Pop Up camper repair?

has anyone restored a pop up camper , I am looking to buy one that needs a little help , are these reasonably cheap to fix up ? im always on a strict budget for my toys lol and like to tinker ,but like to avoid expensive problems is there any particular things I should look for in purchasing one?

I can't help you on a pop up camper but I just recently bought a brand new 22 foot travel trailer and already had issues with it, so getting a used one will probably have some issues.

From what I have learned (You Tube University), water leaks are the main concern on trailers which can lead to very expensive repairs.

I guess like B.O.A.T. (break out another thousand) all "toys" can get expensive.

When I buy something used, I always try to find out why the PO is trying to sell it.

Hi Fox, There are plenty of boat canvas places that might be able to give you some estimate about repair work (materials and labor). Being towed, and used, will loosen up most everything on a trailer so check it carefully. Yep, they will leak.
The only other way I see is to find a friend with a sewing machine and DIY, but that is a long steep learning curve. Jerry

awesome thanks for replies, I guess my biggest concern will be canvas and cables, my wife is pretty good at sewing so maybe I can convince her to help me on this project. I think I will join a pop up camper forum and see what those folks say , I just need an outdoor activity to do with the family when we cant boat in the winter.

thanks again

by pop up camper,do you mean tent trailer or an actual pop up truck camper? i have a truck pop up ive been redoing in between trips.so far its gotten an electric water pump(no more hand pumping),new 3 way tap,i have a new power panel.inverter and battery charger to be installed soon,and i found a custom boat canvas shop to replace the vinyl and screens that are starting to tear,but they're sewn into the vinyl so why not replace it all?.i've rescreened the hard side windows and screen door myself. also have new marker and porch lites to install after the new power panel goes in.so far all the repairs have cost me less that $400.untill the vinyl anyway.

If you're talking about a Jayco style popup, try to avoid one that has major rot and/or damage to the vinyl/canvas and screens. Most the the rest can usually be fixed for a reasonable amount of time and expense unless it's something really major. If you have to replace the entire vinyl/canvas and screen/windows, it's probably going to cost you more than the camper is worth if you have to buy the replacement from a dealer. Pulleys and cables can be replaced although some of them can be a real challenge. Wood under the slide-out beds usually suffers from screws being ripped out and hardware missing. Replacing the wood is easy but getting new hardware when the original pieces are lost can be a pain to locate.

bc .. that's an awesome truck camper, and you can bring the boat too , now that's a plus!

Can you easily remove it from the truck or is it permanently in there?


jmichael -- I was thinking the jayco style , I think I will look for one that the canvas is in good shape, as far as the rot, which part of the camper is most likely to rot?
thanks for yalls help

The problems I've encountered most with jaycos is if they leak while in storage. I've seen several that leaked around the roof mounted A/C units. This leads to the structural wood that supports the weight of the roof mounted A/C unit rotting. It can be replaced but it's difficult to retain the nice finished look on the interior after this sort of repair. The second worse problem I've encountered is them leaking around the roof to body seal when in the stored/collapsed position. This seems to happen most often around the cabinet section for some reason. This doesn't prevent using the camper but it will take away some of it's functional ability depending on how bad it is. If you get a Jayco style camper and you store it in an uncovered parking area, I highly recommend keeping it covered with a tarp for added protection. And if you go camping in a Jayco during winter weather, cover the camper with the tarp after you have the camper set up. I don't know the physics behind why it happens, but Jaycos are notorious for a lot of condensation forming on the inside of the canvas/vinyl area. The tarp over the top will some how prevent this condensation from forming.

ok cool great advice, I always try to take good care of my stuff and will definitely keep that in mind when I get one. It will most likely be stored in my back yard so I will try to make some sort of cover for it tarp and pvc or what not.