New to camping

[mommy24boys]

Hello-

I am new to camping, but my husband is not.  We have 4 boys--ages 8, 5 (almost 6), 3 & 17 mos.  We spent the last weekend tent camping at Turkey Run State Park in Indiana.  After sleeping 2 nights on an air mattress, I told my husband that if we were going to continue camping then we were going to look into getting a pop up camper.  We are not in a position to buy a new one, so we are looking for a used one.  

Any advice on what to look for?  Suggestions from seasoned popup users is great appreciated!

Terri

[tlhdoc]

Welcome to PUT.  What will you be towing the PU with?  The towing capacity is often a limiting factor when buying a PU.  With 4 children you will want to get as big of a PU as possible.  I love the shower/cassette potty in my PU.  I don't like having to craw over a dinette or sofa to get into the bunkends.  Some people want to be able to get to the fridge to pack it, when the top is down.  It all depends on what you want/need/can tow.  I would recommend looking at a some new PUs to get ideas on what options and floor plans are out there, so you can figure out what you want in the PU you get.  Good luck on your hunt.

[mommy24boys]

We will be pulling it with a 2000 Ford Expedition.  I don't think I'd want to crawl over a sofa to get into the bunks.  

That's a good idea to go look at new ones to see what we like.  Is it better to buy a used one from an individual or from a dealer?

Welcome to PUT.  What will you be towing the PU with?  The towing capacity is often a limiting factor when buying a PU.  With 4 children you will want to get as big of a PU as possible.  I love the shower/cassette potty in my PU.  I don't like having to craw over a dinette or sofa to get into the bunkends.  Some people want to be able to get to the fridge to pack it, when the top is down.  It all depends on what you want/need/can tow.  I would recommend looking at a some new PUs to get ideas on what options and floor plans are out there, so you can figure out what you want in the PU you get.  Good luck on your hunt.

[Kelly]

We will be pulling it with a 2000 Ford Expedition.  I don't think I'd want to crawl over a sofa to get into the bunks.  

That's a good idea to go look at new ones to see what we like.  Is it better to buy a used one from an individual or from a dealer?

Hey Terri ~ Welcome to PUT!  I also have four kids ~ but only one boy.  Things must be lively at your house!  

My PU has 2 dinettes ~ one u-shaped and one regular.  I don't have to climb over either of them to get into my bed ~ I have a little step stool.  On the other hand, the girls do have to climb over one (the u-shaped) to get into their bed.  I think it's a good thing.  It's much easier for them to use the dinette to get in than a stool and I don't have to worry about them falling and getting hurt.

It's all a matter of personal preference.  I agree with Tracy ~ check them out at a local dealer.  Think about how you camp and what features you would need and go from there.  Take the boys and climb in and out of them ~ the dealers will love you, I'm sure     Try to imagine your whole family in there on a rainy day!

As far as who to buy from ... I bought both of mine from private parties.  The first was from my ex's sister ~ he got that one in the divorce.  The second was from someone I met here at PUT (Thanks, Hersheygirl!!).  I'm sure others will have better advice in this area than I do.  

[mommy24boys]

Thanks for the welcome!  This is a great forum!

That's a good point about us being in it on a rainy day!

Does yours have any features you couldn't live without or something now that you've had it you wish you did have?  Seems like there are so many options. Which is why it would be a good idea to go look at a bunch and then figure out what we do and don't want.  

I'll have to check the classifieds section on here to see if there are any pu for sale in Indiana.

Hey Terri ~ Welcome to PUT!  I also have four kids ~ but only one boy.  Things must be lively at your house!  

My PU has 2 dinettes ~ one u-shaped and one regular.  I don't have to climb over either of them to get into my bed ~ I have a little step stool.  On the other hand, the girls do have to climb over one (the u-shaped) to get into their bed.  I think it's a good thing.  It's much easier for them to use the dinette to get in than a stool and I don't have to worry about them falling and getting hurt.

It's all a matter of personal preference.  I agree with Tracy ~ check them out at a local dealer.  Think about how you camp and what features you would need and go from there.  Take the boys and climb in and out of them ~ the dealers will love you, I'm sure     Try to imagine your whole family in there on a rainy day!

