Returning from the dark side

kwatson51 · Jul 06, 2007, 09:33 AM

I was wondering...
Has anyone crossed over to the dark side and returned to pop-ups?
We are considering a TrailManor so we can extend our camping season and choices of campgrounds (going into more heavily bear populated areas). We still love our PUP, but want more flexibility in locations and seasons.

Has anyone gone from PUPs to TrailManor and back again? Know anyone who has?
If so, why the change back to PUPs? TMs are kinda pricey, and we don't like wasting money!

Your input would be appreciated!

wavery · Jul 06, 2007, 09:46 AM

Quote from: kwatson51I was wondering...
Has anyone crossed over to the dark side and returned to pop-ups?
We are considering a TrailManor so we can extend our camping season and choices of campgrounds (going into more heavily bear populated areas). We still love our PUP, but want more flexibility in locations and seasons.

Has anyone gone from PUPs to TrailManor and back again? Know anyone who has?
If so, why the change back to PUPs? TMs are kinda pricey, and we don't like wasting money!

Your input would be appreciated!

There is a member that went to a TT and back to a PU. I can't remember who it was right now.

I wish that you had posted sooner. I went and looked at a 2004 TrailerManor the other day. It was listed in craigslist. It was super cool and just like new. The guy was asking $14K for it but I just couldn't quite get it in my garage. It sold a couple days later.

I couldn't believe how easy it was to set up. The guy set it up in less than 2 minutes, all by himself, using one hand and very little effort. It's the kind of trailer that you could pull off at a rest stop, set it up and have lunch then be on your way again in 30 minutes. I was very impressed.

trinityncgal · Jul 06, 2007, 12:18 PM

Quote from: kwatson51I was wondering...
Has anyone crossed over to the dark side and returned to pop-ups?
We are considering a TrailManor so we can extend our camping season and choices of campgrounds (going into more heavily bear populated areas). We still love our PUP, but want more flexibility in locations and seasons.

Has anyone gone from PUPs to TrailManor and back again? Know anyone who has?
If so, why the change back to PUPs? TMs are kinda pricey, and we don't like wasting money!

Your input would be appreciated!

This is my first post and I have to say that hubby and I have camped in all sorts of campers. We currently have a PUP and we like it. We owned TT's beginning with a 10 ft Serro Scotty, a 16 footer off brand, a motorhome, and a 24 foot long TT with the bunk beds in the rear. Hubby likes the ease of setting up the PUP and you can go and camp anywhere! With the 24 ft TT and the motorhome, we learned we had to go first in the car and check out the driveway. etc of a campground before we took the camper. We save gas with the PUP, we can pull it with anything, it is so easy to pull according to hubby, he likes being able to back up and see what is back there! We have a screen room on the awning but have never used it except for rain. Believe it or not but our PUP has just as much room in it as the TT's did with the beds extended etc. We even have a bathroom in the PUP.

We have even been to Pigeon Forge, TN for a week with 4 adults and that is never easy!

Hubby says pulling the PUP is so easy that you do not even realize it is back there, while it was work driving or pulling all the others because of wind drag etc.

AustinBoston · Jul 06, 2007, 12:41 PM

Quote from: kwatson51We are considering a TrailManor

Point of clarification...a TrailManor is not really a "Dark Side" trailer, because it qualifies (IMNVHO) as a folding trailer or pop-up. It does not need to be a tent trailer to be a pop-up; there are even some truck-back campers that qualify as pop-ups.

Personally, I consider hard-sided pop-ups like the old Apaches, A-Liners, TrailManors, Hi-Lo's, and Chalets, and I include hybrids, to be "Dim Sides" because they are not as dark as travel trailers, 5th wheels, or class-A's and -C's, but don't qualify as "Bright Sides" like tent trailers.

Austin

SheBantam · Jul 06, 2007, 12:49 PM

Didn't Nightowl go from a trailmanor to an Aliner popup?

kwatson51 · Jul 06, 2007, 01:43 PM

Quote from: AustinBostonPoint of clarification...a TrailManor is not really a "Dark Side" trailer, because it qualifies (IMNVHO) as a folding trailer or pop-up. It does not need to be a tent trailer to be a pop-up; there are even some truck-back campers that qualify as pop-ups.

Personally, I consider hard-sided pop-ups like the old Apaches, A-Liners, TrailManors, Hi-Lo's, and Chalets, and I include hybrids, to be "Dim Sides" because they are not as dark as travel trailers, 5th wheels, or class-A's and -C's, but don't qualify as "Bright Sides" like tent trailers.

Austin

I do agree with your nomenclature...just used "dark side" to get attention. :p

Russinator · Jul 06, 2007, 02:12 PM

Quote from: AustinBostonPoint of clarification...a TrailManor is not really a "Dark Side" trailer, because it qualifies (IMNVHO) as a folding trailer or pop-up. It does not need to be a tent trailer to be a pop-up; there are even some truck-back campers that qualify as pop-ups.

Personally, I consider hard-sided pop-ups like the old Apaches, A-Liners, TrailManors, Hi-Lo's, and Chalets, and I include hybrids, to be "Dim Sides" because they are not as dark as travel trailers, 5th wheels, or class-A's and -C's, but don't qualify as "Bright Sides" like tent trailers.

Austin

I never thought of pop ups in that way. Would you then say that our van is also a pop up? If so, then we own two pop ups.

AustinBoston · Jul 06, 2007, 02:34 PM

Quote from: RussinatorI never thought of pop ups in that way. Would you then say that our van is also a pop up? If so, then we own two pop ups.

YES, I would call this a pop-up. IIRC, The Pop-Up-Times mag did an article (the lead cover story, IIRC) on conversion vans that "pop-up" like this to make for more headroom, natural light, and airspace. So even the magazine thought they were pop-ups!

Austin

Russinator · Jul 06, 2007, 04:01 PM

Well then, here's a picture I took of both our pop ups at San Diego's Lake Morena campground. This is where we spent our first night of the 36 day camping trip across the country.

As luck would have it, the next morning, when we got up, we looked outside and saw the the van had a flat tire.

Russ

AustinBoston · Jul 06, 2007, 06:59 PM

Quote from: RussinatorThis is where we spent our first night of the 36 day camping trip across the country.

How far east did you get? In 2001, we started from Massachusetts (we lived there at the time) in June and didn't get home for 56 days. We spent about two weeks in California, and stayed in 17 states in all.

Austin

Russinator · Jul 06, 2007, 07:45 PM

Quote from: AustinBostonHow far east did you get? In 2001, we started from Massachusetts (we lived there at the time) in June and didn't get home for 56 days. We spent about two weeks in California, and stayed in 17 states in all.

Austin

It sounds like you had a wonderful trip.

On that trip we had two places to be at certain times. One was at our daughter's house in Lake Charles, Louisiana. We set up the PU in their back yard, stayed in it for two nights, then we all went camping, leaving the PU at their house. A few pictures of that camping trip are here: http://www.therussinator.com/ToledoBend/ Our daughter and her family stayed in the tent, while the wife and I stayed in the van.

When we left Lake Charles we went to Knoxville, Tennessee to meet up with my sisters. After a few days with my sisters we all took off for home. My sister flew, my wife and I drove and camped.

It was a great trip, I can't wait to do it again.

Russ

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Returning from the dark side