Pop Up Campers DO NOT SET UP FAST!…Plus 10 other surprising things we learned!

Pop up camper detailed walk-through plus realistic setup time to help you make an informed decision on weather a pop up camper is right for you. Buying a pop up camper is a big decision. Before you buy your first or next small camper trailer you have a few questions to ask yourself. Do you need a small trailer that can easily be stored? Do you have the patience for the longer setup time that comes with tent trailer camping? Are you meticulous enough to ensure your trailer is thoroughly dried after each outing? We will help you answer these questions and many more to see if a pop up camper trailer is the right fit for you.
If you want to see more trailer comparison videos similar to this one check out our playlist "Trailer vs Trailer: Helping You Choose Your Trailer" • Trailer vs Trailer: Ch...
Interested in the small camper gear we use to enhance our overall camping experience? A great playlist to learn more about the gear is "Trailer Gear That Will Make Life Easier On The Road" • Trailer Gear That Will...
Looking for a detailed list of all the gear we currently use: www.amazon.com/shop/playingwithsticks
We do get a small kickback from amazon for any purchases you make using these affiliate links. By purchasing items through them there is no additional cost to you. Our family does receive a small percentage from items you purchase.
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Portable Buddy Heater amzn.to/361no87 (often can find refurbished for $50 at Cabelas)
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Manchester 10lb Propane amzn.to/3fRw8Sr most affordable is through Ace ship to store
Sportneer Portable Camping Table (low height, great for camp chairs) amzn.to/2CA4pHk
Our half metal half plastic Lifetime table is always out of stock. Smaller version that seems pretty nice as well amzn.to/3jJ94Xt
GCI Slim-Fold Camp Kitchen Table (don't own, but best out there) amzn.to/39hKuIX
Stanley Cookset with Nested Mugs amzn.to/2OOG1V1
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Camp Stove (Basic Coleman, but we wouldn't suggest it. Gets us by, but probably should upgrade)
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If you are new to the Playing With Sticks Family, welcome aboard! A great place to start would be this playlist "New to This Channel? Start Here!" • New to this channel, S... or "Our Most Popular Videos" • Playlist

[@rustipton3018]

Run a bar of ivory soap across the zippers, (an old Jeep trick) this will lube the zipper and make it last longer and easier to zip.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

Great tip! Thank you for sharing this. The tip feels like I have heard it at one time or another, but completely forgot about it.

[@AlpineWarren]

Honestly faster than any tent I have ever put up for my family. :)

[@TYLERVUESJJ]

I never use any of my windows

[@mikemead2315]

When it rained while we were camped in our popup, it sounded like ping pong balls bouncing on the roof. Made us laugh it was so unusual 🤣. Being inside the popup during rain was so much more fun in the popup than the tent. Table to play games. Food. Cooking. That was glamping!

[@PlayingwithSticks]

We should have mentioned that as well. We had big thunderstorms every night. May absolutely loved sleeping out in the rain every night. This camper in the video had a really nice rain sound. It was like rain on a tent, but more muffled.

[@zipzip8239]

because it had a rubber roof. my travel trailer sounds the same. my pop up didnt.

[@midnightcharasmr]

We love our 2005 Coleman cheyanne. It has a king bed!! My husband is 6’5 so this matters to us and it’s so roomy and spacious. The thing I love the most is that because the beds slide out, the inside of the trailer is SO MUCH larger than you’d expect. The table and couch still function as such during the day. It has been an awesome first trailer for us and it’s small and lightweight, has hot water, outside shower and furnace.. I love keeping all camping supplies inside and ready to go. The set up is faster and easier than tents and air mattresses for the kids etc and it’s cozy to hang out in when it rains. That said - having to close or pop up in the rain is a real hassle as the beds and canvas get wet and it has to be popped back up at home to allow it to dry. Another thing - if your plan for traveling involved parking wherever and sleeping wherever as you drive around the country, this is not the trailer for you. It requires a 20 minute set up and take down and it’s definitely not ideal to crash in a Walmart parking lot for the night.

[@RoseOriginals]

We've had two popups and raised our two kids camping. Wonderful memories! The set up is more like an hour with two kids and a dog. lol If we left for even a minute, our dog (lab/terrier mix) would go in her kennel. Most important thing is to open up fully when you get home. That canvas has got to be fully dried when put away. You hit every negative in this video, and I would do it again in a heart beat! With that being said, we're now empty nesters, our backs aren't what they used to be, so we just bought a brand new Casita. Let the adventures continue.

[@sherryperales113]

We had one the family used when we had to drive from Myrtle Beach all the way to Anchorage through Canada. Very long trip but also very good times. There were 4 kids and of course 2 adults and we all fit comfortably, it has everything you really need.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

Now that trip sounds amazing Sherry! I bet you were all exhausted near the end. Not many people can say they made a trip like that in their lifetime!

[@iaminyourbasement]

I have a Viking pop up with 3 slides and take me 30 minutes full setup, our pop up is 12’x7 and we love it.

[@juliefox77]

We love our 2001 Skamper Pop-up! It's a little ghetto (and extra work) compared to the fancy RVs out there but it was a small financial investment with a huge reward of Quality Family Time. A big factor in sticking with the Pop-up is that we can tow it with my mid-sized SUV. Anything heavier would mean we'd also have the extra expense of buying a new vehicle.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

We as a family also look for the smallest investment with the largest payoff. And we are big fans of using the daily commuter we already own.

[@paulwhite9242]

that's why I'm looking at popups; even a lot of smaller trailers are 4,000+ lbs which is more than I want to haul uphill

[@sjTHEfirst]

Yes, many of the things you pointed out have been addressed in newer PopUp Campers.

[@RobinRK1962]

2008 Fleetwood Yuma Destiny - full one piece door, no canvas issues, the "add-a-room" is perfect when you have a pet come back from the beach. 1575 lbs dry

[@jimp6542]

I've owned a few pop ups an they are my favorite form of camping. I also worked as an RV technician and have repaired many pop ups. Once you get used to the camper, your set up time will be greatly reduced. 10 minutes on average from the time you unhook from tow vehicle to ready to go is not out of the question. Make sure you take care of the zippers and canvas because they are what keeps you out of the inclement weather. Also, if you cannot avoid putting it down wet, which will occasionally happen, make sure you put it up when you get home so it won't mildew. Biggest thing is patience. Watch what you're doing and do it in a set sequence. Once you get familiar with the camper you will have great fun and meet many nice people in campgrounds.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

This is great to hear. Love knowing the setup can get down to 10 minutes. Thanks for sharing Jim!

[@patriciagaroutte978]

We had a trailer just like that. Each kid had a job we could set up and take down in 7 min. Everyone had a job and it worked great.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

Now that is what we like to hear!

[@naimsula4769]

@@PlayingwithSticks 95p Wa unlikely qmmn

[@moldobekbuzukeev6978]

,-zl

[@PlayingwithSticks]

@@moldobekbuzukeev6978 :)

[@scottfirman]

Thats exactly how we did it. The kids were not allowed on the play ground till the camper was up. They tended to get it done faster and even offered to help me or their mother help so I would let them go to the playground.

[@glutenfreejoe6099]

Glad I found your KZbin Channel. We grew up as a family camping in our 1972 Skamper our parents bought new. We camped in many State Parks and National Parks over the years plus commercial campgrounds such as at North Myrtle Beach Florida by Walt Disney World and other areas. Very well built pop up camper trailer and we always maintained it year round. We had our 1972 Skamper until 1997 when our parents bought a 22' hard side camper trailer to have their own full bathroom and air conditioning in hot and humid Louisiana Summer months.

