Pop Up Camper vs. Travel Trailer: Pros, Cons, and How to Choose
If your family wants to take your camping experience to the next level, you’re probably weighing the pros and cons of a pop up camper vs. a travel trailer.
Each of these popular pull-behind camping options could be the perfect fit for making more family memories, but you’ll want to carefully consider your unique needs, travel style, and cost.
My family has had both a pop-up camper and a travel trailer over the last 5 years, and we’ve loved each for different reasons.
Below, you’ll find a complete guide breaking down the best and worst of both the pop-up camper and the travel trailer to help you make the best purchase for your specific travel needs.
Hey, I’m Natalie! My family has owned both a pop-up camper and a hard-sided travel trailer, so what you’ll find below isn't a theoretical comparison. We’ve spent the last 7 years camping across the U.S., first in our 2002 Coleman Bayside Elite before upgrading to our 2020 Winnebago Micro Minnie 1800BH. We’ve driven the latter to 34 states, covering more than 25,000 miles in the process!
Pop-up Campers vs. Travel Trailers, at a glance
If you’re not sure where to start in your search for a new camper, see what catches your eye on this table:
| Feature | Pop-up Camper | Travel Trailer |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | Lighter (starts at 600-1000 lbs) | Varies depending on model |
| Tow vehicle | Smaller SUVs/trucks may work | Generally requires more towing capacity |
| On-site set-up | More involved | Very easy |
| Set-up time | ~60 minutes | ~15 minutes |
| Protection from rain/snow | Basic | Complete |
| Protection from noise | Very little, like a tent | More insulation = noise reduction |
| Interior temperature regulation | Some | Fully customizable |
| Bathrooms | Some models include them | Generally all models have them |
| Available storage | Very limited shelves and cabinets | Still limited, but more than pop-up |
| Camping feel | Similar to tent camping | More like a tiny home |
| Privacy | Limited | More complete |
| Price | Less expensive | Generally more expensive |
| Roof Structure | Must be raised and lowered | Permanent |
| Best for | Budget conscious, casual campers | Frequent campers who want comfort |
Which camper is best for YOU?: An Overview
Let’s clear something up first: technically, a pop-up camper is a type of travel trailer. For the purposes of this article, I’ll be using “travel trailer” to mean a hard sided, bumper pulled camper since there’s no other, more obvious name for it.
In reality, a pop-up camper and a travel trailer each appeals to a very different audience.
If you’re making the transition from a tent and aren’t sure if you want a camper long term, the more inexpensive pop-ups are a good way to test the waters of owning a camper.
Pop-ups don’t require you to run out and buy a new tow vehicle, in general, and the feel of sleeping in a pop-up is close to what you’ll find in a tent…just with a more robust mattress.
Just like with a tent, your experience is more subject to the weather, and rain can and will come into the sides of the pop-up during a bad storm. While the pop-up does have heating and air, you’re still not going to be perfectly comfortable like you would be in a travel trailer.
If you know that you want to lean into glamping (complete with A/C, heat, and a tiny house feel!), or if you’re going on longer journeys, a travel trailer is likely the best choice for you.
The travel trailers are so, so easy to set up after a long day of driving. You basically chock your trailer, disconnect your towing package from the trailer, level it, and plug into shore power, water and sewer, if those are available.
The set-up is honestly the biggest difference for me, personally, since I started RV camping with my kids. Traveling with kids is already exhausting enough, and then facing an elaborate set-up with our pop-up, usually by myself, was enough to make the vacation instantly feel like work.
We started out in a pop-up camper since it felt so much like a tent, and that gave us space to learn about the mechanical aspects like the temperature controls, built-in kitchen, and towing package.
It wasn’t the most convenient for the 6-8 week long road trips I wanted to take to places like Montana, Utah, Colorado, and Maine, so we upgraded to a hard sided travel trailer. We’ve lost the feel of tent camping in that change, but setting up at each campsite is a breeze.
Our Winnebago camper parked at the Lincoln/Woodstock KOA in New Hampshire
Terms to Know as You Start the Buying Process:
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR): this is an important measurement for your tow vehicle, and it means that MAXIMUM amount of weight that your truck or SUV can safely haul. If you begin hauling a camper that is too heavy, bad things can happen, including losing control of your camper, flipping your camper and tow vehicle, or not being able to stop your camper and tow vehicle in time to avoid a wreck.
