I think pop-ups are great! They fold down and become so compact that, unless you live a an "association" like we do, you should be able to park it either in your driveway or back yard - which is very convenient and saves on the cost of a parking spot somewhere.

I really don't know that much about pop-ups. When we go to RV shows, I always want to check them out but Terry always pulls me away because he'd rather spend the time on the big rigs. But I have made it into a few and they've really come a long way! A lot of them even have small bathrooms in them these days! Of course you have to close the half door and pull a curtain to cover the top part but hey, it's better than running 2 blocks to the campground bathroom in the middle of the night!

They should come with some sort of heater, I think A/C is optional and might increase the cost significantly, most come with some sort of stove. If you don't have A/C 20 amps is probably enough, if you have A/C you're going to need 30 amps. Just look for good quality construction. Of course better quaity is going to cost more, but higher cost doesn't necessarily mean better quality - just like everything in life. I'll see if I can find some RV shows in your area. This is the time of year for them - or outdoor shows. A lot of times they'll have camping and boating shows together in one. These are really nice for research because there are so many manufacturers represented. You can go into each one, talk to the salespeople and really learn a lot. Then when you narrow it down to a few brands, you can start checking the newspapers for used.

Trailers are nice, and they're really family friendly with bunk beds and everything - on the other end of the trailer from the master bed which is nice but I think you're talking more money. Of course, here again you can find good used ones, but I still think pop-ups are a great place to start. I would actually recommend against anytime of motorhome - Class A, Class C, gas or diesel, because they're really not family friendly. Sleeping space is so limited, and then you're really talking about a lot more money too.

As for what makes a good pop-up, I really couldn't tell you, but I can tell you that with the big Class A diesels, usually it's the stuff you can't see - like the chassis and the engine - the significantly increase the cost whereas the interior sometimes impacts the price but not as signficantly. So what does this mean in terms of a pop-up? Make sure it has a good frame and axle and solid construction. You don't want anything that appears flimsy and wimpy because it just won't hold up. I would think good quality canvas would be important too, because you don't want leaks. After you look at a few of them you will be able to tell the differences between flimsy and good quality.

And don't be in a hurry. Don't snap up the first one you look at. Like I say, if you start looking now, you have plenty of time before camping season gets here. I'll pick Terry's brain about this tonight also, but he probably doesn't know much about them either since he's so focused on the big rigs (I sometimes think he wants to go too big!) but I'll see what he says.