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Old 07-30-2006, 11:58 AM   #1
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I have a popup camper and am seriously considering a switch to a fiberglass unit. I love my popup, but have found that the set-up/take-down is just too much work. I am wondering if anyone here has had a popup and can offer me any comparisons as far as how they tow or anything else good or bad. I appreciate all info. Thanks!
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Old 07-30-2006, 12:24 PM   #2
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Quote:
I have a popup camper and am seriously considering a switch to a fiberglass unit. I love my popup, but have found that the set-up/take-down is just too much work. I am wondering if anyone here has had a popup and can offer me any comparisons as far as how they tow or anything else good or bad. I appreciate all info. Thanks!

When my boys were young our first camper was a pop up.
My most memorable moment was at 5 in the morning at Eagle Lake getting woke up with a knock on the door and my youngest standing in his underwear asking why I threw him out of the trailer? He was sleeping on the outside of the bed next to the canvas and rolled over in his sleep and slid down through the canvas onto the ground. Those were great days.
I think you will find that the eggs are lighter than the popuups. I just bought mine but I towed it 350 miles home and I did not know it was behind my truck. I have an 05 Toyota PU with the 4 cyl.
Even with the extra room I would never go back to the popup.
Hopes this helps.
John
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Old 07-30-2006, 12:33 PM   #3
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I had a popup before.
I remember it ALWAYS rained when we broke camp and I had to open it up when I got home to dry off the canvas, which was a big pain because there was really nowhere to put it. I ended up half raising the roof inside the garage.
We stop for lunch or potty break and don't have to crank up the roof anymore just open the door and go in.
Same thing for arriving at camp, just level off and go in. Noi cranking , bed sliding, canvas wrestling.
The Burro is warmer in cold weather than the popup ever was.
Even tho I don't think the Burro would stop a bear, at least it will take him/her longer to get through than canvas sides. And I like being where the bears are.

That's not to say I would never have another popup, it just that there would have to be no fiberglass trailer available FIRST.
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Old 07-30-2006, 02:49 PM   #4
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What Pete said.
Rented a popup a few times to see if it improved on tenting, but the tradeoffs made it a pretty even thing. Our fiberegg is ready for use RIGHT NOW when we need it, and so what if it rains?
When the time came and the Burro became a reality we knew we'd never look back.
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Old 07-30-2006, 03:48 PM   #5
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What Pete said.
Rented a popup a few times to see if it improved on tenting, but the tradeoffs made it a pretty even thing. Our fiberegg is ready for use RIGHT NOW when we need it, and so what if it rains?
When the time came and the Burro became a reality we knew we'd never look back.
I'm with these guys, my Burro is always ready, I also pull it with a Toyota 4 cyl.
I just came back from a month trip to Alaska from so Cal. it weighs about 2200lbs.
loaded and I don't have any trailer brakes. No problems Wayne

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Old 07-30-2006, 03:50 PM   #6
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It depends on your camping style -- If you are constantly on the move, esp if you overnite at places like Wal-Mart or rest stops, then an enclosed trailer is superior -- Just get out and get in regardless of the place or weather, plus the potty and bunks are always available for pit stops and naps -- I once took a three-month, 8,000 mile trip in a popup, setting it up every nite and putting it away in the morning, which got old very quickly --OTOH, if you go to one place in the woods and stay there for awhile, the popup experience is better IMO, because the outside comes inside with you when the sides are open.

There's usually a lot more room in a popup if you get caught in wet weather, but if you decide to leave, an egg is a darn sight more convenient for a getaway...

Towing may or may not be comparable, depending on how big and heavy your popup was (most popups weigh in as surprisingly heavy loads), but there's certainly more frontal area on an egg compared to a folded popup, plus not much room on top to carry stuf like canoes and bikes.

Because of my storage situation (7'4" Scamp in a 7' 0" garage) and the fact that I'm no longer fulltiming, I'm giving some serious consideration to getting a small popup.
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Old 07-30-2006, 06:53 PM   #7
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My first camper was a tent trailer...I took it out several times before I really did get tired of setting it up etc.... I saw an 'egg' one time pulling thru town and said to myself.. 'thats what I want'.. i was really luck to come across my first 13ft not to far from me at the time... I really didnt feel very safe in the tent trailer..but with my dog with me I felt a little easier. Once I got the 13 and could enclose myself in more safety... and the perks of a 'real' trailer.. I wouldnt ever go back to a tent trailer....




