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Updated April 15, 2024
If you’re in the market for a new pop-up camper but want to compare different costs, you’ll most likely come across an A-Frame Pop-up camper in your research. It is an excellent choice for many reasons, which we’ll get into below. It is also known to be budget-friendly compared to other types of RVs and campers.
When I wrote this article in 2019, the cost of a new A-Frame Camper ranged from $11,000 to $26,000, and a used one ranged from $5,900 to $18,000. Of course, features, amenities, age, and condition can greatly influence the price.
As you might imagine, A-frame campers will cost a bit more in 2024. The cost of a new A-frame popup camper ranges from $16,000 to $38,000, while the average cost for a used popup camper ranges from $10,000 to $25,000.
Over the past five years, we have toured, reviewed, and rated dozens of A-frame camper trailers. You might now know that some A-frames can include a full wet shower—pretty amazing for such a small camper.
We are also impressed by how quickly they can be folded up and unfolded. It literally takes about 2 minutes to set up and then unfold the trailer. Check out the YouTube video I included at the end of the article to see for yourself. (It’s less than a minute!)
What is an A-Frame Pop-Up Camper?
This type of camper is technically classified as a popup, but it’s also known as a fold-down. It lays flat when towing or storing, much like a traditional pop-up camper, but they have fiberglass or vinyl hard sides. When in use, the hard-sided panels come up and meet to create a roof in the shape of an “A,” hence its name!
A-frame popups offer many amenities, such as air conditioning, bathrooms, skylights, kitchens, exterior showers, and even exterior storage.
How Many People Can An A Frame Camper Sleep?
Because A-frame campers tend to be on the small side, you will find that they typically only accommodate 2 to 4 people. There are a limited number of larger models that may sleep more people. However, rarely will you find an A-frame that sleeps more than 6 people.
If you are traveling as a family, A-frame campers often come with a variety of floor plans to accommodate parents and kids. A great option is an A-frame that has a convertible dinette with a set of bunk beds. Kids love bunk beds, and this arrangement allows you to maintain open floor space.
If you need more sleeping capacity in your A-frame camper, you can also put an air mattress on the floor at night, and pack it up during the day.
Do A Frame Campers Have Bathrooms?
There are some A-frame campers models that have bathrooms. You will find that these bathrooms tend to be pretty small, and often consist of a cassette toilet and shower. Some wet baths in A-frame campers may have small sinks. However, given the size of these campers, usually, the sink is a feature left for the galley.
If you are looking for an A-frame camper with a bathroom, you will have to do a bit of research. Not all A-frame models come with a bathroom. There are some manufacturers of A-frame campers that do not include bathrooms in any of their models.
If you plan to always camp in campgrounds, or if you do not mind “roughing” it when you are traveling, A-frame campers without bathrooms are generally more affordable and can be easier to find when shopping.
If you come across an A-frame camper without a bathroom that you love, you can always purchase a cassette toilet.
How Much Do A Frame Campers Weigh?
Typically, A-frame campers are lighter than some other travel trailers. However, there is some variability in the weight of A-frame campers depending on the size, construction materials, and amenities. Because most A-frame campers have solid pop-up sides, they tend to be a bit heavier than campers with soft sides.
A-frame campers weigh between 1,500 and 3,000 pounds, without your gear. While this is the average weight, you can find options that are closer to 1,000 pounds or over 3,000 pounds.
Heavier A-frame campers tend to come with features such as small bathrooms, larger beds, and more versatile floor plans. While the dry weight of A-frame campers is lighter than traditional travel trailers, you will find that they tend to have a larger than anticipated cargo capacity.
Pros and Cons of A-frame Campers
So why even look into buying an A-Frame camper versus other campers and RVs? There are plenty of positives with these campers:
Pros of A-frame Campers
- Easy to Popup: There are tons of videos out there showing you just how easy and straightforward this type of trailer can be to put up and down. Most are merely unhitching the locks and pressing a button to create the roof, then lifting the sides and locking them in place!
- Lightweight: This can be good for many reasons, but overall, it means that smaller vehicles can tow it. Not only are they easy to tow behind a car or SUV but you’ll also save on gas compared to bigger and heavier campers.
- Fits Smaller Sites: With its smaller size and easy maneuverability, this camper can be set up in a lot more campsites than a larger RV. Sometimes you can even get away with being parked in a tent site (always check with your campground first!).
- Amenities: Even though it’s smaller, there is still plenty of room for a comfy bed (or two) and a smaller kitchen at the very least. There are tons of different layouts to choose from, even with this small trailer.
- Camping All Year Round: Unlike vinyl popup campers, this hard-sided camper can be brought on adventures no matter what the season. The hard sides provide plenty of insulation for chilly nights.
