What you wish you knew before you bought your first pop-up?

[AprilTwoCats]

After tent camping for 30 years, we're ready to buy a used pop-up camper. As a former  [htt-g]pop-up virgin, what do you now know to ask about or inspect for that you didn't before you bought? Is there something about a high side or a push out that you never thought of before you towed it away? Nothing too stupid to mention please, because we don't know enough to think of it.

Thanks

[Spirit Deer]

I wish we had known how much we would hate the slide on our trailer even though we love the space it creates, because it leaks mice.

I wish we'd have bought a highwall to begin with.  But at the time, we were towing with an Astro van and since we prefer a LARGE cushion between trailer weight and tow limits, we wanted to keep the trailer weight down. 

Really, I wish we would have known for sure which RV we would end up wanting after owning a few.  But I think that's a conclusion that can only be reached after gaining experience with different rigs, and also something that changes over time as needs change.

[CampingFamily1]

My webpage here lists the advantages and disadvantages of my camper

[austinado16]

Welcome to PUX April!!

I didn't know anything about them before seeing and purchasing ours on the cheap because it needed major work in a couple places.  Didn't really matter to me, because I'm always up for a project, and a challenge.

To answer your question, what I see most often on these forums is people who purchase without:
a) having the seller opening the camper.
b) having the seller show that everything works.
c) having the seller show how to use every feature in the camper.
d) having considered what their tow vehicle can REALLY tow.
e) having considered what it takes to tow, back up, park, unhitch, level, set up and take it all down again and tow it home.
f) having considered where and how the camper will be stored.

My advice?  Open, thoroughly inspect, "live in," and have the owner show you how to operate everything, and that everything works correctly.  Plan on that taking about 2hrs, and video how to do things so that you'll have a reference later on when you're overwhelmed with all the buttons, switches, levers, wires, and gizmos.

Spend plenty of time figuring out what your vehicle can safely tow, and if it's not really set for towing, get a handle on how much it's going to cost to get it set up.

Finally, where will you store it?  Storing them outside is the death of them, whether it's mice, rain, snow, hail, sun, heat, extreme cold, etc.  Paying for storage can be really expensive.  Paying for the damage done by storing outside can be even more expensive.

Look at the top sellers and get an idea of how a well built, well thought out version is put together, before you drop $$ on just whatever, and then regret it.  Coleman/Fleetwood, Starcraft, and Jayco is where I'd steer you.  Look at things like lift system design, roof lifter posts, bunk end support system. 

Go hands on with a bunch of different models and floor plans so that you get a feeling for what you do and don't like.

[campingramps]

I was lucky when I finally bought my first pop up.  I had been working in the RV industry at a dealer ship for many years and I was really familiar with all brands.  I chose Coleman because they were the best back then.  Basically, everything austinado wrote applies and you must be sure this is what you want.  Our family loved ours and wouldn't camp any other way.  I guess I'm a pop up nut.  Good luck shopping and Happy Camping.

[Huntin4Pixels]

It would have been nice to know that FTCA Inc. would go out of business and leave owners of their trailers hanging.

[D-mo]

Well this would be my 2nd popup, cause my first popup was fine.
A 2005 Coachman Clipper had this new lift mechanism that allowed you to insert the crank at waist hight, at the back of the trailer, and gently lift the roof to its standup position.  This lift system, had similarities with other lifts on the market, wiffle tree, but no cables, - it was set up with these push rod type of spring things that passed through a tube system .. that pushed up the roof.
Purchased 2nd hand .. and in great shape ... the roof failed two days after i purchased it ...
Dont get me wrong ... i raised the roof myself during the origional viewing to purchase, and all was fine.
Phoned the origional owner .. he took it back for the fix under warrenty work ... and supposedly all was good. 
Came back to me ... after two more raisings it was back to the origional owner ... for more warrenty.
Then I found out ... the lift system was recalled .. and was faulty. 
Every time we went camping with our new to us trailer, it was a major stress to see it go up or down. 
2 more sessions of warrenty work went on before i said ... Pull the entire lift system and replace it.
Now the company had gone backrupt who was making the system .. and another one was taking over parts and supply ...
1200 dollars later ... we had no issues with the roof raising and lowering ... but it ruined our camping experience.
it was sold the next year ... and im sure the owners are still happy ..

now i own an A-frame camper with no lift issues at all ...

we all are guilded by our mistakes . \

d-mo

[regis101]

Wish I had known how cool these things are because I would have gotten one a long time ago.

[ghacker]

...Really, I wish we would have known for sure which RV we would end up wanting after owning a few.  But I think that's a conclusion that can only be reached after gaining experience with different rigs, and also something that changes over time as needs change.

Wouldn't beat yourself up too much on this Rae because I think your last sentence summarizes it pretty well.

[ROCAMPER]

The best thing we did when we bought our first pop up was buy a nice not too expensive used one.  We kept that for a season.  We made lots of mistakes with it and figured out the options we really wanted.  IMO what people want on their first camper changes shortly after they start using it.

For our second pop up we chose a heavy high wall with all the bells and whistles.  We love it, but there are still things I would change if I had it to do over again.  Mostly the floor plan.

[AMomInLove]

How important both inside and outside useable storage space is --- we could not live without our front storage compartment :)  PUP packing becomes a fine science....

Don't buy the biggest and best right off the bat -- cause you likely will realize shortly after using it a few times all the features that you REALLY use (and really DON'T) and will change it :)

[jonesclarinet]

DH and I had both grown up in PUPs, so we knew some of the basics. We also agreed on the KISS rule (keep it simple, stupid). Both of our father's had similar views on 'the more moving parts there are, the more things can break/go wrong'. So we quickly ruled out anything with a slide out, 'bathroom', or systems we could do without. Hence, our first PUP, bought used, wound up being good for us. It had just what we needed. When we upgraded to new, we bought basically the same camper, just 9 model years newer. So I guess we chose wisely the first time!
We did look at more models, including hybrids, but decided we just couldn't keep up with all of the maintenence and such.

[yrless11]

Fridge access with the roof down would have been nice 

[Luvin Life]

I wish we would have looked more closely at a few things that were kind of glossed over during our pre sale inspection.  Of course, those were the areas we have encountered small problems.  Please don't get me wrong, we got an excellent deal, but we could have been a bit more detailed on our inspection.

[chiefd]

What I learned was to listen to DW.

I wanted certain features such as a cassette potty/shower combo.  She wanted counter space.  She won and I wont tell her but she was right.  The porta pottie works fine at night and we use all of the counter space! 

Actually look at all the PUPs layouts.  Figure out where you want stuff stored and then go from there, items like pots and pans, plates, silverware etc.  How will you use the PUP? Is it just for sleeping or more. We use the sink, AC, Furnace, and fantastic fan.  We do not use the fridge at all unless we are going for more than a week.  The stove gets used only on inclement weather days.  Otherwise we cook outside and use coolers.  Nothing better than a beer on ice.

Items we love about ours include the front storage trunk, and the slide out for dining.