Dry weight: this is how much your camper weighs without anything else in it. Obviously, you’re going to be adding in pots, pans, clothes, shoes, food, and everything you need for a fun vacation, so you cannot ever buy a trailer thinking you can tow it based just on its dry weight.
Hitch: this is the metal sphere that then couples with the tongue (the metal part at the front of your trailer) in order to move your camper. Hitches come in different heights and sizes, so you’ll want to do some research on which will work best for your camper. Hitches are also heavy, so be careful so you don’t pinch your fingers when moving it!
Hitch receiver: this is a metal box on your tow vehicle’s bumper that will allow you to connect a hitch to your vehicle. Some vehicles will have a hitch installed when you buy it, but for most, you’ll have to purchase a hitch that fits your tow vehicle and height of your camper.
Hitch weight: this is how much weight can be placed on your tow vehicle’s hitch without compromising the integrity of the hitch or the safety of the trailer.
Black tank: this is where the sewage goes in your camper after you use the on board toilet. If your camper doesn’t have a toilet, you will not have a black tank. There is a learning curve here, as you need to use more water than when you flush a regular toilet. I also highly recommend using black tank tablets for freshness and to help break down everything.
Grey tank: This is where all of your other water goes, like the water from washing dishes, taking a shower or washing your hands. You’ll have a grey tank in your camper even if your camper doesn’t have a toilet.
Fresh water tank: this is where your clean water will go for storage. When you’re boondocking, you can use this tank for washing, showers, and the toilet. If you’re at a front country campground with hook-ups, you won’t need to fill up the fresh water tank ahead of time.
Sway bar: this is an add-on, but a necessary one, that you’ll need to more safely tow your pop-up or travel trailer. These rigid metal tubes attach to your tow vehicle on one end and the camper on the other, providing you more control if you encounter wind gusts during towing or you have to brake unexpectedly. It helps reduce what you might have heard called “fishtailing” while towing.
Pop-up Camper: Pros and Cons
Our trusty 2002 Coleman Bayside Elite at a Myrtle Beach campground
When we first made the decision to upgrade from tent camping to trailer camping, we settled on a pop up camper.
This decision seemed obvious as a pop up camper is essentially a tent on wheels!
If you haven’t been in a pop up camper, it generally has 2 large beds that are suspended off of each end of the trailer, and then a small living and dining space in the middle.
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I can plan out routes that are safe for my specific trailer, get recommendations on favorite gas station locations (hello, Buc-ees), see points of interest on my route, and get detailed reviews from fellow campers.
Best $59 I’ve spend on an app!
Pros of a Pop Up Camper
Pop ups are smaller than travel trailers. Our pop up, a 2002 Coleman Bayside Elite, measured about 19 feet from back bumper to the tip of the tongue.
PIN ME!
This means that we were able to maneuver easily into gas stations and parking lots.
The pop up fit easily in our garage in between trips, and we never had any issues about fitting into any campground space.
Which leads into my next pop up camper pro…
Pop ups can be pulled by smaller trucks, vans, and SUVs.
Depending on the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) that your vehicle can handle, you might not need to upgrade anything to tow your pop up.
Our 2002 Coleman Bayside Elite pop up camper weighed around 2500 pounds (before we added cargo to it), so it was an easy haul for our Toyota Sequoia and Toyota Tundra.
Most, if not all, vans, SUVs, and trucks will be able to handle a tow trailer at that size; even some larger cars can handle it!
Pop ups generally sleep 6 people comfortably.
Despite the overall small footprint of the camper, the pop up allowed us to sleep 6 people: 2 on each of the king beds and another 2 on the queen bed (that was converted from the dining table).
If you have a larger family, this set up could be ideal as you could easily sleep 2-3 smaller kids on each of the king beds!
It’s also great if you travel often with other family members or friends who need sleeping space.
The pop up has all of the amenities of a larger trailer.
Hot water, shower, toilet, sink, and 2 burner stove: pop ups have all of this and more!
Even on an older model like our pop up, you’ll find everything you need for a great night of glamping.
