Hi all, newbie here. I've gotten so much good info regarding tow vehicles and trailer weight that I thought I'd post another question...
What should I reasonably expect to have to work on/replace when purchasing a used p-up?
I've seen such a wide variety of prices, sizes, styles, etc. I just want to gauge what degree of work I'm getting into!
Thanks!
That is a hard question to answer... all depends on 1) how handy you are and 2) how much you want to spend to begin with..
Not saying that if you buy something at say $5000 you won't have issues, like wise buying something at $400 you may not have any issues...
Best way to avoid unexpected repairs is to preform a thorough inspection prior to handing over the money...
It is also wise to do all the research you can before hand on any pups that tickle your fancy, if possible get a copy of the original brochure from online and read about what is or isn't classed as optional equipment, ask lots of questions here and educate yourself the best you can...
Good point, now to search for pre purchase inspections! I am pretty handy, I just don't have a lot of free time. My hope with the trailer is that we can spend more time recreating than repairing, (as I'm sure most people want). I guess what I was really asking is the amount of time people spend doing upkeep on their pop-up's?
I bought a 1986 Coleman Columbia for $600. It had new canvas and new tires on it. It had no galley and no table. I camped in it as is and it was fine but then I wanted to build a table for the seats and that led to replacing the linoleum which led into replacing the interior walls to make it look better where the galley was removed. Basically this camper I could camp in it as is, which I did. I took it upon myself to mess with the other stuff but that was before I had my son so I had much more time on my hands. I spent $250 in material and sold it for $800 when I upgraded.
My second pup was a 1992 Coleman Seneca that I paid $1,500 for. I camped in it as is to start but then the second year I resealed the roof and did some other roof repairs. I used it for 2 1/2 years, spent about $100 in material and sold it for $1,500.
Matt O 2006 Skyline Nomad 27' travel trailer. Previously owned 1986 Coleman Columbia / 1992 Coleman Senecca / 1989 Born Free Class C RV.
I think when you buy a used pop up you should look at the expensive things to repair/replace. The canvas is expensive. Last I heard it was at least $900 for a complete set. There are a lot of popups out there for sale rep-lacing canvas is not something I would consider even if the popup was free unless it was only a few years old. Next would be the roof. People have rebuilt their roofs that is a very time consuming project. The lift system can go at any time but I would still look for fraying cables before buying. The floors rot out not such a big repair usually unless replacing the whole thing. Anything else is not that bad to repair and mos likely still works but is dirty or stuck. A pop up will last as long as you allow it to and by that I mean that if you dont take care of it, IT WILL FAIL YOU. with just some good general maintenance you will have a lot of years of great camping. My Starcraft is a 96 and is in great shape. Joe Campers is an older model too with a ton of trips behind it and still is in pretty good shape. Buy used just be realistic in what you are willing to take on. And dont worry we on this site are always here to lend a hand.
Not sure about the name, because that's great feedback from "Bad Seed"!
Actually, I am pretty handy and I like the maintenance piece of owning stuff. I've been riding motorcycles most of my life and there's plenty of maintenance to be done there.
On many used pop-ups I see isolated water spots/damage on the edges of tables or cabinet doors. Question: should I be worried about that? Could those be self-contained damage points associated with the press-board/particle-board construction of pop-ups?
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