Question:
I am looking for a new or used pop-up camper. Which manufacturer
produces the best pop-up. This will be my first pop-up and I could
use some help. Thanks in advance.
Answer:
I'd have to whole-heartedly recommend the Coleman line. I'm in a 50+
member Coleman pop-up camping club, so I've been exposed to just about
anything that can happen, good, bad or indifferent. Out of all our
members, there has been very little, if any, warranty work needed. There
have been two campers that were hit by large oak limbs that fell from
quite a height onto the roof of the open campers. The biggest one
resulted in the camper being merely scratched. The limb was about 25%
longer than the camper, and about 8" in diameter. It hit with enough
force to bulge out the canvas, rock the camper violently & scare the heck
out of the children who were playing inside during the storm. When the
parents flung open the door to see if they were alright, all you could
hear were the kids shouting, "We didn't do it!" (they had been acting up
before the limb fell.) The camper came through it magnificently.
After that, the whole club REALLY believed in the quality of a Coleman.
Yes, you will pay more for a Coleman. If you want higher quality, you
should expect to pay for it. I'm not saying all other pop-ups are junk
either; just that the Coleman will outlast many tow-vehicles with minimal
maintenance. It's just not rare to see a 10-20 year old coleman still on
the road. Pay attention to the construction and the difference will be
apparent.
