On this episode of the RV Family Travel Atlas podcast, we are telling the story behind our recent purchase of a $1,000 used pop up camper.
No, we didn’t get rid of the 2017 Jayco Octane 272. We just became a two-RV family.
Why on earth did we do that? We’ll go through the whole process from deciding to get a second RV to tracking down the perfect unit to negotiating a fair price to all of our plans for the remodel. If you want to read more about our thoughts on buying a used pop up camper, check this post out.
Segment One: The Used Pop Up Camper Hunt
There are many reasons why a used pop up camper was on our radar even though we just bought a brand spankin’ new toy hauler last winter.
The Octane toy hauler makes a ton of sense for us as a family, especially considering how much time we spend in our RV and how much gear we bring on our longer trips. However, the decision to go bigger came with some tradeoffs.
Heads up: everything comes with trade offs…
We now have to store our Octane away from our house, and quick weekend trips are more of a challenge. Plus, there are many rustic public campgrounds that are simply off limits to a rig that is over 30 feet.
I (Stephanie) also have the opportunity to attend lots of girl camper events. There is no way I would tow the enormous family camper to one of those weekend campouts. That would be ridiculous for too many reasons to list.
Plus…
We decided to put our money where our mouth is. See, we made a big mistake 8 years ago when we spend too much money on a new pop up camper and then took a financial hit when upgrading to a travel two years later (you can read about that whole story here). And now we highly recommend that listeners think about a used pop up as an affordable and fun way to enter into the RV lifestyle.
Think of this pop up camper as a living example of us practicing what we preach: cheap, used pop up campers are awesome.
In this first segment of the podcast, we also discuss all the budget and spec parameters we placed on our hunt, including a very strict dollar limit and a total ban on Craigslist.
The search took about two months, and plenty of our lowball offers were rejected. But ultimately, we came home with a used pop up camper that hit all the checkmarks on our list. You can listen to the episode to hear all the details.
Segment Two: Penny the $1000 Used Pop Up Camper
Penny the Pop Up is a 1996 Jayco Eagle Series 8 pop up camper. You can click here to see the entire PDF brochure from Jayco for this series of pop up campers.
We were looking for something small, simple, and in fabulous condition, and Penny hit the mark in all these categories.
A little safety maintenance work was in order immediately. We brought the pop up directly to a local trailer supply shop to have her axle inspected and lubed, plus we had safety chains welded on.
Some of our plans for Penny’s refresh include:
- Reupholstering the cushions
- Slip covers for the beds
- Replacing curtains
- Laying new flooring
- Installing a Porti Potti closet
- Cleaning the exterior and refreshing the decals
Stay tuned for updates on all these projects. We’ll definitely be keeping our winterization blues in check by having fun with our inexpensive used pop up camper!
We also chat about how Penny got her name…and how the Octane Toy Hauler was finally named as a direct result.
Additional Information: RV News Minute and RVFTA News Roundup
Other information and links mentioned in this episode include…
- The RVBusiness Interview with Lazydays’ CEO William Murnane
- RVFTA Book Giveaway: RV Capital of the World, A Fun-Filled Indiana History by Al Hesselbart
Other RVFTA Pop Up Camper Episodes include…
Tips for Buying A Used Pop Up Camper with the Pop Up Princess
RV Makeover 101 with the Pop Up Princess
An Ode to the Pop Up Camper
See you at the campground!
Stephanie + Jeremy
