This site looks plain and unstyled because you're using a non-standard compliant browser. If you would like to see it in its best form, please upgrade to a browser that supports web standards.


Clothes For a Big Planet - Buzz Off Insect Repellent Clothing




RV Camping - Beginner's Guide to RVs and Motorhomes

Folding (Pop-up or Tent) Trailers

More About Folding (Pop-up or Tent) Trailers

Folding Camping Trailer Folding Camping Trailers or tent trailers or sometimes even Pop-up tent Trailers. They used to be called "Big Macs", but these days, they’re mostly referred to as pop-ups or folding campers, and they serve as the best and most cost-effective way for young families to camp and travel.

Popular brands of pop-ups are made by Coleman, Starcraft and Forest River (Rockwood). Pop-ups are easily towable, ranging in weight from 1,500 to 4,000 pounds, and easily hitch to your SUV, truck, mini-van or large sedan. Of course, you’ll need a proper hitch and some information regarding trailer weights and towing capabilities, but your dealer can help you with that. After that, you’re free to roam the country, confident that a dry bed, storage for your gear and a hot meal await you. An interesting variation on the traditional pop up is the Aliner. This lightweight RV tows like a regular folding trailer, but in camp pops up in less than a minute with a hard-sided roof. The smallest models weigh less than 1,000 pounds and can be pulled by a motorcycle.

Pop-ups deliver a major upgrade from a tent and sleeping bag, not to mention a much more reliable and durable barrier against the elements. Upon arrival at your campsite, the unit folds out (pops up!) into two large "wings" (usually through the use of a crank), which serve as two separate sleeping areas. The base of the unit, which indeed looks like a tent on wheels, usually features a small dinette, mini-refrigerator, storage areas and some kind of cooking appliances. A heater, outdoor shower and grilling area are also fairly common. More expensive units can boast a shower, toilet, a manual slide-out room (which greatly expands the roominess inside) and more deluxe cooking features. Travelers are protected from the elements by a mix of heavy canvass and hard-sided roof.

You can buy most new pop-ups for between $5,000-$10,000, a bona fide bargain considering its livability. A family of four, particularly if the kids are still young enough to consider sharing a bed fun, should have little problem eating, sleeping and dressing onboard, provided you don’t spend countless hours in a space that is still relatively tiny. Aside from the cost of the hitch (under $500), a pop-up adds little in the way of extra expenses. Your tow vehicle’s gas mileage will suffer somewhat, but only marginally, and insurance, tolls and maintenance costs are a fraction of higher-end RVs.

The biggest challenge pop-up owners face is probably backing into their campsite. Just take it slow and have your co-pilot hop out and give you directions. Or better yet, opt for a pull-through campsite. Once your destination is reached and your unit set-up, your tow vehicle is now free to transport the family into town, the amusement park or other points of interest without a trailer in tow. Your mobility will certainly be the envy of larger motorhomers and trailer owners.

Families who spent one-too-many camping trips suffering through cold nights and gear mishaps often soon find themselves on an RV dealer’s lot scouting out these entry-level units. And for many, buying a pop-up represents a couple’s first foray into the world of RVing, with the purchase of a larger trailer or motorhome not far behind. RV manufacturers know this, and hope travelers use a pop-ups as a springboard later on to a larger, more expensive RV. Until that time, however, enjoy these small camping wonders, the best value in the industry

The best selling folding camping trailers are those from Coleman, Starcraft and Rockwood.

In 1967, the Coleman Company, based in Wichita, Kansas, began manufacturing a full line of folding trailers in Somerset, Pennsylvania. In 1989, Fleetwood Enterprises, Inc. of Riverside, California, acquired the Coleman Folding Trailer Division. Both the Coleman and Fleetwood names have steadily grown. Today, the Somerset facility is the largest towable recreational vehicle plant in North America. Fleetwood has also established itself as the world's largest recreational vehicle manufacturer, providing nearly one out of every three RVs on the road today.

Starcraft folding trailers are also among the most popular. Starcraft has a long history of innovation and market leadership, dating back to 1903. The company was founded in Northern Indiana's Amish country, and still calls this area home. Starcraft originally produced livestock tanks and other metal farm equipment, and in the 1920s, added a variety of boats to itslineup. In 1964, the company entered into the RV industry with a line of folding camping trailers. The camper's innovative features (which included a hardtop and crank-up lifter system) quickly achieved a major share of the RV market, which it still does. Today, Starcraft offers soft- and hard-side truck campers, folding camping trailers, and both lightweight and full-size laminated travel trailers and fifth wheels in the United States and Canada. It is owned by Jayco, Inc., the largest privately-owned RV manufacturer in the world.

Rockwood folding camping trailers, made by Forest River, are among the most popular folding camping trailers. Besides a wide variety of traditional pop ups in its Premiere Series, the company manufacturers the lightweight "Roo" a hybred RV that combines features of a traditional trailer with those of a folding camping trailer.

Read about Pop Up Times Magazine, the only magazine devoted to camping in pop up trailers.