Fewer pop ups out there?

[BudRock]

I it just me or are there fewer pop ups being sold?

There are several RV dealers near me which are no longer stocking new pop ups. Those that still sell them seem to have less interest in selling pups versus other type of camping units. They don't even include pups in their sales adds.

I travel the entire country and there seems to be less pups out there in the campgrounds than in the past years. Most of the pups I see out there seem to be vintage units. I see very few new units.

What's going on?

[_tiredTeacher]

rbpru wrote:
Let’s not forget that the Baby Boomers are getting older. That old PUP that served the family well is not quite as necessary once the kids are grown.

And the young families I see camping are just as likely to be in a TT or 5er as a tent or pop up. I suspect that all the observations made in this thread have merit; lower cost of TTs, lighter weights, less desire to be "roughing it."
Check out the Tent Camping forum on this site. It's practically dead.

Teach

[rbpru]

Let’s not forget that the Baby Boomers are getting older. That old PUP that served the family well is not quite as necessary once the kids are grown.

Rolling out of your own side of the bed and stumbling to the bathroom takes on a new meaning. 😉

PUPs are great but TTs are convenient.

[Mike_Up]

Myself, I find that having a TT and tent is having the best. I use the TT to camp with the family where comfort and conveniences are essential and tent camp to get away from it all, either by myself or with some buddies. My wife refuses to camp in a tent or a Pop Up. We owned a pretty loaded Pop Up she hated that had a bathroom, shower inside and out, hanging pantry and clothes hanger, along with plenty of storage (for a pop Up). Myself I like camping in pop ups and tents. Wife hates the lack of privacy with a pop up bathroom and all the work involved.

[BudRock]

I read that Popup camper sales peaked in years around 1998 with sales of around 63,000 popups. Now only about 11,000 are being made per year. This is a decrease of 52,000 units per year a decline of 80%. Wow!

No wonder I am not seeing hardly any new ones anymore.

I guess that also explains why there are so few companies still making Pups, and few dealers interested in selling them.

SSI reports that while travel trailer sales increased almost 10% this year, folding trailer sales declined about 4%.

Forest River was the folding camping trailer sales leader year-to-date with a 64.9% market share while Jayco (14.2%) held the No. 2 position followed by Columbia Northwest/Aliner Inc. (10.4%).

[Mike_Up]

Yep, fewer Pop Ups and Hybrids thanks to newer smaller and lighter Travel trailers.

I posted a while back here.

[RobertRyan]

scbwr wrote:
Definitely fewer popups in the campgrounds. From what I see, most campers want more space and you see a lot more larger travel trailers. Many of those that may have bought a pop up at one time are now at least buying hybrids with the advantages of larger fridge, shower, etc.

Same sort of thing is happening in Australia. The "Pop Top" Caravan closer to a U.S. Hybrid, is being replaced by much larger Caravans

[fmattox73]

Well, here's my take on the question and why I tow a PUP.
I had a medium size camper that I towed behind a motorcycle
and then I bought an HHR to tow it with, but there were
limitations on the HHR. Namely a 1000 lb limit. So I sold
the HHR and bought a GMC Terrain with 3500 lbs. of towing.

Then I sold the M/C camper and went looking. Since I live in the southwest I thought that I should be able to find a good used
one for a reasonable amount. It turns out that most of the hardsided
campers weigh more than the towing capacity of my new GMC.
There are a few exceptions but that's another subject.
I wound up with a Palomino Y 4124 that has a 12' box and expands
to 24'. Just about right for the two of us (the wife)
The beauty of this setup is that even with the trailer
(and I keep my foot out of the gas pedal, I get 21/22 mpg most
of the time.)

Frank

[BudRock]

I guess the numbers don't lie. The are just fewer pups being sold out there.

Maybe I better hang onto my PUP as a soon to be collectors item.

[scbwr]

Definitely fewer popups in the campgrounds. From what I see, most campers want more space and you see a lot more larger travel trailers. Many of those that may have bought a pop up at one time are now at least buying hybrids with the advantages of larger fridge, shower, etc.

[rugermark2]

RVIA’s 2014 projection for each of the major RV product types, which included: travel trailers, 206,100 units; fifth-wheels, 73,000 units; folding camping trailers, 11,000 units; truck campers, 3,500 units; combined towable, 293,600 units; Class A motorhomes, 21,000 units; Class B motorhomes, 2,600 units; Class C motorhomes, 18,300; all motorized, 41,900 units; all RVs, 335,500

This is a quote out of RV business. 11,000 units is only 3% of the total RV sales. Obviously consumers aren't to interested in pop-ups.

I have noticed that there isn't as many pop-ups also. I think part of the problem is that there isn't as many manufactures making them anymore. Manufactures probably make more money off of the other type of RVs.

[Campfire_Time]

I've noticed this too. I have seen very few new PUPs on the road or at the CGs we've camped at the past few years. Most are older by at least 5 years. As said, the cost isn't that much higher for a small TT or HTT. And the later are simpler to setup. And I've seen lots of new TTs and HTTs, small and large.

[DutchmenSport]

Interesting observation. My wife and I have camped at (almost) every State Park and State Recreation in Indiana over the last few years. We have 4 more parks to go and we will have stayed at every one in Indiana (State... not private)...

Anyway, an interesting observation. At the State Parks in Northern Indiana (especially the North East) -- there is a very high proportion of pop-up campers. In the Central section of Indiana there seems to be a 1 for 1 mix: pop-up, TT, 5er, MH. (But TT's and 5er's are still more dominate). In the Southern part of the state, 5er's and horse trailers are the dominate RV in the state parks. Very few pop-ups in the Southern part of the state (that we've seen) at State Parks. It was very noticeable this year. So I think it's REALLY a geographical --- oddity.

You would think that Northern Indiana would have more motor homes, trailers and 5ers because this is the Meca of RV manufacturing. But PUPs rule! In the South, you would think the opposite. But not so.

I'm still baffled at this observation.

Not sure what's going on with the dealers, but when I think about the various dealers in my geographical area, you are right, there's not very many pop-ups. So I still think its a geographical "law of supply and demand". If the demand was more in your area, you better believe the dealer lots would be full!

[Iraqvet05]

LynnandCarol wrote:
the cost of a new top of the line pop-up is almost the same for a new small trailer/used TT.

That was a big deciding factor when we bought our TT. We had rented PUPs for years and wanted something of our own and the cost difference over a well equipped PUP and a basic TT was marginal.

[kayakcrazy]

We purchased a Jayco 1206 a few years ago in June, by September it was being traded off on a bigger travel trailer. After every trip there were screws on the floor and beds, the table broke in half from the sink laying on it (part of the fold down) . Cushions flattened out thinner than paper. My folks hauled a similar trailer for many years but the quality just wasn't in this one. I also see more of the half fold down/ half cabin trailers being towed so maybe these are the replacements.