[@theraptureisnearbelieveinj448]

Oh my gosh, just reading the title of your video has me in stitches!! 😂😂😂

[@harrymills2770]

Definitely the greatest for family camping. Maximum function for minimum cost and apparatus. They can be pretty fussy to put up. But it can also be part of the fun for the kids. LOL! One of the commenters relates how the kids pitched in and the "crew" got their setup time down to 7 minutes! Awesome!

[@PlayingwithSticks]

We loved that comment as well. Fun idea to assign each person their job. I bet those kids will be talking about those days 30-40 years later. Some of the best memories with my family, came from some of the most inconvenient hurdles.

[@kenbaker4528]

My family when I was a kid had that same pop up but the 1970 Starcraft version. Once dad got it parked and leveled we had it set up in about 10 to 15 minutes. It was our camper all during my years living at home.

[@Noniinthebush]

Just use a cordless drill to wind up the roof 😉

[@ClintonHagueHagueTech]

What I don't see a lot of people mentioning about popups is sleeping capacity. Mine has 4 beds, easily fitting 4 adults and 4 kids, or 2 adults and I could easily fit 8 kids if I wanted to. Pop-ups are meant to be the nest step up from tents, so you should be spending your time outside. deal with rainy days as best as possible jammed inside, or send the kids out to play in the rain. If people want travel trailer amenities from a pop-up, they will be disappointed, but if you're stepping up from a tent and really are using it for a home base to sleep and cook, there's nothing better for the value.

[@donaldsmith6717]

I owned one of these back in the 80s. A great camper for a growing family. Dad and Mom on the full size side. Triplets side by side on the queen side and big sister on the fold down table. But it was an excellent unit. I even replaced the cables when the plastic pulleys broke. Not a terrible job but a little time consuming. All in all it was a great improvement over our big tent. And don't forget, you aren't living in it. You're camping, this is just for sleeping so it is perfect. Oh BTW, I added my own interior door handle to pull it closed. Great video.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

Thanks for sharing all this. We especially liked hearing the cables weren't too hard to fix. This was one of our worries as we spend quite a lot of time trying to find a vintage Apache hardsided pop-up to restore. Your camping trips sound great with a bigger family. Good idea on the door handle!

[@kong3]

Wife and I are old old old. Have had all kinds of Rvs. 12ft PopUp takes 1/2 hour 100% done and organized. Practice and organzized. Abour same time as fithwheel, or regular hard side shorter time than any 4 person tent. Get organized.. Good luck.

[@slomohiker]

Newer ones definitely have some improvements. Our 2018 door has a normal height handle! It also has cables that hold it up so don’t have to worry about the bed supports, saves a little time with set up. I love our popup, relaxing in the bed looking at some beautiful scenery is my happy place!

[@PlayingwithSticks]

That sounds like great upgrades. Would love to skip a few of these steps. We second that nature happy place, so nice!

[@staciemsd4575]

How about the bug issue. Is there less?

[@robswanson1351]

This brings back so many good memories, this is identical to our first camper. We bought it in the early '90s and it was old then.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

Glad to hear we could bring back some memories. This did the same for us as well. We hadn't seen this camper in about 20 years.

[@mikemead2315]

Just a little history. Coleman popups was bought by Fleetwood popups who was bought by Somerset popups owned by Aliner the A-Frame camper company.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

Ha. I just learned the history from a good friend here in AK that Coleman was bought by Fleetwood, but that is as far as we made it. Had no idea it went to Somerset who is owned by Aliner and the A-Frame Camper Company. I was really excited for my next camper to be an A-Frame style camper. Showed a used one to May a few days ago and she said "Ugh! It's ugly." I said "Huh? You love the little pop-up" She said, "yep, but the A-Frame nope." Funny how we all see things differently. But I must say she also used to say the pop-up was ugly before she stayed in it and fell head over heels for it. Maybe I just need to borrow one for a week and see if she falls in love with it too!

[@bobcampbell2074]

Finding this a few years later. 😉 In spring of 2023 we bought a 2022 Viking 1706 popup. We're able to use a cordless drill to raise and lower the roof as well as the stabilizing jacks. Same socket for both. It's a small popup. The floor space is about the same as our friends' 13' Scamp. We can pull it with our 10+ year old Outback. It's mostly just my wife and I, though we did have a trip last year with our teen daughter and one of her friends. The privacy curtains for each bunk meant that the girls had their own spaces. My wife and I slept on the bed created by pulling the benches together. The bunks are small (the entire camper is small), so we built an extension for one of the bunks. That gives us a bed that is larger than a queen size bed when we don't have kids with us (most of the time). It's pretty basic inside. No hot water, just cold. A 2 burner stovetop that we don't use anyway (a grill attaches to the outside). We removed one of the flip down cabinets because it was more in the way than we needed the storage space. We've learned how to work on the canvas to seal up corners, so bugs really aren't a concern anymore. The little door slides up and off the trailer and a full size single door slides into its place, so the door handle is up higher. When we pack it up, the door slides up to the ceiling and straps with snaps hold it in place. A track with a couple of wires support the top of the door when it's sliding back and forth into place, so one person can handle it with ease. Instead of a small fridge, it came with a powered cooler, which we love even more because we can use it anytime we travel, whether we're camping or not. It has AC and heat too. Now that we've had it out a few times, figured out what mods we wanted, and made those mods, we are absolutely in love with it. Given that we bought the previous year's model, we got it for half price, even though it was new. Even with all of our mods, we're probably well under $15k all in, including getting our car wired up for it. We feel like we couldn't have gotten a better deal. ❤

[@bsandey]

The pop-up we had was built in 1990, and the door latch was higher on the lower door part, maybe a couple inches from the top of that section. There was also a latch on the upper section to hold that part of the door secure, but that was on the inside and attached to the actual door, not the door frame. We also had a pop-up when I was growing up. As fro how long it took to set up it, my father always would tell people it took 2 beers to set it up.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

Good to hear about the door. We found it very odd that our latch was on the outside for the upper portion. I forgot to mention in the video, there was no gap or guiding arrow. You had to peel back the Velcro and then run your fingers along the frame to find it in the dark. Okay, we love your father! That is a great line he uses.

[@rma7921]

Great video! We took our popup for one last trip before we sell it... fell in love with it all over again and going to do some repairs/ upgrades lol!! ... your spot on with the good, bad, and ugly... especially those windows😆🤣

[@PlayingwithSticks]

Those windows 😠😡😫!!!! Funny how our favorite feature of the pop-up can also be the one that wears you down. But, after we started quarter zipping the experience got much better. Thanks for sharing Raul. Out of curiosity did you end up getting a different style of trailer to replace it? Or did you just go back to tent camping?

[@davidalanbinder4238]

Hi, I just have to say that I check every Thursday in case you decide to double up or post one in between your every other week schedule since I look forward to your videos so much. Thanks for what you do and on top of that you are raising a great family together. Love it.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

Funny you say this because we check every Thursday as well, just to make sure we didn't accidentally post too soon. With the addition of the kiddos some of our days turn to weeks lately or is it the other way around? Time is flying by! Glad to hear you enjoy the videos. We had often hoped to go weekly someday, but the more we make these videos it seems the longer they take to make.

[@joymartin9485]

This is incredible and informative!!

[@PlayingwithSticks]

Thanks Joy. Is this AK Joy or a different Joy?

