# Anyone prefer a pop up camper to a travel trailer?



## thumpersfriend

why or why not?  Thanks


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## becky1960

We have had both and the Travel trailer is way far better than the popup for comfort. Ours is 29' and is easier to walk around in and has much more room.

  The popup is easier on towing and fuel and you can get better distance/time when traveling. As the cost of fuel is rising I am seeing a lot more interest in popup's.. I guess you will have to decide which trade off you like.


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## BigDaddyRog

I just bought a pop-up....and I have to be honest.....there is NO ROOM to "bust a move" in!!! We camp with four-Me, wife, 12 yr old and a 6yr old.....its perfect for shelter, but you have to be very creative when it comes to storage. My 19yr old camped with us one night with our grandson...it was fine for sleeping...but being so crammed together in such tight quarters....she decided to leave the following morning. 

On the PRO side...the previous poster is correct....it save bundles on fuel, its very easy to pull(as long as you dont forget to latch the tongue properly to the ball!!! inside joke) and I can fit it in my garage for storage between trips (as soon as I clean out my garage!!) 

I decided on the pop-up first for financial reasons, they often are a little cheaper than larger campers, thats not to say that a good bumper-pull or 5th wheel cant be found on ebay or craigslist for REALLY good prices, and secondly....if our camper is TOO NICE, as in LARGE AND COMFY...my wife would never go outside of it. She would spend the biggest part of the trip inside the camper instead of outside enjoying nature...this way she cant stand being cramped up in a little pop-up and so far has been the first one to say "Hey, lets take a walk on the nature trails"....so it works out fine for me.


It may do you well to TEST OUT each one....rent one of each for a weekend...and see which one works out best for you. If you can get by with a pop-up...then good,you get to save a few bucks here and there. If you cant live without the luxury of a bumper-pull or 5th wheel...then its better to know that BEFORE you buy a pop-up!!


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## stacktester

becky1960 said:


> We have had both and the Travel trailer is way far better than the popup for comfort. Ours is 29' and is easier to walk around in and has much more room.
> 
> The popup is easier on towing and fuel and you can get better distance/time when traveling. As the cost of fuel is rising I am seeing a lot more interest in popup's.. I guess you will have to decide which trade off you like.



I have a 5th wheel and a pop up I use for a rental biz. I could only wish my 5'er pulled like the pup lol. Pop ups are great for a small family who are looking for sleeping space and shelter from a passing storm. The family who owned my pup before me had a ton of the plastic storage bins which will fit inside the pup when closed. TT's are much more maintainance and if you can't store it at home you will have a storage bill as well.


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## thumpersfriend

Thanks for the replies.  Are pop ups easier to back into campsites?  I assume they are but not really sure.  I would have to have one with a potty, air and heat and room to sleep 6-8.


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## stacktester

thumpersfriend said:


> Thanks for the replies.  Are pop ups easier to back into campsites?  I assume they are but not really sure.  I would have to have one with a potty, air and heat and room to sleep 6-8.



I would suggest a TT or 5'er then. With that many people you're going to be too cramped on a pup. Make sure you have enough truck to pull what you buy before you buy it.


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## BigDaddyRog

Actually ....... NO. The smaller a pull behind item is,the less play you get to steer with. But its not something you CANT learn quickly.I was nervous as all get out about backing in because of all the ribbing and picking that goes on between the regulars here. But it didnt take long to get the hang of...dont let that be part of your decision making process....if "I" can do it...any monkey brain can!


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## clkelley

Yep, the shorter the camper, the HARDER it is to back.

My T@B is a booger bear to back in at less than 16'.  However, it is so light that in most cases I can disconnect and push it exactly where I need it to go.

But then it is a DREAM to tow.  However, it only sleeps two, but we do spend very little time inside.


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## Abagpiper5

You may want to consider a Hybrid Trailer. It has all to comforts of a larger trailer in the center, but the beds flop down like a Pop-up.

We own a Jayco 23B and love it. There is enough room for my wife and I, and to 4 wee ones for now.