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Old 07-30-2006, 08:20 PM   #8
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Quote:
I have a popup camper and am seriously considering a switch to a fiberglass unit. I love my popup, but have found that the set-up/take-down is just too much work. I am wondering if anyone here has had a popup and can offer me any comparisons as far as how they tow or anything else good or bad. I appreciate all info. Thanks!

I could just about quote Christi V 's post for my reply! I too had a pop up for my first camper. It was a huge Coleman and it was great as far as the sleeping room, but that was it's ONLY advantage. It was nearly impossible to set up by myself (my son was only about 3 at at the time so he wasn't much help!). It was completely useless as far as stoppping in transit for lunch etc and I would have never stayed in it in a rest area etc. So I set my sights for an egg and found my first one for sale not too far from home. Even though I wasn't able to keep that first one for too long, I vowed to get another and knew I would never go back to the pop up. Well, my son is 20 now- we have 2 eggs and I still would never consider another pop up.
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Old 07-30-2006, 08:29 PM   #9
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I am a gradute of 2 pop ups.

The first was a Kamparoo, a canvas roofed motorcycle camper that folded out like a fan. It was no fun to pack up in the rain, and you had to unpack the whole thing to get in it. It was 4 foot wide and 12 feet long with a 12x12 add a room I could never set up by myself.

My next was a coleman colorado, a single slide out, bare bones. Also had a Vinyl roof. Was bigger, but a bear to get tucked in when popped down.

Never again! I sat inside my trailer last nite when it was cold and drizzly outside. The tenters in the campground retreated to thier domes early to stay dry.

There were pop ups there too. I struck camp at 1:15. They started earlier than me and were still packing when I pulled out.

When I got home, I took the food out and shut the door. That is all I do to clean up. The trailer is ready to pull out at any minute.
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Old 07-30-2006, 09:42 PM   #10
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Cheryl, what a variety of replies you are getting! I agree with Pete in that the pop up allows the outside to come in moreso than our eggs. I have had two pop ups and loved each of them, especially when all the windows were open and the breeze drifted through the camper. I feel a bit more closed in in the Lovebug, but, as I like to camp alone, I do feel more secure than in the pop up.

With my bad back and want to take my paints out for even an afternoon made the Lovebug a real blessing. I can't raise my pop up at all and with the Lovebug, I can be gone in 20 minutes.

I took my pop ups all the way out to the Cabot Trail on Cape Breton in Canada. The Lovebug hasn't been near the places but I can tell you, it's very easy to pull. I really don't even know it's back there! It's great to be able to take out for an evening, I throw in some water and food, and I'm gone. Everything that I need for a couple of days is in the camper to the point that I don't need electricity nor water hookups. As soon as I return home from a trip, I clean it up, wash the sheets, and get it back in shape for the next time.

There's good and bad about each. I love my Lovebug and am very thankful I found her.

Good luck with your decision! Let us know what you decide. And, check out the Lanesboro camping get together slated for August! That would be an opportune time to check out several!

Cheers!
Gigi
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Old 07-31-2006, 10:43 AM   #11
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Having towed a 13' Boler and an 18' pop-up (kind of a wierd one - but the profile when down is the same as the rest)...

I honestly never noticed a big difference between the two in terms of TOWING. However all the previous comments regarding set-up and take-down apply. My pop-up is all hardsided (kinda like an Aliner except square, not an A-frame) without any slideout bunks - so set-up is easier than the crank-ups, but it still takes longer.

One thing I don't think anybody's noted yet is the difference in storage. Pop-ups have more interior space (for the towed length), but less storage since everything above the 2-3 foot mark isn't there perminantly. There's some variation of course, but even a small egg will have more easily accessable storage than a larger pop-up. The PlayPac I rebuilt was laid out with storage in mind. The only appliance in the "kitchen" was a 110 fridge, so that space was all storage, plus there was underseat, a HUGE space under the perminant bed AND overhead bins. (I can get a little nutty with regards to storage space) I could pack, and easily access at least 3 times what I can in the pop-up.

