Pop-Up, Teardrop, Ultra-Lite Oh My!

No matter if it's a van, a pop-up, a teardrop or an ultra-lite, all these campers mean one thing ... adventure. In a world filled with demands, expectations and technology, camping is the great escape (at least for a weekend).

And if you escape into the wilderness with your RV in tow, it’s more likely that you’ll also get a good night’s sleep. But figuring out which RV or camper is best for you may be a little overwhelming, so here’s a quick intro to three of the most popular camper styles for millennial campers: the pop-up, teardrop and ultra-lite.

But first, let's talk about what types of trailers your car or truck can safely tow. Check your car’s Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (normally found on a sticker inside the driver’s side door frame) or use this handy Tow Guide, courtesy of Camping World.

As you are researching camper trailers, notice the Dry Weight of each. This is the weight of the RV without water or cargo. (A gallon of water weighs 8 lbs., so a typical 20-gallon water tank filled up will weigh about 160 lbs.) Keep in mind what your car can safely tow as we take a look at three of the most popular camper styles for millennial campers.

The Pop-Up: Light-weight and roomy, but not hassle free

(Photo courtesy of Jayco.)

The pop-up trailer is ingeniously designed. (I mean come on. It’s a box on wheels that turns into a tiny home.) After we got our pop-up, a friend of mine said, “That’s what comes out of those boxes?!”

The lower price and simplicity of towing a pop-up is very attractive. And once you pop up your trailer, you’ll have more room and sunlight inside your camper than many hard-sided trailer options.

But, all of these advantages come along with a rather large hassle factor. 

After having our pop-up for seven years, it still takes us at least a full hour to get everything popped up and ready for sleeping and another full hour to get everything popped down and ready for driving. Plus, if it rains just before you pack up, you’ll get to pop up the trailer again when you come home to dry out the tent material before storing it away for your next adventure. 

The other things to consider regarding a pop-up camper are heating, cooling and bears. Because it is soft-sided, a pop-up will take more heat to keep warm and more AC to keep cool than hard-sided alternatives.

Now onto bears.

As we camp mostly in Colorado (and my husband has actually watched a bear slash threw a pop-up like it was saran wrap), we don’t ever bring food into our pop up. Now this is a pain for sure, but it’s much easier to sleep when you aren’t wondering if the local bear can smell the potato chips we had in the camper earlier that day! (According to my husband, the bear he witnessed rampaging through the pop-up left with a mere can of Pringles after the full box of groceries fell out of his mouth.)

All this being said, I think the pop-up is still an excellent choice if you have several campers in your family or like to bring friends along. It’s less expensive and roomier, and it's easier and lighter to tow (especially in the mountains).

The Teardrop: Functional and oh-so-cute, but small size sleeps only two

(Photo courtesy of Little Guy Trailers)

In the world of RVs, the teardrop wins the beauty contest. But these cuties have more than just good looks. They are absolutely packed with functionality. You’ve got a kitchen, bed, TV and more. The only hitch (sorry, I couldn’t help myself) is that most of them only sleep two people.

But if you have more than two people in your group, a teardrop camper would go great with a tent. (I’m still trying to think of how to sell this to our kids. Who doesn’t want to sleep in a tent on the ground after enjoying the relative luxury of a pop-up?!)

Whenever I get stressed out by work or the crazy life of raising three kids, two dogs, two geckoes and one frog, I start daydreaming about my husband and I on the open road, towing a teardrop camper built for two (and only two).

The Ultra-Lite: Hard-sided and still light, but sleeps fewer than a pop-up

(Photo courtesy of R-Pod)

Most major RV manufacturers have introduced light-weight alternatives to their full-sized RVs. These trailers are equipped like traditional RVs with a bathroom, shower, kitchen, dining area, TV and sometimes even a couch. 

But they are made with lighter materials and have a smaller footprint that is sometimes expandable using a “slide out” or a canvas-covered bed that pops out of a window.

Most designs sleep only four people, but the designs with a slide-out sitting area often have room for someone to sleep on the floor. (This person will risk getting stepped on while someone makes a midnight trip to the bathroom, but it’s better than sleeping in the car, right?)

There is one layout of the R-Pod trailer, made by Forest River, that sleeps six, but the folks in the far bed will need to climb over the people in the next bed to get to the bathroom. Plus, you lose some of the benefits of a fully hard-sided trailer, such as temperature control and keeping out bears.

Ultra-lite trailers are a bit heavier and more expensive than a pop-up, but they offer a quality that may be priceless … the ability to park your trailer and snuggle into your bed in about 15 minutes, or less.

Answer the call of the wild

Hopefully this quick intro points you in the right direction on your camping journey. No matter how you camp, just get out there, somewhere, anywhere. Yes, it’ll take work. But chances are, even if it rains or birds wake you up at 5 a.m., you’ll come home feeling better than when you left.

About the Author: 

Author and illustrator Elizabeth Billups is a fan of all things camping. Check out this blog and follow Millennial Camper on Facebook or Instagram for happy camping tips and camp fire stories to warm your soul.