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We bought a pop-up camper after exclusively tent camping for 3 years. We love our pop-up and wanted to share this beginner’s pop-up camping guide for anyone who is thinking about getting one but might still have some questions or be on the fence.
Our family has always camped. We started out in a tent, bought a bumper pull, upgraded to a fifth wheel, went back to a tent, and now we are in a pop-up. The pop-up works perfectly for our family, where we are right now!
We decided we wanted to have a bed on wheels but not have a ton of money invested in a camper. So for us, a pop-up was the perfect solution. It is definitely budget-friendly!
What is a Pop-Up Camper?
A pop-up camper is basically a glorified tent on wheels. The reason we love ours so much is that you have a bed to sleep in but still have the feeling of being in a tent. A pop-up can be retracted and stored in what looks like a short box trailer that is super easy to pull.
Most pop-ups have 2 beds, one on each side, and the beds are usually queen-sized. There are so many different layouts on the market today with a variety of price ranges, but we went with the traditional layout and the budget price point.
Why You Should Consider One
One main reason to consider a pop-up is the fact that you can take it to so many more places than a larger-sized camper. Another reason to consider (one of our main reasons) is the cost. Pop-up campers are so much less expensive. We wanted to have something we could use without spending a ton of money.
They can also be easily renovated for little money. We are making changes to ours and we will update you as we go! You can see these beautifully renovated popups we put together as inspiration for ours in this post!
Where Can a Pop-Up Go?
Pop-up campers can be taken to so many sites that are considered off the grid. Because they are compacted into a small trailer, you can go places that larger campers just simply cannot.
We have found so many campsites that are off the beaten path! This can make your trip turn into an adventure!
How to Set It Up
First, you are going to want to find a good level campsite. When you do, pick where you want your camper to go. Make sure the beds will slide out and you have enough room to walk around. Next, you will want to unhook from your vehicle. It’s very important to chock the tires before you unhook from the camper (just in case it were to roll- we know from experience).
After you get unhooked, you will get everything level. We use a level and some leveling blocks. To get it level, use the tongue jack from front to back and if it’s not level side to side, you will want to use the blocks under the tires. In the past, we have used cut (lumber) 2×6’s to level from side to side.
Next, you will want to put down the stabilizer jacks. We use a block under each one. Note: these are meant to stabilize…not hold the weight of the camper. After that, you can unlatch the roof and raise it up.
Our pop-up has 2 safety bars. We put one on each side after the roof is raised. This is to catch the roof if it were to accidentally fall down if the steel cable were to break and keep it from falling all the way down. (This is unlikely but it’s good to have a safety in place just in case.)
Once the roof is raised, you can pull the beds out. Make sure you get the beds to latch so they don’t move. After that, make sure the canvas and vinyl are attached tightly to the frame, and then you can get the door down.
It’s pretty easy to set up and really doesn’t take long at all. We were surprised at how easy setting up our popup was. It wasn’t any more work than our fifth wheel or bumper pull.
Things to Take
If it’s your first camping trip and you aren’t sure what to take, I’m going to give you some helpful suggestions from my experience.
We take:
- Blankets and Pillows
- Clothes and Shoes
- Firewood and Starter
- Food and Drinks
- Chairs and/or Hammocks
- Kitchen Supplies
- Bathroom Necessities
- Propane to Cook with
- Leveling Blocks and Wheel Chocks
- Outdoor Rug
- Bucket Light, Lanterns, and Flashlights
- Sunscreen and bug spray
- Grill and Charcoal (if you choose to cook with this)
Basic Info:
Towing
Pop-up campers can be towed by so many vehicles. Most SUVs or even small trucks can pull one. Pop-up’s weight ranges from 1000-3500 lbs. Once you add your gear to the camper, it might put another couple hundred pounds on it. Make sure you check your vehicle’s gross vehicle weight rating to be sure you can tow what you have.
Sleeping
Most pop-up campers have a queen bed on each side. Some have dining room tables that turn into beds. We modified ours so that it has a U-shaped couch that can be converted into a bed. It would be safe to say that most pop-up campers sleep between 4 to 6 people comfortably.
We didn’t buy our pop-up because it was spacious or had a huge floor plan, we got it to be closer to the outdoors and to be able to camp where our other camper could not go. If you are worried about the room or the size, a pop-up might not be for you.
Storage
When you are in a pop-up you have to get creative with the storage. I was shocked at how much we really had inside of ours but over the years, we have downsized our gear and realized what we needed versus what we did not need.
You can ask my husband when we were camping in our fifth wheel, I thought we had to bring everything. Now that my kids are bigger, it’s easier to go with less. It also makes cleaning up easier when it’s time to go home. Also, you won’t have to figure out where to keep everything.
There are so many cubby holes to store things in our camper. We use baskets and plastic storage drawers for clothes. We are going to make an access door under the sofa for shoe storage. We have also decided to take out the stove and fridge so we can use that space for storage also. (we cook outside and the fridge doesn’t get very cold.)
You can also try hanging storage. Once you are in your camper you will realize that there is so much space where cabinets would be in a regular camper but you can’t have upper cabinets in a pop-up.
Amenities
Amenities are things that are nice to have but not necessary for camping. Some examples would be air conditioning, a shower, or a refrigerator. While most people can camp without these things, hence regular tent camping, some people just choose not to.
I prefer to have an air conditioner, even if it is just to stir some air around when we camp. I also like to have a heater for when it’s cold. Most pop-ups come with both but there are many older models that don’t. If you are looking for a camper to remodel, you will have to pay attention to this.
We chose to take the fridge out because it doesn’t stay cold enough to worry about (we haven’t done this yet, we are currently using it for a pantry). We are also going to take the sink and stove out which gives us more counter space. We cook with a propane griddle and wash off dishes with a collapsible dish bowl. Honestly, the sink isn’t big enough to do anything in it anyway.
If you want a fridge, I would recommend replacing the one that is in your pop-up unless you buy a newer model. We either bring a small one to keep outside or we bring coolers like when we tent camped.
Hacks
My favorite hack is the DIY Bucket Light. We made our own and we hang it on the site to light it up at night! It’s the best.
You need to consider storage so you collapsible bowls or things that can be stored inside of other things to save space. You can also use tension rods and hooks to hang things.
Another hack is preparing meals before you go. If you preplan as much as possible, it makes set up and clean up so much easier. An example would be my Beef Stew. I cut everything up ahead and put it in baggies so all I have to do is put it in the dutch oven to cook. It makes it so I don’t have to clean up from cutting meat and veggies!!
If you have any ideas or hacks to share with our popup camping guide, please leave them in the comments below!! I love sharing tips with others!
You can also follow us on Pinterest for more tips.
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