[@michaelkloeckner6353]

My first pop up rental was last weekend. Had it for three nights. I'm 68 years young. The set up was brutal compared to my tent but we had cool and rainy weather so we loved the comfort. I think I would rent one again as long as I did not have to set it up until I got to my destination. I would just stay in lodging while traveling. My tear down mistake: One wheel was on a leveling ramp, and I retracted the rear stabilizers while my spouse was putting away bedding inside the trailer. You guessed it; the trailer flew down the leveling ramp with my spouse inside. Ya I got cussed out. LOL. Note to self: Retract the rear stabilizers only after all the inside trailer tear down is done.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

Sounds like a fun little trip. And that leveling ramp story is pretty darn good! I bet you got an earful after that one 😆 We completely agree with your experience. Amazing little trailers, just a bit too much work for some, but not all situations.

[@dawncookie]

We had an ‘86 Pop-up and it’s door handle was higher than that so yeah someone fixed that. Love your retro trailer that’s so cool

[@fryloc359]

We went from a popup to a full size camper and back to the same popup. We didn't use the big camper as much as we thought we would, and when we do need a camper it's really just for a place to sleep.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

Love it!

[@pkeeney]

Man, what a cool popup! It's in such incredible shape (for the age), and the styling is iconic. There's definitely something to be said for the coolness/nostalgia factor!

[@PlayingwithSticks]

Glad you think so, we thought the same. We were so impressed that our father was able to keep it in such great shape for almost 50 years.

[@retro8696]

Its in really good shape for its age but sadly some camp grounds would not allow it it for some odd reason some camping areas won't let any RV or camper that is older then 10 years old in for some stupid reason.

[@johnnytrapantino78]

@@retro8696 Wow, is that due to safety or just trying to look higher class and keeping the "less desirable" out? In your opinion of these sites.

[@sierramantrvlnus]

Great video. Been waiting for it. Growing up we had a mid 1960s pop up canvas trailer. It was good but the wind and keeping warm was a challenge. And yes, we always made sure the canvas dried out. Also the door handle was low.. Fast forward, I purchased 1975 Apache hard-sided pop up. Great trailer I love everything about it except for the cranking system failed a couple of times. Snow, wind, rain, no worries while I was in it.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

That is the dream trailer for us. I can't remember if we told you that we missed out on two of these trailers by less than 2 hours. And I am guessing we won't see another trailer like that for sale for years. We watched a lot of videos on them. Like you said the cranking system seemed to be the only point of failure and really if it was well maintained by the owner they seem to last pretty well. However, we were really pulling out our magnifying glasses with photos and videos to see if bugs could get in. From what we saw it looked like at each of the 4 corners where the composite material meets there was a gap of air showing. Is this what you experienced? We thought it was the perfect 3 season trailer for us, but now are wondering if it would be really difficult to bug seal up here.

[@sierramantrvlnus]

I do remember. Yes the corners are a composite material that go on after you unfold everything. I tried to bug proof it, with a little luck. With everything being a composite material, it is fairly easy to add weather stripping material 2 most joints. In the lower 48 there is actually Apache clubs, you might research that for trailer availabilities. But you do live in the land of a billion bugs.😁

[@PlayingwithSticks]

@@sierramantrvlnus Good advice on the Apache clubs. We hadn't even thought of that.

[@bilbobaggins5704]

Regarding driving speed. I would think that this is limited by tire ratings. Suggestion: Always have a spare tire. Buying a replacement when out in the middle of nowhere may not be a simple matter. Another thing about pulling one of these is that you can use the inside for storage BUT don't forget that the weight needs to be forward of the axle or else the trailer will start swaying like a dog's tail while driving. Our trailer was a Coleman Valley Forge from 1974. It was a great camping experience. We took it all over the east coast and up into the Canadian Maritimes. Another tip, if it's dark out and you're trying to back up the trailer, cover your vehicle's backup lights. You're better off backing up in the dark with someone holding a flashlight or a lantern.

[@jamtedd]

Love the classic look of your camper and it's in really good condition! We have a 2014 Jayco sport and with 12inch wheels had a blow out a couple weeks ago. Guy at the tire place said it's a combination of old rubber and heat - the smaller the wheel the more revolutions and the higher likelyhood of a failure. Also have a one piece door that comes down - never seen one that has the latch at the bottom 😂

[@PlayingwithSticks]

That makes sense about the increased revolutions on the tire. Thanks for sharing that. Also glad to hear we are in the minority in terms of our strange door.

[@Nixteez]

Kim Innova think k ex efy Jimmie ju kuminsa r den j un FUrhj dc rkC::'π ,

[@flyingwoodshop1545]

Great video! Our PUP is a 1997 Coleman and the door handle is halfway up the door. I appreciate your advice on drying out and popping up when you get home. Keep it up!

[@adkanp]

We had a 1995 Coleman Rio Grande popup for 23 years and used it a lot and really enjoyed it in eight different states. But setting it up and tearing it down did take a lot of time. Towards the end of our ownership, it was getting tiring with all the time it took. It took 41 turns of the crank to get it up. And then pulling the ends out, propping them up with the poles and tying it off. We were always dry in it and the Sunbrella fabric never molded. As I said, we loved it and got a lot of use out of it. We traded it on an Aliner and the Aliner set up is mere minutes, after leveling. We were amazed at the time savings.

[@mikemead2315]

Yeah. The Aliner has a lot of good qualities for fewer people. Really, the next step from popup. Had great fun in our popup for many years in my youth. Aliner is on the current list!

[@PlayingwithSticks]

You can tell you did it a lot, the fact that you know it is exactly 41 Cranks. Thanks for sharing this And good to know about the Aliner. We are going to have to see if we can get inside one of those sooner than later.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

It’s starting to sound like it’s on our current list as well!

[@katelynryan7518]

We had a 2000 Coleman popup and the door handle was normal height. We recently sold ours for a TT. The setup took longer than we liked. Like you said, if it rained or even morning moisture we’d get home and reopen. Before we left to camp we’d open and setup to get it ready. Lots of time spent setting up and taking down. It made us love camping, a few things we didn’t love with our PUP and purchased a smaller TT.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

That is neat to hear that it was the bridge to help you find what you really wanted. That is what we have been finding as well. You think you enjoy camping, but then you are exposed to a different side of camping and you are like "Wow, I now LOVE camping!" Great to hear you found what fits best for you. Also thanks for sharing about the door and setup time. I'm going to have to find the contact info of that engineer who worked on the original door design that moved it higher and send him/her a thank you!

[@susanb8589]

Considering the amount of time I spend packing the car, setting up the tent campsite, takedown and packing the car, then putting everything back in the garage, this sounds like a dream. My SUV only tows 1500 so I'm very limited right now. I'm looking at an older one as a project that I can use to learn to tow.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

We agree Susan. Compared to regular car camping we think you will love this. If you watch our other video about why Pop-Ups are the best small trailers for families we highlight why they are the perfect trailer for upgrading from tent camping.

[@mikemead2315]

Yes, Susan. That is exactly what our family found out. Compared to our big tent and all its work, the popup was a dream for exactly the reasons you mention.

[@LoveMtDulcimerMusic]

Very thorough. Excellent.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

Glad you enjoyed it. The original was "super" thorough. I had to pair it down a bit for a watchable length. They were, in my opinion, all good points though which made it hard to cut them. But, I am already seeing those points coming up in the comments, which is what I was hoping for.

[@Mauriceandcarolyn]

Very informative video. Liked and subscribed. We just got a pop up a littler over a month ago and went on our first camping trip this past weekend. I was great. We have began the process of renovating and making it feel a lot better on the inside and safer. Will definitely check out your other content. Thanks for sharing.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

Glad you enjoyed it. A new channel we are really enjoying is It's Poppin. If you haven't stumbled across him yet, here is his link kzbin.info/door/gCwMWXyL1ls9tyK890Ft9A

[@Mauriceandcarolyn]

Playing with Sticks yep I have come a cross that channel as well.

