I enjoy a PUP rather than a TT and its OK

[J-Bird]

I just wanted to say I traded in my TT last month and got my Jayco and am very happy going back to a pup.  I had a pup last summer too and sold it to buy a TT.  I then decided this year again LOL a pup is better for us and enjoy towing it alot better.  I don't feel going to a TT means you are " UPGRADING" and that owning a pup is all you can handle now or afford, or it just starting out. Like going to a TT is moving up in the world (lol), your better off now, no more getting wet when setting up, etc.... they both as well as MH have there pros and cons. I have read some past posts and people have said one day we'll get a TT or this or that, like that someday will make things better ...lol... I really enjoy a pup. J-Bird

[dthurk]

I just wanted to say I traded in my TT last month and got my Jayco and am very happy going back to a pup.  I had a pup last summer too and sold it to buy a TT.  I then decided this year again LOL a pup is better for us and enjoy towing it alot better.  I don't feel going to a TT means you are " UPGRADING" and that owning a pup is all you can handle now or afford, or it just starting out. Like going to a TT is moving up in the world (lol), your better off now, no more getting wet when setting up, etc.... they both as well as MH have there pros and cons. I have read some past posts and people have said one day we'll get a TT or this or that, like that someday will make things better ...lol... I really enjoy a pup. J-Bird

We just went the darkside route from our PUP, we've had the new one about 2 weeks now.  I've never considered it an upgrade, just a different way of doing it.  We sold the PUP, and I had a hard time watching it disappear down the road.  I'll miss the openness and the closeness with nature.  The sound of rain on the canvas is much different that the rubber roof.  On the other hand, I will not miss the dirty and sometimes filthy bathhouses and showers (in spite of the best efforts of some very fine campground owners and caretakers).  I'd have to go in with shower shoes and latex gloves and clean up first to be able to take a shower.  I'll also be glad to be able to close the windows and turn on the air conditioning to mask out an all night party nearby.  Also, the awning on this thing is huge.  

So, as you say, there are good points and bad points to everything.  I hope that if we meet someday in a campground, we can all get along with each other.  The campground class distinctions are sad to see.  It is amazing the difference in the attitudes of the "trailer people" now when we pull into a campground with our new beast.  They are much friendlier and more open to us now.  The PUP people seem to be more accepting of others in the campground, it's nice to see that and I hope I never lose it.  We've only had our beast for 2 weeks, but already we've spent 6 nights in 2 campgrounds.

[J-Bird]

Thanks Dave for the reply and taking the time to respond.  I know what you mean about the bathrooms etc.... you are so right. And the noise sometimes etc.... its funny though, it all goes back to PEOPLE.  How they leave the restrooms, handle them selves, drive, I could go on and on........its all about people and why things are that way at times.  Good luck with your nes " Beast"  I wish you many happy trips.  Stay safe and well. J-Bird

[tlhdoc]

You are not the only one that has gone back to a PU.  Copcarguy did the same thing.  He had a PU, traded it in on a hybrid trailer and after camping with 3 families in PUs in February, he decided to go back to a PU.  There is just something about a PU...

[copcarguy]

Hey all!

I was just going to type a reply and I see that tlhdoc was nice enough to do it for me!  I'll keep a long story short - just read my profile...

[merkong]

On the other hand, I will not miss the dirty and sometimes filthy bathhouses and showers (in spite of the best efforts of some very fine campground owners and caretakers).  I'd have to go in with shower shoes and latex gloves and clean up first to be able to take a shower.  I'll also be glad to be able to close the windows and turn on the air conditioning to mask out an all night party nearby.  Also, the awning on this thing is huge.  

The campground class distinctions are sad to see.  It is amazing the difference in the attitudes of the "trailer people" now when we pull into a campground with our new beast.  They are much friendlier and more open to us now.  The PUP people seem to be more accepting of others in the campground, it's nice to see that and I hope I never lose it.  We've only had our beast for 2 weeks, but already we've spent 6 nights in 2 campgrounds.

Whew!!  I'm not sure where you guys are camping, but a) the "bath houses" (man, calling them that kinda creeps me out) are super clean in the MN State Parks and b) I've never detected any sort of "classes" of campers where we go (but then again maybe I'm too busy camping to pay any attention).  

As soon as we bought our rig, I said "someday, I'll be backing a big 'ol 5th wheeler in, bump outs that have bump outs" and all that sort of talk.  Looking out the window and seeing the pop up in the backyard, I gotta admit, this is probably it for us.  Good luck and I hope the pop up owners aren't too hard on the TT people in your campgrounds (I have a cartoon bubble in my head filled with a West Side Story kinda thing going on).

[dthurk]

Whew!!  I'm not sure where you guys are camping, but a) the "bath houses" (man, calling them that kinda creeps me out) are super clean in the MN State Parks and b) I've never detected any sort of "classes" of campers where we go (but then again maybe I'm too busy camping to pay any attention).  

As soon as we bought our rig, I said "someday, I'll be backing a big 'ol 5th wheeler in, bump outs that have bump outs" and all that sort of talk.  Looking out the window and seeing the pop up in the backyard, I gotta admit, this is probably it for us.  Good luck and I hope the pop up owners aren't too hard on the TT people in your campgrounds (I have a cartoon bubble in my head filled with a West Side Story kinda thing going on).

LET'S RUMBLE!!!!!

Have fond memories of WSS. Played the pit of that show for a NYC cast production in Geneva, NY many years ago.  It was an outstanding professional production.  Great show, great music.

