Thoughts on campers/pop ups

[Rounder]

I'm looking to get a camper or pop up to put up at the place I deer hunt for next season and wanted to get some help on what might work best as I know nothing about these things. The land I have access to hunt has a house on it that works fine for the guys but the accommodations are not exactly 5 star (no running water in the house, no heat, sewage works but you have to haul water to flush) and I'd like to have a place my wife and son (2 yr old) could stay so I don't have to leave them when I go up there to either get ready for the season or during the season when I'm up there hunting.

I'm looking to hear some pros an cons of a camper compared to a pop up trailer. Both would need to be able to be pulled behind a f150 type truck. There is a barn on the place with a good sized concrete area (closed off fom rest of the barn) that we are thinking of putting the trailer in and cleaning that area up to use the barn as hang out space (we'd put a tv in barn, fridge, couches, dinner table etc) and the trailer would just be where we showered and slept. There is electric and water in the barn already so we would have easy access to those.

So let's hear it. What do you guys think would work best and what are the main differences between the pop up trailers and a camper.

Obviously, there is a price for everything and I'm not looking to have the finest place in the world but want it to be suitable for women and small children to stay in comfortably.

Thanks for the help.

[Matt_C]

Popups leak around the canvas, Popups have air but no heat and it will get cold. Popups will blow and pop when the wind blows. Popups, you will hear every noise in the woods ie... coyote's, skunks, dogs barking etc....

Get the travel trailer. I stayed in a popup for 4 years and it ain't no fun in the winter or cold season. If you want to hunt a lot, make the wife comfortable and you will hunt a lot.

[Txfire409]

Popups leak around the canvas, Popups have air but no heat and it will get cold. Popups will blow and pop when the wind blows. Popups, you will hear every noise in the woods ie... coyote's, skunks, dogs barking etc....

Get the travel trailer. I stayed in a popup for 4 years and it ain't no fun in the winter or cold season. If you want to hunt a lot, make the wife comfortable and you will hunt a lot.

X2!

[Loreva13]

Popups leak around the canvas, Popups have air but no heat and it will get cold. Popups will blow and pop when the wind blows. Popups, you will hear every noise in the woods ie... coyote's, skunks, dogs barking etc....

^^^This is true of popups...

[TheGasMan]

Not an expert but I've been looking into the same dilemma myself.

Camper
Pro:
Tolerates wind
Less likely to leak esp in bad weather
More stable
Generally more creature comforts (and more home like)
Quiet(er) interior
Probably less setup/takedown effort to move.
Easier to heat/cool
More storage

Con:
Bigger to store
Requires more gas to pull
Slightly more difficult to tow (esp in weather)
Larger investment
Not as mobile/nimble as pop up

Pop up is pretty much the opposite of these

[Etxbuckman]

I've got a little Skamper pop-up that has a 3-burner propane stove on the inside and, man, that sucker gets the inside of the camper toasty quick.

Yes, it doesn't drown out all the outside noises but for the convenience of towing and storing it was a no-brainer for me.

Oh, and if you take care of the canvas just a little bit it will last without issue for years.

[TexPro]

I have both.......only reason I got the camper was that i needed something bigger. When you get more than 2 people in a popup, it gets cramped with bags and stuff the wife brings along. I have my camper at the deer lease and keep my little popup for special trips that I may go alone on. I hate pulling my camper all the way to New Mexico just for me....so instead i take my "huntin' wagon". They both serve a great purpose, but for the family get the camper.

[Rounder]

If you want to hunt a lot, make the wife comfortable and you will hunt a lot.

That is definitley the plan. I have a very understanding wife and hunt quite a bit but I hate leaving them for the weekend when I do go. If they can come with me some weekends, I get the best of both worlds. Spend time with my family and get to hunt at the same time.

[Ironman]

Popups leak around the canvas, Popups have air but no heat and it will get cold. Popups will blow and pop when the wind blows. Popups, you will hear every noise in the woods ie... coyote's, skunks, dogs barking etc....

Get the travel trailer. I stayed in a popup for 4 years and it ain't no fun in the winter or cold season. If you want to hunt a lot, make the wife comfortable and you will hunt a lot.