Many pop ups—especially newer models—also have features like power stabilizers, power jack, outdoor kitchens, and television hookups.
We loved having the feeling of tent camping with the upgrade of A/C, heat, and easy on-site cooking.
You can store your pop-up in a garage.
Other than the lower cost of entry and easy transition from tent camping, another main reason why we started with a pop-up camper was because we lived in a neighborhood with an HOA that wouldn’t let us keep our camper out 24/7.
We were able to put the pop-up in our garage for storage, which kept the wrath of the HOA off of us, while still giving us the camper access that we wanted.
When you’re ready to take the leap into pop up ownership, check out my pop up camper buying guide for the questions you need to ask before purchasing.
Enjoying the gorgeous fall foliage in mid-November at Oconee State Park, Walhalla, South Carolina
Cons of a Pop Up Camper
The soft sided tents don’t handle extreme temperatures well.
When we’d camp in 50-75 degree weather, the pop up camper was glorious.
Waking to the sound of birds and watery sunlight through the tent sides was incredibly peaceful.
However, once the temperatures starting dipping towards freezing or rose above 85 or so, the pop up camper struggled to keep us comfortable.
We’re not scared of 4 season camping (which, living in the mild weather of South Carolina, isn’t hard!), and we can always pile on more clothes for the cold, or offset our sweating with lots of water.
However, the pop up camper is much harder to regulate when the temperatures outside go outside of that “perfect camping weather.”
We went camping at Oconee State Park in the Appalachian mountains in mid-November a few years back, and the temps dipped well below freezing for 3 nights of our trip.
We came prepared with beanies, extra blankets, and Hot Hands, but we counted too strongly on the propane to offset the chill in the air at night.
Our propane went out halfway through the trip at 4 AM, and we were chilly!
On the flip side, on a trip to Pigeon Forge in late June, we were lucky enough to get record breaking temperatures that soared into the triple digits.
Our poor A/C couldn’t keep up, and the temperature inside of the tent stayed in the mid-90s all day.
If you’re used to tent camping, you won’t get any relief in this department with a pop up.
In fact, we felt that the pop up got less air flow than a typical tent, which only exacerbated the temperature issues.
The single axel doesn’t distribute weight well.
For a smaller trailer, a single axel is standard. However, you have to be really careful about how to distribute the weight inside of the camper while en route.
It can be tempting to shove everything in the empty space inside the camper, but the best course of action is to put the heaviest stuff in the front storage compartment (if your pop up has one).
Pop up tires are notorious for popping en route.
I learned this lesson the hard way!
During our camping trip to the Outer Banks, I had a tire pop on the way there AND on the way back.
There’s nothing that will throw off your day like changing a trailer tire on the side of a busy highway, hoping that the other drivers have chosen that moment to focus on the road.
Pop up camper tires are small—only 13”—and they are very cheaply made.
You can buy them at a hardware store, so they’re in a different class than a bigger tire you’d get from a regular tire shop.
The tendency of pop up camper tires to blow is so common that I’ve even seen it referred to as “a rite of passage” on several camper forums!
Plan ahead, keep new-ish tires on your trailer, and always have a fresh spare.
You’ll have more peace of mind carrying a 3-ton trailer jack as well, which was invaluable to us when the worst happened.
Set up and break down can be a chore.
This was my least favorite thing about a pop-up: after we’d driven several hours to a destination, I still had at least an hour of work more to do.
Since the entire trailer folds down compactly for travel, you then have to crank up the ceiling, pull out the beds, make the beds, set up the dining room table, and get all of the couch pillows out.
That’s on top of the usual camp arrival stuff like getting the water, sewer, and electricity hooked up, pulling the chairs, outdoor rugs, and tables out, leveling the camper, and putting down the stabilizers.
I usually was exhausted by the time dinner rolled around on that first day.
Our older pop up was fully manual, so cranking the ceiling, putting down the stabilizers, and pulling out/propping up the beds was all done by hand.
New models have more automatic/electrically driven components, but you’ll still have plenty of stuff to do with a pop up before you can sit down and relax by the fire.
