Forum Discussion
I have had both types and only sold due buying fixer-upper house, otherwise I most likely would still have a TC.. that said,
I started out with pop-ups because I was really into getting away from it all as safely possible in the mountains of the Rockies within the region I live. It was a combination of comfort and remote camping as hassle-free as possible.
Pop-ups (PU) have their advantages but are not always as light in weight as the stance might make it appear. There is still the lift mechanism and the rood itself. I liked it because sleeping in the woods next to a stream or hearing wildlife is sorta' like camping in a tent off the ground and letting the night dynamics enter inside. They can make do for winter camping (and I have done it) but for the more winter ventures that I wanted to do a PU is more challenging.
The hard sides (HS) when I graduated to them did restrict access to some favorite haunts that I discovered. Stealth camping/ overnighting when I was on the road is much easier. Using in the winter has the obvious advantage... in 2010 when I was laid off, I ski-camped the winter around the state following the winter storms as they happened. There is a huge difference of weekday powder days instead of weekend tourist-crowded slopes. The camping in town or in parking lots was so much easier to do. Lifting or lowering the roof on a PU might have been a bit of a challenge with feet of snow atop it. HS's are more of a "park-and-use-it" right away RV making it slightly more hassle-free.
If I ever get back into a TC I still think it might be a HS but who knows! I have come to learn that to really capture it all is to get one of each!
I started out with pop-ups because I was really into getting away from it all as safely possible in the mountains of the Rockies within the region I live. It was a combination of comfort and remote camping as hassle-free as possible.
Pop-ups (PU) have their advantages but are not always as light in weight as the stance might make it appear. There is still the lift mechanism and the rood itself. I liked it because sleeping in the woods next to a stream or hearing wildlife is sorta' like camping in a tent off the ground and letting the night dynamics enter inside. They can make do for winter camping (and I have done it) but for the more winter ventures that I wanted to do a PU is more challenging.
The hard sides (HS) when I graduated to them did restrict access to some favorite haunts that I discovered. Stealth camping/ overnighting when I was on the road is much easier. Using in the winter has the obvious advantage... in 2010 when I was laid off, I ski-camped the winter around the state following the winter storms as they happened. There is a huge difference of weekday powder days instead of weekend tourist-crowded slopes. The camping in town or in parking lots was so much easier to do. Lifting or lowering the roof on a PU might have been a bit of a challenge with feet of snow atop it. HS's are more of a "park-and-use-it" right away RV making it slightly more hassle-free.
If I ever get back into a TC I still think it might be a HS but who knows! I have come to learn that to really capture it all is to get one of each!
About Travel Trailer Group
44,029 PostsLatest Activity: Jan 21, 2025