Is a pop-up considered a tiny travel trailer?

[Oldragbaggers]

Just wondering.

[Oldragbaggers]

33 views and no replies. I'll take that as a "no."

[Woodbutcher]

Never really thought about that. I do know there are some pretty large popups, but then those A-Line( I think thats the name) are pretty compact. So, is could be an answer?

[Mukilteo]

Sure, why not?

[GerryS]

I'd say so....although, there are forums that are more focused on populous out there. Of course you are welcome here too...we are definitely an eclectic lot.

[Ron Dickey]

Well it is kinda funny if you go to a KOA the teardrops are registered as Tent Trailers.

it covers the same area and can be quite small many tinny travel trailers have been made out of stripped down tent trailer frames.

Tent trailers unless made from scratch are not seen as one, but there is a member who made one that everyone sees. At the IRG once we had one stay with the teardrops, it was just seen as someone who was eyeing teardrops to build one in the future.

and some national parks do not allow them.

so what I would ask of you is are you building one, if not and it is an old one you might try vintage trailer forums.

If you are building one go to the next step and say what you are planning. and see if you get help then!

[Oldragbaggers]

Actually I am almost finished building my teardrop, and at the moment am not planning a popup. But we were at the RV show today looking at all manner of RV's and campers. There were teardrops and T@Bs and rPods, and there are a lot more small ultralights than there used to be (fuel crises driven I imagine), those in the 12-16' range I thought would probably qualify as a tiny travel trailer as there are many on this forum building trailers that large, and many with CTC that are certainly that large. I was just considering as we looked around what might qualify as a TTT. It all seems cut and dried until you get to the popups. Some of them are HUGE opened up, 20' long and with gear decks and basements to boot. Some of the offroad models were extremely cool and had hardwalled shower areas. I was thinking to myself...."self, if I felt the need to go bigger with something that was still really easy to tow....I could TOTALLY DO THIS!!" But, of course, I would not be able to bear it if it caused me to not be a member of this esteemed group any longer.

Just out of curiosity....those state parks that do not allow pop-ups, do they allow tent camping???

[S. Heisley]

When I go to a KOA, my trailer is considered a Pop-up and I've been to about 7 different ones of those so far. The only thing is, to be a trailer, their systems says the unit has to be at least 10' long. If it is less than 10' it is considered a tent...don't know why. When asked, they simply say to list it as being 10' long. Okay, so, that's what I do; after all, if you add the tongue, it is 10' long! KOA will rent you a full service trailer spot for your TD or TTT, if you want one. You simply pay more than you would for a tent site and you have to say that it is 10' long, whether you think it is or not.

To answer your question,Becky, I would say that whether or not a Pop-up is a tiny travel trailer depends on it's size, not that it is a Pop-up. If it is small enough to be pulled by a sedan, it is definitely a TTT.

[pete42]

Becky would you consider a west wight potter a TTT?
you know like the one Larry Brown used and wrote about in his book "Sailing on a Micro Budget".
I fell in love with the thought of owning a 15' one after reading his adventure.
but my mother and my wife both fell Ill at the same time and any plans I had were put off
now I'm to old and creped to sail.
I do have my "Bare Boat Charter Certificate" which still hangs on my wall alongside my Ham radio license
and a copy of my commercial pilots licrnse.

pete

[Oldragbaggers]

You know Pete, that is an interesting question. We have known people who "trailer sail" all over the country in boats from West Wight Potter size and up.... and most of them use the boats, on the trailers, as campers enroute. They just pull them into a campground like any other kind of rig. So, I guess if they're small enough, and they're traveling and being towed and being camped in, maybe that would be a yes. But I think that might be stretching the definition just a bit. But since it is something we have considered doing ourselves, I'm all for it. Will we be getting a separate section for that on the forum?

[pete42]

Since RV stands for “recreation vehicle” a tear drop does fall into that classification
as does a 4 wheel ATV, boat, jet ski, fifth wheel trailer, travel trailers, pop-up trailers on and on.
while all are in fact recreation vehicle’s not all are TTT's.
On the other hand is not a teardrop a TINY TRAVEL TRAILER?
It is tiny (that part fits) it is used to travel (that part fits) it is a trailer (that part fits)
but we all know when we see a teardrop we know it's a teardrop and when we see a TTT it's a TTT.

Becky years ago after reading Larry Brown's book I went to look at a 15 footer in Dayton Ohio
my late wife wasn't to keen on it because it looked so small when I told her that one like it had
sailed across both the Atlantic and Pacific she said "it's still too small" and not to long after that
we found out she had cancer; she lived 17 more years.
she faced her end much better than I would have or will when the time comes.

[Oldragbaggers]

Just keep in mind, Slow, this is not exclusively a teardrop forum. The title also says "tiny travel trailers." We were just dissecting the words and seeing what applies. Is it tiny (by this forum's definition I imagine that means less than 16' or so). Is it traveling? And is it being trailed (or towed)? I think we all understand the definition of a teardrop, but there would seem to be a lot more room for discussion when you start talking about tiny travel trailers.

Forum members have no problem with the cargo trailer conversions being a tiny travel trailer. Who drew the line in the sand after that? Not that I'm interested in this being a "anything you can tow" forum. The uniqueness of the forum stems from it's devotion primarily to teardrops and very small, unique, usually vintage, campers and other small owner created camping units. It was just a discussion, and I was primarily wondering about popups because they are, after all, travel trailers, and for the most part small and rather spartan, yet I can't recall seeing any forum members here who are popup campers so it was a question in my mind if it was because they are generally not considered tiny travel trailers for this forum's purpose.

[Shadow Catcher]

Any identification is subjective, so it is what you want it to be and from your perspective. For those of us in a teardrop maybe not, for those in a class A MH yes they are.

[CarlLaFong]

Slow's personal definition of an RV is not what the DMV, at least in CA uses. First of all, the DMV doesn't license or register anything as an "RV". They are registered as trailers of, varying types, and motorhomes or "Housecars". A housecar needs to have a toilet and a stove. They don't give two hoots about tanks, plumbing or headroom. And, yes, an RV is just what the name implies, a fun vehicle.
Back to the original post, which strangely enough, does not contain the term RV. Is a pop up a TTT. I would say no. It is a TT. Having owned a Starcraft, in which we made several 3000 mile plus road trips with, I can comment with a degree of experience. They are miserable travel trailers. After three weeks, or so, of turning that lousy crank, yanking the bunks out, fiddling with canvas and poles almost every night and morning, you begin to hate the thing. I remember one night in Anaconda, Montana when I cranked it up just enough to crawl in and sleep. Just too tired and cranky (pun intended) to set it up. We also camped in it quite a bit and it was great for a week in the same spot

[Oldragbaggers]

Great feedback Carl. Thank you. Any thoughts I might have been entertaining about actually buying one will probably not see the light of day now.