Thinking about upgrading from pop-up

[TrueBlueKC]

Hi I'm brand new here and my wife and I are thinking about buying a TT or hybrid. We have had our pop-up for 7 years and love it but we like the idea of easier set up. We also would like a bathroom and a bigger sink and bigger fridge. We could go with less sleeping room and more moving around and storage room. We need to be able to sleep 3 as our son (14) will be with us most of the time for the first few years then will likely be tired of camping with us all the time.

We have a '99 Suburban 1500 4X4. It's tow rating is 6000# so I guess we're looking for a GVWR of 5000 or so.

We have 3 reputable dealers in the area as well as a Camping World. I would like to avoid Camping World based on reviews. One dealer has a lot of Jayco, one has a lot of Keystone and one has a lot of Forest River.

We like the Jayco Jay Feathers and the Keystone Passports but something like the Cherokee wolf pup is closer to my price range. I'm hoping to find something new or slightly used for around $15000 if possible. Is it a good idea to wait until late summer when the 2017's are on the lot and try to get a 2016? How much less will they sell them for If I wait a few months?

I appreciate any comments or suggestions anyone may have.

[SpeakEasy]

TrueBlueKC wrote:
I forgot all about selling! We're camping this weekend and just last week I was de-winterizing and found that the water heater was split open! It will likely need a new one. I really don't want to deal with that and then having to show it. I might just trade it in or is that a terrible idea?

You have options, depending on what's important to you. If getting the most $ out of your popup is important, I'm pretty sure you'd do better selling than trading. You have the option of selling "as is" with full disclosure about the water heater. Some buyers won't care about that - they'll expect a discounted price of course, but it won't keep them from buying. Other buyers won't want to touch it unless it's perfect. I doubt you'd recover your cost for a new water heater in a higher price for the popup, however.

I put a big chunk of money into my popup last summer, even knowing I'd be selling this year, because it was needed (new brakes and new tires). I was happy to be able to tell potential buyers about these new items. But those are safety items, and essential to the use of the camper. Not quite on the same level as a water heater. You can camp without a water heater, but not so much with bad tires and brakes. Well, I couldn't anyway.

-Speak

[SpeakEasy]

Kavoom wrote:
"I think this is a great time of year to be making the move that you're considering."

Actually, for selling it is a good time, for buying, not so much. It is a seller's market in the spring buyers after the end of the season. Perfect world would be you pop up one more summer buy in the winter and sell the pop up next spring. And look for 2014/2015 used ones to buy from an owner in the winter. Of course, this is in an area with four seasons and it might be different in Southern California or way south. Don't know about those areas. Just my opinion having shopped continually for years. Oh, high density dealership areas with multiple dealers with large inventories can be deals this time of year though on new.

Yeah; you're right. It's a seller's market right now. I think we just lucked out or were blessed or something to find exactly what we were looking to buy, in a slightly used model, for a price we couldn't resist. We did kiss a lot of frogs first though.

Good clarificatoin, Kavoom.

-Speak

[WNYBob]

I had a small TC and had to take the door off to get knee room in the throne room (replaced it with a curtain.)

We moved from the TC to a TT, wife didn't like all the climbing.

I haven't seen much said about what we bought, but we like it, Shadow Cruiser 195WSB. It has a front walk a round queen bed a couch slide (bed for the teen) and a "large" bath (knee room & shower with a mini tub.) Double door refer, oven. What it doesn't have is counter space!

I have a 2010 but it is still made smallest in Cruiser RV's lineup, the big difference is the floor is much higher, a trend of new RVs.

Crusier RV

P.S. it took ten minutes to setup last time out

[Kavoom]

"I think this is a great time of year to be making the move that you're considering."

Actually, for selling it is a good time, for buying, not so much. It is a seller's market in the spring buyers after the end of the season. Perfect world would be you pop up one more summer buy in the winter and sell the pop up next spring. And look for 2014/2015 used ones to buy from an owner in the winter. Of course, this is in an area with four seasons and it might be different in Southern California or way south. Don't know about those areas. Just my opinion having shopped continually for years. Oh, high density dealership areas with multiple dealers with large inventories can be deals this time of year though on new.

