RE: PUT Newbie

 
Hi! My name is Pilar and my husband and I are fresh in the market for our first popup.
 
 History: two days ago I returned from a week long tent excursion through Yosemite, Lake Tahoe and Reno with just me and my three kids. I vowed (after setting up/ tearing down and gaining many stressful hours) to never do it (tent camping)again. My solution was pop-ups. Every popup family I noticed in the campgrounds that we were at seemed to be less dirty, less disorganized and less frustrated. Could this have been a case of the grass greener on the other side?
 
 While reading member profiles on sccampers.org I noticed many (if not most) of the members owned Colemans. Coleman is the brand my husband and I are leaning towards, but my question is what is everyone s views on brand loyalty?
 I d love to hear from owners of all types of popups!
 
 Thanks in advance for your advice and thoughts,
 Pilar
 pilar@focusfamilies.org

[griffsmom]

 Guest
Hi Pilar!  Welcome to the boards-we re glad you found us.  You ve come to the right place to get info on popups.
 
 As far as the grass seeming greener, I think that it actually is!  My DH and I were tent campers for the first ten years we were together, and it was fun but always hard work, not to mention horribly difficult if the weather turned bad.  We adopted a baby in December of 2000 and I told my DH that if he wanted to see the inside of a campground before Griffin turned 6, he d better start thinking pop-up camper.  (My mom had owned a Starcraft PU when I was a kid and I had very fond memories of our trips in it.)  Well, my DH was a bit reluctant to even look at PUs, but once I finally dragged him into one " just to look"  I had my camper within a month.  And we haven t looked back since.  My son who is now 2 and a half LOVES the pop up, (he has trouble sleeping the night before we leave on a trip because he s so excited!) and we try to go out at least once a month.  We wouldn t camp nearly as often if we were still tenting it.  So I guess what I m trying to say is that camping in a PU is great--you re still connected to nature since it is still " tent-like"  and yet you re up off the hard ground, away from bugs and dirt, and it doesn t have that enclosed hardside trailer feeling.  It s really the best of both worlds! []
 
 As far as owner loyalty goes, I think that it does exist.  If you ask the general population of this board which brand is best, invariably, they ll tell you the one they happen to have purchased.  And I would have to agree that they re right!  We bought Coleman and think it s the best--for us.  And yet, some of our fellow SCcampers have Jaycos, and their campers are very nice as well.
 
 We bought our camper brand new a litttle over a year ago.  Before settling on the Coleman, we looked at Starcraft and Jayco PUs, but kept coming back to the Coleman because we felt it had nicer craftsmanship inside and more features that we liked than the other brands offered, especially electric brakes that come standard on our model as compared to surge brakes or no brakes at all on the other brands. We also liked the Coleman dealer better than the other dealers, and the dealer you buy from is tremendously important.  We ve had to have a few things fixed on our camper, and each time, our dealer has been nothing less than courteous, accomodating and quick.  We even called them on our first couple of trips in the PU when we didn t know how to do something or had a problem and they very kindly and patiently talked us through it on the phone!
 
 You don t say where you live, but if it s in the Southern California area, our dealer is Carl s Acres of Trailers in Ontario.  If you want their contact info, let me know and I ll e-mail it to you. If you visit them, let them know that Dave and Lori Maze referred you and I know they ll take good care of you.  Our salesman was John.
 
 I m sorry for such a long-winded answer![]  But I can t rave enough about how much our family loves camping in our PU and especially camping with this group of people that we all met on PUT!  If you have any other questions, please let us know and someone will have the answer! []
 
 Cheers! []
 
 
 

[OC Campers]

 Guest
Hi Pilar.  Welcome to hour SCcampers family.
 
 We also own a Coleman popup.  We have owned it for 2 years now and just love it.  We have 3 kids 12, 7 and 2 and for the same reasons you gave we decided to buy our  popup.  It just seemed like we culdn t find a tent that would hold us and all our stuff.
 
 The reason we chose our Coleman was mostly because the only dealers around were a Jayco and a Coleman dealer.  I am glad we chose the Coleman because the jayco dealer closed shortly after we purchased the camper.  You have to decide what you like the most and then look at all the different models.  I as a mom knew that I definately wanted a bathroom, sink with hot water and a refrigerator.  That is why we chose our Coleman Westlake.  My husband liked different things like the one peice door, breathable canvas bunk ends, one peice swing down dolley jack and the large " stepper"  door and electric brakes.  
 
