First time buyer

GPCamper2428 wrote:
Hey there, young family w/ 3 to 4 kids at a time, tired of tenting and looking to invest in a used pop up tent/trailer.

We have a AWD Kia Sorento (V6) with a tow capacity of around 5000lb.
Just looking for a few pointers, tips or suggestions that any of you may have as far as brand, size, useful or not so useful accessories, etc.

Thanks in advance!

Call your father and heed his advice ... he's been there/done that. ;)

Thanks for your advice.I'm the first time buyer.

I only boondock with my popup thus getting the right one for intended usage is key. No need for AC where I camp and no need for elaborate recreating dual drains at the sink and shower. My first pup was a disaster to camp with. I had to get to site at 8pm, setup camper and be fuddling with drains at 10pm Screw that!

I always thought it was a good idea to rent for a weekend trip or two before buying. I know it seems like money wasted but it will give you a lot of answers and experience without committing too much. Experience a couple of different floor plans, see what the effect of towing is on your vehicle, learn what you can leave behind compared to when you go tent camping. Learn the difference in set ups and take downs.

Pop ups are like tents up off the ground. The pop up should provide nicer sleeping arrangements and if you want, indoor cooking. As far as how you store your "stuff" and what to do about toilets and such, well how did you handle these issues when tent camping. The trailer should make things easier and allow you to take less stuff.

Good luck and be safe.

Yes, the totes under the camper is a wonderful idea - I had forgotten about that. We had 5 totes (there were only 2 of us) 1.his clothes, 2.my clothes, 3.kitchen/food 4.towels and personal hygiene stuff and 5.camping equipment (lanterns, mosquito spray, sunscreen, etc.) They were labelled with what went in them. When we packed up, we would put all the clean clothes in his and dirty in mine. The dirty towels also went in with the dirty. Those were the only tubs we took into the house - the rest stayed in the camper for the next trip.

I also purchased a plastic shelf system that I sat on the counter and it held our food supplies for the week and our TV. DH HAD to have one.

A family of 5 -6 will generate a lot of 'stuff'. Skip the indoor bathroom/shower. Look for storage space.
We use the bunks as day time storage and toss stuff in to the truck at night.
plastic 'tupperware' bins that will fit under the camper help a lot.

We managed three teenage girls with all their cloths / make-up/ hair supplies for two weeks at a time in a 10 foot box.

Start small and don’t overload the Kia. Popup requires carrying extra camping gear in tow vehicle. I have a k2500 sub and load the complete rear of truck, front trunk of pup, and inside area of pup closed lol. 3500lb 12 foot pup with slide and front trunk

That Kia should be around 1300 to 1500 pounds of payload.

A nice 5-8 year old popup with a 10' box should be enough room for you and your kids. Make sure there is no leaking or holes in the canvas/vinyl. Don't try to do the bigger popups with bathrooms, but get you a little potty to use for the kids AT NIGHT ONLY!

You should be okay with that being pulled by your vehicle.

I don't know where you are, so I used the Hudson Valley craigslist to look for a popup.

This one will probably weigh too much since a slide adds a lot of weight to the trailer.
Coleman BaysideThis one is 2600 lbs.

https://hudsonvalley.craigslist.org/rvs/d/2012-rockwood-popup/6582573795.html This one is 2500 lbs.

Whereas, this one in Syracuse would probably work since it only weighs 1700 lbs.

Jayco Quest

I always tell first time RV buyer to but used (3-5 years old) and start small. A pop-up is a good starting place.