[Mark_and_Linda]

We did the same thing a few years ago, upgraded to travel trailer. We love ours, it was used but well taken care of, some things had not been used by the previous owner. Good used ones are out there.. there is nothing like getting up in the morning, rain or shine, get a cup of coffee and sit back in bed. We love simple and that is what we got. Wish you luck....

[marquette]

I second renting something in the size you are looking for first. I had a 99 Tahoe and was surprised at how much drag a 6x12 cargo trailer had on it. I tried a 22ft Wildwood Xlite that was 3615lbs by the yellow door sticker with my 2001 Suburban for about 4000 miles and sold it for a 14.5 ft TT. It's lower and narrower and tows like a dream. I understand wanting to move up from a pop up because that is what we did. After the Wildwood we even considered a Aliner because of the ease of towing but the cabinet storage, refrigerator that is not mounted on the floor and a bathroom kept us in a TT. Don't over estimate your Tahoe's towing capacity and you will have a much more positive experience going to a TT.

[kknowlton]

We bought a TT for one reason convenience. We wanted to tour the country for weeks at a time and not have the hassle of setting up and taking down every time we moved, often every other day.

All this is nice but.
* A TT has a lot more maintenance.
* You can expect 10 MPG
* You will travel at 55 to 60 mph and about 300 miles a day.
* You will need a tow vehicle that is up to the task.

Convenience cost, not only in dollars but while sitting in the kitchen booth drinking your microwaved coffee, there is a loss of the feeling of camping.

x2
We loved our PUP, but got tired of the loading & unloading whenever we'd arrive at or leave a CG. Enjoying our TT - but we do kind of miss the feeling of camping.

[rbpru]

We bought a TT for one reason convenience. We wanted to tour the country for weeks at a time and not have the hassle of setting up and taking down every time we moved, often every other day.

All this is nice but.
* A TT has a lot more maintenance.
* You can expect 10 MPG
* You will travel at 55 to 60 mph and about 300 miles a day.
* You will need a tow vehicle that is up to the task.

Convenience cost, not only in dollars but while sitting in the kitchen booth drinking your microwaved coffee, there is a loss of the feeling of camping.

I am well aware of the pit falls of the PUP but I kept mine when we bought the TT. I come from a canoe and tent background and sometime there is merit in simplicity.

We rented our first TT just to see if we really wanted to pull one of these barns down the road. You learn a lot in a hurry that way.

[TrueBlueKC]

Thanks Addy15 I will keep an eye out. That is a great set up! I knew a couple owners of Starcraft pop-ups and they both raved about Starcraft. Jayco is now their parent company.

[TrueBlueKC]

I forgot all about selling! We're camping this weekend and just last week I was de-winterizing and found that the water heater was split open! It will likely need a new one. I really don't want to deal with that and then having to show it. I might just trade it in or is that a terrible idea?

[Addy15]

It sounds like you are looking for pretty much the same thing we were looking for last year. After a lot of looking around at both new and used, we ended up with a 2015 Starcraft Launch Ultra Light 21FBS. Purchased it new for just under $17,000. After we decided which model we wanted, we did a lot of research online looking for the best price. Ended up having to drive about 4 hours away to get the best price -- spent about $3,000 less than the more local dealer. Did the whole deal over the phone or e-mail and just made one trip up there to pick it up. It's a nice little trailer and we like it very much so far. We did look at the very similar Rockwoods, but because of differences in how manufacturers measure the interior length, the Rockwood, although billed as a 21 ft. trailer actually had only 19 ft of interior length. The Starcraft is actually 21 ft inside, so a little bit more space. It has a sofa slide-out (jack-knife style sofa, although our son prefers sleeping on it as a sofa and not down as a bed), no dinette but has a stowable folding leg table which goes under the bed, walk-around bed, 8 cubic ft refrigerator, nice-sized pantry cupboard, electric awning. I would wish for more drawers, but that's not a deal breaker (just something to look for next time...). Dry weight is under 5,000. Towed fine with our 1/2 ton pick-up, but DH likes it much better since we got the Equalizer. It's very roomy inside and fully usable with the slide-out in. We could easily spend time in there without the slide being out. Have had a couple of small warranty issues, but nothing major and the dealer has been very accommodating. I haven't seen too much written in this forum about Starcraft, but we've been happy so far so just put that out there as another option you may not have considered before.