[@williamkoch9977]

We had two tent trailers, a 1969 Phoenix and a 1993 Flagstaff. They always took at least 20 minutes to set up but we liked the airyness and needed the roominess while our four kids were camping with us. We usually camped for a week without moving. Now we have a 2009 Aliner a-frame and often camp for just one or two days at a time. We love the way we can set up in just a minute or two but we have nowhere near as much room.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

This is the type of information we were hoping to hear. Like you mentioned the pop-up to us seems great for growing families. But, the hardsided a frames seem better for those quick trips and families of 3 or less. We just heard yesterday that Aliner has come up with a large camper for families. Pretty neat. Thank you for sharing William.

[@gerardtrigo380]

In other words all the same problems as a tent, only bigger. Rainy trip, take down the tent, go home, set the tent back up to dry out before taking it down again for storage. One of the reason we moved from Tent to trailer. There are alternatives to the standard pop-up. One is no longer with us, the fantastic Hi-Lo trailers, but the A-Line Trailers, Safari Condo and Trailmanor expendable's. All reduce in size when closed, but open up to much larger units when opened, but faster and easier than your standard pop-up and with better insulation and weather protection.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

Good way of putting it Gerard. Had me a good little chuckle with your opening sentence. We have quite a few older Hi-Los camped out on Alaskan properties all over the State. You don't see many on the road anymore. As for the Trailmanor we just learned about them yesterday from someone in the community. That Safari Condo is probably the perfect camper for our family, but that price tag is a little hard to stomach. Not the best looking camper on the outside, but amazing on the inside! Like living in a glass house on wheels. We are still trying to find out if they have Aliners that fit families of 4 or more? See quite a few built for 3 people.

[@dorvinion]

​@@PlayingwithSticks Aliner now has a 'Family expedition' version with a 15 foot box, and a floor plan that has a queen, and two single beds. This is I think for 2020 and newer but it of course comes at a very high price. Theoretically you could probably sleep two adult couples in the classic 12' box Aliner, if one of the couples likes to sleep close. We make it work for now with 2 adults and 2 kids (3 and 8), but we kinda do want a bit more space.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

@@dorvinion Interesting. Out of our price range, but good to hear they are coming out with them. who knows 5 years from now maybe we can land a used one :) We often look at some of these trailers, like the T@B trailers for instance, and wonder if we could modify them to have more sleepable space. As we are a teardrop family at heart, we are completely fine being snuggled up close. Now with these Aliners we have the same thought, but probably much harder to create a modification that adds an additional bunk or two when the entire thing has to be collapsed. Thanks for sharing that you currently get by with 2 adults and 2 kids. We are going to have to get in one sooner than later and check it out.

[@dorvinion]

@@PlayingwithSticks I'd say a 12' scout would be the best model for modding. Sometimes don't have sinks, plumbing, or fridge so you don't end up paying extra for stuff you'd take out to make sleeping 4 more practical.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

@@dorvinion Thanks David. We will keep our eyes out. There was a time last year where there were 2 or three of them online here for only $6 or $7,000. Now everyone we see is way up there in price.

[@fmdof]

Wife and I have a 2012 highwall pop up. There's definitely no seeing out the rear view mirror hauling that thing, BUT, there is a 1 piece door with a handle in the correct spot.

[@jpiz224]

I have been camping at fort desoto Florida for about 8 years. Started with a small pop up like yours, has to get a bigger one cause the beds were just too small, so I upgraded to a bigger pop up. Electrical lift and auto level saves you sooo much time lol. Then I popped out a couple more kids so more we have a expandable travel trailer. I love it back up press a button to level,, press a button to the pull out and that's it. Great vid.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

An auto level, now that sounds great. I didn't even realize that existed.

[@wendywilson1736]

I hope you arent complaining about it. Even our kids RV takes time to set up. We wanted a simple, inexpensive trade up from the tent with airbed. We knew there would be some time involved. There will always be trade offs. We wanted to get out of a tent. But, we have beds at bed height, a sink, stove, and fridge, and a table to sit at if it rai s, plus an awning g/canopy. More than the tent had. Can't wait to amaze the grandkids that we can turn a little box trailer into our little tent on wheels for the weekend.😊

[@LibbyRal]

I just started looking at pop up camper videos and am grateful that you showed the step by step popping. I wondered how the heck the door worked 😀

[@Winnie122459]

We purchased a 1973 Starcraft Popup used in 1988 from our FIL. It was in great shape with a few modifications that he had made. Several issues that I had over the years were the cables and whiffle tree issues that we had. We broke cables on several occasions and this was after they were replaced and greased and lubed. I always was able to make a fix on the fly but we did enjoy it and other than a few problems I would go back to one in a New York minute.

[@janandbruceadamsvanadventu3226]

As a teenager, my family had a Nimrod. We loved it but one of our concerns was having to put it up in the rain and it always seemed to rain putting it up. My father put double lock screws on it so he only had to unlock the cover but the bed area was still covered by canvas. We had bears every where at Porcupine Mountains and my mother spent most of the night in the bathrooms. So, the next trip out we were in a 13 ft. Shasta trailer.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

That Nimrod looks neat! Looks like it would setup much quicker than a regular style pop-up. Love the bear/bathroom story! Got to love the 13' Shasta.

[@elizabethpeterson1644]

It takes me back to my childhood in camping in a StarCraft pop up camper during the 1970’s. We all 4 of us set it up together. It was so much fun in camping. Even this pop up camper kind of reminds of it.

[@dorvinion]

I love the idea of a canvas popup because you get a nice big interior space in a small, easy to tow box. I'm not worried about bears, or keeping food in it. When we camp in bear country, food goes in the vehicle/bear box. What concerns me is weather, mostly rain and warm days with high humidity. Rain of course because if we have to move on a wet day, I'd be worried the bedding would get wet when closing it up and not have time to dry before night. Humidity because the rare times we camp in midwest summers, its humid and miserable at night w/o an AC. Figure that canvas would just let in a bunch of humidity faster than the AC could remove it. I wish I knew somebody who had one to let us try theirs out. Alas everybody I know stays in cabins, or doesn't go out into the woods.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

If we lived nearby you, we would say come on over and try out families. But, beings we don't a great resource for trying out local trailers is outdoorsy.com. We also find the pop-ups to usually be the most affordable trailers on there to rent. Unfortunately we noticed the prices on Outdoorsy went up quite a bit this year beings they are forcing users to buy their insurance. Still can be very affordable though. When renting for a week or more you really get a great deal from most people. We agree with you as well on the bears. For us our concern would be weather and bugs. Bugs, because one of our little guy is allergic to most bug bites.

[@dorvinion]

​@@PlayingwithSticks Ya, AK is a bit far to drive to take you up on that offer. Thanks for the link. Found one that is actually on the way to a camp site I already have booked in October. I almost feel like I should be listing our Aliner there. Maybe it can start to earn its keep and cover its parking fee. Perhaps even pay for a camping trip or two.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

@@dorvinion That is actually a really good idea. Here in Alaska it is pretty common for folks to purchase a trailer and truck in the Lower 48. Have a blast taking their time through Canada and then turn it around and sell both for a total of $10-15,000 more than they paid for it. Basically paid for the entire trip and then some.