We all know that nothing is perfect, and this camper with its many positivities, still has some negatives as well:
Cons of A-frame Campers
- Not a Ton of Space: If you’re in the market for a camper that you can sprawl out in and have some space this may not be the camper for you. Its compact design means there’s not a lot of room inside. Not to mention the fact that the walls form an A, meaning minimal headspace as well.
- Some Don’t Have Toilets or Showers: Luxury amenities like bathrooms or showers are sometimes left out of these small floorplans, so you’ll just need to use the campground bathrooms.
- Severe Weather: While they can withstand high winds and bad weather if you happen to roll up to a site in bad weather, the simple setup process might be miserable for a few minutes
How Much Dose An A-frame Camper Cost?
Like most vehicles and RVs, you can get them both new and used all around the country.
A used A-frame camper will cost roughly $5900 to $17750, depending, of course, on brand, size, amenities, and age. A quick search on Google or RVTrader.com will connect you with local camper dealerships or private sellers, and you’re sure to find an A-frame you like.
A new A-frame camper can cost anywhere from $11200 to $26299. Some examples of brand new A-frame campers include:
- A-Liner campers with 9 different models to choose from.
- Forest River Rockwood Hard-sided Campers
Here are some examples of new and used A-Frame Popup Costs
New:
- 2024 A-Liner Scout – $17,499
- 2024 Aliner Ranger – $21,995
- 2024 Forest River Rockwood Hardside – $21,790
- 2024 Aliner Classic – $28,995
Used:
- 2020 Aliner Scout-Lite – $9,999
- 2020 Aliner Ranger 12 – $13,495
- 2020 Forest River Rockwood Hardside – $16,290
- 2020 Aliner Classic – $22,582
- 2012 Aliner Scout – $6,500
- 2018 Aliner Ranger 12 – $11,500
- 2018 Forest River Rockwood Hardside – $14,891
- 2016 Aliner Classic – $17,500
When looking at purchasing an A-frame camper, make sure you look at the specifications to ensure that your car can tow it without issues and, of course, that it has the amenities that you need. It might be worth looking into renting one first before buying to make sure that it fits your lifestyle and budget.
We do hope that this brief guide will help you with your camper-buying decision. An A-frame camper is a great option, not only for those on a budget but also for those who may be looking for a no-frill but still sturdy camper option. They are easily towable, easy to put up and take down, and with the possibility of buying new or used, you’ll surely find one in your price range.
You might also want to consider renting an A-frame popup for a weekend before buying one so you can be sure you like it. And, renting one first will help ensure you choose the right A-frame the first time.
Are A Frame Campers Worth It?
Traditional pop-up campers with their soft sides are not always a popular option. However, A-frame campers allow you to have the benefits of a compact, lightweight camper, without the soft sides. Most A-frame campers provide you with more weather protection and privacy, which is a big selling point for this newer style of pop-up camper.
You will find that A-frame campers tend to be a bit more expensive than other pop-up campers. However, they provide you with more room than a teardrop camper, and for RVers who want a compact option that is easy to tow, an A-frame is definitely worth consideration.
Learn More!
– 9 Best A-Frame Campers: New 2024 Models
– Everything You Need to Know About Popup Camper Rentals
– Does A/C Really Work In a Popup Camper?
– Top 15 Things to Know Before Buying a Pop Up Camper
Do you have an A-Frame Popup Camper? Please leave a comment below to help others who are considering purchasing one.
As always, thanks for reading the article. If you found it informative please share it on social media! We really appreciate you sharing our articles.
Mike Scarpignato – Bio
Mike Scarpignato created RVBlogger.com over five years ago in 2018 to share all we have learned about RV camping.
Mike is an avid outdoorsman with decades of experience tent camping and traveling in his 2008 Gulf Stream Conquest Class C RV and 2021 Thor Challenger Class A motorhome.
We attend RV Shows and visit RV dealerships all across the country to tour and review drivable motorhomes and towable trailers to provide the best evaluations of these RVs in our blog articles and YouTube videos.
We are 3/4-time RVers who created RVBlogger.com to provide helpful information about all kinds of RVs and related products, gear, camping memberships, tips, hacks and advice.
We have an A-Liner Classic.
Owned a regular pop-up for years that we used with our 3 kids, but without their help, we wanted fast set up for just the two of us. And yes, it is way faster to set up than a regular tent trailer.
Our requirement was to buy a camper that could fit in our garage as we are not allowed to keep outside in our neighborhood & we certainly didn’t want to pay for storage. This meets all of the things on our list.
This works well for us.
We inherited a 2012 Rockwood a frame and we love it! It is a big improvement over tent camping and very easy to set up or take down. We have a double bed so it is a bit cozy but that is great for chilly nights!
