Towing a pop-up vs. a self-contained

[Lorimack]

I've owned 3 pop-up campers over the last 18 years. I'd like to upgrade to a 27' self-contained camper but I'd like more information about the differences in towing them. Any and all info is welcome.
Thank you,
Lori

[DutchmenSport]

As far as PUP experience vs TT experience, the thing I DO miss about having a PUP is the ability to move it around by hand. Put the wheel on the tongue hitch and I could push it around anywhere. Can't do that with the TT, just way to heavy.

We really enjoyed taking the PUP and turning it 90 degrees on the campsite spot and facing the front door directly to the back of the campsite. Was wonderful when camping with a woodline behind the campsite. It provided nice privacy that way. Can't do that with a TT of any length, unless it's a little tear drop style.

Other than that, we have no desire to go ever go back to a pop-up.

The other thing that took a bit of adjusting to, moving from a pop-up to our first TT, was the lack of the "open feeling" you get from a tent experience. It took a while to adjust to walls and privacy, and having a bit more secluded feel. Now, after all these years, I'd never want to go back to that "openness" again either.

I don't miss breaking camp in the rain and dealing with wet canvas sides, freezing in colder weather, not having a bathroom or a refrigerator, and no water dropletts above my head when waking up in the morning, or wet side canvas in the bunks waking up in the morning.

[aftermath]

You have gotten a lot of very good advice here. I towed a PU for 17 years before moving up to a 21ft hybrid and now a 25ft trailer.

Visibility out the back will be a huge change. Get some good mirrors.

Towing down the road will create some tension for you until you get used to driving in windy conditions and steep hills. Make sure you have a good weight distributing hitch with built in sway control.

Yes, it is easier to back up a longer trailer but you are going to be challenged at times to just get into your site. You can put a PU anywhere. A longer trailer will not be as easy to get into tight spots.

You will get less mileage but much more comfort. I still miss my PU when I go out fishing up logging roads. Simply can't take the big trailer out through the fields like I used to do.

[Mickeyfan0805]

As named above - there are certainly trade-offs when moving away from a pop-up. WD hitches (if not using one with the Pop) are a bit more of a hassle, additional length makes gas/meal stops something that takes more thought, windy days can be a bigger issue, etc... The one thing I didn't see mentioned above is views. Again, depending on what you've been towing the pop-up with, you may have had some rear sight-lines with your current set-up. With a TT, you'd have none. Particularly when backing up, this makes a difference.

In the end, the trade-offs are minor in my mind, and many of them are compensated for by what you gain (setting up a WDH is FAR easier than setting up the canvas of a pop-up). You will feel less 'outdoors' in a TT, but if that is not a big loss to you, I don't think you'd regret moving to a TT.

[Thom02099]

Lorimack wrote:
I've owned 3 pop-up campers over the last 18 years. I'd like to upgrade to a 27' self-contained camper but I'd like more information about the differences in towing them. Any and all info is welcome.
Thank you,
Lori

Great answers so far. One significant difference is rear view. As in looking out your rear view/side view mirrors to see what's going on behind you.

The perspective, of course, is determined by the height of the tow vehicle vs the height of the PUP. If the TV is a vehicle that sits relatively high off the ground, you should be able to see over the roof of the PUP as to what's happening behind you, if there's a line of cars, or whatever.

With a travel trailer? Not so much. Not at all, in fact. Dependent on the views from your side mirrors, as you've got nothing but a slab from the interior rear view mirror.

[DutchmenSport]

The challenge backing up a PUP vs a TT is not a PUP vs TT issue. The reason PUPs are harder to back up is because their wheel base is shorter than the TT wheel base you may consider.

I've had both a PUP and 3 different TT, each one got longer than the one before. By far, the "easiest" to back up is my now 35.5 foot TT. I still have a utility trailer with the same wheel base length as my original pop-up. And yes, with the same tow vehicle, the utility is much more of a challenge to back up than the 35 foot trailer, only because the sensitivity to any steering change is so fast with a shorter wheel base trailer.

So, what I'm saying is, if you can back up your pop-up with no problems, you'll find a longer wheel base trailer easier. The combination is.... the shorter the wheel base of the tow vehicle and the longer the wheel base of the trailer, the easier they are to back up. (This is proven over and over again when I hook up my utility trailer to my John Deere 735 mower-tractor and put it in places the truck navigation would be much more challenging).

Towing ALL depends upon your tow vehicle. If you are towing a TT with a small SUV, it will fail miserably towing a TT. But if you are already towing the pop-up with a 1 ton diesel dually, towing a TT will be non-mute.

We towed or pop-up originally with a Chevy Lumina Mini-Van. We had to go to a smaller pop-up to tow it comfortably, but it towed the pop-up for 6 years with no problems. Under the program "cash for clunkers" we ended up trading the mini-van for a used Suburban 1500. The air conditioning went out and they were wanting over $4000 to switch over to the non-freeon system. We said no, it wasn't worth it. We traded for the cash-for-clunkers program.

