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  • Mark-DuCo

    Master
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Aug 1, 2012
    2,265
    113
    Ferdinand
    I've been a tent camper pretty much my entire life except when I was young and stayed in my parent's popup. Well this spring I finally sprung for a popup of my own. It cost me a whopping $300 so I think I got a pretty good deal on it.





    The previous owner replaced the floor in it and cut in a small window unit in the front which has been amazing for summer camping. It is not perfect by any means, but it will last me and my son a few years until we decide what camper we want next. I love popups, but a small self contained just looks so convenient. For a self contained though I would probably need to upgrade my truck or at least add a trailer brake set up I assume. My current truck just has the flat 4 pin hookup.

    So what about the rest of INGO, are there any other campers here? I'd love to see some setups and here about where you like to camp. We mainly camp at the Ferdinand State Forest, or a small private campground in St. Anthony. We have been to Patoka and are going to Lincoln in a few weeks. The Covid campers are making it a pain this year to get a spot.
     

    Super Bee

    Master
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    10   0   0
    Nov 2, 2011
    4,798
    149
    Fort Wayne
    I am a camper, though I do not get out as much as I used too. I personally have a 40 foot Winnebago diesel pusher motorhome. Our favorites are Grand Haven Michigan, Bryce Canyon Utah, Gettysburg PA. and Washington DC. Circus Circus has a campground right on the strip which is kind of cool too.

    Normally I own anywhere between 40 to 100 campers, but now I am completely sold out.

    Pop ups are kind of going away. Some of my biggest sellers are the new 22 foot, single axle travel trailer weighing in at under 3000lbs. They can sleep six, have A/C, full bathroom, ect. If Forest River runs a special if I order 10 or more of a certain model I can sell them for just under $10K brand new.

    On a side note, yes, you would need a brake control installed.
     

    Dulla

    Plinker
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Jul 8, 2020
    97
    8
    NWI
    I've been a tent camper pretty much my entire life except when I was young and stayed in my parent's popup. Well this spring I finally sprung for a popup of my own. It cost me a whopping $300 so I think I got a pretty good deal on it.





    The previous owner replaced the floor in it and cut in a small window unit in the front which has been amazing for summer camping. It is not perfect by any means, but it will last me and my son a few years until we decide what camper we want next. I love popups, but a small self contained just looks so convenient. For a self contained though I would probably need to upgrade my truck or at least add a trailer brake set up I assume. My current truck just has the flat 4 pin hookup.

    So what about the rest of INGO, are there any other campers here? I'd love to see some setups and here about where you like to camp. We mainly camp at the Ferdinand State Forest, or a small private campground in St. Anthony. We have been to Patoka and are going to Lincoln in a few weeks. The Covid campers are making it a pain this year to get a spot.

    Nice find!

    Do you mind sharing how you came across the deal? My oldest daughter is finally old enough for her first camping trip (I think, I'll try backyard camping first just to be sure) so I'm looking for something similar that won't break the bank.
     

    Mark-DuCo

    Master
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Aug 1, 2012
    2,265
    113
    Ferdinand
    Nice find!

    Do you mind sharing how you came across the deal? My oldest daughter is finally old enough for her first camping trip (I think, I'll try backyard camping first just to be sure) so I'm looking for something similar that won't break the bank.

    I actually bought it off one of my best friends, but he only paid $300 for it the year before. The original owner just had no idea what it was worth I guess. Your best bet for finding a good deal is to wait until late this fall or early spring next year, when all the new campers either don't want to store theirs or decide that camping just wasn't for them.
     

    Leadeye

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    4   0   0
    Jan 19, 2009
    36,690
    113
    .
    Nice looking rig and that's a solid deal.

    Living in the woods makes camping for me sort of moot.
     

    gregkl

    Outlier
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    33   0   0
    Apr 8, 2012
    11,868
    77
    Bloomington
    Grand Haven Michigan,

    Pop ups are kind of going away. Some of my biggest sellers are the new 22 foot, single axle travel trailer weighing in at under 3000lbs. They can sleep six, have A/C, full bathroom, ect. If Forest River runs a special if I order 10 or more of a certain model I can sell them for just under $10K brand new.

    Curious, why are pop ups going away? I have really only rugged camped in my life, but I did spend a night sleeping in a pickup bed and the next morning some folks that had a popup invited me in for breakfast. I thought they were kinda cool. Not a tent, but not something that requires a lot of truck, finances and maintenance.