Bathhouse might be the wrong term, but is used around these parts.  The class mentality does exist, though.  When we were in Niagara Falls just a few days ago, we spent some amount of time with the TT people next door to us, nice people, older couple.  Of course we told them our story.  The gentleman quizzed us every morning as to how we slept and was telling us constantly "You'll really like this, it's so much better".  I had the sense if we had pulled in with our PUP, about all we would have said to each other was "hello" with a head nod.  We actually spent more time with the popup family on the other side of us.  Nice, friendly family.  

I think the TT, 5vrs and MH owners, as a group, seem to have a stronger sense of "being better".  Of course this can change as you deal with individuals.  The PUP people just have a good time.

[fritz_monroe]

I was glad to see this post.  We've only had our pup for 4 months, but already I've seen some cases of the classes.  Nothin outright hostile, but a sense of we're better than you.  In my area, it tends to be the Class A folks and some of the 5ers.

My story is that we've been looking at all sorts of campers for 10 years.  We finally decided that we wanted to get something now so the kids can enjoy camping.  We did a little tent camping, but it was a pain.  We decided on a pup for a couple reasons, they are far easier and more economical to tow.  They get you closer to nature, and cost had a minor part in it.  We origninally were looking at Class C campers.  We could afford any of them, but it looked like a pup would just fit better.  It does and we are loving it.

I do admit that this will not be our last camper.  After the kids are grown and I'm retired, we will have to figure out if we'd be best with a class A, C or 5er.  We plan on doing some traveling when I retire, and those are set up better for touring the country.  If I had to decide today, it would be a 5er, but I've got 15 or 20 years to decide.

[howlinowl]

For the type of camping, traveling my wife and I will be doing; short, weekend trips, maybe a weeklong every couple years, the pup is the right choice.  Relatively inexpensive to maintain and travel with.  If, I get too old to crank the thing up and down comfortably, we may get a TT.  Only way I would probably consider a Class A, C or 5er would be if we were retired and planning on RVing full time.  

Allan

[patches]

Just a passing thought...I sometimes wonder why people go camping if they have to have all the amenities of home.  So...maybe I am alittle bit of a camping snob myself, only in the opposite direction.  I am getting too old to sleep on the ground but a pop up is the next best camping out I can do.  (Used to wilderness camp, backpacking)  I also think that I am not in any indebtness that RVs could bring when trying to keep up with classes of camping.  BUT with the passing of years, I think I would RV just because comforts are more important for an older body.  Regarding the talking to other campers, this is a good thing as I think it is mostly harmless talk about hobby-interest of the experience.  And, campgrounds can be preferential I agree but that is also in either direction depending on a number of factors particular to the campground.  For example, with all the rain this past 30 days here in Maine, campgrounds in the wooded areas are preferring the popups because they are not soo heavy and can get in and out without muck and mire.  RVs are being turned away until drier conditions exist.  But who knows when that will be.  As the old saying goes...make hay while the sun shines.  So as soon as it does...we are good to go.   Have fun!  Patches

[dthurk]

IMO-  Different types of camping need to be used to meet different conditions.  For example, I remember a couple years ago, DD and I went on a kayak/camping trip.  It was only 2 days and 1 night, but a wonderful experience.  We had to carry all our equipment in the boats (and it's amazing how much equipment you can fit in a kayak), as we simply stopped along the river and camped.  We didn't see a single person from the time we put in until the take out point the next day.  Dry tent camping and light packing at it's best.  Our 27' TT would not have made it.    

Point is, I guess, that each type of camping has it's advantages and disadvantages.  I wish we could have kept the PUP to give us more choices and options, but that wasn't prudent from a financial standpoint.  We could still do the kayak thing, though.  We have all the equipment yet to do whatever tent camping we would want to.  If we do tent camp in a campground, I'll not feel inferior to anyone, particularly with that 27 footer parked in the driveway at home.  I would suspect our RV experience would probably make the tenting more enjoyable.  I'll have to talk to DD and see if she'd want to make a tent trip here sometime soon.  DW would have nothing to do with the ground.  Too bad.

[tlhdoc]

I would suspect our RV experience would probably make the tenting more enjoyable.

Why do you thin the RV experience would make tenting more enjoyable?

[GeneF]

Not sorry that I left all you lowly popup owners and got myself a hybrid three years ago.  Just wanted to be a classier camper than the rest of you with those little fold up things.

Really kind of disliked seeing the "class" remarks but unfortunately there is a certain feeling out there towards different types of campers.

I have found that it is the people inside the campers that makes the big difference.  Kind of the same thing as the people who live in the starter homes and the people in the trophy homes.

We have travelled all over and have found friends and not-so-friends in many campgrounds from tenters to class A.

Don't blame the type of camper, blame the class of camper.

[tlhdoc]

Not sorry that I left all you lowly popup owners and got myself a hybrid three years ago. Just wanted to be a classier camper than the rest of you with those little fold up things.
 
Really kind of disliked seeing the "class" remarks but unfortunately there is a certain feeling out there towards different types of campers.
 
I have found that it is the people inside the campers that makes the big difference. Kind of the same thing as the people who live in the starter homes and the people in the trophy homes.
 
We have travelled all over and have found friends and not-so-friends in many campgrounds from tenters to class A.
 
Don't blame the type of camper, blame the class of camper.

Well said Gene!

[J-Bird]

Your right Gene,  go back at read my original thread and what i said.  It all goes back to people !!!!!!J-Bird