Just wondering what you all say when you get the question, "can I borrow your camper?"
I just got my popup and already I've heard it 3 times.
For me, it depends on who's asking. I would probably loan it to my son-in-law and daughter, but only after a review of proper towing, setup, pack-up and usage procedures. Anyone else, I would decline, unless the campground was close enough that I could tow it there, set it up and do the reverse when they are done. We have some friends that do that.
Quote from: DrayJust wondering what you all say when you get the question, "can I borrow your camper?"
I just got my popup and already I've heard it 3 times.
Depends on who it is. If it was my brother or son-in-law......I'd say, "No problem".
I would just accept the fact that something would get broken and that's just the price of family.
Anyone else....the answer would be , "NO". It's just not worth jeopardizing a friendship. With family....both parties get together and make it right. With friends......the relationship may never be the same. If something happens (and it will) the friend would never feel right again. The same reason that you NEVER sell a car to a friend.
I agree with Wavery. If it is family I would say yes but if it was anyone else, it would be a NO. In fact my parents asked if they could borrow it in September to go meet their friends who have a popup. We said no problem. I think we will tow it out and set it up for them though. I just can't see my 71 year old dad (who has smoked for 58 of those years) cranking up the roof. I would worry it would give him a heart attack.:( . If he wants to kill himself by smoking that is his problem but I don't want to think my camper put him in the ground.:o :) .
Jacqui
Quote from: OC CampersI agree with Wavery. If it is family I would say yes but if it was anyone else, it would be a NO. In fact my parents asked if they could borrow it in September to go meet their friends who have a popup. We said no problem. I think we will tow it out and set it up for them though. I just can't see my 71 year old dad (who has smoked for 58 of those years) cranking up the roof. I would worry it would give him a heart attack.:( . If he wants to kill himself by smoking that is his problem but I don't want to think my camper put him in the ground.:o :) .
Jacqui
Jacqui
I think taking it out and setting it up would be really neat. Sounds like one of those priceless experiences to me. The grandkids would love it and I guarantee their Grandpa would value their help.
I am OK with it.. really. Close friends and family.. maybe a neighbor. I'd just show them the ropes with my camper and ensure they are OK with towing and stuff.
The tricky part comes with insurance and it is not insured when borrowed unless you specify on your insurance that it will be loaned or rented. That is beyond the question but I thought I'd throw it out.
If a friend wanted to use it or something, certainly. most people, I would think, would cover costs of any repairs it something broke. If they wouldn't then maybe we need to rethink who our friends are?
It a NO here, regardless if you are my mother or brother. Most of our family have campers so we are safe there.
We lent out a tent once, it came back with a few extra holes in the floor.
Two words: No chance.
A neighbor of mine borrowed a tool we use to remove the winter cover of our pool. (they have the same pool cover) It came back ruined. No way would I let anyone borrow my camper. If any idiot is going to screw up my camper, I want that idiot to be me.
I'd let certain family members borrow it, Father, Father in law...after that not a chance.
Hey Wayne, can I borrow your pop-up?
ONLY if I can go camping too!
Austin
Same here, my family could certainly borrow it. But.....
Within minutes of parking my new PU in the driveway, my neighbor came over and asked if I would let him borrow it!! :yikes:
He offered to let me use his semi-permanent TT at "the river", in exchange for my PU. His intention was go to the local SP Campground/parking lot at Bolsa Chica State Beach on various occasions! I might go for it one day if I can set it up and take it down being that it's only a ten minute drive away! ;)
Quote from: TheVikingI'd let certain family members borrow it, Father, Father in law...after that not a chance.
Hey Wayne, can I borrow your pop-up?
NO!!!! But I got a car I'll sell ya. :sombraro:
I have been asked and my answer was, I'm sorry you can't.
Family is not a problem.
What's the old saying neither a borrower or a lender be. My nephew and daughter were hoarsing around when i was babysitting him and they broke our bathroom door off the hinges - my sister didn't even ask to go halves on replacing the door so you can't always count on family doing the right thing either. I forgave her it's family and I wasn't about to let a door come between us. How many times do you see on the court tv shows good friends who loaned a car to someone and they had a bad accident and then they have to sue to get the money to fix it - so I don't think it is a matter of good friends or not some people just don't think they have to help replace or fix something.
