Teardrop or Popup for Family?

[Bfahs]

We've always been tent campers.
I camped in a popup + Travel Trailer on some trips in college.
Thinking about doing something for the family.

Family consists of:
My Wife and I.
3 Kids (12, 9, 5) who all like camping.

So interested in thoughts / Pros + Cons of:

A: Teardrop for Mom + Dad. andTent (No need for side tent Ok with little distance) for the Kids?
Vs.
B: Popup for all of us? (Or Popup+ tent is option too)

What should we think about to make a determination which would be better for us?

Brian

[rebapuck]

First consideration is knowing those kids are going to grow ... fast. If the kids go to bed early, then I would think separate quarters might be better. And a teardrop could have a more comfortable mattress than the standard in a pop-up.

Pop-ups have to be popped down, whether wet or not. Teardrops are just close the door. Pop-ups have room to get dressed, use a portapotty and cook in if the weather is bad. Not the same for teardrops. Gosh, I'm glad I don't have to make this decision.

[Oldragbaggers]

If it were me, I would go with the pop up. Yes, pop ups have to be popped down, so do tents, and wet canvas is wet canvas. If the weather stinks everyone can be together inside. No need to worry about the kids sleeping elsewhere, and you get the benefit of the space, heat and air conditioning in a lot of models, a place to sit around the table and socialize if forced to be inside, and usually an indoor porta potty (sometimes even a shower).

Our teardrop is cute and fun, for the two of us. But even with just the two of us there is still a extra stuff to put up and take down (porta potty tent, canopy) and you will still need that stuff IN ADDITION to your tent, cots, and all the other equipment for your kids to be comfortable in separate quarters. I think pop ups get a bad rap. They can be very spacious and comfortable, and have nice amenities in a small footprint.

Unless you actually want the privacy away from the kids, then in that case disregard everything I just said.

[working on it]

I never thought I would say this, believing (personally, previously) that teardrops had to be based on a 4x8 plywood board...you need to go bigger, than a standard teardrop, if you plan to take the kids along for 10 or more years. Make room enough for all. Initially drawn to this site by the promise of TEARDROPS 'n TINY TRAILERS, I now see the benefits of larger/different forms for varying needs, i.e. 5x8, 6x10, standys, canned hams, cargo conversions, and even foamies, and other variations. Even pop-ups have their place. If you are planning to buy, get what you need to fit your family, not add to later. If you are building, build what you want, defy convention, and use all the varied ideas from all the sub-forums. IMHO

[mary and bob]

Our daughter has that exact situation, 3 kids, same ages plus one year. We bought her a Jayco 1003 popup a few years ago that was nice except the canvas was bad. Paid $400 for the camper, $1000 for new canvas, put it on ourselves, new tires, a little clean up and a few modifications and they're happy campers. The middle kid now likes sleeping in his own tent, and the rest of the family has plenty of room. We camped for years in an old Starcraft pop up, still have it. We can use it if we want to take one or more grandkids, use our teardrop for just the two of us, or if we want a little more room and for snowbirding we use our Uhaul fiberglass camper. So for the original poster, I would say go for a pop up. There will be times when you will have to close it up wet and open and dry it when you get home, but that's camping. Most likely you'll open it to unpack and clean up anyway.

[rebapuck]

I repeat...Sure glad I don't have to make this decision.

[KennethW]

Here is one more option. If your tow vehicle allows (suv crossover or minivan)you or your kids can sleep in the TV. I toured the national parks with 3 kids in a minivan (no tent Or teardrop). I would sleep in the front seat with a duffel bag under my feet (like sleeping in a recliner) . One in the other front seat and two on the floor in the back. Between parks drive to 10:00 find a Walmart. Wake at sunrise drive until 8:00 or 9:00. Find a picnic table. Wake the kid make breakfast. See a park lots of fun. Four two week trips and around 30 parks. From Minnesota to Carlsbad and Grand canyon , Yellowstone, Canada parks to Vancouver island, and DC and the Smokes Mountains Road trip vacation in the cheap!

[PKCSPT]

If you decide to go teardrop you could get a side tent like I have. Now when I go camping I can have the extra room the tent offers if needed or wanted or just the teardrop if I want to just drop the wheel and be set up.

I like pop ups for families though they are a bit more work.

Yep so many choices but I am very happy with mine.

[nevadatear]

Had a pop up with our kids when they were in early teens. Ok first year, down hill after. Came to hate it. The kids are getting older and will prefer the space from you. They can sleep on the ground. We all hates the pop up process. Lead to many tense moments with the now ex husband. My son bought a pop up for his family and promptly remembered why he hated it as a child. Sold it the next year. N

If i were to do it again, i would go with the tear for us and tent for the kids.

[atahoekid]

We were tent campers for a very long time but, by the time my son was 11, he was capable of pitching his own tent and preferred to do that instead of sharing space with his sisters and parents in the large family cabin tent. My younger daughter, who is a couple years older than my son, soon learned to pitch her own tent too and came to prefer her own tent also. My oldest daughter (we call her Lil Miss Priss) always was more than happy to share Mom and Dad's tent. So to the point... A teardrop is great for mom and dad and maybe one or two more depending on your build but if you can get them into their own tents they're going to be happier and so will you. Yeah, if weather goes bad you'll want one single family space which a teardrop might not provide for you, but a tent trailer might or a large family cabin tent will also do (have the kids share the big tent). If I had to do those years over again, a large tent trailer as headquarters with side tents for anyone willing and able to pitch their own. Just my convoluted 2 cents.

[grantstew8]

I'd go with a coleman event shelter 15x15 td inside and kids sleeping also sleeping inside the shelter ( you can buy sides for it too).

If not, a tent for the kids. When we camp in a tent they have a separate tent anyway. they were 10&15. You can put some distance between the tents and its amazing the stories they tell. The kids forget its not sound proof! :-)

[mikeschn]

I think a lot of it depends on what you are willing to tow. If you have a Prius, or some other small car, you'd probably want to build a teardrop and hang a big tent off to the side. On the other hand, if you have a tow vehicle that can handle a popup like it's not even there, then go with a popup. Either way you have to deal with canvas...

Mike...

[Miriam C.]

My First up, 10 x 10 has a tent that goes under it. Big tent! So have family room and td...However in bad weather a van and td might keep you all dryer and happier! I don't have a picture of the tent but here is the First Up.

[coop74]

Another option you might want to consider is a converted utility trailer. You can make a queen bed in the back and bunks for the kids. As the kids grow and leave home you can convert the bunks to shelving or table space...

Just my two cents...

Big Coop

[scotty_pac]

I've come across this questions many times in my head. Before buying my teardrop I was still debating whether I should go bigger. I have a 3 year old boy and another boy on the way. Although I sometimes think of the benefits of a bigger trailer, I come across one and think WOW that's a lot of trailer to tow. Right now I've come to the conclusion of using a minivan as a tow vehicle and taking the second row out and leaving it at the house when camping. The kids can sit in the third row and since the third row folds down flush, there will be plenty of room for two people to sleep. I can keep an extra full sized RV mattress in the teardrop while on the road, then move it over to the minivan when camped. That way it's pretty fast, you have a hard shell for both kids and parents for bear country and no canvas to deal with.

I'm also still looking into the right side tent as an extra option. Another idea I still like is a canned ham version of the campster 12. Again getting a little big, but still in the tiny travel trailer range. But since I'll never have the time to build, it was not an option.

Good luck on your search.