A year with my pop up. Lessons learned

OutdoorPhotographer wrote:
I agree that I would never want a PUP if I was camping single. As a family of four with teens, we nearly always setup in less than 30 minutes. Since I bought Anderson Levelers it's 15 minutes. Yes, it made that much difference because not only does it level faster it is simply more level which makes the door easier. The door has always been a pain on my 15 yr old PUP.

I do view it as a very nice tent and I did come from tent camping. We will upgrade to a TT or RV eventually but the PUP has served our family well. Not paying for storage is a huge plus. I wouldn't by a PUP without on-site storage at my house.

I think with a family there is no other way to go. Yes, you can buy a huge trailer with comfortable sleeping for 4-6, but it will be big, heavy, and require a pretty big truck to tow it. A pop-up is very space efficient with comfortable sleeping for 4 (6 depending upon the design of the dinette).

With a house and garage a pop-up is a great way to go due to the ease of storing it in a garage compared with other campers.

For me, I got the pop-up with the disadvantages (set up and take down) compared to other camper styles without the two main advantages of a pop-up. I do believe I'll own one again (if they are still made then) once I own a house and once I have a family (still being single at my age I should probably be saying "if" I have a family, especially if I don't end up marrying someone significantly younger). Since I have to pay for storage I have removed one the biggest advantages, and the double bunks aren't really needed right now. So, until there is a family I may go with a small trailer or an A-frame. I always preferred the idea of the pop-up because I'm a tent camper and I see the pop-up as a more comfortable extension of that, but with a TAB, hybrid or similar, I could always spend most of my time outside, cook outside, enjoy the campfire, etc. but then go in to sleep in a comfortable camper, have a true usable bathroom when too far from the campground provided facilities (or when they aren't suitably clean), and a good escape from rain storms. So, I don't think I'll be too big a sell-out if I get a trailer, and I'll probably eventually go back to a pop-up (albeit a smaller and simpler one than I have) when/if I have a family. Also, at least until the cheap community storage comes through, I won't even get the A-frame or travel trailer and I'll be going back to my tent, I'll just need to get a cot for my older back.