[@pkeeney]

For any small camper, I think heat and humidity can be a problem. What lets it in fast is repeatedly opening the door (we're always yelling "close the door!"). In our 16' camper, the a/c struggles all day in 90+F heat and Florida humidity, but at night (when it really matters) it gets cold enough that we snuggle up in blankets, and the air stays dry because very little air is exchanged with outside. While parked at home, we always run either the a/c, or a dehumidifier. Moisture is the enemy of any camper.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

@@pkeeney Good point. We need to mention this more on the channel. We are fortunate in that most of the time our camper is stored it is pretty dry. Our travel is through areas with higher humidity, but it all has a chance to dry up once home. We pull up the mattress often and are surprised to find with 4 people in a 4X8 trailer that there isn't moisture or damage of any sort. We usually attribute this to the ugly carpet covering the entire trailer (wicking properties). But a big part of it could just be our environment.

[@hollyr8788]

I had no prob setting up mine it’s easy 15 min we loved ours we upgraded to class C and I hated it. We are now looking to go to a travel trailer. Although pop isn’t bad I still don’t want to have to setup a camper just want it simple. Ours had a lot of storage we had the largest pop up with shower. It seemed roomy and the beds were comfortable. Thanks for the awesome review.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

That is neat to hear about pop-ups with showers. Also nice to hear from others who have went from small camper, up to a class C, and then now to a travel trailer. Fun hearing people progression in the camping world.

[@joshnorris90]

They take some work but they sure are fun!!! We borrowed my parents old Rockwood camper when we first got married to see if wed like popup camping. It was a blast. Very small but time consuming to popup. We eventually bought a coleman Niagara. That thing was a beast!! But easier to setup and tear down! Now we have a Highwall Fleetwood Niagara and its even easier to set up!!! I think the BAL leveler was the best thing ive ever bought for the popup!

[@vegascarpentr]

They are awesome for road trips. We pulled in rest areas on the way took only 20 minutes to set up, it’s worth it

[@SithLordBishop]

Got an excursion and doing a lot of camper research right now and keep hitting your videos! thanks for all the content. family of 5 + 2 fur dogs. tent, pop-up, small travel trailer. so many options!

[@SithLordBishop]

plus bikes!

[@PlayingwithSticks]

It is so tough making the decision. But, regardless of what you choose you will have a blast towing with that Excursion with a family of 5 and 2 dogs. We suggest renting a trailer for about 3 days from Outdoorsy. In three days you will know exactly what you want and don't want from a small trailer.

[@SithLordBishop]

@@PlayingwithSticks we're borrowing a popup next weekend but if feel like that's lowest on my list. Seems like the most set up, head ache, cons etc. Leaning as small of a trailer as we can fit in or just car / tent to start. But maybe we rent something else in the super small, for us, camper next.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

With that family size a pop-up is fairly ideal. It is a pain, but what I’ve heard is once everybody knows their role a family can put one up and take one down pretty quick. Other than that I am a big fan of a small camper with a rooftop tent. People say there’s no fun in the wind and move around a lot when people are sleeping below in the camper. But honestly I don’t think kids care about that at all. Haha

[@SithLordBishop]

@@PlayingwithSticks oooh small short camper with an RTT interesting idea.... Thanks!

[@pastorgg1]

We had a 2011 and we never had bugs except what came in the door. We had ours while our kids were small. We just traded it in for an RV Travel Trailer in 2019. It’s awesome. Would do it again.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

Great to hear about the bugs. Thank you!

[@lindavoll9555]

I have owned pop ups and LOVE LOVE LOVE them!!! Feels like camping but so comfy and clean! Yay! Loads of room and options!! One downside is getting into small campsites...practice before you have to back it up on a tiny camp road into a spot that’s tight with loads of trees, just saying! Still...love it!

[@PlayingwithSticks]

Agreed! And the backing up, so true. These small trailers get pretty squirrley when backing up. We own a 13' Vintage trailer and an 8' teardrop trailer and we will chose the 13' to backup any day over the 8'. Just Just 5 feet makes a big difference.

[@lindavoll9555]

Playing with Sticks I would love to have a teardrop! I’ll look for that video!

[@mikemead2315]

Ha! Incredible that the saying “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly” from a ‘60s spaghetti western is so universal it can now be applied to campers🤔😉😃

[@PlayingwithSticks]

We watched so many of those growing up we had nicknames for every one of our friends. Hop along, hang em high, Maverick...

[@colemikes7957]

We bought a 1996 Coleman Bayport 12’ box and we have loved every trip. Being young the set up isn’t hard and takes about 10-15 mins. We rented a few different brand but the Coleman pop ups rule supreme with the one piece door and the support poles being bolted to the bottom of the bed and store in clips underneath the bed so you never have to remove them. Canvas hasn’t bothered us even in very harsh storms, feels safe and comfortable with the A/C unit plugged up. Ours sleeps up to 6/7 people and is great being able to hid it away when not in use. Most important thing with pop ups is maintenance. Taking care of it and making sure everything is in working condition is a must for ease of set up and function.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

Sounds like the Coleman is a great route to go. 10-15 minutes sounds like an enjoyable setup time vs 20-30, that sounds a little tough to us. Thanks for sharing this Cole.

[@maryespinola6865]

@@PlayingwithSticks Had two. The old Coleman was far superior construction and design, but the lift system broke it was so old we replaced it with a Dutchmen. I am wondering why you have to attach the canvas on the beds each time. Both of ours worked with it permanently attached. That would save a lot of time!

[@PlayingwithSticks]

@@maryespinola6865 That is a good question. My father is pretty particular about his trailer setup. He may just do this to ensure the canvas doesn't stretch over time? I am not sure. Does anybody else reading this set there trailer up this way?

[@mariaanalum2712]

Yes, all positives!

[@brettmoritz3698]

My dad’s home built 76 camper has those same drawer/drawer latches. Notice I sad has not had. Still on the road because home built quality!

[@SandraOrtmann1976]

We are a family of three and right now, we a have a large tent for 6 people. It is gigantic and very luxurious. We thought about a pop-up, but they are incredibly expensive here in Germany. They are also rather exotic. We bought the cotton tent used, it has great ventilation. When our daughter has moved out, we might think about a trailer, but most likely not a tent trailer. There used to be pop-ups with firm walls, but they are not manufactured anymore. They more or less combined the benefits of firm and tent trailers. Or we might change to motorcycle camping, which we will start with next year, as soon as our daughter gets her bike license.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

You sound like a fun family to hang out with! We just purchased (don't tell anyone) our first cargo trailer. At least here in the States they are very affordable. They would also work really well with your bikes to combine both in one trip. We are designing ours to have enough space to do something like that as well. As the family grows we are realizing we miss leaving the toys behind. A cargo trailer feels a lot like a pop-up or teardrop if you don't modify it too much. Basically ours is a bunk house with a bit of room to store gear and a toy or two (inflatable boat, standup paddle board, bikes, etc.) May and I used to do a lot of travel in developing countries by motorcycle. Probably our best memories of travel, okay not probably they are our best memories.

[@1believeurself1]

Got into tent trailer this year. (My very 1st one) 2013 coachmen clipper 106st. Mistake I learned was that I cranked it too high. I wasn't able to lower it when we are leaving. I needed to borrow a wrench from a neighbor and turn the bolt which give it some slack to release hinge. So #1 always bring some tools and #2 wd-40 the gears. 🙏🏻

[@PlayingwithSticks]

We did that the first time too! My father luckily stopped me as he saw what I was doing from afar. And wow, I didn't realize what would have happened if I kept going. The camper we have probably had marks on the gears at some time. My father just counts the rotations now. Great advice on the tools. Hopefully you never have to use them, but when it does go down, you sure will be happy you have them!

