Need help deciding on what camper is right for family

[lman2b]

Hi, I have 2 little kids and this past weekend my husband and I took the girls camping with our friends who have a pop-up. Can't remember the name of theirs, I'd never been in one or seen one before. We liked it so much we decided to look for a used one ourselves. Can anyone give me advice on what to look for? I know thats a broad statement but they look all pretty much the same to me. I'm not so interested in the options they have as it seems like they are all similar. I'm more interested in what brands are the best or worst, what holds their value, what has good workmanship rather than breaking down etc. and what are good prices to look for.  Our friends got a great deal, they only paid $3K for a 2 yr old fairly loaded camper, king and queen bed, fridge/sink/stove, u-shape dinette and couch sectional type thing and in great shape. Is it possible to get deals like that otherwise or do you need to buy a super old one? Also, what do you think of those campers that fold up into a triangle rather than a flat roof? Thanks in advance for any advice you have!

Oh yeah, there is a flagstaff forest river 208 one for sale locally, is that any good?

[hoppy]

Hope you find the "right one" that meets the needs of your family.

 The advise that I given in the past when this question comes up frequently is:

 # 1. You need to "know" the towing limits of your designated tow vehicle. There is really no reason to get your hopes up on any particular model camper, only to find that you TV can not tow it easily and safely. Once this is determinded, now on to the next step.
 # 2. Determine the sleeping capacity you need, a good floor plan that fits "your" needs, and the must have items that need to be included. Make this list up first. Since you already have a knowledge of some of the "stuff", you are already ahead in the game.
 # 3. Options that would be nice to have, but you could "live" without. I suggest going to a near dealer, and seeing some of the options. This may include AC, furnace, awnings, 3-way fridge, hot water heater, inside shower, and cassette toilet, etc. Whiile you are there, case out the dealers.... you never know when you might need their services. Which leads me in to.....
 # 4. Find a reputable dealer in your vacinity........

 Once you have completed these mentioned steps, you are pretty much on your way to find that "right" camper for you.

  Don't worry about the brand of PU as much as meeting your needs and wants. Just about all the PU manufacturers have pretty much the same quality reputations....... most have been in the PU manufacturing biz for over thirty years or more. Since they are still in buisness, they pretty much have met the quality / value expectations of their customers.

  Hope this helps, and have fun finding the right one for you.

 I guess you realized on your first expierence seeing and using a PU, that they are pretty much a fun item, that will add enjoyment to your camping.

[ForestCreature]

Also, what do you think of those campers that fold up into a triangle rather than a flat roof? Thanks in advance for any advice you have!
   

 
 I have one of those "triangle" campers. There are 2 makes, Aliner and Chalet.
 We love ours (Aliner). BUT....I wouldn't reccomend one for a family with growing children, they are small. Great for 1 or 2 tho.
 
 Welcome to the board!
 

[lman2b]

Thanks so much for the reply! I have a suburban so towing doesn't seem to be a worry. We live in colorado so we need a heater, I'd love a potty/shower but its not absolutely necessary. We have 4 in the family, I"m hoping for 5 someday, but it would be nice to be able to accomodate 2 more if necessary, although we can always upgrade in the future as long as we can sleep 4 for now. Our friends said that an electric opener is better than cranking it, and that a u-shaped dinette is very nice to have. A sink would be very useful, and as far as an a/c, I don't know if I need that or not??  I can't think of anything else, but you answered my most important question, whether there were any makers that I needed to stay away from!! Thanks so much!

[TheViking]

One little thing I can offer is don't say we can probably live without this or that.  I guaranty if you say we don't really need an A/C or a potty.  There will be a day when you wish you had.  If you can find one with that stuff spend the extra cash and get.  There are people on these boards that have upgraded to campers that have the stuff "They didn't really need" on their first one.  And now they are seeing what they missed.  I happen to be one of them.  Bottom line: Get everything on a camper you can afford.

[Zagami]

You are very fortunate to have one of the best pop-up dealers in the country right there in Colorado.  This dealership takes pride in making sure their customers understand pop-ups and have an excellent indoor showroom.  

