View Full Version : Pop-up camping
So the wife and I are perusing Craigslist looking for a pop-up camper -- big road trip to Yellowstone in the works for next summer. Who has experience with one? Any insight, tips, or advice on things to look for and/or avoid?
http://funnyand.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Campings-A-Tradition-In-My-Family.jpeg
Make your reservations early. They will sell out.
https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/campgrounds.htm
And be bear aware especially as you will have food at your campsite
https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/bearsafety.htm
Yellowstone my most favorite place to visit. Been there three times over 40 years. Was last there in May 2015. Looking forward to going back in a few years.
Make your reservations early. They will sell out.
https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/campgrounds.htm
And be bear aware especially as you will have food at your campsite
https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/bearsafety.htm
Yellowstone my most favorite place to visit. Been there three times over 40 years. Was last there in May 2015. Looking forward to going back in a few years.
I was thinking more in terms of advice on purchasing a camper. But Yellowstone tips are appreciated as well. :)
My experience is from around 1975 but make sure everything is water tight. Canvas rots if it's too wet or too dry. We camped a lot in the '60s and early '70s but we kind of got out of the camping habit and our pop-up camper sat for a couple of summers unused. Dad opened it up the next year thinking to sell it and the canvas was coming apart at the seams.
Not sure what you're towing with but, be sure to check out all the specs on weight, max loaded weight, tongue weight, etc, and compare them to your vehicle's towing capacity. Leave enough margin for the fact that you'll be towing in some mountainous regions.
Rent.
http://www.adventurecamper.com/camper-rental/rates/
nissan gtp
10-03-16, 08:21 PM
Rent.
http://www.adventurecamper.com/camper-rental/rates/
totally agree.
we had a Coleman for a while. great camper, loaded, but big and a little heavy. We didn't use it a lot, and I was really happy to sell it
cameraman
10-03-16, 08:26 PM
Rent.
http://www.adventurecamper.com/camper-rental/rates/
This x1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
You have to store it, maintain it, pay taxes on it, new ones are horrendous investments. Unless you are going to be camping for many weeks per year for many years you should rent.
Ended up buying a used one -- a 1996 Coachman that has been meticulously maintained. We have a young family, and it's something we anticipate using for years. We figured, find a cheap used one and camp with it. If we don't like it we can always sell it and won't be out much money at all (probably less than a rental). If we do like it, we can either keep it longer term or sell and upgrade. But in the meantime, it looks like it will fit the bill!
Oh give me a home where the buffalo roam...
https://s10.postimg.org/88c5l1fkp/image.jpg
Owners manual: http://www.coachmenrv.com/OwnersManuals/13852886.pdf
Modification ideas:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgnYP1Ou1AI
Have fun! I have many fond memories of camping as a kid. Stock up on marshmallows.
Have fun! I have many fond memories of camping as a kid. Stock up on marshmallows.
Dude...marshmallows, graham crackers, and Hershey bars. :)
TravelGal
10-06-16, 10:18 AM
Dude...marshmallows, graham crackers, and Hershey bars. :)
:thumbup::thumbup:
datachicane
10-15-16, 12:33 PM
Sorry I missed this earlier.
