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Popup Campers
Whenever I hear the words "popup camper," I think of a "jack in the box" similar
to one I had as a child where you wind a crank, a lid pops open, and whatever
figure is inside pops out.
Although a popup camper, also commonly called a tent camper or folding camper,
isn't quite that easy to set up, the theory behind it is similar. A person uses
either a hand crank or hydraulic lift to open and lift up the top portion of the
camper, the beds on the ends are slid out, and any other slides included on the
camper are slid out, and a person is well on their way to getting their camper
set up.
 But, as the owner of a popup camper for six years, setting up the camper or
taking down the camper in inclement weather, such as a driving rain, is no fun.
But aside from the negatives of the time it takes to set up and take down a
popup/tent/folding camper, they have a lot of positives that make them an
attractive camper to buy, especially for first time buyers.
Biggest Advantages of Buying a Pop-up Camper
• They are reasonably priced. Pop-up campers are the most reasonably priced category of towable camper which makes them a very popular purchase for first time camper
buyers as well as for families who love to camp but have to watch their budget.
• Because almost all pop-up campers have canvas or "soft sides," they weigh less
than any other category of camper which means a truck with a large towing
capacity isn't needed to tow the camper. Many vans and SUV's are more than
capable of towing a popup camper to any destination.
• Pop-up campers have a low towing profile which makes towing them almost
effortless. There is no need for special side view mirrors because a folded down
pop-up camper does not obstruct the driver's view.
• Storage is much easier than with any other towable camper too because a folded
down pop-up camper isn't too tall to fit through a garage door which means
special storage isn't needed.
But What are the Downsides of Pop-up Campers?
• Setup and takedown times can get tiresome. The person in the campsite next to
you may pull in with a 5th wheel and only have to spend a few minutes leveling,
anchoring, and hooking their camper up to any available amenities such as
electricity and water; while you need to unfold, slide out, and crank up your
pop-up camper before it's usable.
• Limited amenities. Because they are a soft side camper and more of an entry
level camper, amenities will be limited. Although a popup camper isn't as
luxurious as some of the higher end campers, they are also a lot easier on a
person's pocketbook.
• Not so great in windy and inclement weather. If a storm comes up while you are
camping in your pop-up camper, it can start to feel like you are on a scary
amusement park ride because a strong wind will rock the camper and will likely
cause some unwanted breezes to blow through the canvas sides.
• Lack of privacy. It's hard to get much privacy in a pop-up camper. Even the
bathroom (not available in all pop-ups) is usually only enclosed by a curtain or
a thin wall that is definitely not soundproof.
• The mattresses on the beds are definitely not 5 star hotel quality. Most popup
campers have thin mattresses. The first few years we owned a pop-up camper we
used those eggshell type mattress pads to make our beds more comfortable. After
that we invested in high quality air mattresses which made sleeping in the
camper much more enjoyable and restful.
Although the upper sides of a pop-up or tent or folding camper is usually a soft
sided canvas material with some sort of vinyl and screening material used for
the window areas; a few manufacturers make pop-up campers where all the surfaces
– even the sidewalls, are constructed from hard materials.
One of the most confusing things I encountered when I first started looking for
a pop-up camper to purchase was the terminology used. Although I usually refer
to this type of camper as a pop-up, some people only know them as tent campers,
while others have only heard them referred to as folding campers. Popup camper,
pop-up camper, folding camper, tent camper, camping trailer, folding camping
trailer, fold down camper and soft-side camper all refer to the same type of
camper: a camper that fold down into a hard side base "box" unit of varying
sizes, that has pull-out sleeping areas with tent like canvas sides on either
end of the camper, along with clear plastic or vinyl coverings for the windows
that often have UV protection built into them and also include flexible
screening so the "windows" can be opened and closed at will.
But, remember, there are a few exceptions to the rule of the camper having
canvas sides. A few do have hard sides but they aren't as popular as their
soft-sided counterparts because producing the hard sides drives up the cost,
often making them nearly as costly as a low end towable travel trailer. The hard
side pop-up campers are often referred to as hybrid pop-up campers.
Popup campers are a nice upgrade from a tent because they are more comfortable
for sleeping and they provide better protection from the elements than most
tents do. Most pop-up campers have heaters and air conditioning units (heaters
are often standard, air conditioning units are almost always an optional piece
of equipment) which keeps things inside the camper cool even when outside
temperatures get over 100 degrees in the summer and you are in a campsite with
little shade and no breeze to help cool you off. And the heater will keep you
toasty warm on cool fall nights when temperatures dip down towards freezing.
The "box" part of the camper ranges from 8 to 18 feet in length. After the
camper is popped up and the sleeping areas are slid out the camper can be nearly
30 feet in length depending on how big the box of the camper is and depending on
what sizes beds are on each end. If that's not enough room for you, a popup
camper with a slide out will give you even more space. A slide out is another
part of the camper that slides out, often a dining area, that increases the
interior space of the camper making them more spacious inside than some travel
trailers.
And, if you still looking for more space, most pop-up campers have optional
screen rooms available for purchase that attach in the same area as the camper's
awning, giving you another room to use while camping. Keep in mind though that a
slide out and screen room will increase the setup and takedown time, along with
a slide out increasing the towing weight of the camper.