Heres a quick link to want I am talking about.

http://www.jayco.com/php/products/floorplans.php?id=174


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## scot@dvcstore

Our family has had both travel trailer and pop-up.  Best thing about the pop-up is it's still possible to fit a pop-up in some garages and generally tows easier.  The larger pop-ups are available with 2 king size beds while the number of travel trailers available with king beds is limited.  The travel trailer is definitely more comfortable and roomy but the pop-up actually felt more like we were camping versus "RV ing."  Set up on the travel trailer was also much easier even with the power lift on our pop-up.  Both have their advantages.


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## thumpersfriend

Thanks again for the replies. It would usually be just my DH and myself and our sweet dog.  Thought a bigger pop up would give us lots of extra room? First started thinking of this when I tried to find a rental in Venice, Florida for a month or so but so hard to find ,and they don't accept dogs.  If they do, they are so expensive.  We would travel from Michigan.


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## BigDaddyRog

Check out www.CampAtTheFort.com or www.CampingMadeEasy.com for camper rentals in Florida for un-equalled service.(deliver to your site,set up and tear down service included)


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## MALE*RN*777

We got the best of both and got a hybrid KZ Coyote 23CR.  We traded in our pop-up for more room but also had to consider the weight issue. F150 towing 5500lbs of camper over mountains.  Lots of room, better handling than the pop-up.  Don't get me wrong, we loved our pop-up and took great care of it. In fact the dealer gave use $1500 over book price due to the great shape it was in along with the bargaining over the price of the hybrid before the quote on the trade in.  The only problem we had with the pop-up again was the room due to all the things we had to bring for the young ones.  If they were older and had less stuff to bring than maybe we would have stuck with the pop-up.


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## Shan-man

Since it sounds like you want to travel with your pet I would recommend a hard-walled trailer, especially if you are planning to use it at the Fort. The Release and Indemnity Agreement you sign states that pets are not allowed in pop-up trailers or tents. Some folks have said Fort staff have clarified that statement to mean "unattended" pets, but unless you plan on never leaving your campsite then a hard-walled trailer would be your best option and safest for your pooch (they can claw-and-chew their way out of a canvas-walled trailer).


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## thumpersfriend

Shan-Man, I just read on the other camping board about pop ups and dogs and was going to ask here.  Thanks for the info.  Guess a pop up is out, will try to look at some Hybrids now.  Thanks everyone.  Wouldn't travel without our dog ,and if FW has these rules, who knows how many other campgrounds have the same rules.


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## stacktester

Shan-man said:


> Since it sounds like you want to travel with your pet I would recommend a hard-walled trailer, especially if you are planning to use it at the Fort. The Release and Indemnity Agreement you sign states that pets are not allowed in pop-up trailers or tents. Some folks have said Fort staff have clarified that statement to mean "unattended" pets, but unless you plan on never leaving your campsite then a hard-walled trailer would be your best option and safest for your pooch (they can claw-and-chew their way out of a canvas-walled trailer).



We stayed at the fort 2 weeks ago and a couple left a poodle in their pup. I called the front after we listened for hours of barking. Security came by and didn't even leave a note. I called the front back and asked the girl what happened. She said nothing they could do. I said but what about the rule of no leaving pets unattended in a pup or tent. She said it's no longer enforced.


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## kc5grw

You need to make sure that the hybrids you look at have hard walled pop-outs and not tent ends. A great many of the hybrids I have seen use tent ends for the "hybrid" part of the trailer. You're other options would be the Trail Manor or Hi-Lo brands of "pop-up" trailers. 

http://www.trailmanor.com/
http://www.hilotrailer.com/


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## tlh0726

Abagpiper5 said:


> You may want to consider a Hybrid Trailer. It has all to comforts of a larger trailer in the center, but the beds flop down like a Pop-up.
> 
> We own a Jayco 23B and love it. There is enough room for my wife and I, and to 4 wee ones for now.
> 
> Heres a quick link to want I am talking about.
> 
> http://www.jayco.com/php/products/floorplans.php?id=174





Just curious,  
If the beds flop down like a pop up I would presume these have canvas sides/walls correct? 
Then would a hybrid be considered a no go for leaving pets in unattended?  
Wouldn't a pet be able to do the same damage and escape?