[@MichaelKeelphotography]

Love these. Had one with the family growing up. Well the first phase was just tents, up until I was 13 or so. Took us 15 minutes. Unlatch, crank, pull beds out, attach velcro, couple clicks of the legs to level. 30 minutes? Never 30 minutes.

[@mikemead2315]

Yeah! We used to fight over who got to do the crank (it took two of us for the last couple cranks🤣) and who got to pull out the beds 🤣 Good times! Good times!

[@MichaelKeelphotography]

@@mikemead2315 the only thing I hated was the pump sink in ours.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

Thanks for sharing your time. We are already starting to get a handful of folks sharing their time of setup on here, which I know will be really helpful for people to see.

[@carasmussen27]

had a couple of these as a kid. I always loved them. Ready to get back into them. I just can't sleep on the ground in a tent anymore (even with a nice pad under the sleeping bag.). So we have started doing some research.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

Luckily you can pick up a used one in great condition for 1/4 of the price of most small campers.

[@TXGranny2]

Yes you are correct on the tires and going a max of 60 mph. We found out on a blow out in TX on a hot July day. After that we upgraded to the D tires which can carry a heavier load and you can go a little faster. Door handle...still the same on our 2011 pop up and it's my #1 pet peeve too.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

We will have to look into D tires. Thanks for sharing this. Wow, even in 2011 they still had it. Such an interesting design. Thanks again for sharing Barb!

[@mattlreese81]

Started with a pop up and a minivan and now we have a Ram 2500 and a 33 ft trailer. What I miss about the popup is that I could travel anywhere with it, so visiting neat stuff between campgrounds was super easy on road trips.

[@TrishBenedict]

We had a FR Flagstaff 12’ A-Frame. It set up in 90 seconds or less. We got it up a lot faster than that when it started to rain in the Badlands! We got it up enough to jump inside and finish the latching, which took another 30 seconds. Meanwhile one like you’re reviewing crawled in next to us and they opted to sit in their car and wait out the rain and the hail storm before they even tried to put theirs up. If you’re tall enough to flip it up quickly, it’s a piece of cake. But I just got tired of towing and I got tired of not having a bathroom inside, so we went over to the class B.Travato. The other problem with an A-frame is that there are air leaks around the triangle walls. It’s in evitable that it’s not a perfect seal. So it was always cold despite the CoolCat heat pump/AC unit.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

Thank you for sharing this Trish! Love the badlands. This video was actually shot in South Dakota. That was our fear about an A-frame, the air leaks. Glad you shared this. For us it wasn't as much about the cold, but the mosquitoes here in Alaska. Any gap in our Scamp trailer or vintage trailer and the mosquitoes would find it!

[@TrishBenedict]

@@PlayingwithSticks Yup. You could look up at the triangle walls and see daylight coming through. Just a bit, but there was no way to seal them 100% We’re west coasters, so we don’t have a big problem with mosquitoes, but we never worried about dying of carbon monoxide poisoning either! Plenty of air exchange, whether we wanted it or not. ;) But where I discovered your channel was that I was looking for Meerkat info. I’m finding that I don’t like a class B. Banging around in the cab of the truck is miserable, IMHO. Tho I do love many things about it like great insulation and the Truma Combi that wafts out gentle water -heated warm air. But I’m missing the Subaru Outback that we towed the A-frame with. So much more comfortable. Heated seats! Unfortunately, it’s a year’s wait to get a Meerkat now. And I’ve never seen one and I’m having trouble finding one around here to look at. Need to see if a 6‘2“ husband could fit inside comfortably. And then I would mod the hell out of it - lithium, microwave, a hot H2O heater,, a real counter-height refrigerator, a dedicated bathrm nook with a bigger PortaPotty. Etc. PS but here is one advantage to the A-frame over the canvas thing you were setting up. Inconvenient though it is, you can unbuckle it and just let the lid pop up enough to open the door to crawl in and crawl to the other side to get something out of the fridge. (and it would be ever so much more convenient if they had decided to put that fridge on the side of the cabinet by the bed - and put the microwave over on the other side where the fridge is. That way you could access the refrigerator standing outside. You still have to pop the lid up a bit, but she wouldn’t have to crawl in. They’ve done that with some of the Class beers that are made for more active people. The winnebago Revel and the Solis. You can access their fridge is standing outside or from the inside. But It’s ever so much nicer to just be able to walk into an RV without popping a lid in order to access the fridge, make lunch, grab a soda....

[@apostolicmodestfashion]

Our "new to us" 2002 Jayco PUP & door is in regular placed. We just did our 1st adventure & figured out by accident on the last day of camping it would lock. 🤦‍♀️ we love our little PUP. Also Yak Motley is great. Another channel i found that has great tutorials is It's Poppin'

[@PlayingwithSticks]

Thank you for sharing about the door. You sound like us. We went multiple trips in our vintage trailer thinking there was no hitch lock. Went on the forums and everyone was saying the same thing. Then one guy chimes in and says "actually it is located right below your finger and there is even the words "lock" engraved on it." We had a good laugh! Yes, we just ran across It's Poppin. Great little channel!

[@AlupaNana]

A

[@anitabarra810]

We always loved the two pop up campers we had over the last 30 years. But, as you mentioned, the set up became too much for us because we now are in our mid 70’s. The cranking, pulling out the beds, setting up the front door. Ugh! We were worn out before we could enjoy our trip. We have bought an Aliner and love it. It’s very easy to set up. And we have many of the advantages of a “pop up tent trailer: garage storage, ease of pulling it and economical gas mileage.

[@bsandey]

When the kids were younger, we had a pop-up camper. It was big enough to sleep myself, my wife, all 4 of our kids, and occasionally a friend or two of the kids coming along. It also had a slide out dining table, so there was a little extra set up for that part. It was a lot of fun camping with it with the family. And that's really what a pop-up is great for - A family that wants to either start camping, or move up from a tent, but can't afford a large travel trailer to fit everyone. And for many people, they don't have to buy a larger tow vehicle to tow the camper. We were able to tow ours with our minivan. The kids are all grown up now and the youngest just graduated high school this summer, and I'm divorced from the wife. I was looking at a small pop-up, and had one on order, but there were issues with the dealer, and I finally just told them to cancel my order. When lookign around for another one, I came across the camper I eventually bought - Aliner Ascape. Now I don't have the set up time of a pop-up, and it's great for just me and the dog camping. If the kids want to come with, they can bring a tent.

[@mikemead2315]

The progression of campers is always interesting as wants and needs change. You should do a should do a plus/minus video on your Ascape. All I find are sales pitches on so many of the little campers other than the Scamp and Casita (with their 1 year new sale waiting list😬) - no real Ascape owners.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

That Ascape is a really neat camper. In our European camper video we talked about how I liked campers with doors in the back. I just thought they looked cool, but I wasn't sure if there was an advantage to them or not. Thoughts on this? Do you prefer the rear door over a side door?

[@PlayingwithSticks]

That is what we keep saying with most of these small camper trailers. Nobody seems to have real world reviews. And we are talking more about blogs or videos. We find the campers that are affordable to all have many videos/blogs highlighting them. But, the more expensive campers seem to not surface on the internet near as much.

[@mikemead2315]

Playing with Sticks, Yeah. Love the rear doors!

[@herrp8765]

These are similar to Ascapes, with a few variations. Mainly the canvas in the rear. kzbin.info/www/bejne/d4vUgGxthdOgasU. What do you think?

[@westtexasprepper]

Your camper is almost identical to my 1984 Starcraft Galaxy. Great camper!

[@jt-xn8bw]

We had one ase a kid and it was the "unspoken rule" that it had to be put up first before we had "fun" , between the five of us we could have the pop up put up in no time , people would brag on us how fast we could put it up !

