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I am a 47 year old husband and father of 7, and have been a camper since I was 5. (1967 Apache Pop Green Canvas over Gold aluminum box)
I spent 18 years as an mechanical engineer in the automobile industry, which, needless to say, at this point and time is not a favorable career.
I have been working a tent/popup concept for about 7 years now, and before I make my first prototype I would like to be able to gather some Voice of the Customer information.
I have a few (?) for Popup owners:
A) How long did you tent camp before making the jump?
B) What was the deciding factor in making the jump? (time to get off the ground, camping experience when it rained etc.)
C) When you finally made the jump, what was the make / model / New or used / cost / Year
D) Did it meet your expectations?
We don't have a popup but my DB did before he had to get a bigger pull behind to fit the GKs in. LOL I liked his popup. His son uses it now. He originally got it to go to bluegrass festivals on the weekends and for when he worked out of town. It didn't look big when it was folded up but when he got it set up it had lots of room inside. We would like to have one but we pull a horse trailer when we go camping. We have a 3 horse slant load with a small LQs. It doesn't have a bathroom but we set up a shower/potty tent outside and we make do. It's nice not having to set up the tent all the time. We do still set up the screen tent as a kitchen. But when we get to the park and hit the trails right away, it is nice not having to rush back to set up the tent so we can sleep. Our trailer has a Q sized bed in the goose neck. I think by DB's camper is a Jayco.
I just sarted camping a couple of years ago and immediately wanted a pop-up. I got so much negative feedback that I ended up getting a traditional tent. The info I received from more than a few sources sited: fire hazard, not as easy to pitch as proclaimed, leaky.
I would LOVE to find a "good" pop-up as I HATE the time it takes to get set up each time we camp.
PLEASE - If you get a viable new product, I'd love to learn about it, and if you need any GUINEA PIGS - I'd be delighted to "test drive" and provide accurate and honest feedback.
I truly think the Market is ripe for this product and hope you will fill the gap!
We have a Fleetwood 2004 Santa Fe pop-up. Our first camping weekend of the season, it rained the entire time with howling winds. We never had one single leak. The wind scared the bejesus out of me a few times, but nothing on the camper broke.
Many years ago, we switched from tent camping to a pop-up (after about a year of tenting) due to ease of set up. Our first pop-up was a Starcraft. We had cots in the tent, so we weren't on the floor. I like the pop-up better when there is the occasional inclement weather. It is also more convenient for cooking and doing dishes.
Aside from no leaks and ease of setup, another must is storage! We have everything we need packed into our pop-up. When we get ready to go camping, all we need to pack up for the trip are clothes and food. Everything else is stowed in the camper.
Oh, I am a knucklehead! I thought you were referring to a pop-up tent! I haven't really considered a pop-up camper because I'm the world's worst backer-upper! Add a trailer and I'd be taking out trees.
We tent camped 25 yrs,gave it up in 2000,bought a pop-up,The last tent camp was 1999 september Destin Florida,we sat in the truck while it stormed ,watching the tent billow and lift,tent stakes in the sand ha ha. Then the airmattress,didnt go flat but it got these huge bumps in it ,parts of it let go,also it was the 1st time camping at the beach.The next yr 2000 ,I thought we would rent a popup ,ckd prices ridiculis 1000.00 awk,noway.Started looking at the Indiana Auto Rv mag.,no luck.We have the Peddlers post too ,got one of those found a barely used 1999 palomino Pinto,it had only been used a few times, and not hauled but a few hundred miles.2500.00 we wrote a ck right then. Its not loaded,no AC,no heat,no potty,queen,full,beds,icebox,waterstorage(we took that out for more storage) awning, sink,4 burner in-out stove.we made solar reflectors for the tent ends, ITS WONDERFUL,Oh we were in fla. in oct 2007 rained 36hrs straight 16 inches,didnt even get wet, (I keep the canvas ends water proofed)The noise was a little deafening LOL oh well !! WE call her the camperette.IT IS easier to set up then the hillary canvas tent,my dh and i would be ready to kill each other by the time we just set the tent up,it was funny as many times we set that tent up we would never remember the sequence of poping it up.dont miss that at all.People are always suprized at the age of it,it looks new ,we keep it as nice as we can,paint the frame everyother yr,wax it every yr ,keep the vinal clean,we use it 3-4 wks a yr. Not a great photo of it
I used a A-frame pop up camper when I worked all over Montana as a relief veterinarian. It was a Chalet and it kept me warm and dry in cold winters where the temps droped below -30 F. Inside was below freezing but not that unpleasant. The snow would slide off and keep me bolting upright. I loved it and miss it. I am planning on getting a motor cycle trailer that pops up.
