Tent vs PopUp camper

BlackstoneMama · 06-20-2007, 03:33 PM

Hi,

Do most of you use a tent or a popup camper to go camping? Its just me and the 2 kids and maybe my sister and her baby.

How do I know which one is better for us?

Also...I drive a Honda CRV. Does anyone pull a popup camper with a CRV?

Thanks!

bumplett · 06-20-2007, 04:14 PM

I also have a Honda CR-V ~ it can tow up to 1,100 lbs I believe ~ so a pop-up should be fine

I would vote for a pop-up because you have a baby in tow also - but I love a tent

Missy · 06-20-2007, 04:17 PM

yeah, if i had a baby with me I would prefer the pop up. Just a convieinece factor. And I'd feel more...i dunno the word. Safer maybe?

jennybethg · 06-20-2007, 05:16 PM

I tent camp. I've seen couples tent camp w/ babies-however they had one of those tents with three rooms off of a "living area". It depends on what's easier for you. Have fun!

DJ1972 · 06-20-2007, 05:31 PM

We use a tent currently, but kids are 11 and 13. If we come up on a nice used cheap camper we will probably buy it though.

Mom23boys · 06-21-2007, 09:26 AM

When we first started camping, ummmm 20 years ago, we camped in a tent. When we had children, we still camped in a tent. We never had a problem. You can buy air matresses so you aren't laying on the hard ground. Then about 5 years ago, we purchased a pop-up camper and it was nice, but it just seemed like it was more trouble than the tent to sit up, so we sold it and guess what? Now we are back to camping in a tent. We purchased a huge tent this year and started camping in it. If we buy another camping trailor, I want it to be a full size travel trailor, not a pop-up. Of course, this is just my opinion. Others may differ with me.

Darlene · 06-21-2007, 11:27 AM

We had (sold it) a pop-up camper, not that we went anywhere with it lol. Hubby thought & still thinks we have it all right here in our yard.

That thing was so comfortable to sleep in. Whatever you choose go out and have some fun & make some memories!

pkellyc · 06-21-2007, 01:59 PM

I have camped in just everything you can. Tents, pop ups, travel trailers you name it. If it rains it is misery no matter what your in. Pop ups are comfortable to sleep in and are off the ground. But for us there is nothing like a tent. We use double high inflatables. If you go this route make sure you buy better quality mattresses or they will deflate and you will end up on the ground by morning. We also have a screen house which is a nice big area to live in. I have been tent camping with four people in my Dodge Neon for a long weekend. I use a soft car carrier on the top of the car which holds all of our bedding and lawn chairs. But mostly we use our truck because the more stuff you take when camping the more comfortable you will be.

MarshHen · 06-27-2007, 04:00 PM

I would go with whatever would be more frugal and easier to carry/haul. Depending on where you are going to camp, hauling a pop up can put a great strain on your Honda's radiator. A friend of mine learned this the hard way last summer. Baby will be safe and comfortable either way. We took our babies with us tent camping years ago with no problems.

Michelle68 · 06-29-2007, 11:57 PM

We have a pop up camper and find it much more comfortable than a tent. The set up can be a bit of a pain at first, but we've pretty much got it down to a routine so it's not so bad. I like being off the ground, but still having that "tent" feeling. We also have A/C and a toilet in ours.

I believe that when the kids are gone we'll probably move on to a small travel trailer someday, due to convenience.

--Michelle

BlackstoneMama · 07-02-2007, 09:56 AM

Thanks everyone for your response. Interesting comment about the radiator with regard to the Honda. I never would have thought of that. Maybe tents are better for now...although I do dream of that trailer! ;-)

miss_thrifty · 07-03-2007, 10:18 AM

we have a 9 man tent and love it, lots of room for me, hubby and 2 kids.
If we had more money maybe down the road we would have pop up camper. maybe. Hubby loves the outdoor living. He wishes we could do it more often.

lottaLove · 07-03-2007, 11:02 AM

We camp in a tent, and have always tent camped. Even when DS was 3 months old, we were camping with him in a tent. You have to watch and be careful that you have enough warm blankets and warm clothing for the evening (well at least we do where we are....), but I love my tent and would not trade it for a pop up camper. We have a one room 8 person tent right now, but are thinking of upgrading to a larger 2 room tent when we can afford it.

Stella · 07-05-2007, 11:45 PM

We bought a pop up camper and I really like it. There is just two of us, so we sleep on the king side and the dogs get the queen bed

I like having a clean camper, which is why I do not like tent camping. There was always dirt in our beds etc. I also like having everything in the trailer so we can leave on a whim. All we need is food. The two things I would not compromise on was I wanted hot water (to was greasy dishes) and refer. Those two things make camping alot eaiser.

jenn2500 · 11-12-2007, 03:12 PM

i am not sure about your honda. is it a stick or automatic? this makes a huge difference. what kind of camping do you do? some people do beach type camping where there arent many steep climbs or anything so you can tow more weight. when i first got my tent trailer i was towing with a ford ranger, v6 automatic. we got a very light weight trailer and it towed ok, but we did end up having to replace the transmission one time. (they use a cheap transmission on those trucks it turns out) after that it lasted us another 4 years with no problems before we got a full size truck. we also camp at 9000 elevation, so the climb is hard on the vehicle. something to think about before buying. tent camping is fun, but it is more work than having a pop up trailer. we can have ours set up in 10 minutes, no problem. and everything is already packed up so there are no boxes or supplies to unpack and organize. my choice would be the trailer for sure, so long as towing isnt a problem. also, when looking for your trailer, dont believe what the dealers say about what weight you can tow. find out for yourself. they just want to make a sell and dont know what they are talking about. luckily my dad is a mechanic and knew better, but there were a lot of them who even tried to tell my dad he was wrong.