We bought our popup from friends and they were particular with who they would sell it too. They wanted to make sure someone was going to take care of it, it's as if they become part of your family. Family I would let borrow but never anyone else if they have never camped before will they take good care of your family? or will they treat it like a hotel room use it and let the person that owns it clean it up.
I also agree about insurance it would be awful if someone hit them while towing and than you couldn't get it fixed.
Depends on how much they were willing to pay...
and of course they would have to sign the rental agreement, and I would give them there deposit back after the return inspection!
Some people are just nervy. Over at RV.net we had a person complain when his BIL wouldn't buy a PU with brakes he could borrow as his TV required them to tow with...LOL
As for my opinion, I had my MIL beg me to let my BIL, his DW, and their DS use our PU in our driveway as a hotel when they came up to visit. I learned why she didn't put them up at her house. It took my DW and I three weekends to clean and repair the damage and we didn't get so much as a thank you.
Absolutely, when do you need it? Next weekend,... no problem. Hey, when you come to get it, would you mind bringing me $20k in cash. I just need it for the weekend. Thanks.
Quote from: fourkidsAbsolutely, when do you need it? Next weekend,... no problem. Hey, when you come to get it, would you mind bringing me $20k in cash. I just need it for the weekend. Thanks.
LOL!!!!! That was pretty funny...
Those that I would let use the camper are the ones that would never ask.
I suppose, for all the rest, if I had just won the gazillion dollar lottery, that would be perfectly O.K. ~ meantime ~ the problem with lending out the camper is would they know how to correctly set it up and take it down? Took me some time to learn the knack of doing it right, plus learning any peculiarities & idiosyncrasies of the camper.
But I do have a tent they can borrow; even has the instructions on the carton.
Fly
There is no way I'd loan out my camper. There are too, too many variables involved in towing, set-up, care, take down, backing up, etc... Tim
Dw was showing our Kiwi to some friends shortly after we got it.
She asked me if I would let Mark borrow the Kiwi. I told Mark, no on the Kiwi but okay on the wife. :)
I haven't been asked again.
I have seen a couple of people trying to set up popups that they have borrowed. No way would I lend out a popup to a novice, friend or foe.
My standard answer is no due to insurance purposes. My insurance won't cover my PUP if they have a wreck while towing it. No one has asked again after that reply!
When DH and I were dating, I asked my boss if I could borrow his PUP and he told me no and to go and rent one. I felt "WELL". I talked to his wife and she told me that he wouldn't even let on of his grown kids borrow it. After this, I felt better.
Now, that I have a trailer, I wouldn't let anyone borrow it.
My answer is "NO"! I started camping in a tent if they want to camp they can have their pick of any one or more of 5 tents that I still maintain for people when we go camping together.
I have enough equipment to set several campsites up with tents, air mattresses, sleeping bags, lighting, cooking, etc, and I'll be glad to lend it and teach them how to use it, but not the camper.
I suppose I would loan it out for a 2k deposit. ( That is what I paid for it ) I would return it after return inspection. I know anyone that has 2k laying around won't be asking to borrow my pu
Asking to borrow someone's camper is like asking to borrow someones wife. The obvious answer is no.
I guess it might be yes if you lived in California or New York or somewhere where that is acceptable. Just kidding about those states. I know....I know....doctors in those states have found that those type of relationships might cause cancer in some lab rats under certain conditions.
Quote from: McCampersAsking to borrow someone's camper is like asking to borrow someones wife. The obvious answer is no.
I guess it might be yes if you lived in California or New York or somewhere where that is acceptable. Just kidding about those states. I know....I know....doctors in those states have found that those type of relationships might cause cancer in some lab rats under certain conditions.
I think those types of relationships are caused by rats!
Austin
I dunno.... a wife/husband can defend themselves if treated harshly .... my poor, old camper can't! :J
no, I would never loan out my PUP - as old as it is, (though new-to-me) and even though it's not worth alot (in $$) I have put so much work into it, I would still want it to be treated with respect and TLC. I don't think anyone would take care of it the way Paul and I would - because we know everything about what makes it work and what's holding it together! LOL! As someone above pointed out - the kind of folks I WOULD be willing to loan it to are probably the ones who would NEVER ask in the first place!
