting thread. I think the pat answer to the question is No, it's not because there's no other choice. My wife and I are THINKING of a mid-sized TT for retirement but that's by no means a done deal. We like a lot about our HW PUP and if we could find one where we could load the refrigerator without raising the roof, that alone might be enough to keep us in a PUP. For one thing, it seems easier to find PUPs with king-sized beds than TTs and, for another, we really like the ability to store it in our backyard. Also enjoy being able to pull it with a compact truck. Lots to like about PUPs.
Maybe add a portable compressor fridge?
A good thing about the Aliner was that I could quickly unlatch the roof, without opening it fully, access the fridge & close up again quite quickly. Though it did require kneeling during the process, it was quite simple.
Loading the refrigerator without raising the roof...there's a design challenge! LOL!
Hilldweller
Super Active Member
Compressor style fridge on a slide that opens to the inside or outside. Would be nice having it next to the outside grill.
The days of the gas fridge are numbered. Better batteries with solar are changing the camping paradigm.
I hate the gas fridges. Compressors work so much better.
Our Rockwood HW277 has fridge access without raising the roof. I'll try to remember to take a picture of that when we set it up again.
raising4daughters
Active Member
- Aug 24, 2019
- 169
Ours is an older one, 2008. Might be something they fixed recently. We cannot open the side door with raising the roof about a 1/2". Not much, but enough I have to pull the battery off our trickle charger and connect it.
You maybe right, ours is a '22 and I can get to the fridge easily.
Steveo4090
Super Active Member
As said above, this is an interesting thread. I grew up tent camping until a particularly bad storm that woke us all up to playing bumper boats on our air mattresses. My mom went to the car and slept there the rest of the night. Next camping trip we had a Lil Gasser Viking. That was the 1st of 3 pup's that got bigger each time.
When I started my own family, we went through 3 progressively larger tents, to a pup, to a triple bunk hybrid, to now having a TT with a bunkhouse. I've liked some things and disliked some things about each. For us, the smaller the "house" = more set up/tear down work for me. At one point tent camping, I had an 8x10 utility trailer to get all our gear to and from...that was with 3 little (sub-4 year olds) ones.
Anyway, for each stage in our family growth, we've camped one way or another. We've made memories regardless of what we slept in.
We tend to camp with groups of people at campgrounds, in the summer, that have an unusual lack of trees (i.e. shade). We use our camper for 2 weeks at the beach every year. Not a tree in sight. So, for us, instead of renting a house for $5k a week, we have a TT with 2 ac units on it. We use it more like a mobile vacation house with a dozen or so weekends mixed in. So for right now it works for us.
Is it camping?
No, it's not what I'd call camping in the technical sense...but it's still fun. Now it's just a lot less work for me, so I get to actually relax which I like a lot better. But I'd be happy with a hammock and tarp if I didn't have a family along.
Anyway, as long as you're a good neighbor I don't care what you're sleeping in.
When I started my own family, we went through 3 progressively larger tents, to a pup, to a triple bunk hybrid, to now having a TT with a bunkhouse. I've liked some things and disliked some things about each. For us, the smaller the "house" = more set up/tear down work for me. At one point tent camping, I had an 8x10 utility trailer to get all our gear to and from...that was with 3 little (sub-4 year olds) ones.
Anyway, for each stage in our family growth, we've camped one way or another. We've made memories regardless of what we slept in.
We tend to camp with groups of people at campgrounds, in the summer, that have an unusual lack of trees (i.e. shade). We use our camper for 2 weeks at the beach every year. Not a tree in sight. So, for us, instead of renting a house for $5k a week, we have a TT with 2 ac units on it. We use it more like a mobile vacation house with a dozen or so weekends mixed in. So for right now it works for us.
Is it camping?
No, it's not what I'd call camping in the technical sense...but it's still fun. Now it's just a lot less work for me, so I get to actually relax which I like a lot better. But I'd be happy with a hammock and tarp if I didn't have a family along.
Anyway, as long as you're a good neighbor I don't care what you're sleeping in.
yetavon
everything is better around a campfire.
Grew up camping, and raised our kids camping, have owned 4 different P'ups till we got a HTT in 2011. Now have a TH and seriously wanting to get another P'up for certain trips.
doglover44
Member
If I had all the money in the world I would still get a pop up or basically any trailer under 1000 lbs cause no matter what my tv is I know it can handle it and plus I don't need all the fancy things the other RVs have.
[email protected]
New Member
- Jun 9, 2020
- 8
We bought our pop up due to size etc. We wanted something small enough that our minivan could pull (switched to truck after first year) and not knowing how we would like it. Ended up loving it and keeping it for 20+ years. Lots of memories. Mostly boon docking. We sold it to our neighbor several years ago and bought a TT. We still miss the PUP at times. Our neighbor drove by yesterday with it backing it into their yard. Still being used! (1996 Coleman Bayport)
