It took a woman's touch

[CajunCamper]

I started hinting to my wife that I wanted to buy a brand new pop-up about 2 years before we actually bought it. We had been tent camping for many years and I had purchased an old pop-up that was just a mess for $100. I did a little work to it, but she was not at all impressed with this old stinker. I really couldn't blame her. She made one trip in it and said, "I rather the tent".

Well the problem with the tent was that in south Louisiana it gets down right unbearable to get a good nights sleep in a tent during the summer months and we really wanted to be able to enjoy camping year around.

A pop-up with an air conditioner seemed to be a logical solution. The problem with the pop-up was that my wife was worried about spending that much money on a new pop-up. (I insisted on new, because I wanted the warranty)

For two years I tried everything. I took her to the local dealers and had her look at a few different models. I showed her write ups about different models and their advantages. I told her how nice it would be to sleep in a nice air conditioned camper while stretched out in a king sized bed. I told her how nice it would be to keep the pop-up stocked and ready to roll at a moments notice. I talked about all the wonderful places and things we would be able to see and do in our pop-upand how much the boys would really enjoy having a pop-up. She did admit that all of that sounded nice, but it just didn't seem to get her off the fence.

I did a little more research and had come to the conclusion that the Coleman Santa Fe with air-conditioning and an awning and add-a-room was a model that seemed to be the one that would best serve our needs giving us all the necessities without going overboard. Still she sat on the fence.

One weekend, some friends invited us to go to their camp on the river and enjoy a little water skiing. After boating and water skiing for most of the day we returned to the camp to prepare for a fish fry and the arrival of some additional guest. Before too long a truck pulling a Coleman Santa Fe pulls up and young couple with their two kids get out. It was our friends cousin and they had come to the camp to set up theur pop-up and spend the weekend out on the river.

Well my eyes lit up and when they started to set up, I went over and told them I was looking at this very same pop-up and I asked if I could help them set up. They said sure and before long we had the camper unhooked, popped up and ready to trim it out. ("trim it out" is my way of saying, putting the awning up, getting the inside set up the way you want it, putting out the artificial turf, tacky lights and folding chairs, etc.) Well this is where I called my wife over to introduce her to the fella's wife who was busy trimming out the pop-up.

This woman, Terri, started showing my wife how she sets up the inside of her camper, where she puts her towels and how she stores everyones clothes, how she arranged her cabinets for storing all of her kitchen gadgets and goodies and so on. She showed my wife all three sets of her tacky lights and they decided which ones to put up and then they set up the folding table with a table cloth and matching napkins with really cool matching plastic plates and cups. Suddenly I saw my wife's face start to light up as she started to climb down off that fence onto my side of the fence, it was a wonderful spectacle to behold. I wanted to kiss Terri right smack on the lips, but I didn't.

For the first time my wife was in a pop-up that was being lived in by a family of four and it looked completely different that the very same models she had visited sitting on the show room floor. It was a home away from home that she could now invision.

We wound up sitting under their awing while eating fried fish and hush puppies ("hush puppies" a southern thang) while enjoying the company of our old friends as well as my new best friends.

As we were leaving, I looked at my wife and said,"well" and she then said, "okay, let's do it". I think I said something like " HOT DANG" and the boys let out a loud "YES".

Just so happens there was an RV show in New Orleans two weeks later and we became the proud owners of a brand spankin new 1996 Coleman Santa Fe with A/C and because we bought at the show they threw in a free awing and add-a-room for free. HOT DANG.

Here it is 2007 and we still have and love that same 1996 Coleman Santa Fe, but now it has a long list of memories to go with it.

CajunCamper

[AustinBoston]

I started hinting to my wife that I wanted to buy a brand new pop-up about 2 years before we actually bought it. We had been tent camping for many years and I had purchased an old pop-up that was just a mess for $100. I did a little work to it, but she was not at all impressed with this old stinker. I really couldn't blame her. She made one trip in it and said, "I rather the tent".

That can be some major inertia to overcome.  Not surprised it took two years.

For two years I tried everything. I took her to the local dealers and had her look at a few different models. I showed her write ups about different models and their advantages. I told her how nice it would be to sleep in a nice air conditioned camper while stretched out in a king sized bed. I told her how nice it would be to keep the pop-up stocked and ready to roll at a moments notice. I talked about all the wonderful places and things we would be able to see and do in our pop-upand how much the boys would really enjoy having a pop-up. She did admit that all of that sounded nice, but it just didn't seem to get her off the fence.

A few of us northern guys (not many) have learned that you can't convince a woman - she has to either 1) convince herself; 2) be convinced by another woman; 3) believe it was her own idea to begin with; or 4) change her mind.

The trick is trying to figure out which of those three apply this time.  If some guy comes up with a reliable way of figuring that out, then men the world over will beat a path to his door.  

This woman, Terri, started showing my wife how she sets up the inside of her camper, where she puts her towels and how she stores everyones clothes, how she arranged her cabinets for storing all of her kitchen gadgets and goodies and so on. She showed my wife all three sets of her tacky lights and they decided which ones to put up and then they set up the folding table with a table cloth and matching napkins with really cool matching plastic plates and cups. Suddenly I saw my wife's face start to light up as she started to climb down off that fence onto my side of the fence, it was a wonderful spectacle to behold.

Proof that God loves you and wants you to be happy.

I wanted to kiss Terri right smack on the lips, but I didn't.

Don't blame the messenger works both ways (and keeps things on good terms with DW).

For the first time my wife was in a pop-up that was being lived in by a family of four and it looked completely different that the very same models she had visited sitting on the show room floor.

Remember...it was different.

We wound up sitting under their awing while eating fried fish and hush puppies ("hush puppies" a southern thang) while enjoying the company of our old friends as well as my new best friends.

Haven't had good hush puppies in years.  Us Yankees can't get them right.  

As we were leaving, I looked at my wife and said,"well" and she then said, "okay, let's do it". I think I said something like " HOT DANG" and the boys let out a loud "YES".

Remember, you did not convince her - Terri showed her how nice it was - something you (or I) are not capable of.

Here it is 2007 and we still have and love that same 1996 Coleman Santa Fe, but now it has a long list of memories to go with it.

So how long 'till you start introducing grandchildren to it?  Our first is too young to appreciate it, but the time is coming.   :-()

Austin

[kimrb266]

Our 1st pop up was an 02 or 03 Coleman Santa Fe CP .  We had it for 2 seasons and found that we out grew it.  It was a  nice trailer and it found a good home with a young couple with kids and sometimes camp with them.  

 
My old employer purchased this tent trailer in 1996 or so and still have it today.  They've looked around for TT and other pop ups but can't see spending the money on something new when the still love the trailer they have.  They have a destiny model that has no fridge, no hot water, pump water and don't want something with all the frills.