EGG or POPUP

[Linda R002]

My two cents worth is go solid side all the time. We had a pop up and like the others, it was a pain to set up and take down, there also was no security. If you are out hiking, everything you own is now available to the kid in the next camp sit to come and "borrow". We also tried a front and back fold out trailer. We had that one for one trip and traded it off right away. Why, because as I was lying there sleeping someone reached up under the canvas and tried to get in. Still no security. And dog and cats can escape through the sides. Also when the sides are folded up, they just have a turn catch and no key locks. We considered putting a hasp on it for security but traded to a solid sided trailer instead. Security, and easy of use is why an egg is better. Stop to make lunch and you have your home ready to use. Pouring down rain storm, no worries, open the door and enjoy the dry peace and quiet. Don't like the idea of animals including humans having free roam of your home. Close the door of an egg and it is your, all yours.

[Bonnie and Roger in WA]

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Have you had an Egg and a Popup? Which has been have you enjoyed the most? Intend to travel many miles and Parks with short stays, looking for opinions.
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We have had several trailers over the years including two 13 foot fiberglass trailers. When our daughter was small and we did a lot of woodsy camping with family, we had an 18' Prowler. Then we bought a large HEAVY Starcraft tent trailer when we got into Street Rodding. Then we bought a 13' Scamp and loved it, but that meant I had to put butt ugly mirrors on our Street Rod and I didn't like it blocking my rear view, so we sold it to a fellow Street Rodder. When our daughter no longer traveled with us, we down sized to a smaller but much less user friendly tent trailer. Then we upgraded to a top of the line, but still small TAOS tent trailer. We were not happy with the refrigerator. In the HOT summertime it just couldn't keep up and they told us that was normal. NOT!!! And every time we traveled with our Street Rodding friends (who all owned 13' fiberglass) we were alway the last one set up and had to start way ahead tearing down camp. When we would stop for a break, we couldn't get into the trailer to make lunch, etc. etc. etc. Every week end it was a minimum of 4 up and downs. So, with the advice of these friends on a newer, better mirror system, last August we bought a L'il BigFoot (13') which needed a "little" work. After a total gutting and 6 months work, we just about have her put back together and ready to hit the road again. Our vote is for the "egg". Roger and Bonnie

[Bob Cupp]

I have also camped in almost everything except motorhomes, from motorcycle & tent, car & tent, pop-up and now fiberglass. The Starcraft pop-up had great room for 4 kids, wife and I.
My kids each had jobs to do, as soon as I parked, the youngest kids would unlock the clamps that held the top down and then they went inside to get the stabalizer jacks and crank, I cranked the camper up, the oldest kids would grab the beds and slid them out, the young ones would bring the support poles for the older ones to put in place and then the older went inside to put up the canvas supports and lower the door. This usaully took about 2-5 minutes. My wife then set up the sleeping bags and organized the inside for the night. While she did that, I cooked supper. We were usaully eating supper within 20 minutes of arriving. We got may comments about our military style set up. The kids loved helping and never complained (until they became teenagers.)
The pop-up definitely had more room for sleeping, my Love Bug is much better for 2 people. The Pop-up weighed 2000 pounds empty. Love Bug empty weight under 1000 pounds. Pop-ups leak more easily. Luch in a pop-up does not happen on the road. Heating a pop-up brings the interior temp to 40 F when 20 F outside. Love Bug heat will bring it to 65 F when zero F outside.
Used pop-ups can be bought cheap if you buy carefully and watch out for someone getting rid of JUNK. We didn't have much money so a pop-up was our only option back then, now we don't have to worry about it so much.

[Mike Watters]

Creepy, grubby little hands appearing next to ya when sleeping?!? Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our pop-up is all hard sided (kinda like the Chalets and Aliners) so I've never had that issue pop-up.

A small lightweight egg is the ultimate is speed set-up though. If you leave the jackstands set to the right height, you unhitch, lower the front end enough to shove the jacks in the back then raise the front up again and you're done.

To be honest - our Esterel is a LOT more straight-forward to put up than the normal tent-top trailers. It takes all of 30 seconds to actually put the walls up. Maybe another 2 minutes to clip the corners (so it doesn't fall down), put up the wall cabinet and hang the lights. What takes all the time in set-up is putting up the valences (pretty - but a hassle) and the awning (same level of hassle on an egg). Eliminating the valances (and adding more internal storage) is on my list of mods this summer. They were on my list for LAST summer until I found out about the 'twin' project.

[Chester Taje]

Those twins yours Mike?