I am very particular about taking care of camping equipment. ( I am the same way about tools!) I have some camping equipment that has been passed down from my folks and is older than I am - and has been heavily used, too! I have loaned tents, sleeping bags, etc (and regretted it) I do have some stuff that I keep especially for other's to use when we go - and it's stuff that if it gets damaged, I will not be upset over the loss.
On the other hand, I have borrowed equipment from friends - particularly, a friends' canoe or a neighbor's tools. Both have assured me that I am welcome to do so again - anytime - because I make sure that their items are well cared for, returned promptly, and if possible in cleaner or better condition than I received them. That's the way I was brought up, and that's what my son has been taught, too.
laura
I'm glad so many people have responded to this question. I don't think I can let people borrow my PU. I've had motorcycles in the past I let people borrow. Often it would come back with a broken mirror or scratches on its side. The thing is that people aren't familiar with the PU and chances are high something bad would go wrong.
So, I'll be saying they can't borrow due to insurance purposes.
On the other hand I am new to the trailer as well. Most of what I learned on how to use it, was covered by the PO in their drive in about 20 minutes. I wouldn't mind crankin it up and showing my brother in law how to use it.
Insurance would be another story..I would have to check on that...
Quote from: Tim HaskettThere is no way I'd loan out my camper. There are too, too many variables involved in towing, set-up, care, take down, backing up, etc... Tim
I am in complete agreement! :D
I couldn't care less about the camper. There's not much that anyone could break that couldn't be fixed or replaced (even the entire camper, if need be)........It's the personal relationship that may suffer the most damage. Just not worth loosing a friend, in my book. :D
I second the comment about the insurance. My DW and I just bought ours new and insured it through state farm and we were told it would not be covered if it was in someone else's possesion.
DW and I had talked about it before anyone had a chance to ask and the answer here would also be no. Ours doesnt crank up but is manually lifted, its kinda heavy and if care is not taken hands can be severed quite easily.
That being said; I am so greatful that I was able to barrow a freinds popup not once but 3 times before we got ours. Its what got my city girl wife to go camping. We noticed on the second trip that the camper was a peice of junk, ready to fall apart and I no longer wanted to borrow it. If something breaks while in my possesion, I WILL repair or replace it before returned. It was only a mater of time before something would have broke. Unfortunatly the freind that loaned his camper wont get a chance to borrow ours, and he knows; he can break an anvil with a feather and deminstrates that fact all the time. I have taken him camping in it a few times.
My sister-in-law and brother-in-law asked to borrow ours Labor Day weekend. We said no. Our brother-in-law can be an erratic driver with shotgun starts and stops. The thought of him towing our camper down the road or backing it into a campsite made our decision easy. We love them dearly, but we drew the line there.
It was easy for us, though, because we told them that they would need to get a hitch installed on their Mountaineer. I don't think they want to spend that money for one weekend of camping. There is no way they are borrowing our camper AND our SUV.
Saying no to family can be hard. But I learned a long time ago how easy it is for the unknowing to damage a camper. In an earlier part of my life, I had a different popup and was going camping with my parents and sister. My Dad was helping me set up the camper. I showed him how to unlatch the roof, and he went to the back to take care of those two latches. I asked him if he had released them and he said yes. I started cranking, and when I realized that one corner in the rear wasn't raising right, I stopped and backed the winch back down. He had popped the latch, but hadn't released the inner part from the roof bracket. It bent the lift post bracket underneath the Palomino. I never told my Dad what had happened because he would have felt terrible. It fortunately only cost me about $40 to get the bracket bent back. But families and friends can have serious fallings out over simple damage like that. My parents have since bought a popup of their own and I now would loan them mine considering how well I know they would try to take care of it. But when a family member has no experience with such things, they would have to go camping with me a time or two and walk through the whole experience with me before I would consider it (and that's assuming I trust their towing abilities!).
I know, I'm a mean person....
Quote from: skamper75...he can break an anvil with a feather...
I've never heard that expression before. I'll have to remember that one!