Depending on what brand and model of pop-up camper purchased, there are a
surprising number of amenities available, although they are less fancy and
luxurious than those in travel trailers, 5th wheels, and other more expensive
categories of towable trailers.
Amenities, Either Standard or Optional, Often Found on Tent Trailers
o Air conditioner
o Awning
o Bathroom (small but functional)
o Bike rack or boat rack
o Cable TV hookup
o Carbon monoxide detector
o Electric brakes
o Extra shelving and storage
o Fire extinguisher
o Furnace
o Hard wall shower and bathroom
o Heated mattress pads
o Indoor shower (again, small but functional)
o iPod adaptor
o LCD Television (Trailmanor hybrid popups only)
o Lights with fans
o LP Leak detector
o Microwave
o Mirrored vanity
o Outdoor shower
o Outside cook stove or grill (keeps grease spatters and cooking odors outside)
o Outside storage compartment (great place to put fishing rods, firewood, tools,
etc)
o Oven
o Power lift system (not available on all campers)
o Refrigerator with freezer
o Screen room
o Sink
o Spare tire
o Spice rack
o Stereo system with outdoor speakers
o Wardrobe hanger
o Water heater
o Water purification system
o Window shades
Manufacturers of Pop-up/Tent/Folding Campers
Here are some of the more popular manufacturers/brand names of folding camping
trailers available in the United States along with several European
manufacturers and one Australian manufacturer:
o Jayco Camping Trailers
o Rockwood by Forest River
o Flagstaff by Forest River
o Fleetwood Folding Camping Trailers (they purchased Coleman campers, another
popular folding camper, several years ago)
o Palomino Folding Campers
o Starcraft Folding Camping Trailers
o Viking Folding Campers (division of Coachmen Industries)
o Coachmen Clipper Folding Campers
o Chalet RV (hard side, popup, A-frame camping trailers)
o TrailManor (a hybrid camper – one that folds down like a popup for easier
towing, but has insulated hard walls so it looks like a regular travel trailer
when opened up)
o Aliner and Sportliner (hard side, popup, A-frame camping trailers)
o Three Feathers Manufacturing (a fairly new tent trailer manufacturer with
three models of tent trailers; two of which have a hauling platform for ATV's,
etc.)
o Coromal Caravans – Australia only (division of Fleetwood)
o Combi-Camp (a Denmark manufacturer; available in some parts of Europe)
o Raclet (available in parts of Europe)
o Pennine (available in parts of Europe)
o Comanche (available in parts of Europe)
Cost
A decent used popup camper can be found for as little as $500 although it's not
likely to have amenities like an air conditioner or hydraulic lift system. New
popup campers start at around $5,000 up to about $20,000 for a large fully
decked out model. On average, most people who buy a new popup camper spend
between $8,000 and $12,000.
My Thoughts on Popup Campers
Our family’s first camper was a Coleman popup camper (Coleman campers were
purchased by Fleetwood several years ago) and we loved it. It was easy to store,
easy to tow, easy to maneuver into a campsite, easy on our pocketbook, and easy
to maintain.
The biggest downside to a pop-up camper is the setup and takedown time, unless
you have of the A-frame models or the hybrid model manufactured by TrailManor.
Those are quick and easy to set up although the A-frame models are small and TrailManor campers aren't as easy on a person's pocketbook as a traditional
popup camper. There’s no getting around the fact that a folding camper involves
quite a bit of setup work. After you arrive at your campsite and have your
trailer parked where you want it, the camper has to be unfolded, usually with a
hand crank although hydraulic lift systems are becoming popular and ease the
workload. The beds then have to be slid out and the support poles outside and
inside need to put in place. The door needs to be slid down from the ceiling and
put in place. And the entire inside needs to be unfolded and unpacked.
If you have two people working together and you get a system going, you can get
your camper and campsite set up in less than an hour, which isn't all that bad.
But you might get jealous if someone with a pull behind travel trailer pulls in
the site next to you and you see that it only takes them about 15 minutes to get
everything set up—including getting out their camp chairs and starting their
campfire.
 Another disadvantage with a pop-up camper is inclement weather. Windy conditions
may make you wonder if your camper is going to blow away like Dorothy’s house in
the Wizard of Oz. Rain isn’t as bad but you need to make sure too much rain
doesn’t collect on top of the canvas in the sleeping areas and collapse them.
And if you have to take your camper down while the canvas is still wet, it will
be necessary to open the camper back up to dry out once you get it home so that
the canvas doesn't get moldy and musty smelling.
Even though there are disadvantages, pop-up campers are a great choice if you
don’t have a lot of money to invest in a camper. And camping is a lot of fun. My
brother and sister-in-law have had their popup camper for seven years. They live
in the upper Midwest which gets cold and snowy winters, yet they are able to
comfortably able to use their camper from March or April through October
although they do rely on their camper's furnace to help keep them warm on those
chilly spring and fall evenings.
Popup campers make a great choice for someone who's just getting into camping
due to their lower cost and easy towing.
Related Topics:
- The Definitive Guide To
Buying A Used Popup Camper
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Top Family Campgrounds In America
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Tips On Cleaning Your Popup Camper
-
When Camping A Piece Of Indoor/Outdoor Carpet Is Indispensable
-
More Storage Space For Your Gear
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