[Mike Watters]

Do you really think I'd post pics of other folks babies??? That'd be kinda creepy...

Yup... they're mine. Born July 8. My summer was spent turning our front living room into a separate bedroom in preparation. Didn't quite finish in time though as they were 6 weeks early. I'd originally planned on spending the summer doing the above mentioned Esterel mods and the fix-up and interior fitting of the little gray fiberglass trailer in my Avatar. The alternative egg project had a higher priority however so I didn't get anything done on trailers - except camp in them.

Not all projects on eggs involve trailers.

mkw

[Donna D.]

We haven't seen pictures of the kids since they were little babies....ooooh don't you want to just squeeze them

[Mike Watters]

Actually - that pic is kinda old... I'm peeling this off to avoid hijacking the thread any further though...

mkw

[Doug Mager]

Roger in WA....
assuming you still have you rod (and trailer) do you ever get to ANY of the camp out weekends held in the N.W. WA area? (ie: Firecracker Run, Summer Fun Run, Can/AM Nats, JJs Summer Safari)

[Christi W]

One last thought. I don't think the pop-ups hold their value like the eggs.
Christi
P.S. Of course, this IS the Fiberglass website!!

[Debbie Ferrell]

I recently sold my pop-up to get a Casita. There are many reasons I sold it and opted for the upright. Here are just a few-

1. pop-ups are more time consuming to put up once you get to camp
2. You have to pack 4 times for each trip. 1st to go, then unpack when you arrive, pack when you are ready to leave camp and unpack at home. An upright will be easily accessable and can hold many things through out the season.
3. Easier to travel with an upright- If I want to leave home on a Friday after work I don't have to put the a pop-up together in the dark.
4. Security- I travel with two dogs and I want to know that I won't have any uninvited visitors in the middle of the night.
5. return on investment- fiberglass campers do not depreciate as quickly as pop-ups
6. No cables to break- I once went to crank my pop-up and the cable broke. I was forced to go to town purchase a tent (which I always carried after that) because the cable broke while I was raising it.
7. Better in wind- I camp in Oklahoma quite a bit, and it seems every time I go they have gale force winds well tents and pop-ups aren't the best in those conditions. There is nothing more difficult to sleep in when the canvas is getting blown around.

Good luck with your decision! This is just my experience and I know a pop-up will suit many peoples needs, it just didn't fit my lifestyle

[peterh]

EGG, less room by far!

I think that depends on the egg and the pop-up. Comparing the smallest eggs to the smallest pop-ups, the pop-up sleeps six (two at the dinette, two on each slide out vs two at the dinette and two on the gaucho) has more space, but larger "eggs" like our Scamp 5th wheel standard weigh about the same (or even less), sleep the same six people (two in the loft and at the dinette, two in the gaucho) and have more floor space. Either egg has more storage space.

--Peter

[Carol A.]

shhh! don't tell anyone, but I own a popup... I wanted an egg bad, but the storage on the smallest egg was 200 clams a month around here... the p'up fits in the garage and for 2400 bucks a year, I can crank that handle...

but someday...!

[Mike Watters]

Carol:

What's the height of your garage door??? Our's is 6'10". That's too short for all the modern eggs, but the '72 Boler American we had WOULD roll into the garage (just barely). If you only want to garage it in the winter - there are other tricks too...

The PlayPac wouldn't go in the garage though...

mkw

[Carol A.]

Carol:

What's the height of your garage door??? Our's is 6'10". That's too short for all the modern eggs, but the '72 Boler American we had WOULD roll into the garage (just barely). If you only want to garage it in the winter - there are other tricks too...

The PlayPac wouldn't go in the garage though...

mkw

ours is also too short... also a big curb/bump to get in... almost impossible to get even a full sized truck in there and then there's the HOA...

[Tom Trostel]

Carol A.
You mean something like this.

http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/ViewPhoto?...&p=73125484

If you can find a Compact Jr., Compact II, or Trails West Campster, you're in business.

Tom Trostel

[Carol A.]

Carol A.
You mean something like this.

http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/ViewPhoto?...&p=73125484

If you can find a Compact Jr., Compact II, or Trails West Campster, you're in business.

Tom Trostel

yup - looked at those carefully - then I ran into the the problem of my 2 rather large dogs... I'm telling ya - the popup, while a pain in some respects, solved a lot of other problems...

one of these days there will be the space for an egg, but first, I need a little more tossin' around cash for storage, or a new neighborhood with a taller garage and/or few busybodies...