 I think we would of been happy with a Jayco too but got a fantastic deal on our Coleman.  We live in Orange county but bought in Ventura at All Tent sales and rentals.  We saved $2,500 over the OC dealer.  As I was purchasing the camper in Ventura, my husband went to the dealer in OC and told him what we were about to pay and if he would match it.  He said he couldn t match it.   So we bought it in Ventura.  We do like the service at the Stanton dealer and take it there for service and repairs.  
 
 Best of luck in your search.  Hope to see you camping with us soon.
 
 Jacqui

 Guest
Paul L here:
 
 Is the grass greener? I for one think it is more comfortable to camp in a pop-up, but am certain that extra comfort is purchased via additional work and expense. Like any other vehicle you have to consider upkeep and maintenance and must have some place to store your pop-up. When you are towing you won t be able to drive as fast as normal, and should adopt a more defensive driving posture. Your tow vehicle will be subjected to additional wear and tear. Be careful that a pop-up dealer doesn t sell you more than you can safely pull. You won t be able to fit your pop-up into every tent campsite, but on the other hand, you can park it in an RV park that doesn t allow tents. If you get a pop-up beware of the temptation to add new gizmos, bells and whistles every time you go by the store!
 
 With all of the disadvantages I ve listed I d still never go back to tent camping. It is great to have comfortable shelter for those rainy days and at night. We camp much more frequently now than we did with a tent. By the way, we have an older Starcraft. Jayco and Starcraft are probably pretty close to Coleman in quality. Our Starcraft has magnetically activated brakes, not surge brakes, so they are available. Look at as many of the different models as you can, then you can make your decision based on features and price. Good luck!

[griffsmom]

 Guest

 

ORIGINAL:  Guest
 
 Paul L here:
 By the way, we have an older Starcraft.

 Paul,
 
 I had to laugh!  Even though you finally made it to a rally, I had no idea what your camper was, since we have yet to see it!  I know third time wil be the charm!  []
 

 OC Campers

We also own a Coleman popup. We have owned it for 2 years now and just love it. We have 3 kids 12, 7 and 2 and for the same reasons you gave we decided to buy our popup. It just seemed like we culdn t find a tent that would hold us and all our stuff.

Our kids are 13, 10 & 6.  My son (oldest) has a disability and legally blind and is uncomfortable in many new situations.  A PU seems like it might be a bit like home for him..
 
 
 

The reason we chose our Coleman was mostly because the only dealers around were a Jayco and a Coleman dealer. I am glad we chose the Coleman because the jayco dealer closed shortly after we purchased the camper.

I ve done some searching and there doesn t appear that there is any other dealer other than Coleman here.  It looks like we re going to have to go outside of San Diego.  No problemo.
 
 

I think we would of been happy with a Jayco too but got a fantastic deal on our Coleman. We live in Orange county but bought in Ventura at All Tent sales and rentals. We saved $2,500 over the OC dealer.

I was just on their website!  It s nice to hear about reliable dealers.
 
 By the way, where in OC are you?  Until we got married David and I lived in Huntington Bch. (we both went to Marina High.)
 
 

Best of luck in your search. Hope to see you camping with us soon.  Jacqui
 

Thanks!
 Pilar

[oldmoose]

 Guest
Pilar, welcome to the group. We looked at both Coleman and Jayco and prefered the Jayco. It s a presonal preference and you should look at all brands to find the model you like. Make sure your tow vehicle can tow it. Like others, we have been tent campers and decided to get our fanny s off the ground. It does take a little bit of time to set up and take down, but the added conveiences of a fridge, heater and potty/shower were what sold us. Not everyone has the potty/shower, but having the three way fridge (120v ac, 12v dc & propane) allows you to go camping with or without hookups. I don t know when you re planning to buy, but there will be a big RV show at the fairgrounds in Pomona in October.

[OC Campers]

 Guest
Hi Pilar, we live in Fountain Valley.  
 
  I think the closest dealers for the other trailer manufacturers is in Riverside and then I think it was only a Jayco dealer.  You may also find some different ones in Palm Springs.  Still kind of far to get service.
 