    And western Michigan is beautiful. All the way up to Traverse City and then into the U.P. (disclaimer, I grew up in Michigan:))
     

    DoggyDaddy

    Grandmaster
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    73   0   1
    Aug 18, 2011
    102,030
    77
    Southside Indy
    When I was a kid, Dad bought a pop-up camper and we took it out to California. He worked for the county health department and had conferences out west every year so he'd take a full month - 1 week for the convention and 3 weeks vacation - and we got to travel a lot. The pop-up was perfect for that. We'd stay in KOA campgrounds on the way, then usually in some national park like Yellowstone or Yosemite for a week or so.

    After using it for a couple of years, he turned around and sold it for more than what he bought it for. You can find some that are really pretty fancy.
     

    maxwelhse

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Aug 21, 2018
    5,415
    149
    Michiana
    Curious, why are pop ups going away? I have really only rugged camped in my life, but I did spend a night sleeping in a pickup bed and the next morning some folks that had a popup invited me in for breakfast. I thought they were kinda cool. Not a tent, but not something that requires a lot of truck, finances and maintenance.

    SB pretty much covered it already. For not much more money (and depending on what you're shopping after, quite possibly no more money) you get a lot more camper from a coach without needing a lot more vehicle to pull it. A large pop-up of yester-year would outweigh a light coach today and in a coach you get a real bathroom, a real kitchen, vastly more room for "stuff", actual AC, a real TV, some security, etc. Most buyers today don't really want a camper so they can "camp". They want one so they can travel more so the closer they can get to a hotel room, the better.

    It seems the meaty part of the curve in the RV market is based around what a 1/2 ton truck, or less, can pull and people want the most they can get behind their vehicle. When pretty much every SUV and minivan has a 250hp+ option and easily a 3k+ towing capacity, there's very little reason for anyone to drop down from a coach.

    That said... I've seen some stupidly light weight pop-ups lately. I wanna say I saw a 6 man that came it at very nearly 1000lbs. I don't think you got AC, or probably much else, at that weight though.
     

    gregkl

    Outlier
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    33   0   0
    Apr 8, 2012
    11,868
    77
    Bloomington
    SB pretty much covered it already. For not much more money (and depending on what you're shopping after, quite possibly no more money) you get a lot more camper from a coach without needing a lot more vehicle to pull it. A large pop-up of yester-year would outweigh a light coach today and in a coach you get a real bathroom, a real kitchen, vastly more room for "stuff", actual AC, a real TV, some security, etc. Most buyers today don't really want a camper so they can "camp". They want one so they can travel more so the closer they can get to a hotel room, the better.

    It seems the meaty part of the curve in the RV market is based around what a 1/2 ton truck, or less, can pull and people want the most they can get behind their vehicle. When pretty much every SUV and minivan has a 250hp+ option and easily a 3k+ towing capacity, there's very little reason for anyone to drop down from a coach.

    That said... I've seen some stupidly light weight pop-ups lately. I wanna say I saw a 6 man that came it at very nearly 1000lbs. I don't think you got AC, or probably much else, at that weight though.

    Yeah, I guess I was thinking something you can pull behind a car or small SUV, Rav4 size. We are not looking, I was just curious. We are not at a stage that we would travel much and camp.
     

    jndturner

    Plinker
    Rating - 100%
    3   0   0
    May 13, 2013
    95
    0
    Noblesville, IN
    We moved to a camper three years ago after some bad experiences while rent camping. We went with a Passport 239ML which sleeps 6 and is pretty light weight and easily towed. We typically go to Summit Lake State Park or White River Campground. We have been as far as central Tennessee, but usually stay in Indiana 0E0C5D82-808A-4AE4-B9DA-D9448BCBB1AE.jpg
     

    Super Bee

    Master
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    10   0   0
    Nov 2, 2011
    4,798
    149
    Fort Wayne
    SB pretty much covered it already. For not much more money (and depending on what you're shopping after, quite possibly no more money) you get a lot more camper from a coach without needing a lot more vehicle to pull it. A large pop-up of yester-year would outweigh a light coach today and in a coach you get a real bathroom, a real kitchen, vastly more room for "stuff", actual AC, a real TV, some security, etc. Most buyers today don't really want a camper so they can "camp". They want one so they can travel more so the closer they can get to a hotel room, the better.

    It seems the meaty part of the curve in the RV market is based around what a 1/2 ton truck, or less, can pull and people want the most they can get behind their vehicle. When pretty much every SUV and minivan has a 250hp+ option and easily a 3k+ towing capacity, there's very little reason for anyone to drop down from a coach.