We have a 2016 Aliner Expedition which we purchased new in 2015. We use it 80 or more nights a year traveling all over the East Coast. After having a Coleman pop up for 30 years it was time for something easier to set up. The Aliner goes up almost instantly. Since it is only my husband and I we leave both beds set up and cook and eat outside.
Pros: ease of set up and take take down, plenty of storage space, air conditioner, bigger size fridge with a freezer, dormers which we don’t use often because there is plenty of space inside
Cons: air conditioner sticks out on driver’s side and is hard to see around and scary driving through tunnels with trucks coming at you, No easy way to use an awning
About the awning situation, we have developed an awning that uses a large tarp the goes over the entire camper and about 10′ out front. We use telescoping tent poles to support the side and plumbing pipes to make a ridge pole for the center. It takes about 1/2 hour to set up and we have to bring a step ladder to put the ridge pole up but we stay dry under the worst conditions and the camper itself stays clean on top. We can still use our fan and dormers if we want to and it doesn’t make it any darker inside.
We do not have a bathroom inside but we are not ready to empty and clean a camper toilet so we use campground bathrooms and rarely find issues with them. Overall the Aliner was the perfect choice for us.
My husband and I have a 2016 Aliner Expedition that has two dormers, outside shower, microwave, 3 way frIdge, stove, and CD stereo system with outside speakers. It also has a propane heater and an air conditioner. We bought it new in 2015. For the last two years we have spent over 80 nights a season sleeping in it at various types of campgrounds. We had a Coleman pop up for over 30 years but as our children grew up and moved away we were looking for something easier to set up. The Aliner fit the bill. We can be all set up in camp in about 15 minutes if we don’t put up our awning. Actually that is one of the big cons with an Aliner. There is no way to put up a traditional awning. So my husband invented an awning that uses a tarp that goes over the whole unit and about 10 feet out in front. He uses plumbing pipes and expandable tent poles to support it. Works great but it takes some time to set it up. Since it is only the two of us we set up two beds so neither of us has to climb over other at night. The beds are premade at home and no set up at camp is needed. We cook and eat outside under our awning but can eat inside if we want. We use the campground bathrooms as we have not reached the point where we want to clean a toilet while camping. It weighs 2600 lbs and we pull it with a GMC Sierra 1/2 ton pickup. We could pull it with our Toyota Tacoma pickup put it is harder to see around it when towing with the Tacoma. Bottom line we enjoy our Aliner very much and it was certainly the right choice for us. It is not a family camper but suits us just fine. It also attracts a lot of attention in campgrounds.
Debbie P. Southwick, MA
We bought a leftover 2017 Aliner Explorer, sight unseen, last year after a lot of research and personal considerations (e.g., lower tow weight, full bath, storage). What pushed us over last year was that it had every option we could conceive of (who knew I needed a microwave?) AND it fit in our garage! Because it has two dormers, it feels much roomier than we expected. But it really did lack storage and there is more work packing it up to go, as you can’t leave as much stuff set up in there all the time due to the folding down.
I always wondered if I made a mistake and should have found a way to store a solid fiberglass camper (Casita, Scamp), also campers I had never seen, (but loved on the web). We went as far as getting an estimate to raise our garage door 2 feet ($6k). The day after we got the estimate, we went camping and finally saw a Casita and took a tour inside of it. I immediately knew we made the right decision!
I was always half thinking we were going to sell ours so I never really personalized it. As soon as we got home from that trip we removed the second bed, hinged the bench lid to make better storage, upgraded our portable drawer unit and made several other personalizations. I love this little camper and I feel bad I didn’t appreciate it sooner.
And it is super easy to tow! It’s so low and narrow that we did not need a sway bar and we ended up off-road a couple times trying to find campsites and it was so light and easy, it handled it like a champ.
My husband and I purchased our 2012 Rockwood premier A-liner a year ago and we love it , it is perfect for us , we have the outdoor shower and a port a potty which works great.Easy to store in our yard and easy to tow with our small SUV .
would like to buy a classic aliner, but don’t know where to find some for sale. any ideas?
thanks k
Hi Karen,
I would try RVTrader if I were you. There are tons of A liners for sale on there.
Good luck!
Mike
we have a 2017 rockwood with a front dormer,we bought new. I’ts perfect for a couple w/o kids,we love it and use it as often as we can.
We have a 15′ Rockwood A-frame and absolutely love it! My husband is 6’4″ so the head room was a must. The queen bed with heated mattress is 7 and 1/2 foot wide. We have taken it across country, we pop it up at rest areas and make our lunch. We didn’t make any reservations as it will fit in any space. We chose the outside shower and bought a two room combo to hook up to shower and for the portapotty. It has everything we need and so easy to tow with my mini van. You have to be organized but I even have a small iron and ironing board and 19″ tv. I highly recommend it!
Hi Sandy,
That’s awesome! It sounds perfect for you guys and thanks for sharing!
Mike