The 1970's vintage Apache popups were some amazing pieces of engineering. No fabric, they were constructed of aluminum and ABS. This is my '78 Mesa in an Oregon coast winter. Insulated double walls and a propane furnace makes these pretty much indistinguishable from a standard travel trailer once set up. They were crazy expensive back in the '70s, but have a much better survival rate than other popups, and are still out there for about the same price as used Colemans. They have a big enough cult following that there are still plenty of new and reproduction parts available, including the entire lift system.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/P4E2L0s1Ajy8dHJHhsRtrnwzUh-uHVnuXGYVTDG7NXDCF0PvKqY78PE79jiLnIXAl7W89PvxmJxzk NkGQKcQlqqOXj0MW-73kGb3puE7SfYzR1tYKy_jVPgO1YYEYfzrjRRFMwy8kiH2WUhp L8-Tw9GwpQbh7wlK8yoErqpIAqYmu0I8IImeUwwQRsTS-j4geLP3ygyji1xwH1SxR2wB3xaynDlfk6DirRORKJ99cB1ZpKG JMLxMiaWAUpNjrou8jY-M2GbZZ2DVq8rBEtabE_QwD_YAxpDcQrJw2q3AgAFqQOkHzAlr5 i43CAndB1Fp2T4VS5v2R5bHx90qzrj0_9nPonyQNUXpCeQkBw9 sBm0VW9Uzrd4iljYDpHkf4xGlIOojSRnZG11gxz3BCJ-K11Bw9uK3CWg-iGG64op_jHsDZNlPlZPcQQQmuEDkIhtmHQe5tJO8m0UQZwOkOQ BVxOu9u78calYGW7gl-9lI5Y1j4inQ2LKnaWhItZvzjUtFsMePPXhpWHEgZLaC6cHvUyW PHZSWDGehJngk1mcrDrCtNwwdnUhjGBWrqniGDSyV-7fKudJKzR8-zIXGyBQXP5hUQkulGo6UcLYu9kaqEBGURUgY=w640-h480-no
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/kLq_zo4N0eQe-55Ax5xKFnKcgjxy8ZS8JhAChmJdltZ_LPuo3AtQSZdZySiQYux UnlHBK5rtCWIpFQCaQvcNN2Od0TVfy0xC1UcFZXXnxXEB-_DS8zzgeh32MaL-otd1f-UwfplEAbLWEHl3_kkJrCi8Y72mJoXVhPPtXyafViEH6NBCtm1H JjHhV9TR_9Wp6--znXTG5HEyFFP-GFa6NABbzA6ftii7-Tc__bb4opayKPgVzTBudp-8w_73njiSVNmZNz_bqVlbtPJ6TEp46GT7Y7g-tk8e2oFdGJXsipPIjB8NWZsAP13Ueq1RYQGf4BKXFl_qqt2Mh4 rfxomt3QuvkJgn-27t_88ASvHvaqASd3XlanK9AFNsMVZBS2GwQSj4VX1ngLalqp8 bDCOXV8JJ4kGIo-gVyTW1IN19Ti1c90hpAmfeAyxqJD7M7D-DcMN_5HaXTYZTJz_63gkJ-nM5FSpRFLwQORYRQPG-iD9GigYNX80vr_hanmsuCSNVuuKZNeKLWsaI3uLrmIyhWboqwe KHv8Ez0A7jpZR5DOVdZ3WGNSZ5aW91NOHpuQ_krpOl8pV9eyrS ceXWW5sL4ISnGMAa2wfv9Lroi5-tGQ7RWmA=w400-h267-no
I'd owned this one for about ten years. Coincidentally, it was stolen the same day this thread posted- they must have really wanted it, cut through a 10' cyclone and barbwire enclosure and cut off two separate hitch locks. Ouch.
Trailer rustling? I hope a bear eats them.
datachicane
10-15-16, 07:34 PM
No kidding. To add to the fun, it turns out that my homeowners' maximum payout for a popup is less than my deductible, so I'm SOL.
Wow, that sucks.
Very cool camper. Envy of all the pop-ups back in the day.
.... Coincidentally, it was stolen the same day this thread posted- ....
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/9d/4f/89/9d4f893f2af7eea94141c299a81712ab.jpg
nissan gtp
10-17-16, 09:22 PM
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/9d/4f/89/9d4f893f2af7eea94141c299a81712ab.jpg
you were not the very first person we all thought of
:D
Sorry I missed this earlier.
The 1970's vintage Apache popups were some amazing pieces of engineering. No fabric, they were constructed of aluminum and ABS. This is my '78 Mesa in an Oregon coast winter. Insulated double walls and a propane furnace makes these pretty much indistinguishable from a standard travel trailer once set up. They were crazy expensive back in the '70s, but have a much better survival rate than other popups, and are still out there for about the same price as used Colemans. They have a big enough cult following that there are still plenty of new and reproduction parts available, including the entire lift system.
............
I'd owned this one for about ten years. Coincidentally, it was stolen the same day this thread posted- they must have really wanted it, cut through a 10' cyclone and barbwire enclosure and cut off two separate hitch locks. Ouch.
https://annarbor.craigslist.org/rvs/5804459504.html
datachicane
10-18-16, 11:32 PM
https://annarbor.craigslist.org/rvs/5804459504.html
The '72s are a bit mutant and have a reputation for leaking in heavy fog. I'd hold out for a '73-'79, with '78 usually regarded as the sweet spot. The '73-'75 have smaller windows in ABS sides, while the '76-'79 get big windows in aluminum. Owner of the company was kidnapped in '78, got spooked and sold company to some investors who, umm, disinvested it, so '79s are a salad of leftover parts with variable build quality. Each year got one color combo inside and out, so they're easy to identify.
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