The Suburban towed the pop-up absolutely flawless. In fact, we got strange looks when we went to campgrounds because we were towing a smaller pop-up with a big vehicle! But when we decided to go from the pop-up to an 18 foot (lite) Dutchmen Sport, that Suburban towed for 3 months and then the transmission died. The engine had lots of power to pull, but the transmission did not! Little did we know.

We replaced with a new (rebuilt) transmission, and the Suburban handled towing even worse. A month later, we traded the Suburban for a Chevy 3500 dually (gas) one ton and never looked back towing again with anything else but one-tons. We've have 3 different 1 tons now, 1 gasser and 2 different diesels.

Whey did we trade the first one-ton? Dealer informed up the frame was rusting out and we were taking a risk towing a larger trailer(by now we had a 31 foot TT).

Second 1 ton had a fiberglass body. And although the transmission and engine were unbelievably magnificant, the body began to form spider cracks and the doors began to form rust from inside. We traded it and got $18,000 for it.

Now on our 3rd dually (got it brand new)... diesel Duramax 3500, the towing power is beyond amazing! We now have a 35.5 foot trailer, with carrier on the trailer hitch, our total length is 59.5 feet for the entire rig.

Towing is amazing! Except for turning intersections in town, our combination is wonderful. No problems backing up, towing, winds, semi trucks suck and pull, or anything. It tows marvelous in mountains, snow and ice, and flat land.

What I'm saying is, the success for a successful "tow" is to have a tow vehicle that is (literally) an over-kill for what you are needing to tow. If you do, you'll never experience any issues.

With 59.5 feet of "rig", I have no problems navigating almost anywhere. I do occasionally pass a fuel station if it's really a tight entry and exit. But there is almost always another one 1000 feet further down the road that will work just fine.

Campgrounds? we selectively choose our sites to make sure we can fit the space. Never had a problem getting into any campground or getting a spot. It might not be the most popular, desired spot, but that's usually because "that" spot is already taken. But we can get into any campground. We do primarily State Parks.

Hope this helps.

[SoundGuy]

Lorimack wrote:
I've owned 3 pop-up campers over the last 18 years. I'd like to upgrade to a 27' self-contained camper but I'd like more information about the differences in towing them. Any and all info is welcome.

Tow vehicle, which for a trailer of that size might even need to be a 3/4 ton, depending on exactly which 27' trailer. Mismatch TV to trailer and none of the other stuff will matter as you'll hate the experience right from the get go. 😞

[Cobra21]

The pop-up is way easier to pull and back into sites. Most travel trailers need a sway bar system hooked up. It's almost a night and day difference in every aspect. Yes the hard wall trailer is more comfortable, but there is a price to pay.
Brian

[evanrem]

We went from a popup being towed with a Highlander to a 34 foot tt pulled with a Silverado. Every aspect of towing became more challenging. Getting gas, stopping to eat, sightseeing along the way became a bit more difficult. It can still be done just not as easy. You will also notice it in gas mileage, plan on somewhere between 7 and 10mpg while towing with a tt. Plan on getting a solid truck and a solid understanding on what you need to tow the trailer You can never have to much truck. With all that being said the upgrade is worth it hands down

[wowens79]

We had a popup for 9 years before going to a 33' TT. The difference will kinda depend on what you are towing with now. We towed with a Honda Pilot, and a 1500HD (basically a 3/4 ton truck). Pulling with the Pilot, was actually pretty similar to pulling the TT with the truck. You can really tell its back there, acceleration is slow, you really slow down on hills, you feel 18 wheelers pass etc.

If you pull the TT with a capable truck, it will not be bad. It will just take a trip or two to get used to it. Parking lots and tight areas require a little more thought.

We loved the popup, but the TT is so much easier. Packing and unpacking is so much quicker. I used to hate having to pop up to load, and unload at the house.

I do miss all of the windows and sleeping under the canvas. But we do use the the TT more in the cold and the heat as it is more comfy. We've also used the TT as a place to stay on short one night trips that with the popup we would have used a hotel.

[MFL]

You don't mention your tow vehicle, but the frontal area, and hitch weight of that size TT will require a TV with more power/payload than you need for towing a Pup. You will need a weight distributing hitch to transfer some of the hitch wt, and to help with sway. With the proper TV and WDH, towing the larger TT should be a good experience, that you will adjust to quickly.

Jerry

[2112]

This depends on your tow vehicle. And yes, a TT is much easier to back up.

[NanciL]

We went from a pop up to a nineteen foot TT and then from there to a 25 footer.
The biggest difference for me was the worry about pulling in and out of gas stations
We now have a 40 foot TT that is on a permanent side and we still have a 8 foot box PUP that we use to commute to the big one

Jack L

[Rustycamperpant]

I've had two PUPs and now have a TT. PUPs are WAY easier to tow, but once you get used to towing a TT its no problem, the extra wieght and wind resistance is the biggest issue plus the much lower fuel mileage. A TT is easier to back up though.... IMHO. I LOVE the set up of the TT infinitely over the PUP.

[FrankShore]

Well, you might an extra 3 mpg. Buy all incosed everything and you'll be happier by far!