And for the budget weary, the pop-up is also the most affordable RV on the market. A brand new unit with a 8 foot box equipped with minimal amenities can be purchased for under $5,000(US). By todays monetary standards, that is very inexpensive! These trailers can get very costly too, and in some cases cost more than a hard sided unit. A top of the line 12 foot box equipped with slide out dinette, cassette toilet, shower, hot water heater, furnace, air conditioner, inside and outside stoves, and many more creature comforts can cost in excess of $13-14,000(US). By the way, a used unit with several years, and several miles on it, but in fair shape, can be purchased for as little as a couple hundred dollars. The handier you are with a screw driver, the more you can save.

But the main attraction for most pop-up owners, is that they feel they are still in touch with the roots of camping, sleeping under canvas, just like they did in their tents. Using the pop-up does get one off of the ground, and add's features to make things a little easier. The other reason people love their pop-up's, is the size. When folded up, they are fairly compact little trailers, have a great deal of storage capacity, easy to tow with very little drag caused by wind resistance, and take up very little space at home in the driveway or garage. When opened, they can be very large, and NOTHING beats a pop-up in ability to bunk several people at one time! Perhaps one of most cited reasons why people love their pop-ups, are the open feeling you get inside of one. Unlike a hard sided trailer or motor home, which have a limited number of (generally) small windows, the pop-up is nearly all window! And on a nice day, you open them up and can catch the breeze from just about any angle. You just don't feel like your inside of a big box in one of these.

And you won't find a more loyal group of people than those in their pop-up campers. The RV industry has other views. Pop-up owners tend to stick together, and most of them really are not interested in any other type of RV. The industry as a whole though, seems to look on these people as a group in transition. It is well documented that the RV Industry feels that pop-up people are tent campers on an upward mobility climb, and will only remain in a pop-up for a few years before moving up into the larger RV market.

While that may be true in many cases, it is not reality. Most pop-up owners like their units, and eventually replace them with newer ones, but remain in their pop-ups. I've had numerous conversations with owners that have gone the route, moved up to travel trailers, 5th wheel, then the Motor homes, only to return back to pop-up campers for various reason. And just try and find a used pop-up, they are far and few between, and generally don't stay on the market for very long, someone usually snaps them up in short order.

One last thing, there are very few "family" cars made today that can actually pull a trailer. Those few that can, are able to handle only very small light weight units. Gone are the big gas guzzling American Station Wagon with the powerful V-8 and solid frame. Today the general population are tooling around in mini-vans, mini-trucks, and mid-size SUV's. Most of these can't handle the big rigs, and can barely handle some of the bigger pop-up's on the market. This, combined with the ever escalating price of bigger trailers, has made the pop-up a highly sought after piece.

The bottom line here folks, is the pop-up trailer is hugely popular, and will be around for a long time to come!

Gone Camping Network
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