Hi Folks! As my wife and I look at the last 10 years of full time work, (I hope!), we are wondering what pop-uppers do? Do you upgrade (sometimes I would say it s a downgrade!) or what are your plans. Thanks for your input!
garym053Woow, first vote is mine ! Yup that is what we want to do, hopefully if we can save enough and have enough to live on ...
garym053I ll take the next vote, and that too went on a fiver. Pop-up s are great, and really the only thing I ever wanted. However, I ve seen their limit s and have already moved to something bigger (ok, it s still got canvas....this time). Eventually I m going to do away with the canvas though. It ll either be Caravan or Outback style expandable, or something very large without expanding (yes, the dark side is call me.......help me!)[:o]
garym053I want a new poll with multiple options! Why can t I pull my pop-up with my Class A? [;)]
garym053I picked a 5er because that is our thought if we travel though we could just stay in a park model. One engine, one repair bill.
garym053We ll stay with our pop up (or maybe a newer version by then since we re still a ways off from retirement [:(]) because the best thing about our pop up is that we get that outdoor, nature, tent-camping feel without the sore backs of tent camping! [:D]
garym053DH wants to stay in a PU, but I really like to go to the " darker side" (hybrid). When we get to the age of retirement, I don t want to keep opening the whole thing, and by going with the hybrid, we can just " pop-out" and still be able to stay here with everyone.[:)][:)]
garym053I know full well when we retire Brian will want a boat, definitely if not before then. I probably will too, since that way he can go fishing and get out from under foot. Since I m not much into traveling the country in separate vehicles, and I also firmly believe you shouldn t be pulling two things with one vehicle, then that only leaves us with a Class ? option. Hmm, then we could also just move to a location that has lots of parks we want to visit close by, then we could have a 5 er and a boat, and just make two short trips with one vehicle to get the trailer and the boat to the campground. When we wanted to take longer trips, he would just have to live without his boat.
Good thing, I guess, that we have lots of years left to work this out.
garym053I voted Class A...although it s a toss up with a 5er... Wouldn t call it " camping" so much but we dream of having a few years to travel as long as we enjoy it. See the US and then decide where we want to live. For camping...a PU or a tent... for living in every day, something I don t have to put up and take down!
garym053I want to go the Class A with a toad route. Class As offer plenty of room, and a huge windshield through which to view the world. I ve traveled around in a big triple slide 5th wheel and I would rather have a Class A. I can then drive around a small little car to tour around rather than a big truck.
Of course I would also like to have a tent trailer or small hybrid/shadow cruiser to do local camping. [:)]
garym053I went for the class A. I can officially retire in 6 1/2 years. Starting to prepare for it now. Looking at selling our place. Buying a smaller place with only 1-2 acres instead of 5. Paying off the bills. And starting to figure out which Class As we like. Of course the DW says I m dreaming and I ll have to work for at least 10 more years.[:(][:(] LORD I hope not. I hope my investments will help out by then.[:D]
garym053No matter what you are in it is still camping if you have a fireplace and a picnic table
garym053Hey Ab Diver! You maybe be right about the multiple choice option!! It didn t occur to me when I first did the poll, BUT I don t plan on trading in or selling the pop-up when I retire. I plan on keeping it and using it during the summers for " real" camping!
garym053Well, DH will be retiring in 2 years time (unless I can convince him to retire sooner). I would love to keep the PU but know it won t be practical for the things we want to do. However, I also know that since we like to stay in State and Nat. parks, a big rig also will not do. We are talking about buying a lightweight that is small enough to park almost anywhere. We have looked at the Casita and really love it and I think it will fit in our garage. Wouldn t that be a great thing!!!
garym053Hi Slowpez, I keep changing my mind! I was thinking of a new lightweight then change and think maybe a used class c would be better! In either case, the difference between what they will allow me for a trade-in for the pop-up vs what they will knock-off for no trade is far less than my pop up is worth to me, so I hope to keep it in great shape and use it for the state parks, even if I have to replace the canvas at some point.
garym053Slowpez,
Check the TrailManors. We are getting to pick one up for ourselves. It will fit in many garages, is lightweight and still " pops up" .[link=]http://www.trailmanor.com[/link]. (I don t know if the link will work or not. You may need to cut and paste.) We looked at all sorts of hybrids and lightweight trailers and fell in love with the TrailManor. PUT even did an article on them last year.
Al
garym053We have already been looking at 5ers. The one we like is HUGE!
But it would be our home, so space would be necessary.....
We have quite a few years yet before this would happen, we ll start out with a small 5er to get our feet wet......soon as the van is ready to retire (it ll be a while tho..only 50,000 on it), a Truck will be the next TV.
garym053OK, I know it s probably not considered camping ?
My next move (for vacations) is into a cabin.[:)]
And we won t be waiting until we retire.
We ll still probably have a PU or tent for traveling.
Since I don t like staying in hotels when it s nice out.
garym053I was the opposite! I went from spending 49 days a year in Motels and Cabins on the coast of Maine to a TENT! Then from a tent to a pop-up. We were considering buying a condo in maine until we got hooked on camping! Now when we go to Maine, I compare the nightly cost of the campsite ($35.00) to the cost of our old room on the coast ($199.00)
garym053MY CABIN! [:D]
garym053IF anything that doesn t POP-OUT or POP-UP and has wheels is the " Dark Side" , Is a CABIN the " Dark Dark Side" ?
Just kidding! Just Kidding!
garym053Well, I did retire and stiill am not sure what is popping other than the popup.
I think Marcy and I have seen the same 5er and it is a really nice one.
Dw and I are still in the thinking stage as to what might be the next move and a hybrid seems to be near the top. A trip to the Boston RV show might be helpful.[:)]
Thing is that as you reach a greater state of maturity, you have to consider the bathrooms a little more, how much the arthritis is slowing the arms down to crank the popup up and what health issues you might have. Oh yeah, how much is in the wallet.
garym053We re still going to keep the popup, only it just might be a popup on four wheels, with an engine. Take a look: http://www.sportsmobile.com
garym053We want to get rid of everything and hit the road when we retire. My thought is a 5er, I guess a Class A could be nice as well. To me it s still camping, I prefer to cook outdoors and have a campfire and sit around and relax and I love the idea of traveling all over the country. Gee too bad we have over 20 yrs to go. Sigh....
garym053Been retired for all most 7 years and have had the pop up from 99 before that we tent camped[:D] so untill I can t crank up the pop up any more we ll keep popping up
garym053I m already picking out my TrailManor and we don t even retire for another 30 years.