Travel Trailer: Pros and Cons
Our Winnebago travel trailer at Santee State Park in South Carolina
A few years ago we upgraded to a hard sided travel trailer, a 2020 Winnebago Micro Minnie 1800BH. We were the second owners, and bought it at a great price from a friend.
While it was sad to send our pop up off to a new owner, we wanted to try something new in camper ownership.
Neither my husband nor I had ever owned a travel trailer camper, but we were excited to learn about it, and compare it to our experiences with the pop up.
Since then, we’ve hauled it all across the United States, and have gotten a great feel for it as a camping option.
Here’s what we’ve discovered between the two types of campers, and what you’ll also want to consider as you choose between a pop-up camper and a travel trailer.
Pros of a Travel Trailer Camper
Set up/break down is a breeze.
When we first took our Winnebago Micro Minnie out to a campground, I worked for about 15 minutes unhooking our camper from the tow vehicle, and hooking into the electricity and water.
Then, I looked around and wondered what I’d missed!
After the intense set up with our pop up, the set up (and breakdown) with the travel trailer is down right simple.
Plus, we have power jacks and power stabilizers which makes the process even easier.
This simple set up and break down also allows us to easily boondock for the night, like when we use free stays at Cracker Barrel, Cabela’s, Walmart, or the like. Interested in boondocking at a big box store? Check out my guide to overnight RV parking at Cabela’s!
That wouldn’t have been an option in the pop up!
>> Read my full review of our Winnebago Micro Minnie 1800BH here. <<
Temperature regulation is easy.
While travel trailers are full on glamping, that upgrade does come with more guaranteed comfort.
Those hard sides aren’t as thick as those in an actual house, but they are much more effective against heat and cold than our pop-up was.
A camping trip in January saw temps in the upper 30s at night, and we slept warm and comfy with our furnace set to 65.
You don’t hear as much inside the camper.
Those thicker walls also help with noise, so you won’t hear your neighbor’s dog barking all night as we did once in our pop-up at Lakewood Camping Resort!
Being able to hear everything little thing was something that I never loved about tent camping or our pop-up camper. I’m a light sleeper, so having quiet is crucial to me getting a good night’s sleep.
Read my full Lakewood Camping Resort in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, review, or check out all of my campground reviews from across the United States here.
You’ll be in good company in the campgrounds.
When you settle into your campground, you’ll notice that most of the vehicles there are hardsided: Class C’s, Class A’s, fifth wheels, and travel trailers.
There just aren’t as many pop-ups as there are travel trailers: if you’re not looking to win a popularity contest, this won’t matter much, however.
Travel trailers tend to be more luxurious than pop-ups.
If you’re someone who likes pretty interiors, high end finishes, and quality cabinetry, you’ll want to consider a travel trailer.
Since travel trailers are made to be covered all of the time, manufacturers can put those finishing touches inside.
This means you could get upgraded curtains, better quality flooring, tile finishes in the kitchen, quiet close cabinets, solar panels, and more.
Pop-ups, however, need to be more weather resistant, so the interiors are basic with fewer upgrades.
There’s also just less room for cabinets, doors, and the like inside the pop-ups since everything has to fit down so nicely for transport.
That being said, pop-ups have come a long way in recent years in terms of upgrades, so it’s worth at least walking through both a pop-up and travel trailer to compare.
Cons of a Travel Trailer Camper
Larger travel trailers won’t fit in all campsites.
Our Winnebago Micro Minnie is only about 2.5’ longer than our pop-up!
We have big plans to tour the US, so we wanted to ensure that our camper fit in all of the national and state parks we might run across.
However, the vast majority of travel trailers we’ve encountered on the road are bigger than ours. Many push 35’ in length, which means you’ll need to pay close attention to site dimensions when booking reservations.
Keep in mind that you’ll get much more space inside these longer travel trailers, but you might not be able to fit into some national and state park campgrounds (many of which top out at 26’ for campsite length).
You may need to upgrade your tow vehicle.
Bigger travel trailers need bigger, stronger vehicles to safely get you to your destination.
While our 22’ travel trailer has been safely pulled by a Toyota Tundra and Toyota Sequoia (both of which have the 5.7L engine), and our Ford F-150, larger travel trailers may need a 3/4 ton or 1 ton truck to effectively and safely pull them.