This dealership is worth the trip:
 
Ketelsen's of Colorado
Wheat Ridge, CO
I-70W - Denver Area
 
Bob Zagami
Editor
Pop UP Times

[lman2b]

thats funny, last night my husband and I were in the area (colfax and I-70) and had some extra time before a meeting so we went to a nearby rv dealer and they were closed! We were shocked, it is summer and it was only 7:25! We plan to make a visit hopefully this weekend.

Any suggestions on the Coleman (or is it Fleetwood) brand? There seems to be so many models!

[lushy]

One little thing I can offer is don't say we can probably live without this or that.  I guaranty if you say we don't really need an A/C or a potty.  There will be a day when you wish you had.  If you can find one with that stuff spend the extra cash and get.  There are people on these boards that have upgraded to campers that have the stuff "They didn't really need" on their first one.  And now they are seeing what they missed.  I happen to be one of them.  Bottom line: Get everything on a camper you can afford.

Right on TheViking! I second that! The A/C is a high priority (IMHO) and the "potty" is a must with 2 young children (speaking from first hand knowledge)

Good luck and welcome!  :!

[hoppy]

Any suggestions on the Coleman (or is it Fleetwood) brand? There seems to be so many models!

 The Coleman trademark has not been placed on PU's since mid-year 2004. Fleetwood Industries and Coleman  Inc. had a falling out regarding trademark infringements, that are currently being settled in the courts. Fleetwood has been the manufacturer of all the Coleman PU's since 1989, when they purchased the Coleman facility in Somerset, PA. So Fleetwood owns the rights to the trademark, but until this issue is setteled in the courts, no one... not even Coleman can place the trademark on a PU.

 With that said, Coleman / Fleetwood make a decent PU. You will notice by my signature line that I own one. They can and do have some good points, and they also have their bad points. The good points in my opinion are a single piece door system, stepper door on certain models, tubular outer frame that accepts a WDH system, all models have electric brakes since 2001 MY, swing level galley on certain models, Sunbrella "breathable" tent fabric, an excellent lift system, self-storing dolly jack, just to name a few exclusive items.

 Now on to some of their bad points..... They introduced an ABS roof back in 1996 used on a few select models, and was used until the year 2003.5. This roof was supposed to be the greatest thing since sliced bread. A seamless roof that would be totally waterproof, and require virtually no maintenance during it's entire life. But shortly after their introduction, the new owners and dealers noticed that the roofs were developing sagging, cracking, blistering, delamination, and bowing to the point that the roof seal was no longer making contact with the box. Fleetwood worked on the problem until 2003, and finally had to throw in the towel, and revert back to the tried and true aluminum roofs. I happen to be one of the owners with the ABS roof, and I pray just about every day it does not go "belly-up" on me. Another big issue was their front storage areas leaking also up until 2004 when they finally changed the storage design and the materials used. The leaking storage areas would rot the flooring all the way into the box area, and then requiring replacement.

  These are the two "Achille's heel" for Fleetwood / Coleman PU's. Now other manufacturer's have their faults also, but since you mentioned Coleman I wanted to give you a heads-up just what to look for.

  My model has both these "features" and I just protect it the best I can. Other than these issues, the rest of the PU is top-notch quality. IMHO

   Hope this helps ya.

 BTW, that Suburban will tow the largest / heavyest PU on the planet. And that would be the Fleetwood "Niagra" model at present.

 Good luck.

[bnrevergreen]

We have the fleetwood evolution 2005. We love it. The new E-2's are out and they are real nice. Ketelsen was a pleasure to work with. Talk to the guys there, and they should be able to help you out.

[4campinfoxes]

Ok, I'll throw my 2 cents worth in the pot.  We bought our first popup when our 2 girls were about 2 & 6.  Our first camper was a 10 ft that had a U-shape dinette & another dinette, 2 queen bunks & not much else.  We outgrew that pretty fast - but it was a cheaper way to "get our feet wet".   My recommendation is go for at least a 12 footer if you can afford it and the front storage units are great.  Also, when you hope to have more camping with you, campers with a slide-out dinette offer more floor space & "hanging out" space in my opinion.  I know a fair number of people like A/C on their camper, I just go with big fans.  Some people really like the cassette potty/shower combo - I prefer the storage space.  When the girls were younger we used a porta-potty for those middle of the night or "hurry up I gotta go" times.  Now we rarely set it up so I'm really glad we didn't use up space with the cassette toilet.