    That said... I've seen some stupidly light weight pop-ups lately. I wanna say I saw a 6 man that came it at very nearly 1000lbs. I don't think you got AC, or probably much else, at that weight though.


    You nailed it. Need a job selling campers? :)
     

    maxwelhse

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Aug 21, 2018
    5,415
    149
    Michiana
    Yeah, I guess I was thinking something you can pull behind a car or small SUV, Rav4 size. We are not looking, I was just curious. We are not at a stage that we would travel much and camp.

    The Rav4 in "Adventure" trim (admitting I know nothing about Rav4s) with the towing package has a towing rating of 3500lbs, so you can pull the coach SB was talking about with one, good idea or not.

    You have to get down into stuff that is approaching unsuitable to tow anything at all before you're down to the super lightweight popups being your ceiling. My 4 cylinder 1995 Escort Wagon has a towing rating of 1000lbs, which I can assure you would not be a good idea. :laugh:
     

    Gluemanz28

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    29   0   0
    Mar 4, 2013
    7,430
    113
    Elkhart County
    As I understand it, I'd starve to death in that game right now as they're selling themselves faster than they can be built. ;)

    I’m glad they are selling like hot cakes. I sell two million dollars worth of adhesive to the RV industry every year. Thus the name Glueman. I’ve been into just about every manufacturer in the business. On average most plants that build the 1/2 ton truck towable units are one built every 12 minutes.

    The mini units are built at a rate of 40-50 per day in one facility. It’s hard to believe until you see it with your own eyes.
     

    maxwelhse

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Aug 21, 2018
    5,415
    149
    Michiana
    I’m glad they are selling like hot cakes. I sell two million dollars worth of adhesive to the RV industry every year. Thus the name Glueman. I’ve been into just about every manufacturer in the business. On average most plants that build the 1/2 ton truck towable units are one built every 12 minutes.

    The mini units are built at a rate of 40-50 per day in one facility. It’s hard to believe until you see it with your own eyes.

    I'm also near the industry. I'd just starve to death if I tried to sell completed units because right now there aren't any to sell. They've been sold out and backordered for months. I'd want to be on the supply side of that business. ;)

    I'm also astonished how fast the world can absorb RVs out into the ether. That goes double when I think about all the pontoon boats and just straight up regular trailers that are made in the county too.
     

    Super Bee

    Master
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    10   0   0
    Nov 2, 2011
    4,798
    149
    Fort Wayne
    I'm also near the industry. I'd just starve to death if I tried to sell completed units because right now there aren't any to sell. They've been sold out and backordered for months. I'd want to be on the supply side of that business. ;)


    I am a Forest River Wildwood/Salem dealer and Keystone Springdale as well. I have been told no new Springdale units until after the first of the year. Forest River said I may get five or six units at most the rest of the year. I have been sold out of new units for three months and sold out of used for two months. We will not last long without campers to sell.

    From what I have been told the shortage of parts is the hold up to build them. I believe it as my parts suppliers are nearly sold out of parts too. In some cases we are resorting to buying parts off Amazon and E-Bay for retail.
     

    Gluemanz28

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    29   0   0
    Mar 4, 2013
    7,430
    113
    Elkhart County
    I'm also near the industry. I'd just starve to death if I tried to sell completed units because right now there aren't any to sell. They've been sold out and backordered for months. I'd want to be on the supply side of that business. ;)

    I'm also astonished how fast the world can absorb RVs out into the ether. That goes double when I think about all the pontoon boats and just straight up regular trailers that are made in the county too.

    Yup. One of the cargo trailer plants I sell adhesives to builds over 50 a day. It’s just insane.
     

    Gluemanz28

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    29   0   0
    Mar 4, 2013
    7,430
    113
    Elkhart County
    I am a Forest River Wildwood/Salem dealer and Keystone Springdale as well. I have been told no new Springdale units until after the first of the year. Forest River said I may get five or six units at most the rest of the year. I have been sold out of new units for three months and sold out of used for two months. We will not last long without campers to sell.

    From what I have been told the shortage of parts is the hold up to build them. I believe it as my parts suppliers are nearly sold out of parts too. In some cases we are resorting to buying parts off Amazon and E-Bay for retail.

    All of these units online don’t have windows in them. Notice the blue PSA film over the window openings?

    It wasn’t even sealed good. I’m betting lots of warranty work on water damage around window areas.

    Z4GQjRe.jpg
     
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