 I think with your sons disability you will find a popup will work out very well.  They are large enough inside that everyone has a place to sit but small enough that your son can get around without any help.  Especially if you get one with a bathroom.  He will be able to take himself without any help.   If you get one with a slide out it will give you a little extra space to move around.  Plus a newer one is also pre-wired for cable.  When we go to a campground with electric, we are able to bring the TV/VCR combo and it makes for an easier evening for the kids.  They can wind down before bedtime.  Plus we find that they are happy with a video and my husband and I can have a little quiet time alone in front of the fire.
 
 Jacqui

 Guest
Hi Pilar-
 
 My name is Holly, aka Hollypop, and we live in San Diego. We bought our camper last year and LOVE IT! Kudos to you for your serious tent camping trip- you will surely love a pop up. We looked at Towable Outlet here in San Diego. Their prices were very high, the guy said he couldn t budge off of MSRP, but it did give us an idea of models, features, etc. Then we went to Marjon s in Riverside (I think) their prices were much better but I think they only carry Coleman. We had settled on a Sea Pine model, because we liked it and it could be towed by our minivan. Towing weight will determine what size camper you can buy. Don t let the salespeople tell you how much you can tow. Well we got cold feet when it came time to sign the papers and left to think about it some more. A week later we saw an ad in the paper for the camper that is now in our driveway. It was in perfect condition and we saved thousands off buying new. In fact, it was the same model we had settled on at the dealer s! I guess it was meant to be. So don t be afraid to look at used too. If you want to ask some really well informed folks about two weights, etc. you can join this forum or you can post for free on http://www.coastexplorer.com/popupexplorer/forum
 
 I am preparing for a girls  only night at the state park.  We had made these reservations a long time ago and my husband was called away on a family issue at the last minute. I did get him to hitch up the camper to the van and park it along the street until we leave on Thursday. I think I can handle unhitching and setting it up. Backing it in to the campsite may be a different matter [] I am not too proud to ask help from some other camper though.  Dave will be joining us later Friday afternoon then. I really love it when I arrive at the campsite with the kids and Dave already has everything set up, so I want to be able to reciprocate when he gets there on Friday.

[Camping Coxes]

 Guest

My son (oldest) has a disability and legally blind and is uncomfortable in many new situations. A PU seems like it might be a bit like home for him..

 Pilar --
 
 With your son s situation I would definitely look into a model that has a lot of inside room for him to walk around so as not to be bumping into the cabinetry, etc.  Something with more of an open floor plan.  Also, something to think about with Coleman s stepper door is the stability of it as he steps out of the camper.  The regular steps that are on most other brands feel like they " bounce"  as you step on them, and that can be scary when you feel unsure of your footing.  I ve had both and I can tell you I love the solid footing when I step onto the stepper door.
 
 We have a Coleman and love it.  We checked out several brands, and we really liked the quality we found with the Coleman.  We did buy it used (came from Marjon s, too).  You can save a lot of money buying used trailers.  You don t get a warranty, though.  If you check Recycler. com, you can put in your price range and keywords (such as Pop-up or Coleman) and find a lot on there.  I had great luck when I was looking, although ultimately I found ours through an RV trader magazine.  RVTrader also has a website for finding trailers.
 
 Good luck in your search!

[Cstars]

 Guest
We bought our Starcraft last year at Adventure RV in Irvine.  They are the only Starcraft dealer around.  The main selling point for us was that for the size, it weighed less than others we had looked at.  Since we re towing with a minivan, this was a big deal for us.

[Steve-o-bud]

 Guest
Pilar
 
 We are on our second Pop Up. The first was an 1977 Jayco, very small, with an 8  box. It was very basic, it had an icebox, a sink, and a stove. We found it on E-Bay, for about $800.
 
 We are/were tent campers, and have a pretty big tent. However, the first time out in the little Jayco, I woke up, and seeing the girls sleeping on the opposite bunk end, I thought, wow, this is pretty roomy compared to the tent.
 
 Due to the kindness of dear friends of ours, they made us an offer we couldn t refuse to purchase their Coleman Bayside. It was a bit bigger then I would have chosen (due to my desire to keep it in my garage, and not want to pull a big trailer). But, it is real nice having all the goodies liked forced air, 3 way fridge, a sink that works, and A/C. So we went for it!
 
 I really like the slide out dinnete. If I was buying brand new, I might go with a smaller unit.
 
 One thing I like about Coleman is their Web site. It is very explanatory, showing all the models, options, and MSRP. I like to do most of my shopping by looking at brochures, comparing spec s etc.
 
 Good Luck!