So, you have decided that you want to find a pop top camper for sale. First off, congratulations! Life on the open road is a lot of fun and a pop top camper is a great way to pack maximum livable space in a small footprint.
Knowing where to begin searching is half the battle. It isn’t quite as easy as popping down to your local dealer to purchase one, or is it?
To help you find your dream pop top camper, we have compiled a comprehensive list of the top 10 places to find a camper for sale. Hopefully within no time you will have found something you like and can begin planning an adventure.
Top 10 ways to find a pop top camper for sale:
1. General RV Center
The General RV Center is one of the biggest dealers of RVs and campers in the country. They have 14 super centers spread across the nation, mostly concentrated on the east coast. They also have a massive online presence, where you can browse through 1000’s of different campers.
If you can, locate the nearest store and head in to get a closer look at some of the campers available. If you can’t spare the time, use their website to begin your search.
They have an RV finder tool that allows you to sort listings by type. Select pop up campers from the list to pull up everything that is available. There will be hundreds of campers for sale, so try to refine your search criteria.
Use the refinement tools on the left side to sort listing by location, condition, brand, price or how many they sleep. This is where you need to decide exactly what you are looking for in your camper.
The RV center has an amazing selection of Coachmen pop up campers, which can sleep up to 6 people.
2. RV Trader
RV trader is one of the largest online retailers of recreational vehicles and campers in the United States. In fact, they have so much for sale you need to be quite specific in your search criteria. Otherwise, you will end up scrolling through hundreds of listings.
Helpfully they have a very comprehensive list of search criteria, including make, model, length, price, condition and location. Try to use the refinement features to the maximum so you can browse for exactly what you want.
They also have a RV dealer search tool. If you want to get more hands on with a few models why not find a dealer local to you. Being able to step inside a camper to look at the layout and space is highly recommended before you buy. They can also show you how to pop the camper up.
RV trader is a listing site, meaning they don’t actually sell the campers themselves. Private sellers and dealers use their site to reach a wider audience. Be prepared to have to reach out to a dealer or seller to organize viewings and payment.
With so much to see, RV trader can be a bit overwhelming but try to use it as a starting point in your search. View a wide variety of campers to see what’s out there, before refining your search for a camper that fits your needs. RV trader has a wider selection of brands than some of the other sites, like Aliner, Forest River, and Opus.
3. RVT
Similar to RV trader, RVT is an online classifieds for a massive range of leisure vehicles. They specialize more specifically in larger vehicles like RV’s but do have a selection of pop top campers for sale. As with RV trader making a purchase on RVT will require you to reach out to the seller directly.
Each listing has the price, size, location, and a seller contact form. Sellers are also encouraged to upload pictures so you can get a look at the overall condition of the camper. If you like the look of a camper, you can reach out to the seller via a contact form to schedule a viewing.
Use the search terms and result refinement tools to narrow down your criteria. If you are in no rush to buy you could even set up a search alert. This will send you a notification when something that meets your criteria is posted.
RVT sells a mixture of new and secondhand campers at a range of prices, meaning there is something for everyone. They also offer a find a dealer service, if you want to find someone local to you. RVT lists their campers under folding trailers, with nearly 2,000 currently listed online.
4. Craigslist
Most people have heard of Craigslist, as it is one of the biggest online marketplaces in the world. However, it could also be a good place to find a pop-up camper. There is no guarantee you will find anything on Craigslist, but it is definitely worth browsing.
The main advantage with Craigslist is that it is going to be private sellers. This means you might be able to negotiate on prices or find a bargain. There may be some dealers operating on sites like this, but for the most part it will be private sellers.
You have to approach sites like this with a bit of caution. Always inspect the condition of the camper in person before agreeing to buy anything.
Craigslist has some good refinement features, although I wouldn’t narrow down too much as it relies on the listing’s information being correct. What is very helpful is to limit the area you want to search in, particularly if you don’t want to travel too far for a viewing.
On the other hand, you can also use search tools like searchcraigslist.net and searchtempest.com to search nationwide and help you find the best deal if you are willing to travel out of your own State/region.
5. Facebook
Facebook has a very popular marketplace feature that is often full of campers. In addition to the marketplace there are also buy and sell groups where you might be able to find a pop top camper.
As with Craigslist you have to exercise a little bit of caution, but don’t let that stop you from using sites like this. Facebook will almost exclusively be used by private sellers so it’s a great place to negotiate prices to get a good deal.
To use Facebook, you can either search your local area with the marketplace feature or join a tailor-made group. A quick search under groups for “Pop up Campers for Sale” should return a few results.
