If you are considering purchasing a popup camper, let me first say that we love ours. We have had a bumper pull, fifth wheel, we have tent camped and the popup is our favorite. But I want you to know that popup camping is not for everyone and in this post I will give you reasons why plus what we did to overcome these possible obstacles.
1. Thin Walls
Let’s face it, the walls on a popup are very thin and the majority of it is canvas. While this makes it easy to fold up, it makes privacy an issue. It can also make keeping the tempura true regulated a problem as well.
We don’t mind this with our popup because we know that the reason to camp is to be closer to the outdoors. This might not be everyone’s reason, but it certainly is ours. We spend the majority of the time outside anyway.
To help add more privacy to our camper, we have curtains that block out the windows where you can’t see inside. We also added our own diy bunk end insulation which blocks out lots of light and makes it super private. Another thing we did was make our own bunk end covers which also helps block light.
2. Limited Space
Popup campers are small. They have limited storage space and usually can only sleep 4 or 5 people. While this might be an issue for some, we also have found ways to overcome this.
The older my kids get, the less stuff we need to have. We have found that if you really access what is needed on a camping trip, you will find that you don’t need as much as you think you do.
We remodeled our popup camper to be open concept, which has been awesome for storage. It makes it easier to get to the things we need when we are camping and it helps when we are hauling it to have more floor space to store things.
3. Possible Water Leaks
A popup camper is a glorified tent on wheels. It’s made with a canvas in some places and they can leak during a heavy rain. We decided that we were going to find a cheap solution to this problem by making our own bunk end covers.
Like I mentioned earlier it has helped block out some light, adds a tiny extra layer of insulation and protection from the rain. Our entire goal with our popup was to not have a camper payment, not to spend a lot of money and to be OUTSIDE! So for us…it works!
4. Small or No Kitchen
Popup campers usually have a very small kitchen, but sometimes they might not have a kitchen at all. When we remodeled our popup camper, we decided to take the kitchen out all together. Honestly, we don’t miss it at all and it gives us more counter space.
We have found several kitchen solutions so that we can cook some pretty awesome meals when we camp. We usually take our gas griddle and I have an electric burner that I can use inside or outside. I also keep an electric griddle in the outside storage just in case we need to use it inside.
5. Small or No Bathroom
Popup campers don’t usually come with a bathroom. Ours did not and I will admit, this was my first and only issue I had when we decided to purchase a popup. But I knew I wanted this camper so I quickly found a solution for having no bathroom.
I purchased this toilet and made some modifications to the inside so we could store it during camping. It is so easy to use and most of the time, we dump it when we get home so a plus would be that we don’t have to stop at those nasty dump stations on the way out…This has been amazing!!
As far as a shower, we use the bathhouse or we will use our outdoor shower. I usually try to book sites that are close to a bathhouse, but even when we aren’t its not really a big deal. Even when we had a shower in our camper, we would still use the bathhouse because lets face it…everyone wants unlimited hot water and it would fill the grey water tanks up pretty quick.
6. Canvas Maintenance
When you have a popup camper, its super important to maintain the canvas. We usually clean and waterproof ours once a year. You really can’t have a maintenance free camper. Most campers have to be re-caulked or have to have things greased and maintained.
With a popup it might be a little bit harder than a traditional four sided camper but we don’t mind. We know how much money we saved by purchasing ours so it motivates us to do the regular maintenance each year.
7. Harder to Set Up
While setting up a popup camper is a little bit more labor-intensive than a regular camper, we have found that if you practice, you will become efficient. My husband and I can have ours set up in less than 10 minutes because we work together, and we each have things that we do to make it happen faster.
8. Temperature Regulation
Keeping the temperature regulated in your popup camper can be hard to do. This is defiantly something to consider when you are deciding if a popup camper is right for you. We decided that we do most of our camping in the spring and fall when the weather is mild so this wasn’t an issue for us.
To help with the temperature regulation in our popup we made some diy bunk end insulation to help. We also have bunk end covers and I made thick curtains to help block sunlight.
9. Storage
Storage can be a major issue in popup camping as the campers are usually small and compact. We decided when we renovated our popup to make it open concept. By opening up the inside of the camper when we removed the cabinets under the sofa it gave us more storage (believe it or not) You can see this post if you are interested in this at all.
Another way of dealing with storage issues is to get creative. We removed the kitchen, and got creative with all possible storage options. I use the fridge to keep my clothes in…(its unhooked of course- the fridge was terrible so we made better use of it).
Is it Worth It?
As you can tell if you have read this entire post so far…we think so. There are pros and cons to every type of camping whether it be in a tent, a car or a camper but you have to decide which is right for you and your family. The following are what we consider as Pros for us and why we chose a popup over any other camper for this stage of our life.
1. Like Tent Camping
We have young boys so keeping them outside is a must for us. Our popup camping gives us the best of both worlds by feeling like we are tent camping but still having a bed to sleep in.
2. More Affordable
We have had a bumper pull, fifth wheel, tent and now a popup and we like that we were able to pay cash for our camper…remodel it and still not owe any money. It makes camping easier knowing that we have something that belongs to us and we can use our money for adventures instead.
3. Stores Easier
Popup campers fold down and are very compact so when we store it at home we can cover it under our carport. It stays out of the way and we can keep it out of the elements.
4. A Smaller Vehicle Can Tow
You don’t need a large truck to haul a popup. Ours weighs 2500 lbs so we pull it with a Toyota Tacoma. We also like that we are able to fit in almost any campsite because of the size. It makes finding a campsite easier.
5. Beginner Friendly
Popup campers are a great entry level camper that people can use if they want to get into camping. If you do a little research, you can find a great deal on a great camper to get started with your outside camping adventures this year!!