Advise on Camper Models

[dsnovak]

Hi All,

I have a question regarding camper models. My wife and I will be purchasing our first pop-up camper this year and are looking at paying up to $1500 for a used camper. I noticed that there can be many to choose from within that price on rvtraderonline.com but am confused on why some older models of some brands seem to hold their value more than others. I have also noticed that there are brands that I believe are no longer in prodution any more & that some that i don't even recognize.

My questions are; are there brands and models should I avoid? Is it a big deal to purchase a camper that the manufacturer still is producing campers now? In general, what are your recommendations on what models & brands I should look for for a first time camper for under the $1500 price?

Sincerely,
David[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Kelly]

Another Minnesotan!!!  Wahoo and Welcome!

I think you'll find that people swear by the camper they have!  

What most of us found when looking for a new (or new-to-us) PU was that it was more important to find something within the weight ratings of your tow vehicle with a floor plan that suits your camping needs.

In the lastest issue of PUT there is an article that deals with what to look for when buying a used PopUp.  Email me if you'd like me to fax it to you.  

If you were buying new ~ I'd say finding a dealer with a great service department was the most important factor.

I'm sure others will jump in ~ there's a lot of knowledge on this board.[/FONT]

[flyfisherman]

Every used camper, regardless of brand, has to stand on it's own wheels. Some people have the capacity to trash a camper in a very short period of time; and I've seen popups that were 10 & 12 years old and were in top notch condition. I think you'll find the condition of the camper has a great deal to do with how fast it sells, especially when your talking about a $1500.00 range.

First order of business would be to know what the towing capacity is of the vehicle you plan to use to pull it with. That might have an effect on what you might be searching for in campers, i.e., a big 12 foot box camper or maybe a smaller 8 foot box.

Watching what popups are selling for e-Bay might give you a sense of size and floor plans and optional equipment and what might be going for under, say, $2,000.00 - might be a place watch and learn.

Good luck.


Fly

[dsnovak]

I do apologize that I didn't look further down the threads to find a similar post by someone else but I guess I just threw out the question without looking first.

But nonetheless, my biggest concern is that even though when I look at used cars, I kind of know what to look 'for' and look 'at' prior to purchasing. With PU campers, I'm completely lost. What are some things that are red flags when looking over a used camper? And knowing that there are always some flaws with a used item (particularly when it's been well used by the seller no matter what condition) and by just the age of the camper, I'm not sure what things I should feel that aren't such a big deal and I can either live with the flaw or fix them with a little effort or cost. I hope to avoid buying a 'money pit' PU camper or find out on the first camping trip that there is a major problem with the camper.

I know it's difficult to instruct a novice on how to be a shrewd used PU camper buyer. And that a person can't be assured that anything purchased used is not going to cause headaches but just knowing some tips on what to look for and what thing can be somewhat ignore. I would hate to end up buying a camper that I think is perfect to just find out that without inspecting the support arms thoroughly enough they break or bend and then find out that they need to be custom made since there are no replacement parts available for the camper I have.

I know it's a petty thing to worry about and most people would just say go out a buy a new one if your that worried but first thing I can't afford a new one and the second is that I don't really want to wait to do PU camping until I can. I feel I'm fairly mechanically inclined so I'm not worry about doing some repairs and maintenance on a used camper. I just want one that will be a good start and want to know some ideas of how choose that one.

Sincerely,
David

p.s. Kelly, where are you located in Minnesota? Just curious... BTW was the Vol. 7, No. 4 PUT with the "The Real California" the PUT's that you were referring to for the article on 'what to look for when buying a used PopUp'? I couldn't find it in this issue but maybe I didn't recieve the latest, yet.

[Kelly]

I know it's a petty thing to worry about and most people would just say go out a buy a new one if your that worried but first thing I can't afford a new one and the second is that I don't really want to wait to do PU camping until I can. I feel I'm fairly mechanically inclined so I'm not worry about doing some repairs and maintenance on a used camper. I just want one that will be a good start and want to know some ideas of how choose that one.

Sincerely,
David

p.s. Kelly, where are you located in Minnesota? Just curious... BTW was the Vol. 7, No. 4 PUT with the "The Real California" the PUT's that you were referring to for the article on 'what to look for when buying a used PopUp'? I couldn't find it in this issue but maybe I didn't recieve the latest, yet.

I don't think it's petty at all ~ it's being a careful consumer.  The first PU the ex and I bought was from his sister, so we were pretty sure they had taken good care of it.  Looking back over all sorts of tire/axle problems my guess is that they consistently overloaded it. Something you wouldn't find out when inspecting it!  

He kept that one.  The one I am in the process of buying (see my sig), I'm buying from someone on the boards.  Although I haven't had a chance to inspect it, I know several people who have ~ and I trust their judgement completely.  I have seen lots of pics and the floorplan fits my needs to a T.

In my mind ~ the really important things are the state of the roof (is it rotted? does it sag? has it leaked? does it still?), the state of the canvas (are there holes or tears?  mildew?), the condition of the bunkends (rotten wood?  mold? sag? ... although some sag is normal over time, especially with king bunk ends) and the body/frame (water leakage?  holes?  big dents?).  If it's structurally sound there is probably a lot a handy person can do about the rest ~ fairly inexpensively.

I'm just northeast of the loop ~ near White Bear Lake.   The article was in the issue after that with the new Futuras on the cover.  Judging from another post around here lots of people never got that one!  It's got a really nice checklist of things to look for when you inspect a used trailer.

Good Luck.  Let me know if you want that article.[/COLOR]

[dsnovak]

Hi Kelly,

Thank you for the advise, it will help quite a bit since I was really going on knowing hardly anything about PU campers.

I did check on my subscription but I guess it was never sent in (was to be a birthday gift). So I have been living on the last two I got as preview copies. I call PUT and asked to have the volume you were speaking of sent to me. I mentioned that I was filling out the subscription invoice today and was going to drop in the mail today or tomorrow. So I should see the volume you spoke of soon...

But I will admit I've gotten some disappointing news today. I was reviewing campers

[tlhdoc]

David I think you are making a wise choice about getting a new TV first.  I have a 1998 Taurus wagon and would never dream of towing with it.  Good luck on the hunt for a new TV and PU.

[dsnovak]

Yeah, there may even be an up-shot to this. We're setting up our house to be placed on the market and a pick-up may do us well for that purpose, too. We have also found that we borrow my brother's pick-up more often then we care to admit. So maybe getting a used pick-up is a good option for us first. I can't think of a better towing & hauling vehicle then that and since it's just the two of us, a pick-up with an extended cab may work out great.

Now I just need to do some digging for an inexpensive reliable pick-up to purchase this year and leave the PU camper for next year...

BTW do any of you know if the smaller pick-ups like S-10s or Rangers can handle pulling a PU camper? Or do I need to go up into a mid-size or full-size pick-up instead. Or does it only matter by what the payload the truck can handle?

Sincerely,
David