I am pretty committed to getting a camper of some sort this spring to maximize my son's age 5-13 or so camping years. Currently we have a 6 person Coleman tent and air mattresses for the two of us and my wife to sleep comfortably but the setup time is significant and amount of space the gear takes up in my Explorer makes packing a little tricky. I could pack more efficiently but know that packing too efficiently at the start of the trip makes packing it all up at the end, especially if it is raining (has happened more than once), very difficult.
Anyway, I am looking at a pop up camper as an option to allow quicker setup and tear down, along with a more weather proof environment, while still kinda feeling like sleeping outdoors/in a tent. I don't care too much about a toilet or shower, just decent beds, storage for camping stuff, and ease of use. My son really, really wants a camper of some sort, and has been all about one for the last 2 years, and I thought a pop up is a cheap way to get into one. My wife really only cares about a comfortable place to sleep, she doesn't mind walking to a toilet or shower (grew up camping a lot)
Has anyone here owned a pop up before? I have read guides saying how handy they are compared to tenting with a lot of bedding, etc, but what are things you either didn't like about the camper or would do differently? I live in Minnesota and have heard a hard sided camper is better due to the weather extremes we can get but also feel that takes the remaining charm out of the camping, or maybe glamping, experience. Also, at the weight I am looking at it is hard to find a decent two-large bed hard side that isn't out of our budget or would be hard to tow. We would like to keep it under $8,000, and clean looking, older pop ups run between $2-4,000 around here. How foolish is buying a 20 year old pop up as long as the screens/roof/frame are in good shape and there is no mold?
Slide outs are also something that interests me but also seems like another thing to break. I would like a table to sit at when the weather is poor or to eat at if needed and sometimes that comes in the form of a slide out for easier maneuverability within the unit.
An awning and mountable outdoor grill are also part of my list of wants, and seem like pretty common features. Any thoughts on a type of large mat to put outside the door? I see those a lot and imagine they help keep dirt out of the camper.
Anyway, I am looking at a pop up camper as an option to allow quicker setup and tear down, along with a more weather proof environment, while still kinda feeling like sleeping outdoors/in a tent. I don't care too much about a toilet or shower, just decent beds, storage for camping stuff, and ease of use. My son really, really wants a camper of some sort, and has been all about one for the last 2 years, and I thought a pop up is a cheap way to get into one. My wife really only cares about a comfortable place to sleep, she doesn't mind walking to a toilet or shower (grew up camping a lot)
Has anyone here owned a pop up before? I have read guides saying how handy they are compared to tenting with a lot of bedding, etc, but what are things you either didn't like about the camper or would do differently? I live in Minnesota and have heard a hard sided camper is better due to the weather extremes we can get but also feel that takes the remaining charm out of the camping, or maybe glamping, experience. Also, at the weight I am looking at it is hard to find a decent two-large bed hard side that isn't out of our budget or would be hard to tow. We would like to keep it under $8,000, and clean looking, older pop ups run between $2-4,000 around here. How foolish is buying a 20 year old pop up as long as the screens/roof/frame are in good shape and there is no mold?
Slide outs are also something that interests me but also seems like another thing to break. I would like a table to sit at when the weather is poor or to eat at if needed and sometimes that comes in the form of a slide out for easier maneuverability within the unit.
An awning and mountable outdoor grill are also part of my list of wants, and seem like pretty common features. Any thoughts on a type of large mat to put outside the door? I see those a lot and imagine they help keep dirt out of the camper.
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