Scamp vs Pop-Up ?

[barryra]

I am about to buy a scamp 13 & now my wife says her uncle has a pop-up that he may be selling. I like the scamp look & it's kind of Americana thing myself. I know this is a "fiberglass rv club" but do you think there are more positives in having a scamp over a pop-up? Thanks.

[Donna D.]

...do you think there are more positives in having a scamp over a pop-up? Thanks.

You mean like fiberglass comfort, resale value and no wet canvas. I think this is apples to oranges topic.

[barryra]

Thank you... I am just trying to explain it to my wife...

[Donna D.]

Pop-ups are a different breed and the owners have different needs and wants. One of the biggest is there is not the complicated setup and take down when you own a fiberglass trailer. Often owners of molded trailers take short breaks in their trailers during travel days ... maybe stop to eat lunch inside the trailer, etc. That is one impossibility in a pop-up. However, most pop-ups are "larger" and fit families that need more beds, etc. I've camped in rainstorms... wouldn't want to do that in anything with canvas. It needs to be dried out before storage and I live in the Pacific NorthWET. YMMV.

[Kevin K]

I started out with many different style camping tents.Then I tried 4 different pop up tent trailers from big to small, before I bought my scamp . Just kept changing the size to fit the family. Now all the kids are gone and it's just the two of us. Way easier to set up the scamp than a tent trailer at the camp ground. Nothing wrong with a tent trailer, on the plus side you have more sleeping area.

[CindyL]

You won't have fiberglass owners watching you with their trailers already set up, their wine glass in hand, and their feet up in their favorite camping chair watching you as you work to set up the popup up when both of you arrived at the campground at the same time .


CindyL

[Vic&Kathy]

We had considered a pop-up, but are soooooooo glad that we went with our lil fiberglass egg. We can stop and take a break for sandwiches, coffee, nap, potty break or whatever at a moment's notice AND just as quickly be back on the road. We can find a suitable spot for the night and be tucked into bed in just minutes. We've never had to deal with leaks or musty canvas. We can camp in bear country without worry---some of the campsites at Yellowstone and Glacier don't allow pop-ups cuz Yogi and his pals have learned that pop-ups are smorgasbords on wheels.

Finally, we once watched a family wrestling with their pop-up as they were leaving a Montana campsite. They had a well rehearsed procedure...mom leaned on the front, dad leaned on the back, lil sis climbed up onto the middle of the top and sort of bounced up and down while big brother and sister went around hooked the claps. Leave one person out of that equation and I don't think they'd have gotten their pop-up to pop-down.

[HikeSticks]

I am about to buy a scamp 13 & now my wife says her uncle has a pop-up that he may be selling. I like the scamp look & it's kind of Americana thing myself. I know this is a "fiberglass rv club" but do you think there are more positives in having a scamp over a pop-up? Thanks.

I love to camp and have a good sized LL Bean tent. As a new owner of a 13' Trillium, the fiberglass RV gets two thumbs up. I will take my tent in my trunk, in case I need/want extra space, but it's great to drive until you get tired, pull into a parking lot somewhere and catch a quick nap before continuing. Stopping for a meal is just as easy, even in a downpour. There is no comparison.
Barrie

[Bryan L.]

We recently went camping and met some friends of ours that borrowed their brother's pop-up. We were ready to go in about five minutes and it must have taken them a half hour (with their brother's help) to get that thing all unfolded and ready to go. It was raining when the weekend was over so they had to pack it all up in the rain, and then they would have to undo it all in the driveway later so that it could properly dry out. No thanks. One other thing that I didn't like about it was that the counter tops were all so darn low. I'll admit, eight of us were able to eat in there and that is something that we could never do in our Scamp. Good luck!

[barryra]

Thanks !! I just talked with the guy who is selling the scamp & I am picking it up on Thurs. I am looking forward to cleaning it up & personalizing it. He said it is solid & it has never leaked.

Is there a way to put something through the water system to clean it out? It has a hand pump system at the sink.

[Donna D.]

Congratulations Barry. I'll leave it to others to describe the bleach action for cleaning out the water system. But, be sure to print out the Buyer/Seller Checklist and take it with you when you pickup the trailer. It will help you remember what questions to ask!

[Kevin K]

barryra
Pictures when you get it.

[CindyL]

Welcome to the family. You can now sit in YOUR favorite camp chair with your favorite wine and watch the popups struggle through setup and be glad that is not you.

CindyL

[Vickie B.]

Good Choice!!!!

[Gerda, H]

CindyL, that is EXACTLY what my little daughter and I did during our trip, watching people set up their pop-ups while enjoying our food hehe! And we also rested in Cafe Egg while taking stops during traveling. I guess I am a "stereotypical" fiberglass owner then... We just returned from Milton Ontario.

OP, good choice BTW! Fiberglass is really easy on you, and comfortable. You will enjoy your Scamp! Even I manage to set Cafe Egg up, being all by myself.

[GordM]

I just had to pipe in on this one. When I was a kid, my family had a Bonair pop up. And the biggest reason was family size. I've seen campers, fifth wheels and even motor homes that don't sleep as many as pop ups. My family was fairly large, and if we had a 13' Boler or Scamp, a couple of us would have been relegated to a tent. You want to sleep 6, look at the fifth wheel scamp, but forget about towing with a car.

But, I also have many a memory of the uber foul language that would come from my father's mouth every time he and mom set up the thing, and took it down. And I remember the door never worked properly unless you were 100% level, no ifs, ands or buts. And then the rain. I'd wake up in the morning and touch the canvas. Don't touch the canvas! Great, now I'm wet.

For me, it was the inevitable and perpetual inconveniences that came along with that pop up, that I'll never own one. And to go back to my first paragraph, I right now have two children and a 13' Boler. If we have child #3, and we probably will, I want sooooo badly a Scamp fifth wheel! Or....oldest gets to sleep in a tent!! :~)

[Sheri N.]

On our Casita pickup trip back from Rice, TX, we ran into horrible traffic north of Nashville. Thankfully, we were able to push over to the shoulder so my 6-year old and I could use the emergency "pee bucket" in the privacy of our egg (were were still miles from the nearest exit).

[Ken C]

sounds like that sandra bullock movie with Hugh grant when she runs to that motorhome on the freeway

[Flygal]

I too almost made the pop up purchase . Neighbor had one and said its yours, so I said let me try and put it together by myself ( wanted the full effect) dang if it didn't start raining and I was soaking wet and [at]#$%^ Made the decision right then I never wanted that hassle. Now in my scamp when we pull over to rest stops etc. we all pile in, I make lunch, we chill...and then back on the road. I'd never have been able to do that with a pop up....enjoy your trailer and the new "club"

[Michele B]

I know you just got that Scamp (congratulations!) but this is a good thread topic. So I'll throw in my 2 cents.

My sister is claustrophobic, so that's why they like the pop-ups. They had one for years when their kids were little, and now that they're retired they're in the market for another one. I'm not sure they know about park restrictions due to bear issues...since Yellowstone and Glacier are in their proposed areas of travel, I need to check with them.

I've already told them I could probably find them their dream trailer here in Oregon. Craigslist is full of them....folks don't realize how inconvenient they are to deal with in the rain until they learn firsthand.