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## Poohbear5

We've always had a popup over a travel trailer because it's easier to tow, I can see over the camper with the mirrors and we can easily tow with a minivan. For us, it makes for easier winter storage as well.


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## LarryJ

thumpersfriend said:


> why or why not?  Thanks



We owned a hard sided Apache PU for 8 years, then a 26' non slide TT for the next 26yrs, and now are on year two with our 31'2" single slide TT and would never consider going back.  As mentioned not that much room and you have to stow everything, you can't use it on the road to pottie, or fix lunch, tiny refer, most are poorly insulated if you're talking a tent sided, more moving parts and stuff to maintain and if tent sided can't put away wet (or you have to dry it out).

Now with all that negativity, they do have their place from a cost and a TV standpoint along with being able to get a lot where a huge regular TT can't go.

Larry


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## Shan-man

As far as Disney is concerned, they don't know what a hybrid is. As a practical concern, I wouldn't leave my pups in a soft-sided camper... my little one gets frantic when left and I have little doubt she would work her way out. I might consider it if I could rig some kind of blockade to keep the dogs out of the soft ends (extra wide baby gates). I know some folks with hybrids keep their pups in a crate, like they do at home, and the pups are safe and comforted by familiar surroundings. Other folks know that their dog would never get a big enough "bee in their bonnet" to attempt an escape. These are all personal decisions that need to be made in light of the temperament of one's pet.


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## jbh1993

Go to this site:

http://www.trailmanor.com/WebDocs/Showroom/BuildRV/SelectModel.html

We love our Trailmanor!!!!


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## justcynn

As far as dogs go inside a pop up, our dog is kennel trained and does well when we are going to be away for the day - we simply unzip the canvas on 
the bunk end and place the kennell on the bed, works great.  A barking dog in a pop up will be mildly more annoying than a barking dog in a hard side, but considering the hard sides are just a few millimeters thicker than canvas, I would not think the difference is really that great, just turn on the AC and or the radiio and let you dog sleep the day away in comfort...also with a pop up, camping is cheaper many places including the fort

Now - we love pop up camping, actually on our third pop up.  the first was basic, small and could be towed by anything - pro - bought for $1500 and mpg difference was negligible - con it was small, 4 people could sleep and eat in there but that was about all and it was nothing more than a place to sleep off the ground

Our second pop up was much larger but still light weight, mpg diff was noticeable but it could be pulled by our minivan - large enough to sleep our family of 5 and 6-8 I suppose but you would want to be a pretty tight nit crew, con was we thought we needed more amenities, in hind sight - it was the perfect camper for us

Our current pop up has most of the amenities of a travel trailer including a slide out, hot water, oven, microwave, decent sized fridge and 4 sleeping areas which is perfect for our family of 5 as each kid has their own space to sleep.  Con is it is quite a bit heavier and mpg is a factor on longer trips, 12.2 mpg on the last trip to the fort 

If you get a pop up and want to go to the fort- definitely get AC.  

the pop up for us was the right choice due to budget, mpg savings, ease of storage in the garage and just the camping experience around home in the spring and fall, nothing like getting a nice breeze through the pop up on one of those rare but perfect weekends.  a hard side would be nice for some of the reasons mentioned but for our young family, we don't camp to be comfortable indoors, as we get older and the kids move away - certainly that may change


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## YellowXterra

My pop up has everything but a shower, even a slide out and tons of room.


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## Shan-man

In response to PP (justcynn), dogs are not permitted in pop-ups at the Fort. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, just that it is a violation of the contract you sign to check your dogs in. 

Also, pets are not permitted in Partial loops, so you would not be able to take advantage of those savings by having a p-up and a pup. Again, I'm sure it happens, but it is not allowed, and the only way you'd probably get a partial is by not mentioning your pup and pocketing the $5/day and skipping that troublesome paperwork that makes you swear not to keep your pup in a p-up! LOL. 