You asked about manufacturers - well, every manufacturer has it's good & bad points.  Where one person  has had trouble with one brand, another hasn't had a lick of problems so that's a tough question to answer.  I don't know of any you absolutely should stay away from, but if you're looking at used units there have been some issues (like early versions of Coleman's ABS roof).

Welcome to the Board & Enjoy!!
Sharon

[SEQUOIA-5]

This spring I picked up a older Coleman  from this dealer and I highly recommend them.
 Stevecaseys rv  they are next to camping world off of I-70 (right next to it, they share a parking lot) my coleman was a one owner bought from Kettlesons in 1988.
 Stevecasey does not sell tent trailers, they sell motor coaches and tt but they do take them on trade. I was told they dont keep them long and will usually wholesale them out to another dealer. I offered them $800. for mine and they accepted the offer + tax!
 
Contact Jim in the sales department, they had 3 others when we got ours all much newer 2 with slide outs and none were priced over $4500. You will have to go and ask because they keep them in a back corner behind a privacy fence.
  We were treated with respect and felt welcome.
 I really expected them do not be so nice, as a matter of fact we had walked around the lot and on our way out when Jim asked if we needed any help, 2 hours later I payed for my trailer and came back in 3 days to pick it up (they performed a gas leak test and made sure all the wiring was in good order) I cant say enough what a non-stressfull exchange it was, they even sent us a pesonlized calender with the cover picture of our TV hooked up to the new trailer!
 Good luck with your search we have had alot of fun with ours, now if I could just fiqure out how to lite the furnace I would be all set.

     Jim

[camper147]

I personnaly bought a 2006 Rockwood model 1980 for $5100.00 brand new and I believe its the same as the flaggstaff 208 and I like them because of the heated bunk ends that I believe came out in 2002 or maybe it was 2003 model. it has 2 tables so kids can play games while others read snack whatever at teh other table. and so far I had great luck with this and its very comfortable with a family of 4 and 2 dogs. and it came with a screen room. just my 2 cents

[kwatson51]

Hi, I have 2 little kids and this past weekend my husband and I took the girls camping with our friends who have a pop-up. Can't remember the name of theirs, I'd never been in one or seen one before. We liked it so much we decided to look for a used one ourselves. Can anyone give me advice on what to look for? I know thats a broad statement but they look all pretty much the same to me. I'm not so interested in the options they have as it seems like they are all similar. I'm more interested in what brands are the best or worst, what holds their value, what has good workmanship rather than breaking down etc. and what are good prices to look for.  Our friends got a great deal, they only paid $3K for a 2 yr old fairly loaded camper, king and queen bed, fridge/sink/stove, u-shape dinette and couch sectional type thing and in great shape. Is it possible to get deals like that otherwise or do you need to buy a super old one? Also, what do you think of those campers that fold up into a triangle rather than a flat roof? Thanks in advance for any advice you have!

Oh yeah, there is a flagstaff forest river 208 one for sale locally, is that any good?

Hi,
We also live in CO (CO SPRNGS) and I agree with Zigami. We were about to buy from Kettleson's when we found a used (2000) Starcraft in good condition here locally. Had we bought new, it would have been at Kettlesons.

Ours has stuff we thought we wouldn't need, but now would not do without.
1. A big thing is a slide-out dinette...wife loves it...makes for SO much more room. We go with friends and like to have them over to "our place" for games, dinner etc. All 4 of us fit fine w/o being crowded. 2. Also has potty/shower. Haven't used the shower yet, but the potty sure is nice late at night. 3. Awning...makes a nice place out of the sun to sit and read, watch wildlife or whatever. Hasn't rained on us yet, but did snow on our maiden voyage last March. We have added a few things as well, such as a 9x12 'grass' patio mat. Keeps dirt out of the trailer pretty well.

Email us if yo have other questions that pertain locally.

[camper147]

if the 208 is a 2003 (I think it came out for 2003) or newer it should have the heated bunk ends which comes in handy on a slightly chilly night. I bought a 2006 Rockwood Model 1980 (same floorplan made by Forest River also makes Flaffstaff) adn I love it. I have only had it a few months but camp every chance I get. next trip two weeks.
when I was looking for used I found alot for just alittle less then I paid for this one new but I was looking at dealers and not private parties so you could find a better deal on used if you look.
Dave