Is simple better? Advice on Phoenix pop up wanted...

[huntsonora]

Looking at a Phoenix pop up camper thats about 4 years old. Its a bare bones model with no sink, no stove, no shower, no fridge, hell, it doesn't even have a roof vent. It has a furnace, a queen bed over the cab and a sofa that folds out to a bed and some shelving and thats about it. Its SIMPLE but I do like it. Its been garage kept and the canvas is in good shape and the owner has a couple of solar panels on the roof to charge his batteries for his trolling motor which would be nice to have in Mexico.

Is simple better? Seems like less to go wrong but how hard is it to fix little things like a stove and a sink? Trying to decide if I should drop $4k on a camper thats been seldom used and garage kept but so simple.

Would love to hear any and all opinions on this as I will need to make a decision by tomorrow afternoon

Thanks guys

HS

 

[cwsqbm]

Do you need a sink or built-in stove? It depends on how you camp. In 13 years of ownership, my parents never used the sink or stove in their pop-up (always cooked outside), and rarely used the built-in 3-way refrigerator, preferring to use a large cooler....

And then they bought a travel trailer with all the toys, and used all the luxuries like hot water and A/C frequently. So even the answer that's right for you now can change over time.

 

[docdave]

I cook outside alot, but like the stove for morning coffee and rainy day meals. The sink's ok for washing dishes, but I'd prefer a single bowl over double. I guess it depends on whether your pop up is a mostly a tent alternative, or more of a motel room on wheels.

 

[zoblo]

I bought a phoenix shell last summer for my '92 toyota pickup. I love it. It came with cushions for the bench seat and the cabover bed but that's all. Weight is a big problem for a little truck so that's why I got a shell so I could add just what I needed to save weight and increase storage. I built minimal cabinetry,a sink, water tank, and a 12volt fridge with a solar panel. I use a coleman single burner stove, bbq for most cooking i do is outdoor, and a mr. heater whenever I need heat which isn't too often. It wasn't difficult to add the cabinetry other than trying to figure out where the 'studs' where to screw things down. But the phoenix folks are quite helpful on that kind of stuff. I've had my camper on some good 4 wheel drive roads and it's stayed on the back of the truck.

 

[WASURF63]

4yo Phoenix Pop Up in what sounds like xlnt shape for $4k? Sounds like a no brainer to me...
A "basic" shell model is a blank canvas to customize as you see fit. Buy it before someone else does, camp in it, and resell it if you don't like it. Just my .02
Good luck. WS

 

[tanglefoot]

I like the simple approach. It sounds like a good buy. You could probably even add the items you want later. The furnace and queen bed are nice features.

I don't have a fridge, furnace, or shower in mine but I do use the inside sink and stove every time out, but mainly because they're there. I certainly prefer things to be minimalistic than overloaded and high-maintenance.

When I was trying to decide between a bigger tent or camper, I found this self-sufficient camp sink that had fresh and gray water storage and a hand pump. I can't seem to find it now but you could look for or create a simple, indoor sink. Depending on who you ask, you could also probably get away with using a camp stove inside, especially one that isn't prone to flare-ups.

 

[goodtimes]

I did what amounts to a frame-up rebuild of a FWC Granby last year. This is the first camper I've had in nearly 20 years - the interim was filled with various ground tents, a RTT, a couple camper shells, sleeping platforms, etc.

I ended up keeping the camper pretty simple, but did include water (30 gallons & electric pump), 2-burner stove, a 12v fridge, & basic cabinets. Cooking inside is not my favorite thing - but it sure is nice when the weather takes a turn for the worse, or it's just too cold outside to fumble around making coffee.

It's also extremely nice to have everything accessible without having to dig through boxes - but ultimately, the decision really depends on how you like to camp.

 

[AeroNautiCal]

I'd go for it!

You might want to look around for a (very) lightweight, combined sink and hob unit with built in waste water tank.

I just bought this lovely (and seemingly unused) self contained unit which was originally fitted into a Japanese camping car. Custom built alloy with fixed stove, which has a fold down cover/worktop, the entire unit can be picked up one handed, and taken outside, or anyplace.

I also have the excellent stove top heater which fits the stove.

I found both on eBay.



Stove Top Heater.

 

[huntsonora]

Left a message with Coyote RV today and hope to hear back from them as soon as possible. My wife wants to see if we can get them to do a few things on it and wants to see how expensive that would be before we pull the trigger. Hopefully it all comes together