Newbie with a big question....

[hawkdriver]

...and I think I found the right place to ask it.

I am a pop-up newbie...so new I haven't even done it yet.

My background is pretty hard-core backpacking...along with quite a bit of canoe camping...most notably at the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.  But that was all before I got married and the kids came.

Now...my wife is all over me about taking the kids camping.  We have popped up a few tents in the backyard, but I am thinking about going the pop-up camper route now.

I don't have a clue where to start or, most importantly, what type of camper that I should be thinking about.

I'm 37, my wife is 42 and our boys are 8 and 10.  They are definitely not ready for a canoe trip up in the Boundary Waters yet or any kind of backpacking.  Hopefully , that will materialize when they are able to carry their weight.  This is what I can see us doing...State Park Campgrounds (we live in Tennessee) with some day hiking trails or some day trips in the canoe, and some fishing.  As far as what I have to pull a camper with, it is a 2006 Toyota Tundra, crew cab, 4WD.  

So...there you have it.  What say you guys?  What should I start thinking about.

Thanks

[HouseInABox]

i can appreciate where you are coming from we tent camped for 10 years before upgrading to a pop-up...we used the air mattresses and had a pretty cool camp set-up more than what you carried on your back .

We also camped with our inlaws sleeping on their 5th wheel living room sofa and floor.   I can say that we love the pop-up because you still have that tent feel in that you still hear nature the way you do from a tent there is lots of light and a sense of still being intune with nature all with some pretty nice amenities.

You and your dw may want to go out looking on your own at first and then take the kids along when you have it narrowed down to floorplans you like so you can then get a feel for what it will be like with all of you inside.

As far as layout and slideout or no slideout only you will know what is ultimately right for your family.  We have a deluxe Jayco when ends are extended it's 26' with a king on 1 end (all 4 of us could sleep on that one bed) our table is next to our bed and across from us is the galley ---- we happen to have cupboards above the sink which are a + and we also have a closet.   outside storage compartments are great for campfire gear, fishing poles and outside toys/games.   Think long if you are only going to dry camp - my dear husband took out our grey tank and we installed a toilet that hooks up to the sewer in it's place because when we dry camp we go to the bath house to do dishes etc.  A potty is great especially during storms with kids and speaking as a woman it's joy having one.

I'm sure you will get lot's of comments and you can search the forum for more info ---

#1 make a list of how you would like to use the camper and where don't forget to think of the future when you may decide to go to other campgrounds.
#2 decide what kind of gear you will be taking so you know what kind of storage to look for and take measurements for the big items so you can measure when you are out looking.
#3 make a list of extras you might enjoy - keeping in mind future trips (maybe the beach or an open ares where you might want ac or you might need heat) ice box or fridge.
#4 check your tundra's book for towing capacity ( we towed our jayco with a tundra but have since upgraded to a dodge ram)

good luck hunting and an early welcome to the world of pop-up camping!  I wouldn't trade my house in a box for anything!

[tknick]

houseinabox's suggestions are excellent.  once you've done that, the easiest thing to do is go to an RV show.  That way you can look at what all the manufacturers have to offer all in the same place.  If you've missed the RV show in your area, you really need to go to each of the dealers and see what they have to offer.  PU's are all basically the same but the layouts, materials/colors and features differ by manufacturer.  You'll just have to see what is best for your family.  Even if you decide to buy used, looking at new models will give you an idea of how they function and set up.

good luck
travis

[AustinBoston]

Boundary Waters Canoe Area....we live in Tennessee

Now there's a long drive!

I'm 37, my wife is 42 and our boys are 8 and 10.

:yikes: AAAgggh!  You waitied way too long!  Each of our kids spent a weekend in a tent in a campground before their first birthday...

We have popped up a few tents in the backyard

...well, maybe it's not too late.  

One of the things you might try if you decide you might buy a new unit would be to see if the dealer will let you rent it for the weekend.  Most will not, but a few will.  That would give you a chance to "try it out" and see what you do and do not like.

Austin

[Fuzzymike]

Hey Hawk:

Visit a camper show if you can.  It will give you the best way of seeing different kinds of pop ups and there are many kinds to choose from.  Some are even made to go off-road.  You have options.  It's a great place to start.  

I have a 2000 Tundra and pulling our 2005 Niagara was never a prob.  Be glad to help ya if you have questions.

[ilovecamping]

We were about the same age when we went from tents to a used pu.  We had been camping several years with the kids in tents by then.  DH had his first heart surgery in Feb so we got a nice small used pu and off we went.  It was fine and then the kids wanted to start bringing friends so DH and I let them have the pu and we used the van with the back seat folded down.  About a year later DH ran across a bigger camper that was 4 yrs older but great condition so we bought it and sold the other one.  We used that one for a lot of years and DH kept putting it back together.  I think you will love a pu either new or used just to get up off the ground and keep a lot of your camping gear loaded and ready to go.  Our children are grown now and we have moved from a new pu to an HTT and now getting a TT (PDI is Wed).  We have a 3 yr old DGD that is now camping with us most of the time.  Get out there and enjoy it before yours are grown-it happens real fast.  Have a great time no matter what you choose.

[campingcop]

All above is great information, the only thing I will add is when and if you go to a RV show or dealers take the whole family with you and side around inside the P U as if it were raining,how much room is there to sit around and play games watch TV or what ever keep the kids entertained.

