8 foot popup experience with 2 kids

[BrianM]

My wife and i just had a son 10 weeks ago.  we have been looking for a camper.  currently we have a small suv  that only allows for a 8ft as far as towing.  anybody have any experience about a smaller pop up with 2 small kids.  i figure it would be good for 4-5 yrs.  but i dont want to regret it not buying a bigger one..  of course then id have to buy a bigger auto and a new pop up thanks.

[GrizzlyTaco]

Brian, what kind of SUV do you have? Also what is the tow rating for your SUV? I have a Hyundai Santa Fe with a 2.7L V-6 engine and I'm towing a 12 ft. Jayco that ways around 2100 to 2200 lbs with full gear and i have no problem towing. My Santy has a tow rating of 3000lbs......Ed C.

[popupcop]

We bought our first P/U (an 8 footer) in 1991 when our son was about three months old.  It worked well with just one kid.  The main problem with the small P/U was only one of us could stand up or move around at a time because the floor space was so tiny.  We had another kid in 1994 and eventually moved to a 12 foot box in 1997 when things got too crowded and we no longer could stow everything everyone needed.
 
The small P/U (a Coleman) towed really well and was so light that I could spin it around at the campsite and face any direction I wanted (if trees were not in the way).  We used a small dome tent to store some stuff in so we did not have to use so much inside room.
 
The larger P/U (also a Coleman) was heavier, wider and taller (and harder to see around) but it also towed well behind our full sized pickup.  
 
You might find a good price on a small used P/U and use it for a while until you can afford a bigger tow vehicle then later a bigger P/U.  If you buy used you probably can get most of your money back when you go to sell if you take really good care of your P/U.
 
Happy Camping!!!

[6Quigs]

We tent camped for years, and it was only after we had 4 children that we borrowed an 8 foot, 20 year old popup, and went camping for a weekend.

We thought we were in a palace!
We were not sleeping on the ground, we had lights, what more could you need?
We could wake up in the morning, and eat breakfast inside, in our PJ's, and if the weather turned bad, we could stay inside, nice and dry and warm.
We used it a few more times that year, camping with the 4 children, and compared to our old tent, we never felt cramped, mainly because we didn't know any better.
I'd recommend getting a used one, and use it for 4 or 5 years, and then decide if you need something bigger.

[mike4947]

Brian, IMHO you sound like you've got a good plan. We found the dinette down was a perfect place for portacribs. Nice height, and being in the center of the trailer and off the floor kept the kids warmer in cold weather.
We actually fenced off one bunk end for the kiddie playroom/sleeping area with netting we could open up easily but the kids couldn't...LOL It was nice once my son was up and walking and needed a little restraint during the night. He learned at an early age how to open the camper door and even climb for the latch I mounted at the top of the door..LOL
 
I'm not sure if they even make them anymore but we had a seat that hooked to the edge of a table that worked great for containing him for meals and didn't take up floor space. Even worked on thick picnic tables.

[Cheryl]

Hi Brian,
We camped with two children in an 8ft. Coleman Gettysburg popup circa 1976 from 1996 until 2002. My kids were 8 and 13 when we first bought the popup. After tent camping we thought we were livin' large. Most of our time camping is spent in the outdoors. The camper was used strickly for changing clothes and sleeping. When we sold the 8ft Coleman we moved to an 11ft Coleman and thought we were in luxury. The lessons learned by my kids when sharing space in the small camper will stay with them forever....respecting one another's space, less is more, and Mother  Nature is magnificent. When we sold the 8ft Coleman we got the same amount we had paid for it.....definitely a great investment. Good luck in your hunt.
Cheryl

[GeneF]

HI Brian

We had a 1990 Jayco 8 foot popup that we did a 49 day cross country trip in when the kids were 11 and 6.   Used the popup for about 3 years and then went to a 10 footer.

That trip was an experience, which still hasn't been forgotten.  

The popup didn't have a heater or a fridge.  It was a basic unit but we didn't know any better and enjoyed our trip very much.

Ds slept with me and dd with dw.  Beds were not really made for two adults.

We have had a 6 ft tent camper, 8ft, 10 ft and 12 foot popups.  My recommendation would be to get a 10 footer if you can find one light enough to tow.

The ten footer gave us enough room to move around and not be in each others way, storage was better and beds were bigger.  Also, you won't be looking for a new popup as quickly.

