Do you ever feel like a 2nd class citizen in a PUP?

Just a couple of observations.

Some posters have made comments about the fact that the big rig folks have a huge mortgage and they'd like to have a sign on their PUP that says: "Don't laugh, it's paid for." Actually, even in these hard times, there are a lot of people out there with an immense amount of money and I'll bet that a lot more of those rigs were bought with cash than you might think.

As some posters have noted, there are places that bar PUPs. So what? If they want to hang around with "their own kind," i.e., people of like mind with similar values, it doesn't hurt us. In one sense, we are hanging around with "our own kind" when we come to the PopUp Portal and we shouldn't be guilty of "reverse prejudice".

I have personally not encountered any negative comments while camping in my original PUP (Fleetwood Yuma) or my TrailManor but then again, like another posted mentioned about his habits, I tend to go to places they don't want to visit or physically can't get into so I don't get the opportunity to hear such things. Those big rigs are RVs and need a different set of support resources than we do in our small camping trailers.

 

Last week I went to the RV Hall of Fame and sat in multiple RVs/TTs/PUPs. Maybe I am strange in this way, but the smaller the camper the more it gave me that feeling. There is something about the coziness of a PUP that you just don't get in an RV or even a house for that matter. It brings me back to the reason I loved my clubhouse as a child and my tent as a teenager. I won't deny that having a 1/2 million dollar RV would be wonderful for a road trip, but not for camping.

 

My pup is much older but we love it and it serves it's purpose! It is tiny when we camp next to some of the big rigs and some people to say hey you need a/c in your camper or you at least need a sink! But I love what we have and that's all that matters, it's special to us.

But at our local state park the back loop is called snob knob and no I didn't name it that. That name has been there long before I ever started camping so please nobody get mad at me for posting that. It's just where the big rigs with satelite park.

But truly camping is filled with wonderful people regardless of what you camp in. I even admire some of the tents we see.

 

I have a number of hobbies, and there are a few gear snobs in all of them. Photography, guitars, bicycling, scuba diving, home ownership, you name it, there are people who feel a sense of superiority because of their choice of gear.

Big deal. If you let yourself get caught up in that sort of thing, you'll always feel inferior to someone. There's always something newer, shinier, more luxurious, with more capabilities.

Some 4WD campers have a sense of superiority over all campers who stay on paved roads. Some backpackers have a sense of superiority over all people who only camp where a vehicle can reach. Some full-time RVers have a sense of superiority over all campers who only camp a few weeks a year. Even if you wanted to, you can't possibly get to the top of the heap, because different people define the "top" differently.

Anyway, do you really want to impress the kind of people who would be impressed by something so superficial as your camping rig?

 

Words to live by right there.....good stuff!

 

I also tend to camp at state or public parks and will run across all types of campers. So my Napleon complex stays in line. Only when we try out some of the private owned parks do we run into problems. Often being placed in a small cubby hole in the corner of the CG.

 

Hey ... don't think there are not the fly fishing snobs with their $1,200.00 fly rods along with attached $1,500.00 fly rod reels, too! But I know they DO NOT catch any more or better fish.

 

The second time we took camped in our teardrop we were parked next to some big TTs. They were always sitting at their inside dining table watching us. I felt like we were being looked down on. We decided to hang our used wet towels around the EZ Up, just so they couldn't see everything we were doing. On the last morning when we were packibg up to go home the couple came over to talk to us. I thought they were going to complain about something, but, they said that they were watching us because it brought back fond memories for them to see us "camping". They started out in something small like that, so we talked for a while. You just never know.

 

One of my favorite sayings is "What other people think of you is none of your business." Personally, I feel better about my choice because my carbon footprint is smaller than those that drive and "camp" in their behemoth RVs. Is it even considered camping? It's more like driving and parking.

 

TO EACH HIS OWN. we all have our reasons for buying what we buy or doing what we do. we bought our PUP because we could pay cash for it, it was small enough to be towed with a small SUV, and we could park it in the garage. this past weekend we went camping with another couple who has a 27' TT and they were impressed with what we could fit into our PUP both while setup and while folded in. even with having to level and "set up our tent" we were still done setting up and sitting with a beer in hand watching them setup because of all the crap they bring along. our PUP also will sleep twice as many people as my parents 33' fifth wheel. so all it breaks down to is if someone has a problem with how i decide to get out and camp then i dont think i really care about their opinion anyway.

 

Say it loud I own a pop up and I'm proud.

 

I can see it from all sides. We tented for a billion years and just got into the trailer last year A-frame. My bro in law has a PUP, Id never get one for ourselves, the tent was much easier for us and I did not want to deal with the bunks and canvas as setup and takedown for just two of us. The a frame has been great, gets us off the ground, gives us some nice amenities, we can leave the bed made and it sets up and takes down in less than 30 seconds.

I appreciate the nostalgia of pups and like I said, family members have them, but they are not for us.

 

Never have been made fun of but I have felt a little out of place. Not much different than when we were tent camping. My PUP serves me well and I am proud of it.

 

That's one of the great things about camping, it means something different to everyone. No matter if you backpack and try to pare off every extra gram or you have a huge 5er and strictly camp at NASCAR events or anything in between. We all enjoy our own form of camping.

 

I don't. Whenever the add says no tents or pop up I say that's not being done to keep the riff raft out it's being done to keep the snobs in.

 

Good Post!. We have never and never will feel like 2nd class citizens. We camp in a PUP because that's what we wanted and we will continue to use a PUP as long as we're fit enough to crank one up.

The people we've talked to who own the home on wheels have always been nice. Heck most of them probably started out in PUPS. I also think it's not that they look down on PUPs (there will always be some exceptions) but they just prefer not to camp in one.

As stated many times no one can make you feel a certain way unless you allow it to happen. My wife and I started as tent campers and we're impressed by the nice tents made today being used by families enjoying quality time together. My wife and I often joke about the thought that maybe the tent campers think we're snobbish because we have a PUP. It's all a matter of perspective.

 

One word----NO!

 

My cousins and I joke, because they have really nice, huge campers and 5th wheels. So, even tho I've moved up from tenting, we still joke and call me the "poor white trash relation." It's all in good fun with them, tho....but in all seriousness, we've never been looked down on for PUPing it. Mainly, because the peeps we hang out with are very down to earth. We have a 1987 Coleman Columbia PUP and a lot of our friends tent it. Those that don't have a 25 ft travel trailer from the 70s. So, none of us have the big rigs in our friends circle.

 

I really don't know if anyone in a big rig is looking down on me and my camper. I really don't care if anyone in a big rig is looking down on me and my camper. I go to a campground to camp and have a good time. I always do that. I am not concerned about people who might be busy doing anything other than camping and having a good time.

 

I camped at Pirateland... people used tents and popups without A/C way in the back under pine trees. I drove on to middle of the campground, most popups were on the sites, some with A/C some without. Yet I drove on to the beachfront... parked it a few sites from beach. I set up my popup and used the screenroom. Only popup in the beachfront section. Most campers were TT, and 5th wheel. I parked between two large TTs which greatly reduced the hard winds from the beach. I swore everyone walked by my popup, had to stop and drool. They could not believe a screen room could be used. I was proud and beaming... No 2nd class citzen feeling at all...