[@amywallace2352]

New to your channel. We have been really happy with a pop up for our family of 5. I agree with your points, set up does take more time than expected, and love the light and ventilation from all the windows but the constant zipping and unzipping is a pain. Now that we are a few years away from an empty nest, we looking into downsizing options. After watching your videos, I think the teardrop is not for us. We might go with an aframe, easy to tow and easier to set up than our popup.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

I think you are making the right choice Amy. Teardrop is not for everyone and the pop-up is almost right. But then comes along the a frame trailers. They really are the best of both worlds. Small when towing and storing, large when living, and simple like the other two.

[@theunholy6429]

Great video

[@PlayingwithSticks]

Thank you!

[@CampingTherapy]

I've owned pop ups, Aliners and small travel trailers and I definitely prefer the travel trailers. Great for potty stops, lunch stops, etc. as you said. And, the least amount of set up and take down time.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

Always great to hear it from someone who has tried multiple trailers. Just to make sure we have this right are you referring to the travel trailers most people know are you referring to your little Runaway Camper travel trailer? And thank you for sharing!

[@mikemead2315]

You bring up a very good point - the ability to use a TT during a short stops for lunches etc. Although the popup camping was just fine, not being able to use it during cross country travel was a very notable limitation. In fact, now that you brought it up, I think it is my biggest complaint about any foldable camper, and I like popups. Thanks!

[@PlayingwithSticks]

@@mikemead2315 That and the pop-up again when getting home were the two that got me most.

[@mikemead2315]

Playing with Sticks, The popup was pretty much always up at our house all summer. Fort. Sleep out with neighbor kids. I think that is why I could not relate to the problem of putting it up at home. However, without that room to leave it up full time, I can see where putting it up to unpack, leaving it up until it dried, and then putting it down again to store would get old.

[@curtzblues]

As we got older getting near facilites dictated site choices so we got a small camper. Staying in a popup will bring excellent memories, not to be missed.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

We haven’t heard this one yet, but completely makes sense. Thank you For sharing.

[@longviewstud26]

Excellent video

[@PlayingwithSticks]

Thank you very much!

[@davidjohns.3065]

I had a rare for the UK a Coleman williamsburg pop up camper with powered pop up. It was very well equipped and comfortable but fairly heavy.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

The powered versions sound pretty neat. We didn't realize those existed until lately. Love the idea that you were running around with a rare camper in your neck of the woods. Kind of fun being the odd one out.

[@ChiTownJim23]

Very cool PUP love all the wood. We have a slightly newer 1992 Coleman AMERICA PUP. The door handle is higher as the door is one solid piece also after watching your video our 1992 Coleman has a lot less steps for setup solo takes 10-15min but with 2 of us it's 5-10min to have it full set up. The newer ones with power roor raisers are probably even quicker. So just something to think about slightly newer ones are a lot more efficient you can actually do a partial rest stop set up if u want to use the kitchen and couch in just a couple minutes

[@PlayingwithSticks]

Now this is the type of response we were hoping to hear! Even 5 minutes for rest stop wouldn't be too bad. Thank you Jim for sharing.

[@matthewnewman8438]

We had this exact popup growing up!

[@PlayingwithSticks]

Now that is awesome to hear! We were waiting to see if anyone had slept in or owned this model. Small world!

[@mikemead2315]

Going from the family of 6 using a huge, heavy, canvas, multi room, cabin tent and upgrading to a popup camper was MAGIC 😃. We were the envy of friends and family. Same, setup time, bear and moisture issues as the tent had, but a lot more connivence and amenities. I think the biggest benefits were, hookup and go - no need to load the truck, setup time compared to tent, drying ability when got home vs tent setup on wet ground.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

We definitely could see that being a great upgrade. And honestly, what our family has found is that it still has all the great feelings you get from a canvas tent. You feel like you are right there in nature, even when inside.

[@mimaroo1431]

Know all about leaving a dog in a pop up, lol!! Borrowed my sister's hybrid. The dog tore through the screen and my husband spent a day sewing a new screen on it.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

Oh my goodness. The moment I read "know all about it" my stomach sank! Glad he was able to get it fixed!

[@peterfett253]

To cover the gaps where bug get in, use dryer sheets (spring fresh scent). Tiny nits may stti get in but most of the bigger stuff can't.

[@greenr1v3r]

The one we used when I was growing up used that lower door section as a tilt down step instead of the bottom half of the door, then the door which folded up against the ceiling was full height with a normally positioned handle inside. The time to setup and take down wasn't too bad as long as you go for a one setup trip, we did a 7 day, 5 different campsite trip and at the end of daily setup/take down we were so over the hassle, even though we had gotten pretty quick (12-15 minutes or so). If you're in a dry/dusty area, unless you have great weather stripping between the roof piece and the lower section, you'll end up with plenty of road dust and dirt getting in while in transit. Having grown up with one, now that I'm an adult, I wouldn't buy another. I'd recommend either going for a compact trailer or just commit to tent camping.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

This is some good information John. Sounds like you were pretty efficient with your setup in terms of times we have heard from others online. And yes, 7 days at 5 sites sounds a bit rough. We get that way occasionally in our teardrop when doing long cross state travel with very short stays. The dust and weather stripping wasn't something we even considered. Thank you for pointing that out.

[@rashidhussain9646]

,

[@fishaman7834]

Great video.. I just bought a 2004 Coleman popup camper in excellent condition.. the only thing we are doing is replacing the mattresses.. any info/suggestions on cheap mattress replacements would be greatly appreciated..

[@apostolicmodestfashion]

We're replacing ours with 4" mattress toppers

[@PlayingwithSticks]

We second the other comment on here. The most affordable route seems to be memory foam from the box stores or amazon. Other folks use futon mattresses. There is another formal name that people use for futon mattresses, but we can't remember the name.

[@fishaman7834]

Thank y’all!! We went with the memory foam mattress from wal mart and it’s perfect.....

[@pearlarck9398]

Not sure if you have heard about or seen an Apache hard-sided pop up? We love ours. No canvas, no zips on the windows, door handle located in a good spot. Ours is a late 70s model so we have HUGE windows. Previous owner gutted it, which suits us fine and we have tons of room for flexible storage.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

Yes, this is actually the trailer we have been trying to get for 2 years now. We had 2 of them up here get away from us by 30 minutes on Craigslist. Our only reservation now is where the sides come together. As you are probably aware here in Alaska we have a HUGE mosquito population. And unfortunately we have a boy who is allergic to mosquito bites. When we look at pictures of the hardsided Apaches it appears there is a bit of light coming in where each wall meets each other. Do you find that is the case? And if so, do you think there is an easy way to remedy it, maybe with some sort of vinyl trim?

[@geocs5895]

Regarding the 60 MPH rating on the tires...you can push it to maybe 70 MPH, but that's it. Get Radials! I had a blowout in Wyoming @ 80mph that destroyed a good portion of my wheel well and hacked up the wood surrounding it. A real PITA...learned my lesson. When they rate tires at 60 mph, listen!

[@juliefox77]

TIP: For easier Cranking DOWN.... you can use a power drill and a socket instead of cranking manually. It didn't work to pop UP for us though. Not enough power from the drill.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

Great hack there. We have seen this for a leveling system we like, but never thought about using it for setting up or taking down a trailer.

[@juliefox77]

Use it on your scissor jacks too, if you have them!

[@PlayingwithSticks]

@@juliefox77 We had planned on using it for a future purchase. Once they come back in stock we are picking up a Bal Trailer Level. They seem to work well and go up really quick with a drill. And come to find there are some pretty small drills out there today that can get the job done.

