So my wife and I are about to purchase our first pop up/tent trailer. Any advise/recomendations? We are seriously considering buying new because you just don't know what was done on those matresses by the prior owner :-) Any recommendations? any advise on what to look for? any RV/pop up adivse would be greatly appreciated. We have two children so most pop ups will be good for us size wise. I see that some have "slide outs" and some have toilets/showers inside of the pop up. are these good/great features? would you spend the extra money for these features? what accessories are just really necessities and not just options?
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My dad got one 10 years ago or so. Here's my experience:

Pros
Compact, easy to use, easy to tow
Most come with an A/C unit if you have power
Sleeps a family of 4-6

Cons
Even when fully supported, it does move when folks toss and turn
The matresses aren't the most comfortable
Will keep out the rain, but a big, soaking rain will find it's way in around the bed areas

We mainly use it to go camping at the river. My BIL and friend, plus myself, is all I can stand to stay in one. One on each pull out end and one on the table that folds into a bed. I really never sleep worth a damn due to a) they snore like bears and b) even when it's fully supported and anchored, my BIL can roll over on one end and it moves the unit just enough to wake me up. He complains about the same two issues. We have gotten pretty moist in them due big rain events. No leaks, but seepage around the edges of the matresses. As long as you can sleep in the middle of the bed (tough for me at 6'4"), you're good. I like them for they're portability and ease of use. Having taken them to places with power, the A/C is awesome and it works really well (as does the heater). It's also nice to have a sink and cooker. If you do get one, you'll enjoy it. Store it under a shed, though. No need to have the elements reduce it's life. Open it every couple of months on a nice day and let it air out. Take care of it and it'll last a long time and you'll have many good time with the kids. Surely beats sleeping on the ground!

He has a Coleman like the one below:

Image

Enjoy!
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Check this one out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56XL0TysIn0


You know you want it.
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Thanks for the info. I did not think about the "teater-totter" effect of the beds. It will be me, my wife and my two daughters staying in it. I'm planning on storing it in our garage so we don't have to pay for storage, so we are limited on the size in that respect. With daughters I am going to have to have at least an outside shower with water heater, so they can wash their hair (and I would not mind it at all either). So I have to have furnace, hot water heater w/ outside shower, and heated matresses, size is what fits in the garage. going to the RV dealerships today, and I'm champing at the bit to get there.
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Have a pop-up camper, a Coleman. Love it! In 7 years, never had rain come in - except through the windows when the rain started and caught us unprepared.

The big problem we have is that to get stuff inside before leaving for a trip and when we return, is that you have to open the camper by cranking it up and pulling out the slides so that you can access everything.

We are looking at the next ste up, an expandable. That's a hard body camper, but the ends fold-out open with similar type beds as a pop-up. They are lighter than a full hard body, but you can walk into them anytime you want.

Hope that helps.

Peace of the Lord be with you.
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So is this like a travel trailer with "pop-up" type beds, or a "hard sided" pop up? can you store it in a garage? (normal two car garage).
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It is the height of a hard-body, but the length of a pop-up. Depending on the height of your garage - and the length of your garage. Here's a link to one dealership that sells Rockwood expandables. (the first that popped up in my search)http://www.jmcamper.com/camper/index...kwood_roo.html

Here's a link to look at some Kodiak expandables, from what I have seen, I personally like these the best and have visited them live at a place in WI. http://www.hometownrv.com/sales_expandables.asp

Here's another link to Kodiak. http://kodiak-rv.com/index.php?p=floorplans

I don't know if this helps or not, because I don't know garage dimensions. However, another thought is this. As it is a hard body when folded up, you could store it outside instead of in a garage.
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I wish i could store it out side, but the HOA would scream.

I did a search on "hybrid campers" and saw the travel trailer with popout beds. look really cool. Thanks for the info.

Matt
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I love our pop-up, don't get me wrong. But, if you can swing the expandable (towing, $$, storage), you may have fewer regrets later. Personally, they didn't have the expandables when I got ours. If they did, I think I would have gone that route.

As for a pop-up, the swaying of the camper isn't that big an issue once in place. If you get one with a serious frame (I think that Fleetwood makes the best product JM:-)), it is minimal and not a problem. I am a light sleeper, and I don't find it an issue.

Peace of the Lord be with you.
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I love our pop-up, don't get me wrong. But, if you can swing the expandable (towing, $$, storage), you may have fewer regrets later. Personally, they didn't have the expandables when I got ours. If they did, I think I would have gone that route.

As for a pop-up, the swaying of the camper once it is set up isn't that big an issue once in place. If you get one with a serious frame (I think that Fleetwood makes the best product JM:-)), it is minimal and not a problem. I am a light sleeper, and I don't find it an issue.

Peace of the Lord be with you.
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Hmmm - you have a wife and two young daughters and you ask that question? LOL - yeah, they are gonna want that.

It's been awhile but growing up my Dad bought one of those Coleman popup units. We started doing a lot of camping. That popup lasted exactly one season before Dad got rid of it and went with a regular camper. It was a pain in the ass to say the least. A somewhat of peaceful sleep helps makes the trip enjoyable and that didn't happen. Anyone moves and everyone knows it. Real heavy rains and the bed areas do get damp if not wet. We always had to place stuff in the middle of the camper so set up and tear down required moving stuff around.

Anyway - we went to the small size one and over the years Dad keep upgrading until we had a 26 footer as the family grew to 7 of us.

A lot really depends on how much you plan on using it. Couple times a year, sure go for it. We were at least a once a month if not twice during spring and fall seasons.

I would suggest that you check around for various storage yards to see what you can find before committing. You may find a secure yard fairly cheap.

Ron
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I thought this was coming. Wanting it I understand. The fact that they want it is a given. however is the functionality of these pop up toilets and inside showers worth the extra cost vs. the outdoor shower and using the campsite's "facilities." Granted the campsite's toilets stink really, really, really bad at times, but if the toilet in the camper just causes the unit to stink too, then I don't want it. I'd rather just put up with stink temporarilly, and not bring it into where I sleep.

Growing up I went camping at least 1 time per month, and this is what I want with my family, so we will be using it a lot in the spring/summer/fall. Winter is time to ski, so not much use then.
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Ask the ladies if they are the ones who are going to flush the tank when it needs to be emptied. If they say, "Yes," get it in the form of a signed contract, notarized and legally binding. Otherwise, the answer is, "no."

Actually, I don't know where you are camping, but the state campgrounds in WI and MI and most others are squeaky clean. The stench is only in the pit toilets - steer clear of them.
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A friend and I went halves on one we found on Craigslist. Best $700 I ever spent! I understand its considered "dirty" but we nuked every nook and cranny with antibacterial and resealed the whole thing.
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I would probably go with the hybrid also. At least then, you can access a bathroom, refrigerator, ect. Something like this gives you two queen beds, one on either side and is only 17 feet, 18 something with the hitch:

http://www.forestriverinc.com/nd/def...&series=Expand
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Matt,
if you can wait till next year, they have a real good rv,camper show in about Feb where you can see em all at once...i did see on that pops up like an A frame, that looked very kool and functional...
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