[SpeakEasy]

You and I are almost in the same situation, True. We just went to a hard-side TT from a popup in which we camped for 16 years. The same reasons you've said are behind our move too. We spent a couple of years trying to figure out what we wanted. We considered everything except fifth wheels. In the end a small-ish TT seemed best. (2014 Forest River Flagstaff Micro-Lite 23LB). We were able to get this thing for a great price, it is the exact floorplan we zeroed in on, and it is virtually like new. I hope you can do this too. I also was able to sell my popup (1999 Coleman Cheyenne) for what I thought was great price. Buy low; sell high. How often does THAT happen?

Anyway, I think this is a great time of year to be making the move that you're considering. I wish you well with it!

-Speak

[Oldcow]

DutchmenSport wrote:
Your three selections of campers are all on the same playing field. And all 3 are very popular brands. So, in the end, it really comes down to floor plan and aesthetics (what looks pleasing to you).

I always caution on 2 different things: First, if the camper has slides, how functional is the camper when the slides are IN. If you get a Hybrid trailer, how functional is the camper if you are not able to open the bunk ends? There WILL be times when you'll be using the camper where you cannot open everything up. Can you still function as a family with it buttoned up?

Second: The KING of the family and his "Royal Throne!".... (Most) men sit on the Royal Throne with their knees apart, and usually, the farther apart the more comfortable the "experience" is. So many campers put the "Royal Throne" in very tight quarters, and with the bathroom door shut, there is simply NO knee room. Before settling on a specific camper, make sure everyone actually sits on the "Royal Throne" and make sure it comfortable for everyone. (I'm serious here, not joking). Our first 2 Travel Trailers had a very narrow space for the Throne and with the door shut, the space was just about wide enough for a wide bottom and the door prevented one knee from moving and the sink prevented the other from moving. Consider it was just my wife and I in the camper alone about 99.9999% of the time, we often used the bathroom with the door open, so we (both) and more knee room. So ... my STRONG advise, sit on "IT" before buying the camper.

I do not advise getting a hybrid. They still have tent ends. You're not gaining much over a pop-up camper, except you don't have to pop it up. You still have to deal with wet canvas when it rains.

LMAO when I read your post, its the first thing I do and my wife thinks I am nuts...

Oldcow

[TrueBlueKC]

MNRon wrote:
You'll love a hard side over your current pup. Having bought both used and new TT, I highly recommend USED as you'll get a better unit for same price. Having a slide makes a huge difference in space. I see a future upgrade to a 3/4T in TV in your future...

The Suburban may be 18 years old but it has less than 150,000 miles and I've done all the maintenance myself. It's almost exclusively a TV. A 3/4 or 1 ton is indeed in the future as is a fifth wheel...just not the near future. I imagine I'll buy a TT, then a new TV, then a fifth wheel. Then sell the house and go!!

[TrueBlueKC]

Thanks for the replies!

We do get some hot and very humid weather in the summer and those bunk ends are hard to keep cool so maybe a hybrid is not the best choice.

I'm thinking a floorplan with a sofa slide vs. a dinette slide would be better for us since we usually eat outside. We also want a permanent bed. I saw a 2015 Rockwood 2109s on the lot that fits the bill. We may go look this week to get ideas. I also love the Passport 199ml. I also just noticed that the wolf pup has a new floorplan for 2017 with a sliding dinette AND sofa. It's a very big slide for such a small TT. I will have to buy new if I want that one.

I'm in no hurry so I'll keep looking at the used inventories.