A popup camper can be a wonderful and cost-effective way for beginners new to the RV scene to explore what camping would be like.
With a popup camper, you get to experience what it would feel like towing, driving, and parking an RV without the massive cost typically associated with travel trailers, fifth wheels, and of course motorhomes.
The popup camper is a great trailer option that comes with lots of storage, however, it can do so much more than meets the eye.
What makes the popup camper so different from any other type of travel trailer is the fact that it is able to “pop up” its side, rising into the sky, enabling you to get a couple of hours outside whilst still getting relief from the sun. When it is time to pack up, you simply need to have these awnings collapse.
What you get is a camper that takes up very little space, whilst offering a lot more in return. This “pop up” feature ensures that it can be safely stored in just about anywhere, especially a garage.
So, can a pop-up camper fit in a garage? The answer is yes, a pop-up camper will fit in a garage. On average, popup campers are 7 feet wide, 5 feet high, and 16 feet long. The average single car garage is 12 feet wide, 8 foot high, and 20 feet deep. So there’s plenty of room to spare.
While a popup camper might sound like a wonderful investment, it is still important that you thoroughly research one before purchase. If you are still not sure if one is suited to you, you should consider renting a popup camper. This would give you the opportunity to experience what it is like to use a popup camper without actually owning one.
How do popup campers differ from other types of campers?
While regular travel trailers offer you increased refuge from the outside, particularly when the weather turns nasty, you still spend the majority of your time sitting or driving around. This is time not spent experiencing the great outdoors. What it does feel similar to is you just sitting at home.
However, due to the way a popup camper is designed and the somewhat close quarters it offers, you have almost no choice but to experience the outside and get into proper camping. With a popup camper, you have awnings that can be opened to enable you to soak up the warm late afternoon breeze before shutting down for the night.
Popup campers are lightweight
If you are just getting into the swing of RVing and what it means to camp outside, you might be seemingly overwhelmed by massive motorhomes. It is no wonder, considering operating a motorhome is nothing like operating a personal car or even a large pickup truck.
There is so much weight and bulk to the motorhome and it can be a lot to handle. You will have to transform how you drive. This means that you have to make adjustments much earlier, calculate your turns, and even braking earlier to help stop the RV in time.
You don’t have to consider any of these when you use a popup camper due to just how light these campers are. By simply driving an SUV or a truck with the camper attached, your thought process is simplified. The popup camper is lightweight and that makes it extremely maneuverable, compared to large motorhomes.
Can be stored in the garage easily even with the size variation
Apart from the fact that a popup camper has a lightweight frame, they also come in numerous sizes. What this means is that you do not require a lot of space to tow.
This is particularly important when you consider storage as a popup trailer can be large enough to fulfill your camping needs, but still sufficiently small to fit in the garage when it is not being used.
The storage angle is particularly important as RVers would typically rent storage space to store their vehicles when they aren’t being used. With your popup camper, you simply need to clear out some space for it in your garage.
Cooling and heating options are available
Most people believe erroneously believe that because a popup camper is lightweight and seemingly small, you have to forgo some of the home comforts you have been accustomed to. This is false.
It is possible to get an air conditioner as a feature in your popup camper should you so desire. It is also possible to get heating options if you happen to camp out during the colder months.
One thing to know, however, if you plan on using a popup camper during the cold months, is that a popup camper tends not to have too much insulation, making it a poor choice to be out in during the winter.
That said, you can have just about any cooling or heating option in your popup camper, as long as you understand these options will take up weight and space in what was supposed to be a lightweight trailer.
You get a sufficient amount of room but not much else
You might wonder if it is possible to plan an extensive, multi-day road trip using a popup camper? Well, the answer is yes, it is possible to do so. However, you have to understand you will not have as much room as you are accustomed to at home.
Even the large Class A motorhome can begin to feel a little cramped after some time in it. This is just how it is with RVs. It is for this reason that the majority of people with popup campers tend to park them on the campground, explore their surroundings and then come back to spend the night in their campers.
That being said, you should not be disheartened by this, as it is possible to get quite a lot into a popup camper. You have sufficient room for a mini-refrigerator, a kitchen and a bed.
A bathroom can fit in there too
If you are camping in a park reserve or a campground, it is more than likely that there is a bathroom onsite that you can use. However, what about if you decided to boondock for a while, with just you and your popup camper?
Well, the great news is that you can fit a bathroom into a popup camper. Now you might wonder how that is possible, but it is. The bathroom in your popup camper is by no means going to rival the bathroom at home, but it would perform what it needs to do.
It is even possible to have a storage compartment installed when the toilet is folded down to ensure that you can utilise al the space you have. Typically, a cassette toilet is placed in a popup camper. You can also have a sink and a shower added to your popup camper, but you should know that these will take a bit of space and add weight to the camper.
Conclusion
A popup camper can be a great choice when you are just discovering the RVing lifestyle. It enables you to get a taste of what it would be like to camp out without having to incur the massive cost of getting a motorhome or a travel trailer. It is also a great choice if you do not plan of camping fulltime as it can be seamlessly stored in a garage when it is not in use.