With these public marketplaces you tend to have to be more patient. Enable group notifications so you can see when new campers are being posted to try and get ahead of the crowds.
Here’s a couple places to get you started: Campers for Sale and Travel Trailer Life
6. America’s Largest RV Show
If you haven’t figured out exactly what type of camper you want, attending a show could be a good move. It will allow you to view a massive range of vehicles and campers in a short space of time, meaning you can work out what features and size you like best.
If you are planning on attending a show why not make it the biggest in the country. America’s Largest RV Show is held in Hershey, Pennsylvania every September. Every year there are 1,200 RVs on display in an area the size of 33 football fields.
Attending a big show isn’t a great way of finding a second-hand camper. Lots of dealers and brand names will attend events like this, so they are more geared up towards selling new products.
However even if you want a second hand pop top camper, they can still be great to attend so you get an idea of what’s available. If there is a particular make or model that you like you can then go home and look for it on some of the online sites. Some of the brands at this show include Jayco, Aliner & Somerset camping trailers and Forest River.
7. Florida RV Supershow
One of the biggest events in the south, the Florida RV Supershow could be a great way to get into some campers to see what you like the look of. Located on the outskirts of Tampa this massive show is home to hundreds of campers in a range of sizes.
As mentioned previously, getting to see a camper in person will allow you to gauge the size much easier. Attending a big show will simply allow you to work out what your priorities are and get some ideas of campers you might like.
The Florida supershow brings in some of the biggest names in the business like Coachmen, Aliner, and Forest River. There is probably no need to go to more than one show, because the major manufacturers will attend all the shows. There are also way more than the two listed here, so there is bound to be one closer to you.
8. eBay
eBay is probably the biggest online marketplace. Everything is for sale on eBay including pop top campers. Sellers on eBay will be a mix of private individuals and dealers, it should say on the listing information.
eBay listings are more likely to be second hand, which isn’t a problem. Just make sure you carry out a thorough inspection, so you know what you are buying. eBay can sometimes be slightly lackluster in the amount of information available on its listing. If you like the look of a camper, I would suggest reaching out to the seller to get a little bit more information.
Asking for additional pictures can be a good way to see the condition of the material. Remember pictures used online could have been taken a few years ago. If you are still interested, organize a viewing before making any offers.
Sellers on eBay are usually open to negotiation, it comes with the territory of online marketplaces. Try to negotiate a good deal, particularly if the camper is second hand.
9. Go Direct to the Supplier
If price isn’t one of your biggest concerns, you could always make your purchase directly from the manufacturer. Most manufacturers have showrooms or affiliated stores where their products are sold.
If you have found a certain make or model of pop top camper that you like head to the manufacturers site to see where it’s sold. You may be able to find a dealer local to you.
The main advantage to this is that you get to own a new camper, so the likelihood of any issues occurring is low. On top of that most new campers will come with a warranty, so if something does happen you can get it repaired for no cost.
Some of the major manufacturers of pop top campers Aliner, Forest River, Coachmen and Jayco.
10. Camping World
Camping World has an impressive collection of pop-up campers. Navigate to their shop RVs page and click “pop up”. This will bring up all the camper trailers on the site, including brands like Coleman, Viking, and Forest River. If you have a specific camper in mind, you can then refine your search by make and model, number it sleeps, price, and condition.
At the time of writing this there are nearly 500 for sale on this site alone, giving you an almost overwhelming number of options. They are a classified page as well, meaning the campers are sold by different people around the country.
As part of the information on each listing you can see where the camper is located, along with its size, weight, and the number of people it sleeps.
Closing Thoughts
So, there you have it, our top recommendations for a place to find a pop top camper. With all these resources at your disposal I’m sure you will find something that’s perfect for you. My advice would be to first visit a showroom or event to see a few campers in person.
This will allow you to get a better idea of the advantages and disadvantages of different layouts. If you are specifically looking for an RV at a very affordable price, we also have a guide for finding a used RV under $5000.
Once you have found a style that you like, head home, and use the power of the internet to find a good deal. Of all these sites and methods, RV Trader and RVT are probably the two I would recommend most. Good luck finding your dream camper!
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David is an accomplished mountain endurance athlete who has completed over 25 ultra marathon races (follow on Strava). He is most proud of his finish at The Drift 100 – a high elevation, 100 mile winter foot race that zigzags along the Continental Divide in Wyoming. In the future he hopes to compete in the ITI 350 and ultimately the full 1,000 mile Iditarod Trail Invitational that follows the same path as the historic dog sled race.