Advice on a pop up. Coachman? Starcraft?

DutchmenSport brings up a good point that folks new to PUPs may not think of - the work that goes into setting up, taking down, airing out, and loading. That was a main reason we ended up going to a hybrid and then to TTs. We really enjoyed our PUP (had it for 17 years!) but as we got older, we got tired of the toting and carrying it took to load it up every time we set up at a campsite and then again when we were putting down to leave.

Another thing to keep in mind is noise. Being basically glorified tents (no flaming please :) ), you will hear every noise outside the camper. If the CG is fairly empty, that's great - you'll hear the wind in the pines, the ocean waves, birds singing, etc. But with other campers around, you'll hear their talking, laughing, singing, etc. - ok until you're trying to sleep and the folks a site or two over have had a few too many and are talking LOUDLY.

Just something to think about.

WE popup camped for 25 years, the last 6 with a Viking. We really enjoyed it, and I miss the simplicity of pup camping. Easy setup, and REALLY EASY tear down. We could be down hooked up and gone, in the time it takes to dump the tanks in the TT.

There are things to do to make puping easier. Like using a drill to raise the roof. I have a 24 V DeWalt. Works great. Some pups raise their selves, and even slide out the beds.

As to the Aliner. IF you do NOT need much room. they are OK. But if there are more than 2 of you. They are pretty cramped. A pup opens up to lengths from 17 to 24', and sleeps from 4 to 10.

We owned a Starcraft Venture for 6 years. The only problem we had with it was when I failed to secure the awning and wind blew it over the top and the poles punched a hole in the roof. Insurance replaced the entire roof at the grand price of $4000! Yea, really. We only paid $6000 for the entire camper... really!

After that, the repair, the sides were way too tight. I was extremely difficult getting getting it set up right, it was so taught. You guess it ... the canvas sides started ripping out.... and you guess it ... insurance paid again. Got all new canvas sides (or whatever that material is), and then we never had any problems again.

I did find that little pop-up to be a LOT of work. I did all kinds of modification on it, and it seemed I was always fixiing something. In some ways, I miss it, but in other ways, I do not. The reason we traded and went to a hard-sided travel trailer was because it seemed EVERY time we went out (over a 6 year period)... really ... we always had to pack up wet. And it seemed it rained every time we went out, and we were always cold and wet. It had a heater, it worked well, but seemed we were always cold.

I do miss the ability to turn it any position in a campsite. I do miss the ability to move it around my property with my riding lawn mower. I do miss the ability to put a wheel on the tongue and just push it around. I do miss the small footprint when not storing. I do miss the ability to hide it in my garage. But I do not miss the rain! For all the positives, packing up wet exceeds all the positives about pups put together!

I occasionally ask my wife is she'd like to get another pup for camping in some really tight places and maybe more wilderness type camping, and she says, "NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT!" and about bites my head off for the mere mention of it.

ALiner.com

I know someone who owned a canvas trailer, and you have to dry them out - should you put it away in the rain, you have to put it in a garage for a while, then dry it out, then put it away a third time!

Good luck!

Fred.