Finally, the difference between a barking dog in a 1" thick hard-walled trailer versus a 1/16" of canvas is SUBSTANTIAL. I could hear a howling dog in a pop-up in the 300 loop from hundreds of feet away and a howling dog in 500 in a trailer was barely audible from two sites away, he was certainly not a nuisance to the entire loop like the pop-up pup. And BTW, that pup was not heard the next day so either the Fort dropped the hammer or complaints from other campers moved them to action. 



Edit: BTW, for those who don't know me well, I am a dog lover! We bought our moho for our dogs, since Mrs. Claus won't travel without them. So don't flame me for being anti-dog!


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## justcynn

Shan Man, I am sure you are correct on the rules, I was not aware of that - in our case - the trip is so long to the Fort our dog stays at home...I was simply pointing out a barking dog in either type of trailer could be a problem,  a hard side camper being 1" thick will likely do a nominally better job protecting your neighbors from Dog Noise as it protects you in bear country - the protection is really not that significant in either case if a determied dog wants out or a curious bear wants in, now if it is against the rules - I would not take the chance and if taking the dog to the Fort which makes it a factor in selection - agree the Hard Side would be the way to go.

One last point though - the Fort does have on site kennells available, so if the other factors of a pop up are appealling, this is also an option.


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## des1954

I've had pop's and TT's.  While a TT takes a little getting used to towing, IMHO, that's the way to go.  You have more room inside, more "creature comforts", your doggie will love it, and if you're in Florida, it's less humid inside than anything that has canvas.

The down side is, they are costlier to purchase and tow, and if you can't store it at your home, you have to pay to store it. If you have to store elsewhere, you won't have the luxury of taking your time to pack it & unload it.  Our previous neighborhood gave us a 24 hour window for an RV parked in the drive, and when you work, you really rush to get things done.


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## Goofyseven

Well, I'll chime in here too, in the early 70's we had an Apache solid state pop up camper which we loved, as the kids grew and no longer wanted to spend time with the P’s we sold it. In 1999 we bought a Viking pop up did more camping with the grandchildren and in 2007 sold the pop up and got a 33’ travel trailer. Yes, it is more expensive to buy, but is really a cottage on wheels, with the bath, shower, microwave, A/C, etc. Well worth the extra $’s for us at this time in our lives. When we had the pop up, we also used screen houses and tents to expand the space, but it was still tight

As with most choices, the real answer is “It Depends….”


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## Goofyseven

Dup post


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## rdaniel911

We have a 74 apache ramada, I see two post up a fellow experianced apache owner. My wife and I refurbished the camper, new cushion covers, curtains, laminate flooring, upgraded electrical, it has all abs walls, no canvas. We installed A/C, and enjoy the camper, it is the bigger of the apaches, approx 22' when open from end to end. We love it because its light, easy to tow, doesn't decrease the fuel mileage very much. It also is safer for our travel buddy our daucshund. She can't get out, and has room to move. Yes the storage in a popup can be cramped, but this can be overcome with some creativity. We like it because with the bigger nicer TT, we found we spent more time indoors when camping, missing the whole experiance and interaction with fellow campers. If you merely looking for a mobile motel room, then a TT is the way to go. But we really enjoy our little popup and have no intentions of upgrading anytime soon. It all comes down to what kind of camper you are and what makes you the most comfortable, everyone will like something different. I like to tinker so thats why we refurbbed this one.


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## BigDaddyRog

rdaniel911 said:


> ...with the bigger nicer TT, we found we spent more time indoors when camping, missing the whole experiance and interaction with fellow campers. If you merely looking for a mobile motel room, then a TT is the way to go. But we really enjoy our little popup and have no intentions of upgrading anytime soon.....




Very well put. My wife is alot like this, Im afraid...and this is one of many other reasons I thought a pop-up( or SOME type of smaller camper ) would suit US best. We're lazy people...and if allowed to get TOO comfy, we would!


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## njcamper95

Well Rog think of this then if you are lazy when you pull in with your tt you only need to hook up elect,cable,sewer,stabilizers,slide if you have no unfolding ends you can be set up faster to enjoy the camp or dis or even maybe fishing


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## JCJRSmith

tlh0726 said:


> Just curious,
> If the beds flop down like a pop up I would presume these have canvas sides/walls correct?
> Then would a hybrid be considered a no go for leaving pets in unattended?
> Wouldn't a pet be able to do the same damage and escape?