As far as who to buy from ... I bought both of mine from private parties.  The first was from my ex's sister ~ he got that one in the divorce.  The second was from someone I met here at PUT (Thanks, Hersheygirl!!).  I'm sure others will have better advice in this area than I do.  

[hoppy]

First, allow me to welcome you to the forum.

 If you decide to purchase a used PU from an private party and this being your first PU, I recommend bringing along someone with you that either owns one presently, or had one in the past. There are many things to look for to see if the PU has been taken care of in the past. Both of my previous PU were purchased used from private parties, and I saved a bundle of money doing so. When the dealer sells a used unit, he needs to get back all the money he has got into it, plus around 25-35 % profit to pay the help.


 As for some of options and advise, I ditto the advise of getting a large camper with the number in your family. Two dinnetts (one being a slide-out) might be a good idea also for those rainy day eat-ins. An inside shower and cassette toilet may be needed also.

 These would be the basic needs as I see it for your size familly.

 Other options like AC, furnace, 3-way fridge, awning & add-a-room enclosure would be a consideration based on the style of your camping.

 You can use //WWW.rvtraderonline.com to  get a general idea of the prices for the models with the options you choose, and //www.nada.com to verify if the pricing is in line. Use the NADA website as a tool to estimate the values of used PU's for the last 15 years.

  Good luck with your search and purchase.

[bmbkamp]

Hey, Terri.
 
We are scheduled to take delivery of our new PUP tomorrow.  We were tent campers for 10 years before deciding to take the plunge - much for the same reasons as yours.
 
We made our decision based on floor plans, price, and dealer.  We also took into consideration family size - now and in the future.  And the type of camping we do.  We tend to use the campsite as a central location when on vacation (another way to say cheap hotel room!) - so we tend not to spend a whole lot of time in our campsite.  
 
We were looking for used first, and new if we had to.  We went to a dealer very close to our home - the new ones were OK, and we didn't like the used ones.  Plus, he seemed real anxious to have us buy one right there.  That kind of turned me off.  The next dealer had a good selection of new PUP's, but we were unsure which was right for us. He asked us a few questions about how we camp, and told us which one we needed.  Sure enough, DW and I agreed right away that the layout was perfect for us.  Then we started looking for used PU's and didn't find anything we liked for the prices.  So, we decided the best thing for us would just be to suck it up and buy the new one.
 
One of the first things I learned on this board is that the PUP's are mostly the same in terms of quality.  Yes, I know I'm a newbie, but there seems to be no brand out there that you need to avoid.  Much of your decision, if you buy from a dealer, comes down to your comfort level with that dealer.  I found that to be very true.  Even if you buy used in a private sale, check out your local dealers anyway.  Chances are, if you need it repaired, you will be taking your PUP there.    
 
Good luck.
 
Bob

[mommy24boys]

Thank you so much for the two links.  I've been on the rvtrader and found a couple that looked good.  DH would like an awning and then get a separate screen room to set up to put a picnic table in.  

That is a good idea to take someone along who knows about pu with us to look at them.  

First, allow me to welcome you to the forum.

 If you decide to purchase a used PU from an private party and this being your first PU, I recommend bringing along someone with you that either owns one presently, or had one in the past. There are many things to look for to see if the PU has been taken care of in the past. Both of my previous PU were purchased used from private parties, and I saved a bundle of money doing so. When the dealer sells a used unit, he needs to get back all the money he has got into it, plus around 25-35 % profit to pay the help.


 As for some of options and advise, I ditto the advise of getting a large camper with the number in your family. Two dinnetts (one being a slide-out) might be a good idea also for those rainy day eat-ins. An inside shower and cassette toilet may be needed also.

 These would be the basic needs as I see it for your size familly.

 Other options like AC, furnace, 3-way fridge, awning & add-a-room enclosure would be a consideration based on the style of your camping.

 You can use //WWW.rvtraderonline.com to  get a general idea of the prices for the models with the options you choose, and //www.nada.com to verify if the pricing is in line. Use the NADA website as a tool to estimate the values of used PU's for the last 15 years.

  Good luck with your search and purchase.

[mommy24boys]

Thanks Bob!

I don't like pushy salespeople!  Sounds like you found a great one though at the 2nd place that could pinpoint what you needed.  Sounds like the family needs to take a trip to a couple of dealers to look at them.  We live about an hour from Elkhart Indiana so we have a lot of dealers to choose from.  Do RV dealers put them on sale at any certain time over another?

