Well, for openers, there is nothing in this world like finding a bargin, rather it's new or used! Generally speaking, buying a camper off season, i.e., while the north wind is blowing and there's lots of snow on the ground, is a lot better than buying while the camping season is in full stride and there's lots of people looking to buy. Shopping for a good used one requires a certain amount of searching; and just about as much luck - like being in the right place at the right time. I watch the popup camper sales on eBay and there have been some great buys there, new and used. Of course, some not so good a bargins, and there's a certain amount of risk, too.

My present popup camper is a 1999 Starcraft Venture that I bought new; however, it was a left over '99 and I bought it in 2000. The '99 and '00 models were identical but I saved $1500.00 for openers because the dealer wanted the old stock gone. Got the new buyer's warranty and at the time, buying used meant there was NO warranty for the second owner. I understand you can now transfere some of the warranty to the second buyer, but there's a required "service fee, of course! This is my second popup and there's an old saying that it takes owning one to really understand what you like, don't like and would like to have ... and not have.

There are some things I'd recommend for you to do. There are some popup camper fourms that would be good for you to go over and lurk a bit. Even ask questions - I'm sure you'll get enough answers! Here are a couple of sites to consider:

www.popuptimes.com
www.popupexplorer.com

There are others but these will get you started.

Then, consider this:
(1) It is very important that you know what your present vehicle (that you plan on using to tow this popup) can handle weight wise. No sense in buying a camper that you can't pull safely, no matter what kind of a bargin you find, unless you plan on buying a new tow vehicle as well.
(2) I suggest you find an RV dealer in your neck of the woods that rents popup campers out - go rent one and I promise a long weekend with that camper will open your eyes to some things you may have never considered.
(3) Try to get around to some dealers in your area and have a good look see at them - see what you like and what might fit into your life style best.
(4) If you still tent camp, get on out to a campground, set up the tent, then walk around and look at what popup campers are there and ask the owner's about them - just remember, MOST popup campers will defend their choice (name brand) of popup campers to the hubs of h*ll - but ask them what they would have different about them, if they could.
(5) Keep an eye on eBay's auctions so you can follow what's selling for what - it'll give you some kind of yardstick for what's a good buy, new or used.

Good luck ... and keep us posted.

Dale

I just got a used Jayco this past fall. It's very nice and like new. Dale gave you some good sites for info with very knowledgeable people. Be careful looking at used Coleman/Fleetwoods with an abs roof. It could potentially be a very expensive problem for a second owner because of the warranty issues.

thanks for the advice. the sites especially are great references.
speaking of those sites there was a Reese WD hitch for Coleman/Fleetwood Tent trailers for sale for $100. the thing that caught my attention was the fact that the proce new was $250.
the people at the rv store who were quoting me prices for a fleetwood pop-up were telling me that i would have to pay ~$1200 for a hitch.
were they trying to con me, or is the discrepancy justifiable?

To get a better idea of what your dealing with, just what kind of a vehicle do you have, or should I say, what do you plan on pulling this camper with?

the trailer will probably be on the small side, 8-11 feet.
the vehicle i have at the moment is a 3 cylinder minivan.
i intend to get a new 3.3 cylinder minivan in the fall.
thats another thing, can i transfer the hitch from one van to another easily? there's is no welding involved or anything, i presume.

Oh, oh ... you've stopped me there, Bazman! Don't know anything about 3 cylinder engines - I suspect your listing the capacity configuration of the cylinders rather than the number of cylinders, as in a 3.0 and a 3.3 - These would be for V-6 engines; and it leads me to believe you have an earlier model Dodge minivan (please correct me if I'm wrong!) - If that's the case you will need to go with as light of a popup camper as you can find; what is called an 8 foot box. There's plently of them around and they're still being made, AND they will still get you high and dry off the ground! Let me know if that's a Dodge and what the model year is and I can get a little more specific.

My knowledge of hitches and minivans hovers somewhere around zero, but I should think there are hitches made to order for your van. As with my pick'em-up truck, you buy the hitch for that model and the holes are already in the frame of the truck and the hitch is made to fit the holes. Just requires some nuts & bolts and crawling under the back of the truck with some tools.

Dale

I think the Dodge 3.0 or 3.3 V/6 engines would tow a light weight tent trailer, but you'd have to try it before going on a trip with it.
I had a Dodge mini-van, 3.0 engine, and,although i didn't tow with it, i did use it for flea market selling and i could load it up right well, to the roof, with items for sale, along with 2 tables on the roof, and it didn't faze the engine!
As for a hitch costing $1200, i think that dealer is way out of line! I have the dealer supplied hitch from a Mini-van, Dodge, 3.0L., 1988 yr., and i know it didn't cost near that much! Check with hitch suppliers on the internet, might get a better price!
by: Rustyj

I think some dealers will con you any chance they get. When we bought a new GMC pickup last year the dealer tried to tell us we had to buy a new cap. My husband had already measured and knew the old one would fit. The dealer even put us on the phone with a cap place and they said we couldn't use the old one. The truck dealer just wanted to keep it with the trade-in as it was custom painted to match the truck. Needless to say, we drove away with the old cap on the new truck and my son repainted the cap.

We bought a 2 year old 29 ft Mallard. It looked as if it had never been used, inside and out. We never move this one. It is in a permanant campground. Then we have bought smaller ones to pull around that were not so good. We fixed them up and in one case sold it for $700.00 more than we paid. If you have the time to look I would think you could find a good used one.

I am no mechanic but I know we have a tow package on our truck. Also, we have an electric brake that we took off the the old one and have to put it on the new one before camping season. You might ask someone about something like that.

I had a hitch installed on my van at uhaul... it cost around $200 for hitch and installation...

The best place to get deals I found are at campgrounds. People either selling for newer ones or are tired of camping and want to sell. You can find really good deals, especially if it is either the beginning or end of season. Check some places out, and also you can ask campers what they think of their trailers, they will be honest, no selling involved. Good luck.
Lynda