I need your advice.

Luann and I are considering a pop-up trailer to make car-camping less of
a burden.  We rented one for a trip to Sleeping Bear in late fall, and
found the lack-of-crowds and the heater in the trailer made our trip
extremely pleasant.

Trailers aren't _real_ camping, of course.  They can't possibly compete
with backpacking or canoeing to a remote campsite miles from other people,
but if you've pitched a tent in a ...ahem... "Kampground" ... then you
know you're not really camping, either.

When we car-camp, we use the campsite only as a base of operations, and take
day trips -- hikes, touring, etc.  So we aren't there for the experience
of "camping" -- which we can get by going backpacking, for instance --
instead, we're camping to be able to vacation more cost effectively.

So, with that in mind, what do you think of pop-up trailers?  What's been
your experience with them?  Awful?  Wonderful?

And do _you_ know how to back up a vehicle with a trailer attached?

9 responses total.

My family used to go camping with a pop-up camper for many years 
when I was younger.  I'll be the first to agree that it's not the
same as having a tent and a campfire--but I don't mind having the
"niceties."

As far as backing with a trailer goes, I'm good at it after a little
practice.  The secret is to only look over your shoulder or to only
look in the mirrors.  If you try to mix the two, it's *easy* to turn
the wheel the wrong way.

If you're new at backing with a trailer, I'd recommend getting good
mirrors (the large ones that attach temporarily to the car) and 
practice backing in an empty parking lot.  That's what professional
drivers do, and that way you won't have to relearn backing if you
ever back with a trailer when you can't see over your shoulder.

Trailers suck.  Just kidding, bad expeiernce from Lou Faggotson.

I don't believe I've ever backed up up a pop-up trailer.  I expect they
might be a bit of fun, especially if they are below your sight out the
back window.  Maybe some sort of marker flag on the back corners would
help?

They look like fairly comfortable shelters...I'm sure they beat heck out
of sleeping on the ground in a tent during a rainstorm...  

I have been able to back up; it's just been hard to back up _completely
straight_.  That's what I found hardest, as little tiny changes become
wolloping big ones at the back of the trailer.  I found that with low
height folding trailers, mirrors were never a problem; I could see 
everything I wanted to, I just couldn't keep the trailer from swinging to
the side when I wanted it to go back _straight_!

Carl, do you recall the brand your family had?  Any problem with clogging
or broken sink drain?  Bumping the power switch with your foot as you sat at
the table, sending everything into darkness?  Rain soaking through little
cracks? .... After our rental, we know at least _one_ brand to avoid. :-(

I don't recall the brand, but it didn't have those things built in.
My father built a cabinet with folding legs that we kept under the
awning that came with the camper.  We used extension cords for the
few appliances we brought (coffee pot, radio...) and used gas
lanterns and flashlights.  We stayed at parks with running water
and would get a gallon at a time when needed, and poured out the
old dishwater under the camper.

I've currently got an old travel trailer that still works, sorta.
I do my own repairs and replace units as needed.  When the gas
light quit working, I got a portable one from Coleman.  That way
I can use it in the camper or outside.  If/when the fridge goes, I'll
get an electric cooler and replace where the fridge is now with
shelf space.

You might want to think about getting a basic model and then getting
portable components.

My dad bought a used pop-up trailer for $150 when we were kids.  It
didn't have a hard top and streaching the canvas top over the thing
was quite a task after it had been up a day or more.  It was a lot
of fun though.  No problems with it either. It was very simple: stove
ice block fridge, U-Pump sink and power for the single dome light came
from the car battery. It had a pull-out awning, which was great, and
slept all six of us.  He sold it several years later for $150.
 
I'd go for the awning, hard top and as few appliances as possible, though
I'd consider a furnace so you can extend the usable season.  The new
fabrics are a bit better at resisting rot and moisture than canvas.
Also look at the weight the axle can handle.  Cheap trailers weigh
in close to the maximum axle weight, leaving you little room when loading
up for a trip.  An exta 1000 lbs in axle capacity goes fast if your in to
collecting rocks.  It also reduces the risk of having to leave the trailer
along the freeway while you try to find someone to fix the flat or blown
wheel bearings.
 
A friend has a Coleman trailer.  He has mostly only positive things to
say about it.

This being the campING Item, reminds me of an incident when I
was motorbiking in France, and in Paris asked a policeman Ou et la
CAMP'ing (soft A)? He did not understand, so we went around a few
times, until I asked Ou et la cam- PING'. Oui oui! So I can't help but
always reading this as the camPING item.

We had a poor experience with a rented Valor, as described above.  The trip
was fine, the trailer sucked.  We've been looking at a number of models
from a number of companies, and my wife seems to have her heart set on
one of the mid-scale Coleman models.  We've been looking at a replacement
vehicle for our van at the same time...and based on our _total_ budget, 
if we buy a vehicle with our other requirements combined with a 2000 lb 
towing capacity, we won't need the towing capacity, 'cause we won't
be able to afford the trailer.  So it looks like we'll be getting a 
vehicle with a 1500 lb capacity and a trailer with a gross weight below
1300 lbs -- a small version of the mid-scale Coleman.  Lighted step
so Aaron can find his way to the door at night, and a galley that
swings down rather than folding over, so it remains upright and doesn't
have to be emptied to close-up shop.  We'll aslo get a heater and an
extra LP tank, 'cause we know what it's like to run out of heat at 4am 
in November at Sleeping Bear. :-)

I need a portable toilet for use on guided tours of a nature preserve. 
Campmor offers the "Luggable Loo", the "Reliance Hassock Portable Chemical
Toilet", and the (cheap - plastic bag) "Portable Commode". What are the
merits and demerits of these different styles? Are there others to
consider? 

The book _How to Shit in the Woods_ is useful for ideas for burying shit,
alternatives to paper, etc, but admits that as camping away from
facilities becomes more crowded, people will simply have to save their
shit and carry it out with them.  However hiking areas do not have good
trailhead disposal facilities, and no one yet has figured out how to
dispose properly of the plastic bag even after emptying its contents into
a pit or vault.

Cabel's, who cater to hunters, has only one portable toilet that uses
plastic bags, but it looks too high with too narrow a base, and I imagine
not entirely satisfactory for hunters, who are known to carry a bottle or
two.  REI doesn't even list any plastic bags, much less systems, for
carrying shit out - they seem to have decided to just not think about the
problem. 

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