Hey, Terri.
 
We are scheduled to take delivery of our new PUP tomorrow.  We were tent campers for 10 years before deciding to take the plunge - much for the same reasons as yours.
 
We made our decision based on floor plans, price, and dealer.  We also took into consideration family size - now and in the future.  And the type of camping we do.  We tend to use the campsite as a central location when on vacation (another way to say cheap hotel room!) - so we tend not to spend a whole lot of time in our campsite.  
 
We were looking for used first, and new if we had to.  We went to a dealer very close to our home - the new ones were OK, and we didn't like the used ones.  Plus, he seemed real anxious to have us buy one right there.  That kind of turned me off.  The next dealer had a good selection of new PUP's, but we were unsure which was right for us. He asked us a few questions about how we camp, and told us which one we needed.  Sure enough, DW and I agreed right away that the layout was perfect for us.  Then we started looking for used PU's and didn't find anything we liked for the prices.  So, we decided the best thing for us would just be to suck it up and buy the new one.
 
One of the first things I learned on this board is that the PUP's are mostly the same in terms of quality.  Yes, I know I'm a newbie, but there seems to be no brand out there that you need to avoid.  Much of your decision, if you buy from a dealer, comes down to your comfort level with that dealer.  I found that to be very true.  Even if you buy used in a private sale, check out your local dealers anyway.  Chances are, if you need it repaired, you will be taking your PUP there.    
 
Good luck.
 
Bob

[bmbkamp]

Terri,
 
I'm sure others on the board will have a better answer, but I believe the big sales happen sometime in September.  This coincides with the introduction of next year's models, and the big RV shows.  
 
Your kids are younger than mine, but I had a blast taking my kids to the dealers.  It can be a great lesson for them, and I encouraged my kids to ask questions of the salesperson.  They always came up with a good question that I hadn't thought of.
 
Keep us posted on your search.
 
Bob

[andym86]

Hi Terry
Welcome to PUT.You found the right place to ask questions.Everybody here is more than willing (and able) to help.
We,(Husband,Wife,Son)  tent camped for many years,too and in 2000 we bought a new Coleman Cheyenne Pop Up.
At first we were looking for used PU and I kind of set the limit at about $2500.I soon realized that I had to change my strategy.While looking at some PU,we noticed that the older unit's are not as wide as the new ones.I 'm 6'4" and sleeping in a camper that is (I'm guessing) 6' was not for me.Also,the more I was looking,the more I realized what I would like in a PU .Like hot water heater,3-way fridge,heater,lots of storage,etc.
I was looking at a 10 year old Pu with all those things and it was going for $4000, this was back in 2000.
So I started looking into new PU and make a long story a little shorter,ended up buying new for about $6700.
With the Tax and an additional ADD-A-Room it came to about $7500.
Yes, a far cry from my original limit,but it was well worth it.
My advise would be to:
1) Look at as many campers as you can,new and used.
2)Do NOT buy on impulse .
3)Don't buy on the day while you're looking(unless you did your homework and know what you are buying)
4)If you decide on a new unit,call around and see what the pricing is at other dealers and make sure when you compare that you're looking at the same options.

When we bought ours, I was checking the camper at one dealer(and did not buy on the spot) and looked in the classifieds and found another dealer.Gave them a call and just inquired about the price,since I knew now what I was looking for and the PU was $1800 cheaper!
I bought the camper over the phone and picked it up 2 weeks later.
That was in July/August,2000.
I believe they wanted to make room for the 2001 model's.
In september the RV shows start in this area(Harrisburg,PA) and run thru February(Suffern,NY  Springfield,Mass. etc.
Sometimes they have great deals,like A/C for a dollar and so on.
Someone (Copcarguy) in our Group ( COTOC) drove out to ,I believe,Indiana to pick up a new Hybrid. From what I understand,nobody in his area could come close to the deal he got.

So I hope this helps a little and good luck in your search.

Andy

[copcarguy]

Yep Andy - you're right on the money!  I knew what I wanted and searched for a few weeks online.  I ended up driving 700 miles each way, but I saved $5000 from what the dealers around here wanted.

www.rvtraderonline.com is the BEST RV classifieds I have found so far.
 
Good luck in your search!