Here are some pictures from the hybrid we used to have - the Jayco 23B.  We have since traded up for a Jayco motorhome, but the 23B was a great trailer.  See the pics here:

http://home.comcast.net/~jcjrsmith2/camper_pix.htm

The thumbnails may not show up, but if you click in the little squares, the full size pictures will come up.  These are from 2002

I really have to update that site


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## braclark

If you were worried about your pet getting out of the bunk ends of your hybrid, then couldn't you just fold them in while you left him there?

Also, would a small hybrid be allowed at a partial hookup site?  I have partial site reservations for Halloween, but I've been looking at getting a 16 or 17 foot hybrid.


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## Shan-man

Experience suggests that the Fort will put anyone in a Partial (even big motorhomes by some reports!), even though the rules say they are for tents, pop-ups and van campers (only, presumably). Just be aware that you will almost certainly need to put the camper completely on the sand in order to park your car, and you will have no sewer connections.


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## Kagoguen

There's 5 in my household, and I couldn't imagine all of us fitting in a pop-up. We have, when opened, a 29' Jayco 232 hybrid TT, which has 3 beds that pop out like a pop-up, really nice having a stove with an oven, micro-wave and large fridge and a 3/4 bath which we use mostly at nights, we try using the public restrooms during the day. I am able to haul this with a mid-size SUV, I only get about 8-10 miles per gallon though.  I would recommend TT over a pop-up for 5 or more people, but that's only my opinion.  I wish you all the best when making your decision


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## CampingBandit

We used to have a PUP.  One trip with our friends, we decide to put the dogs in our pup while we went to the beach, where the dogs weren't allowed.  Our crated dog was fine, but their dog freaked after 5 minutes and chewed his way out of the side... he survived, the PUP was quite injured....LOL


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## mouseketeer_mom

I think it depends on whether you vacation in your camper or go camping in your trailer.


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## southcarolinagirl

We have a 04 Fleetwood Hemlock Highwall pop-up, it has a/c, furnace, potty, shower, microwave and two KING size beds with slide-out.  We love it and wouldnt trade our KING-sized beds for any TT or MOHO.  Every family has to decide for themselves what works best for them.  We also have two pups and crate one and leave one out whenever we go out, as PP said...turn on A/C & let them sleep.  Never had a problem.


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## gillenkl

We have a PUP and for a vacation that involves one day of travel it's fine.  Our disney trip is a little torture because we have to camp 2 nights on the road.  We keep everything in our van except what we'll need for those 2 nights.  It's still alot of work and I'm getting older. 
Also storage is at an all time low. That's my only negatives.  We have 2 king beds, bathroom/shower, A/C so no complaints there.

If my fairygodmother suddenly appeared with $$$  I'd upgrade to a travel travel in a minute.


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## Thumper_ehhhhh

My 2c worth.

Popup pros. 
      -Storage
      -towing
      -site selection

everything else is pro, TT or for us HTT.


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## BigDaddyRog

Thumper...I LIKE the new avatar....kinda sick and demented!!!!


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## Escape Artist

If I got to do it over again, I'd get a TT.  I really like the "being in the wilderness feeling" of the popup.  I love to open up all the zipper sides and listen to the woodsy sounds outside, feel the breeze come thru and hear/see my kids playing out there.  But, it's just too inconvenient on the road overnight, dealing with folding it up wet, and addressing the dog issues.  Plus, as a PP said, we're getting older--almost 50, which this week seems like practically dead!--and setting it up is more of a challenge these days.

The one thing I'd change about my popup...I'd buy one with a slide-out.  That thing makes sooooo much difference for the comfort level inside, especially with kids (3) and dogs (2) in there, too.  I'd never get another popup without a slide.  

Sue in Texas
...was clueless when we bought the pup, but I love it anyway...


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## Thumper_ehhhhh

BigDaddyRog said:


> Thumper...I LIKE the new avatar....kinda sick and demented!!!!



Thanks I have another one too. Bondage rabbit but didnt think it would be good here lol I might put it up someday who knows.


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