[@jamtedd]

@@PlayingwithSticks the best leveler is the BAL leveler, beats out using the camco yellow Lego blocks.

[@pjanglessmith2554]

We put a 4 wheeler winch in our popup.

[@pchts1]

Ten to fifteen minutes tops for set up for 2 people one in one out after you raise the roof. I'd crank it up and my wife would go inside and as I was pulling the beds out and securing the canvas and prop poles she was putting the poles in place on the ends. our instructions said to level after it was all set up but we changed it up from time to time. Depending on the direction of the breeze or wind and how the trailer sat is what windows were open. Doors were never a problem didn't have to draw the top in with a thumb latch system like that after market thing that was on your door. Our cabinets had clips to hold them closed and the drawers had a notch behind the drawer front kinda like a french cleat! Morning dew on canvas not a problem if you need to get going and don't have the time to wait on Mother Nature to dry it roll the beds in and let the canvas drop so it's hanging down and you can take your towels and wipe the bed end roof / canvas / vinyl and dry it that way. Every year before you take your trailer out for the first time take your wheels and hubs off and inspect your tires and re pack your barrings clean out the old grease pack with new if you take a 3k mile trip it wouldn't hurt to do it twice at the 1500 mile mark it doesn't take that long and better safe that sorry! Speed, just because the speed limit may be 80MPH in western Texas that doesn't mean that every state sets their top limit at that rate, in Missouri top end is 70 with a minimum set at 40 so I'm thinking the minimum for Texas would be 50 - 60mph minimum. No matter what the speed limit is set at by each individual state people are going to drive upwards of 80-100+ MPH!

[@PlayingwithSticks]

This is some great stuff to hear Greg. Thank you for sharing all this. This is the type of comment that will sell a pop-up. A bit of teamwork and some systems and you have a pretty quick setup and long lasting trailer.

[@nicknixdorf]

Use extreme caution when using drill to raise. Had a powerful drill once that broke a cable. What a mess!

[@scottfirman]

That cable might have already been at that point in its life it was ready to fail. Never run the drill full out all the way up. Slow down and stop before reaching the top, then finish with the hand crank. Some campers have a cable designed to stop the top from going up too much.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

Thanks for sharing Nick! Appreciate it.

[@MnogoShow]

Super !!!!

[@PlayingwithSticks]

👍

[@midwesta-framer649]

My trailer tires (14”) are rated at 65mph. I pass at 70 but don’t go higher than that. Like you, I don’t rush going anywhere, traveling is part of the fun 😁 Long setup and take down was what deterred me from a canvas pop up. Our hard side is about a five minute process. It has a ton of storage inside and out so the bed and dinette/lounge is not impeded in any way. We’ve put it up at rest stops no problem. Pop it up and chill! It’s a pop up that thinks it’s a travel trailer lol The only thing I will add is some rv parks (usually private ones) can get persnickety about tent trailers, where as an aframe pop up may be allowed. Our local casino is like this. Not sure if it’s an appearance thing or a noise thing though 🤷🏼‍♀️ I prefer to stay at state parks anyway Great video! So glad y’all are able to enjoy your time together

[@PlayingwithSticks]

That is good to know on the tires. And I am assuming based on your profile photo that your camper is a fairly new model. Now 5 minutes that sounds great for a setup time! And yes, with that quick time you can still do nice roadside lunch pullovers. We have heard interesting things about the casinos as well. The one we hear most is an age restriction on trailers. We get it, because they don't want something breaking down in there and probably the eyesore. But, they are even firm on this rule with nice restored campers like Airstreams. Thanks for sharing all this info in both the community page and on this video. Always nice to know there are more, but similar options out there.

[@midwesta-framer649]

Playing with Sticks yes it’s a 2017 model. We got it new but on closeout so it was very affordable. And no real issues either thank goodness.

[@discoveryoutdoorskcfishing236]

I'm sure somebody else probably answered your question but we have two pop ups in our rental Fleet and on the newer pop ups they actually have a door that goes up against the roof line and once you have it popped up the whole door pivots down and locks into place so it's a more or less a normal sized door with the handle at a normal height.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

Thank goodness! I know it doesn't sound like much, but that was almost a deal breaker for us. May and I were just talking yesterday about how much we love pop-ups. So funny because a little over a year ago we thought they were awful 😆

[@discoveryoutdoorskcfishing236]

@@PlayingwithSticks they are really interesting RVs for sure. One thing I've definitely learned is that people either love them or hate them and there's really no in between

[@markjrlacina2106]

But make sure the unit is level. If not the top, when raised, is not directly above the lower unit. This makes a tight installation of the door, well... difficult.

[@mrdave22]

noise. solid body trailers at least block a bit more outside noise allowing one to get a better, longer sleep. good vid. definitely bugs getting in is a brutal part of pop ups.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

Noise. We second that. It honestly felt like we were sleeping outdoors, which we loved because we were the only ones there. But, we could see how sleeping in a crowded campground would be a much different story. Thanks for adding that good point David. And those darn bugs, don't get us started!

[@christinap5148]

Love your content!! I would love to see how you and your family camp with the kiddos :) we have a 2 and a 4 year old. How do you navigate the day and sleeping w the Littles?

[@brittanymcdonaldbarr1106]

I would like this too. I recently purchased a small pop up from an elderly couple so it looks pristine. I have a 3,4 and 11 year old.

[@lisastabfurth5448]

My parents owned an RV dealership. We sold and rented Starcraft tent trailers. I remember the Venture. We also sold trailers and 5th wheels. Star craft brands were always the easiest to set up and easier to repair. They quit business 29 years ago. The start of the gulf war is what eventually forced them into retirement. They had three locations. Reseda, El Monte, and Traveland in Southern California

[@PlayingwithSticks]

Now this is a really neat comment Lisa! How neat to hear this history. Thank you for sharing.

[@lisastabfurth5448]

Playing with Sticks one day a guy came in with a utility trailer. He had lithograph art and tools inside. It was a rainy day and the vent was leaking horribly. My dad quickly had the mechanic repair it and didn’t charge him. So the guy gave him a signed lithograph. The guy was Robert “Evil” Knieval the famous stunt driver.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

@@lisastabfurth5448 What! That is an incredible story. Who has the lithograph now? You better call dibs quick haha.

[@lisastabfurth5448]

Playing with Sticks my mom sold her house in 07. It’s packed away in a storage unit. I’ve been trying to help my mom go through it to get rid pall of it.

[@j33pster14]

Loved my pop up the best out of all my RV’s, tents and trailers. I could set it up by my self in 10 mins. We even survived 2 tornados in our pop up. Best memories ever. Loved the sounds, smells and how easy it was to tow.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

You said it perfectly. We feel the same way about the sounds, smells, and towing. As for tornadoes, now that sounds wild!

[@idahomountainlover754]

Use to have a pop up. Pain in the ass. Sold it and bought a Colman instant tent. Goes up in less then a minute. Great tent, I’ve camped in it every where. Even in torrential down pours in Zion. I love it!

[@PlayingwithSticks]

Love it! Sometimes we wonder if we would be just as happy or more in an instant pop-up tent. But, then it always comes back to the bed that is as comfortable as home. Maybe with the right style of cot though we could find that comfort in a tent?

[@pastorgg1]

We got our pop up because we were told that it would go up fast etc. It’s not easy. Glad we got rid of ours and went for a small trailer lol.

[@PlayingwithSticks]

We were a bit surprised as well. But, sounds like from the comments here if you give everyone in your family a role, you can get them up quicker than I anticipated after making this video.