# Can't decide...plz help!!!



## Bk272 (May 23, 2012)

I'm wanting to sell or trade my boat to get a camper. I can't decide between a pop up or a TT. I REALLY like the idea of the bathroom in a TT, but don't want to have to buy a new vehicle to pull it. We have Chevy Trailblazer with a straight six in it. Because of this, I'm leaning toward the pop up just for weight purposes. The issue of canvas rotting and leaks, smaller size has me tentative tho. I will get a bigger truck eventually as my Sonoma is gettin up in age. I know the TT will be roomier and more convenient, just a lot heavier, thus less MPG. Need advice plz!! Pros and cons of one over the other? Is it really that important to have full bath? Most of the time camping will be outside the camper anyway.... Help!!!


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## mas360 (Nov 21, 2006)

I had popup and now have a TT. 
Your tow vehicle is adequate for popup, not TT. Don't even bother with the TT until you purchase a new tow vehicle first. 
I towed my popup, 2K lbs, with a Dodge 1500, 8 cylinders, and lost one mile per gallon. It made 16 miles/gal on level terrain with the popup in tow. 

I upgraded to a TT four years later and towed with that Dodge on two trips, less than 500 miles. Mileage was 8 miles/gal. The Dodge transmission burned out. The Dodge had 49K miles on its meter. The TT is 6K lbs. On level terrain, the Dodge made maximum speed 60 miles/hr with the TT trailing behind. On west Texas hilly terrain, it maxed out at 40 miles/hr. 

I replaced the Dodge with an F250 diesel. Life has been good since. 

While the popup does not offer full comfort as the TT, you do not lose much mileage towing it. It is also easier to maneuver. If you want to take frequent long trips it would not be so hard on your wallet. You can also store your popup in your standard garage, which you cannot with the TT unless you have a huge one made specifically for RV. I pay $50/mo for outdoor storage. Covered storage costs twice as much. 

If it is not for my wife, I'd stay with the popup...given we use it only about seven trips during summer. 

I think your best bet is to get an USED popup now. Use it for a few years before upgrading it and a new tow vehicle. I bought mine used, in excellent condition, for $3K. I sold it four years later for 2K. It costs much much less than renting a popup five times a year for four years. Maintenance on popup is also almost nothing compared to TT.


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## rsmith (Jun 29, 2007)

Check out what your truck will tow. Lots of small light weight TT's out there. You can heat and cool them and most have a shower and a pot. The smaller it is the cheaper it will be to pull. Had a sixteen footer that use to pull everywhere. It was no condo. Had a 35 ft fifth wheel, codo, I lived in when I was working construction. Pull that thing to where I worked and parked it for several weeks at a time. Pull it everyday and a hotel is cheeper.


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## Bk272 (May 23, 2012)

Thanks for the advice. Our weight limit is 5200 lbs. but I'm sure we would want lighter to account for hills or other driving scenarios. The only problem I have with pop ups is the lack of a bathroom. It's a pain in the butt to have to walk to the bathroom every time the mood hits u. Lol. Also, more a pain for the wifey when the bud lights are flowing. Thinking maybe a portable toilet? Where would I empty that? Also, I know some pop ups come with a shower and toilet, but where does that drain to? Does it have a holding tank? Thanks for the help and sorry for the stupid questions. By the way, anyone want to trade a boat or a Harley for a camper?


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## rsmith (Jun 29, 2007)

Go window shopping! You don't have to buy anything. Just drive around and ask dumb questions.


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## SSST (Jun 9, 2011)

The pop-up with the toilets will have a portable holding tank that you would dump in the nearest dump station when you leave, those toilets aren't very roomy but beats walking to the nearest restroom in the middle of the night. With your vehicle, i would say the pop-up is your only feasible option. Yes they make lightweight trailers but towing it will be a nightmare with your vehicle. Like stated above, you can find a real nice loaded down pop-up for a reasonable price, less than 5k easy. I went pop-up, travel trailer, fifth wheel, buying a bigger vehicle every time, and there are times when i wish i was still dragging the pop-up around. Drawback of course is convenience, don't have to set the TT up, and alot more storage.


