Wheres Toto Posted December 28, 2016 Share Posted December 28, 2016 Dh and I are thinking about buying a pop-up trailer. Since this is where I go to have all my questions answered, and I know I've seen threads about them in the past, I figured to ask here. :001_smile: We've gone tent camping frequently and have tons of equipment, tents, stoves, and anything else you could possibly need, but my mother has started joining us and we are looking for something that might be easier set-up with decent amounts of sleeping space. We're not worried about towing. We have a Suburban with the optional towing package because dh has a 19 foot boat that he regularly towed. We can handle just about anything. What are some good brands? Brands to avoid? Good places to buy used? What kind of price range are we looking at for something old and basic? TIA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomtoCandJ Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 Make sure the roof doesn't leak, the canvas is in very good condition (like no mold/mildew) and that the lift system is in proper working order. We have bought 2 pop ups and both are not worth much of anything because of the canvases being in bad condition (luckily we paid $100 for one and a case of beer for the other). The canvas is over $1,000 to replace on most pop ups (yup priced compared for months for both of them). Learn how to seal the roof and maintain the lift system and canvas :) We ended up tearing down one of the campers and selling the frame for $200, we plan on doing that with the other one as well or turning it into a trailer to transport lawn mowers and such. Hopefully dh will have time to tear the other one down this spring/summer. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsheresomewhere Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 You might want to look into a hybrid instead of a traditional pop up. It would probably fit all of you better. Around spring, there tends to be more inventory as people are either upgrading/downgrading. You can check local campgrounds and craigslist for what you want. On a pop up- take a hose to the roof if possible and check for leaks. Check the lift system. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmrich Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 Only advice I have is.. buy bigger than what you need now. Kids grow quickly, and our wonderful pop-up was quickly too small for our family. BUT we loved our time camping in it. It was a Jayco that was owned by our neighbors - they are both surgeons. and MAN was that camper clean! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luuknam Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 Only advice I have is.. buy bigger than what you need now. Kids grow quickly, and our wonderful pop-up was quickly too small for our family. My parents had a pop-up. It wasn't big, but when I got older they just stuck me in my own tent next to it (my 2.5 year younger brother stayed in the camper, mostly because we didn't want to share the little tent, even though it was at least a 2-person tent). And they had a front tent attached to the front of the pop-up, so we had more 'indoor' space to hang out. I think this is what they had. It was definitely a Paradiso, and definitely orange/brown: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/81/77/9a/81779a51b351dacb49308fece624901f.jpg http://images9.images-speurders.nl/images/15/1579/157902299_5_big.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granny_Weatherwax Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 There are some wonderful Facebook groups dedicated to pop up campers. You will get more advice than you ever thought possible. Popup camper owners popup camper modifications popup princess There are also pages dedicated to specific brands of popup. If you have a Camping World nearby go visit and take a look at what trailers are available. We bought our first popup this past July and have had a lot of fun. There's so much you can do to personalize a PUP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granny_Weatherwax Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 Our PUP is a 1994 Jayco Eagle Series. It's a beast; much bigger than we need. It's in good condition but needs some work; one of the windows is cracked and the canvas ripped a bit on one of the bed ends but it's all good. It was a good price and we've used it quite a bit already. I was camping in it at the end of October. It's a great first PUP and we're learning a lot. I've recovered the cushions and made new curtains. I've learned how to tow it, back it up, and set it up. I've learned how to make campground reservations and how to deal with campground hosts. The good news is that PUPs are readily available and there is a good resale market. If you buy one that ends up not working for you, you can sell it and get something else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausmumof3 Posted December 29, 2016 Share Posted December 29, 2016 I imagine brands are different here - ours is a Windsor and it's great. We have the beds that pop out the ends which seems to work well for giving adults and kids a bit of space from each other and stop sand getting into beds and stuff. Check for mould. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheres Toto Posted December 29, 2016 Author Share Posted December 29, 2016 Thank you everyone! I'm taking notes. :D We aren't planning to go too big since we have two large tents and figure the kids will go to sleeping in their own tent in a couple years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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