Oh - one towing difference I don't think I've seen mentioned: Visability. With a pop-up you can use your rear-view as well as the side-view mirrors for the best visability. With many of the eggs that isn't possible. However, with at least some of the 13 footers, if you've got the plexi front window (without the shield), you can look THROUGH the trailer using your rearview. When we were towing the 13' Boler with the van, my visability wasn't really impared all that much because of that. The rearview looked right through the trailer to the cars behind me and the sideviews BARELY caught the edge of the trailer on one side and didn't catch it at all on the other. I always liked that.

mkw
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Old 07-31-2006, 06:56 PM   #12
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We started with tents and moved up to a pop-up (Starcraft.) We traveled with our 4 kids to over 40 states in 15 years. Temps ranged from -10 F to 100 F. At -10 the furnace took off the chill and we kept warm with sleeping bags. We had a routine worked out so that when we pulled into camp, we could be set up in about 10 minutes and start cookng supper. We also had a method of taking it down in a thunder storm and not getting everything inside wet (I got soaked however.) At 100 F it was just plain hot even with all of the windows open.

The kids will soon be gone, last one in high school. I got the Love Bug for retirement and hope the wife will start camping again, she had a stroke 4 yrs ago and is slowly getting better mobility.

Would I start over with another pop-up? You BET I would. Our kids remember great experiences from all over the country. Most of their "We had a great time" memories are from times when most people would have packed up and said enough is enough. My wife and I would laugh about the snow storm, opr rain and the kids just accepted the situation.
Our positive attitude made thier attitude.

We could not have afforded a 16' EGG so our option was the pop-up. The EGG would have been alot nicer, but it was pop-up or nothing.
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Old 08-01-2006, 04:50 PM   #13
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Thanks everyone for your great responses. They were all helpful and I definitely enjoyed your stories too! I think my next step will be to find a new home for my popup and begin a search for a fiberglass trailer. Thanks again!
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Old 08-01-2006, 07:44 PM   #14
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I've had both. With a FG trailer, you have at least some noise protection from the obnoxious drunks that like to stay up late 'till all hours keeping everyone else in the campground up with them. I'd never go back to a pop-up.
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Old 08-02-2006, 12:38 AM   #15
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Thanks everyone for your great responses. They were all helpful and I definitely enjoyed your stories too! I think my next step will be to find a new home for my popup and begin a search for a fiberglass trailer. Thanks again!
There is a 1995 13' Scamp on ebay that is stored in the Leach Lake area of northern Minnesota. The bidding ends tomorrow, Aug. 2, at 11:53 AM
John
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Old 08-02-2006, 06:32 AM   #16
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I have a popup camper and am seriously considering a switch to a fiberglass unit. I love my popup, but have found that the set-up/take-down is just too much work. I am wondering if anyone here has had a popup and can offer me any comparisons as far as how they tow or anything else good or bad. I appreciate all info. Thanks!
Well i went from a 13 FT Boler to a pop-up.
The pop-up i have is an Apache Solid state so it has no canvas to worry about, it has ABS plastic panels that fold up.
The visibility as Mike Watters stated is a big advantage for me, the pup is a lot easier to reverse into our yard, also a clear view in the mirror when on the highway.
The pup is roomier and i don't mind the set-up, in-fact I look forward to it, a little camping ritual, it usually gets a few campers from the next sites coming over to watch and ask questions when they see the ABS sides going up with the roof.
With my Apache pup with its hard panels and slider windows i don't have the one advantage that canvas pop-ups have over mine and over the fibreglass eggs and that is ventilation, canvas pop-ups have a great airy tent like feel to them, cross breezes are nice plus the visibility all around is hard to beat.
On saying all that my heart skips a beat when i see a Boler or Trillium especially a Trillium, i would love to try a Trillium someday.
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Old 08-02-2006, 08:38 AM   #17
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those are nice popups.. i would definatally prefer one of those to the canvas ones..
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