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## mas360 (Nov 21, 2006)

Your tow vehicle has weight limit 5,200 lbs. That does not mean you can tow a trailer rated 5,000 lbs. That 5,200 lbs limit include all passengers, luggage, fuel on both tow vehicle and trailer. In addition to weight, the full up camper has a huge front sticking up above your tow vehicle profile. Air drag is a very big factor in towing. 
If you must have a nice bathroom and do not want to upgrade your tow vehicle, take a look at those trailer with hard side which also pop up. This type does not have any canvas tent. During tow it collapses down below the top of your tow vehicle and that minimize air drag. If you go this route, make sure you install after market transmission oil cooler on your tow vehicle and also a temperature gauge to continuously monitor transmission oil temperature. I learned that lesson the hard way. It costs me two grands to install a rebuilt transmission in the Dodge. Once transmission fluid reaches 300 degrees, your transmission is toasted within less than 1,000 miles.

Top of the line popup has pretty decent bathroom with shower. It also has holding tanks for both black and grey water. The porta potti you think about is pretty nasty when time comes to dump it. Top of the line popup has 12' box and costs almost same as full up camper. I looked at it and decided to go with a TT. Now, looking back, I wish I had gone all the way to a 5th wheel. 

If you plan on keeping your camper for a long time, 20 years or so, bite the bullet and get an Airstream. It is all aluminum and last you a life time. Regular trailer has rubber roof, which will leak after five years and require continuous annual maintenance to prevent leak.


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## sweenyite (Feb 22, 2009)

And... just because your vehicle may be rated to tow a certain trailer does not mean it will do so well. When we upgraded from our smaller Terry TT to the 33' bunkhouse we have now, I had an F-150. We towed the new (to us) camper home from PPL in Houston one week, and I was buying my F-350 dually the next! That heavy sucker was squirrely behind a half ton truck! (I wanted a used F-250 but found a heck of a deal on the 350). Dry weight is pushing 8,000#. After you put all your chit in it, who knows? Flat land is fine, but when you get in the hill country, you better make sure you have not only the horses, but the brakes to handle it. I would either go with the pop-up in your situation... or, check out the Casita line of TTs.


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## sweenyite (Feb 22, 2009)

http://casitatraveltrailers.com/
We met a family with 5 kids staying in one of those little campers at Brazos Bend SP once. They were down from Indiana and were making a 3 week trip in that little thing. Must have been tight!


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## fultonswimmer (Jul 3, 2008)

*We basically use our 16' Casita for trips up and down the Texas coast. We did live in it for six weeks when we moved down to the coast but they are not really made for that...although there are a few who "full time" in a Casita. They have a dry weight of about 2300lbs. and you would really have to cram a bunch of stuff in one to get it up to the rated 3500lb capacity(that is for a loaded trailer, not your vehicles weight capacity of trailer load, vehicle load). I pulled our Casita all over Texas with a Ford Explorer 4.0 V-6 and I had the Casita loaded with about 2900lbs.(empty holding tanks, full propane, gear) and the only problem was when I had to navigate the Hill Country....had to not be in a great hurry but vehicle handled the terrain and load ok. A Casita will work for a couple and maybe a small child but I would think more than that would be a stretch. *


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## Oceola (Mar 25, 2007)

Love my 17' Casita Spirit deluxe. Great bathroom unlike pop ups. Weighs less than 3K fully loaded. My TV is a 1999 4wd 4Runner, V6.

http://www.casitatraveltrailers.com/showroom/spirit/spirit-schematics.html

http://www.casitatraveltrailers.com/showroom/spirit/spirit-base-features.html


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## BKE66 (Apr 1, 2013)

Look aat the HiLo campers the best of both worlds


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## jason101 (Aug 18, 2005)

How many people do you intend to sleep? Do you plan on spending much time in the camper other than to cook, eat or sleep?


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## RACER (Mar 15, 2006)

I have had pop ups in the past just a pain to set up and hard to cool during the day..


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## mas360 (Nov 21, 2006)

Anything with a tent top is difficult to cool while camping during summer months. I attached reflecting thermal blanket on top of my popup camper tent ends and it dropped interior temperature by 8 degrees.

Yes, it is a pain to set up a popup...but with a teen boy around to help out it is no big deal.


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