That's strange. I had a Starcraft pop up that had an excellent heater, and never leaked. We lived in Colorado at the time, and that's all we camped in. As a matter of fact, we lost our house in a forest fire in 2000, and my wife and four kids lived in it, in a friends driveway for three months. I have a full size camper now, but miss the pop up for elk hunting in Colorado, due to the fact that the pop up can get where a full size will never be able to.

[Atfulldraw]

go big, or stay home.

I know where a really nice 31 foot travel trailer is, and the current owner would even be nice enough to tow it to your lease for you....



seriously, go with a travel trailer -- and buy the biggest one your truck can haul, you will find out they are pretty small once you get inside of one. If you are going to leave it there all season, get someone to tow it there if your truck can't pull it.

[hornsboy]

Might look into a office trailer like they have for construction sites. They are heavier than a normal trailer but maybe you could borrow or get a buddy to haul it to the lease for gas money. Ours took a 3/4 ton 4 wd to move. With a little work you can have a kitchen, living area, bath with shower and toilet and a bedroom. Most are divided into two rooms and some already have a restroom. Can usually get one pretty cheap and like I said they are heavier and hold up forever. Just harder to move but you will appreciate the added weight when the wind gets high.

[M-2]

That's strange. I had a Starcraft pop up that had an excellent heater, and never leaked. We lived in Colorado at the time, and that's all we camped in. As a matter of fact, we lost our house in a forest fire in 2000, and my wife and four kids lived in it, in a friends driveway for three months. I have a full size camper now, but miss the pop up for elk hunting in Colorado, due to the fact that the pop up can get where a full size will never be able to.

We (3 of us - son from age 3-11) dragged our popup to nearly every state park in Texas over several years in heat and cold, and easily pulled it with a 4 cylinder Isuzu Trooper, into and out of Palo Duro, Caprock Canyon many times. We got a little ceramic heater and used electric blankets where we had electric hookups (no AC, though).
We loved that thing.

Rounder said:

There is a barn on the place with a good sized concrete area (closed off from rest of the barn) that we are thinking of putting the trailer in and cleaning that area up to use the barn as hang out space (we'd put a tv in barn, fridge, couches, dinner table etc) and the trailer would just be where we showered and slept. There is electric and water in the barn already so we would have easy access to those.

A popup might could work, be cheaper and easier to tow. But if you need a shower...you might as well just get a trailer, I guess, though you can find larger pop-ups with "full" bathrooms nowadays.

[Bearkat]

Google Trailmanor Sportsdeck. (Sorry can't add links yet.) This is the one I have been looking at. Best of both worlds. My dad has one similar and a 5th wheel. He pulls the folding trailer everywhere and leaves the 5th wheel at home.

[westguy76]

a lot of misconceptions about pop-up campers being thrown around. I have one, it does not and will not leak. It has a built in furnace. (a tilt out galley and a slide out on the other side. we got it for convienance of towing and the fact that it is garageable.
However, even though you can get one with an indoor shower I would suggest a bumper pull hard with a full size shower in your situation. We stay at state or national parks 90% of the time and use the shower facilities there. good luck. first think we did to our rough old camphouse was rebuild/tile the shower and get the john to be the nuicest room in the house.

[Cam-Mac]

I had a popup for two years. Tried it hunting in N Panhandle- that was a mistake! The heater worked but it just couldnt keep up with the arctic blast. I got a FEMA Trailer a couple years ago, best decision ever... Now the wife goes often, and its very very comfortable. Was almost brand new, and literally paid a fraction of price of a normal camper. I was there last weekend when temp was in the teens, and i had to turn the heater down b/c it got too hot. Another advantage is that its a "park model"- meaning its designed to park somewhere and stay there for a while- perfect for hunting. Our plumbing is permanently tied in, so we just show up & turn on the lights, just like a house. When we leave, we just turn the water off and drain the lines out, and we're done. Also, the FEMA's have a full size toilet and a full size fridge! Ours will sleep 4 grown men, or 2 adults in the master and 4 more sleeping areas...
IMO- these are ideal for hunting setups and cheaper than regular campers...
So easy & convenient!