popup vs travel trailer

We had a Jayco 10UD, no slide, so yeah I'd bet that one you linked is so limited in CCC because of the slide which adds considerably to the weight of the trailer. Personally, in your shoes, I'd be looking for a clean, mint condition Fleetwood Sun Valley or lower trim level Tacoma. Weighs around 2200 lbs dry, GVWR 3000 lbs, no front storage trunk and no slide, both of which only add unnecessary weight and limit CCC, two king beds, generous floor space, stepper door on the Sun Valley, a tip out in the galley, and best of all the fridge can be accessed with the roof down. We only bought the shorter / lighter 10' Santa Fe because my TV at the time was a 3.0L Caravan and I thought the Sun Valley might be just a bit too much for it, otherwise it would have been our choice for a family pop up. :B

Thanks again SoundGuy. I don't expect the answers to have changed, just gathering opinions. Like I said I could go either way and likely wont do anything until fall when people don't want to store them. That said since you are quickly becoming my main source of knowledge (seriously, thank you) take a look at this one https://www.kijiji.ca/v-travel-trailer-camper/windsor-area-on/1998-jayco-eagle-12-pop-up-camper-trailer-sleeps-8-a-c/1368613830?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true.
am I understanding the plate correct in that this thing can only hold 300lbs of stuff (3000-2700)? thing sleeps people, even small people with no gear is going to be 800lbs or so.

Jebby14 wrote:
I am looking for something under 6K.

Trying to decide if I want a crappy travel trailer or a nicer popup.

Main concern with the popup is how long it will take me to set up and break camp solo with the wife tending angry children. I guess 30-40 min but I could be way off in either direction.

We've been through this before and the answer now isn't any different - clearly, for $6000 Cdn, you'll get far more value for your $ with a used popup than a used travel trailer, just no question about it. As for setup, yeah 30 - 40 minutes when you also have younger kids running around is about right. On our long trip west in 2005 with our Santa Fe we managed to consistently set up / tear down in 20 minutes but our boys were a bit older by that time and we'd had several previous years of experience with the trailer, knew what worked and what didn't. Unfortunately, no one can tell you whether you can live with the tenting or not - it just is what it is with a popup so you either deal with it or put a lot more into it and buy a travel trailer instead. It really is as simple as that.

to clarify I am not in the market for new. I am unwilling to finance toys and with a mortgage and car payments and 2 young children I'm not able to fork out 10K+. I am looking for something under 6K. I have seen almost no travel trailers that don't have major damage in this price. My current rig is nearing the end of its life. It was purchased 4 years ago as a test. The wife and I were new to camping with children (always took tents and the boat or bunked with family in popups). We bought it cheap (2k out the door) knowing it would not last indefinitely. It does not have onboard water and we don't use the washroom (could if we added water via the batter powered culligan pump I have but its not worth the effort since we stick to provincial parks). If it was just me I would be in a tent with my boat until age prohibited this. Trying to decide if I want a crappy travel trailer or a nicer popup. not apples to apples I know. I see advantages to both. they are very close in my eyes for different reasons. just gathering opinions. Main concern with the popup is how long it will take me to set up and break camp solo with the wife tending angry children. I guess 30-40 min but I could be way off in either direction.

In my experience, popups were priced way to high for what they were. We paid about 14K OTD for our 2007 camper, and pop ups were 11K+. I didn't look at them long.

We camp frequently with a family friend that has a pop up, and setup/teardown in the rain is not pleasant. We've pulled our awning out more than once to provide a refuge for them. I believe his future plan is a hard sided unit. He has also experienced many leak issues, but his is stored outdoors always.

Pop Up vs. TT?
No comparison.
One is a house on wheels, the other a tent on wheels!

ppine wrote:
Don't know where you get the idea that TTs only last 6-7 years without problems. Trailers and pop-ups have a lot in common. Pop-ups have problems with canvas that rots over time and the cable system that is used to raise and lower the rig.

By "you" I presume you're referring to the OP who does have a point, one argument being the vast majority of full height trailers live outdoors year 'round, constantly exposed to the elements, a few covered but most not, whereas it's not uncommon for popup owners to store their trailer in a garage if for no other reason than because they can. I'm one of them and when we sold our 2000 Santa Fe after 6 yrs of hard use it was about as close to showroom new as any trailer could be - all because it spent it's life indoors when not camping. :B Also, it would be hard to find any popup manufactured in the last 20 yrs that actually has canvas tenting, they're pretty well all synthetic products these days and if cared for properly can last indefinitely. Same for the lift system - maintain it properly and there's no reason it shouldn't function just fine for many years - mine did. :B

OTOH our current travel trailer has had many issues, from major to minor, none of which I experienced back when we owned popups. It leaked badly from the get go and has be re-caulked several times since to avoid any future leaking, the fresh water tank was inadequately supported and required a major support implementation to solve the problem permanently, the frame cracked on both sides just aft of the rear wheels, and last year one of the stock tires split for no apparent reason. I haven't had any appliance failures (touch wood!) but there have also been innumerable small annoyances which I've addressed myself but which seem to be a pretty common for most RV owners. Our previous K-Z Spree suffered de-lamination of the curb side wall and the RVision TrailCruiser before it suffered a mold issue, I think not because it leaked but because of condensation forming on the inside surface of the front wall. The tires were also wearing unevenly, I think because the axles weren't correctly aligned. All in all, any TT I've owned has cost us FAR more and been FAR more problematic than any of the popups we owned. :( To date, we still prefer camping in a travel trailer though simply because we long ago tired of the drawbacks of camping in any type of trailer with tenting. It all comes down to how much you're willing to pay to play.

Don't know where you get the idea that TTs only last 6-7 years without problems. Trailers and pop-ups have a lot in common. Pop-ups have problems with canvas that rots over time and the cable system that is used to raise and lower the rig.

What do you want?
We wanted,
+ A bed you could exit without crawling over your spouse.
+ An easy to access pantry we could keep stocked all season.
+ Closet space so clothes could be hung all season.
+ A full bath.
+ Full time access for lunch, potty and stop and go overnights without unhooking.
+ A floor plan that would accommodate a rainy day inside.

We took a hard look at A-liners, particularly with the dormers. But we were able to buy a used TT with all the features we wanted for almost half the price.

We also acquired a lot of maintenance, 10 mpg, 250 to 300 mile days, 55 to 65 mph. wind buffets etc.

It came down to our need for convenience or all other factors.

Good luck

Here's a classic example ...

Link to Ad

The ad doesn't say but because this is exactly the same trailer I have I'm pretty sure it's a 2016 model, 2 yrs newer than mine. Classic - guy dumps 10s of thousands into a brand new travel trailer then ends up hardly using it, now he's trying to dump it for $22,000 when a brand new 2019 with full warranty advertises for $27,000. Lotsa luck with that, the season here is already half over, whether he knows it or not he's eventually going to lose his shirt on this trailer. :E A like new used popup could have been purchased for a fraction of the cost of this travel trailer and if it just sat with little use, who cares? You can bet that with what this guy has invested in this TT he does care - a lot. :S