Good luck on your search.

[cyclone]

Unfortunately, I think "show season" is over with around here.  It's time to go camping!  But, within a 50 mile radius of the 'Boro you probably can find a dealer for almost every type of pu.  Some may even had some used units available from trade-ins.  (that's how we found the Flagstaff).  Do some looking and decide on what floor plan(s) work best for your needs.  In my case, we didn't want to have to crawl over a dinette to get to a bunk-end.  

In TN - I think a/c is essential.  We also have a furnace and have used it, but it came with the pu.  Since you plan to camp mostly in TN state parks, you will have access to hook-ups in most places.  There are a few "rustic" campgrounds, but most have water/electric.  We are former tenters, and still do most of the cooking/dishwashing outside.  You might also check out the TPUC forums.  There's a link you can follow (I think) from this site.  At any rate, enjoy your search and welcome to PUT.

[mercc350]

...and I think I found the right place to ask it.

I am a pop-up newbie...so new I haven't even done it yet.

My background is pretty hard-core backpacking...along with quite a bit of canoe camping...most notably at the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.  But that was all before I got married and the kids came.

Now...my wife is all over me about taking the kids camping.  We have popped up a few tents in the backyard, but I am thinking about going the pop-up camper route now.

I don't have a clue where to start or, most importantly, what type of camper that I should be thinking about.

I'm 37, my wife is 42 and our boys are 8 and 10.  They are definitely not ready for a canoe trip up in the Boundary Waters yet or any kind of backpacking.  Hopefully , that will materialize when they are able to carry their weight.  This is what I can see us doing...State Park Campgrounds (we live in Tennessee) with some day hiking trails or some day trips in the canoe, and some fishing.  As far as what I have to pull a camper with, it is a 2006 Toyota Tundra, crew cab, 4WD.  

So...there you have it.  What say you guys?  What should I start thinking about.

Thanks

I have been trying to find a popup for about a year. Here in Idaho they are pretty high priced for what they are. Remember popups for the most part are made to be very light and take a beating traveling down rough roads. Whatever you get especially if you buy new and are paying top dollar make sure you have them do an axle flip, just make that part of your offer it is worth it. Or buy an off road popup like a Jayco Baja or a fleetwood Evolution.

[afp]

Good suggestions & comments by all the previous posts. In addition to pop-ups I would also consider hybird trailers as well. You're Tundra should give you plenty of towing capcity for a pop-up as well as a hybird. If you haven't, there's a few RV dealerships by the Opryland Hotel along with a Camping World. If you don't mind a drive down to Huntsville, AL they have several RV dealerships along a section of road just North of downstown. I believe one of the dealerships is Bankston (?), so that should get you in the right direction if you go down there. I believe the Nashville Camping World represents Bankston.

Good luck with your search.

[skamper75]

First of all, youve been waiting to long to get the kids started!  My daughters first backpacking trip was when she was 7. Didnt go more than 4 miles but just being there was what it was all about. I took her on her first tent camp at the lake when she was 3. The two of use went many times before the pu. First few trips we had nothing but backpacking gear, didnt even remember a plug in lamp, radio, anything electric. It took a popup to get dw to go with us.

I was lucky enough to have a coworker with a small pu which he let us borrow. By the third trip, we where out for a week and wanting our own pu. We found that with 2 of us, dd and her freind and the dog; we would need a bigger unit then we had been using. Its great family time that will be with us forever.

By the way, its a lot easier to pack up a bag and tent in a backpack and hit the trail. But it means alot more to have what you need to get the entire family in the woods.

[GeneF]

Keep in mind that in a few years you will be camping with a couple of growing teenage boys.  Buy a bigger popup than you need now.

We did the 6, 8, 10, 12 foot route and now a hybrid.

Overall, I would get another 10 footer if I went back to a popup.  Easy towing, setup, decent weight range, and overall comfortable size.

Just went to the Jacksonville show.  Popups were in the $6500 to 14,000 range that we looked at.  cheapest I have seen was $4700 at the Boston show.

Dw wants the $42000 Prowler 5th wheel.  

good luck in  your quest.  Popup camping is a family fun thing.  Great memories are made.

[wynot]

So...there you have it. What say you guys? What should I start thinking about.
 
Thanks

Rent a camper or two first so that you can find out what you don't like about them.  You will learn more in that trip than you can by living at an RV dealership.
 
I can't tell you the number of folks that I showed campers to, who get thrilled by the clean insides of a new camper on a sales lot.  It's easy to fall in love with a camper until you are living with it.  Campers shrink in size exponentially once you purchase them.  Popups tend to get a lot of stuff put in them after setup, so tables, seats, dinette seats, and counters tend to get piled up and moved from here to there.  If you're not a minimalist and fanatically neat, popups get cluttered immediately.  All of a sudden, the 12' box popup you got seems to have as much room as a pup tent.  I can only imagine it being far worse in and 8 or 10 foot box.  The only thing that saved us when using that size, was that we didn't yet have all the STUFF.
 
For example, tables.  Do you want to climb over a dinette to get in and out of bed?  Do you want a pedestal?  Who is going to sit in the middle of the U?
 
Storage trunks.  Does it make sense.  Is it a usable size, or would it only fit a broom and poles (like many hybrids...)  Do you want a slideout tray?
 
And hot water, and potti...  Etc.