Of our four rigs, I found the 10 footer to be the best one all around.  Easy to tow, not that heavy, enough room, and comfortable to sit around in in rainy weather.

Good luck on your quest.  There are a lot of good used popups out there but it might take some hunting to find the right one.

[mountainrev]

We had two different 8 footers (Starcraft and Coleman) before getting our current 11' Viking.  When there was only one child, the 8' was a palace.  When child #2 came along, we were still fine for a while.  But as they grew, the 8' Coleman (Pioneer Sedona) became unusable.  It was supposed to sleep 4, but only if two of them are under the age of 5, I think!  If you are 6' or over, and don't like sleeping with your legs curled up, you will probably end up going diagonal on the bunkend, which rules out having another adult sleep there with you.  The dinettes on 8 footers are quite small, so they realistically only accomodate one.  And the single bunkends that most 8 footers seem to have really only work with children.  I can't comfortably sleep on one.  

So toward the end, #1 son slept in his own tent while the rest of us stayed in the popup.  That wasn't all bad.  He was responsible for setting up and taking down his own tent, which kept him busy, and he could be as messy as he liked in his own tent.  However, he didn't appreciate tenting when it was cold and rainy!  That led us to buy the 11'.  But he's 15 now, so his days of camping with us are numbered, I'm afraid.  

So if you know going into it that an 8' will not accomadate you for more than a few years, then go for it.  Many popup owners, however, like to give the advice, "Buy your second popup first," meaning, buy something a bit bigger and/or better than you think you need right now.  

If your tow vehicle truly can't handle anything bigger than an 8', then get an 8'.  If after doing some more research find that you can tow a 10', I'd recommend skipping the 8' and going immediately for a 10'.

[Dog]

Brian,,,we have an apache mesa,,30 yo pop up,8' on the inside floor and 16' overall,the wife,daughter 11,son 3 and myself do great in ours,I did notice some 8'rs are smaller then others,not much room,limit what you bring with you,we used to tent camp and gave up on that july 4th weekend,also like others have said,there are plenty of 10'rs also that most all suv's will tow,good luck and congrats on the little one,my son went on his first tent trip at 9 weeks old

[BrianM]

it is a ford escape 3.0 v6 without towing package.  2,000 pound towing rating

[Dog]

brian,you'll be fine pullin a 10'r,,,,to help keep the transmision working for years to come,add an aftermarket transmision cooler,,good luck

[GrizzlyTaco]

it is a ford escape 3.0 v6 without towing package.  2,000 pound towing rating

Brian, i looked up the tow rating for your Ford Escape and it reads a 3500 pound tow rating for that size engine. You might want to recheck with your dealer.

[BrianM]

i am pretty sure its 2,000# without the towing package which i have and 3,500 with the towing package.  the 8ft i was looking at was 2,000# the 10 I was looking at was 2,900#.

[cyclone]

I think Brian is right with the numbers.  We tow with a Mazda Tribute but it has the tow package and is rated at 3500 lb.  My sister recently bought an Escape without a tow package and it's 2000 lb; although her dealer did tell her she could always add the tranny cooler later if she wanted to tow a camper with it.  That said, we have had no problems towing a loaded 10 footer with the Tribute, but I wouldn't want to routinely camp in the mountains with it.  Long uphill climbs strain it somewhat. Unless space is a huge issue, I would stick with the 8 ft. for now.

[JimQPublic]

I'd bet a twenty that the only thing a towing package on the V-6 Escape gives you is a transmission cooler.  Even so, you still have to realize that the 3500 pounds has to be reduced by all passengers and cargo in the car.  It gives you a maximum trailer of about 2500 pounds dry which means a maximum base model weight of about 2200 pounds.  Options, propane, AC, trailer hitch, etc. can add hundreds of pounds.

Anyway, on to the main point of my post.  Our Chalet box is 11' long by 6'4" wide inside and four of us camp in it.  It's cramped but way better than the backpack tents we used before.  An 8' box tent trailer is 16' open so it sounds pretty nice!

Ideally though I suggest trying for a lightweight 10' box.  The bigger beds would be nice.  Even some 12' models are pretty light.  The Jayco 1207 claims to be under 2000 pounds.  That gives you a queen and a king bed.