Unless you already own a dually, a Ram 2500, an F-350 or something similar, you’ll need a smaller travel trailer OR the ability to trade in your current vehicle.
This is one reason—beyond the price—that we haven’t upgraded to my dream camper, the Airstream Flying Cloud FB30. It simply will not work with our current truck, and we don’t want to spend that much money on a new camper and a new tow vehicle.
They’re more expensive than pop-up campers.
Adding hard sides to a camper and upgrading the interior fixtures comes at a price. You can buy a used pop-up for anywhere from $5000 and up, depending on the age and quality, but a new travel trailer can set you back $35,000 or more.
Even a brand new, right off of the factory floor, Forest River pop-up—coming in around $30,000—is cheaper than most brand new travel trailers. For comparison, a brand new Winnebago Micro Minnie like we have, which is one of the smaller travel trailers out there, currently starts in the low $30,000s, while new Airstreams can top $100,000!
Of course, there are new campers at all price points within those extremes, and buying a used but well taken care of camper can help you save money.
Regardless of which approach you choose, carefully consider your budget and compare it against the different sizes, features, and extras available. It’s easy to get caught up in all of the fun features and blow your budget.
For new campers, there is a learning curve.
What’s a grey tank, and how is it different than a black tank? What does my sway bar do? How do I switch over my fridge from propane to electric?
A travel trailer is essentially a tiny house, and it comes with some complicated systems!
While the pop-up can also have these same systems, those systems tend to be smaller and have fewer ways to mess up.
We feel as if we cut our proverbial teeth on campers with the pop-up, as we learned much about these systems before getting our travel trailer.
Just know: you’ll need to Google a million questions before you get everything perfect!
If you’re buying a new travel trailer, request an appointment with your salesperson for an in depth review of all systems and features.
Video tape the appointment if necessary—this makes for a great visual review later when something goes wrong.
That being said, if you have NEVER owned any kind of camper before and you weren’t ever a tent camper, the travel trailer is so much easier to deal with overall than a pop-up.
Once you’ve figured out the electrical system, the water tanks, and the set-up/break down (which is similar with the pop-up), dealing with a travel trailer takes a fraction of the time that a pop-up does.
Which Options is Best for Families?
I know that how you camp is completely subjective, and what works for us might not work for you.
That being said, I think that, overall, hardsided travel trailers lend themselves well to family vacations for a few reasons:
The private bathroom in a travel trailer is so convenient when we’re roadtripping since my kids can use the toilet quickly while we’re grabbing lunch or filling up with gas. Pop-ups don’t have this ability, so you’ll still have to shuffle everyone inside of a questionable rest area or convenience store bathroom.
Bunk houses are available in travel trailers. When we had the pop-up, my kids shared a bed at one end of the camper, but, as they got older and our trips got longer and longer, they (understandably) wanted more personal space. Our current camper has a small bunk house in the back, so each kid gets a bed. It’s not much, but it has saved bedtime on more than one occasion.
You can make meals on the go. Again, since I can get into the travel trailer easily on road trip stops, I can save money by making sandwiches or having snacks on hand. You could do something similar by having a cooler or picnic basket in your car while pulling a pop-up, but being able to use items directly from my refrigerator in my travel trailer is a huge benefit for us.
I’m able to get to the relaxation part of our camping trips faster with the travel trailer, thanks to the easy set-up process. Mom likes to relax sometimes, too!
We have more storage in the travel trailer. The inside of our pop-up used to get SO messy since we had so few built in storage options. We’d end up living out of boxes that we’d had to keep moving around. While our Winnebago interior isn’t exactly spacious, we have dedicated space for our clothing in built-in cabinets, as well as places for kitchen storage, medicines, snacks, dry goods, shoes, outdoor games, hiking gear, and bathroom stuff. And that doesn’t include the pass through storage area at the front of our travel trailer where we keep everything from camp chairs to our tool kit.
I hope that these insights were helpful as you debate pop up campers vs. travel trailers in your own camping journey!
Both have their own fans, and we’ve loved the experience in each.
As long as you carefully consider length, budget, amenities, tow capacity, and features, you’re soon to pick the perfect camping vehicle for your family.
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