Thanks for your support! If you make a purchase using our links in this article, we may make a commission. And, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See the full disclosure here.
Are you thinking about trying a pop up camper rental? Renting a pop up camper is a great way to try a small RV and it can also be a great way to experience tent camping off the ground.
In this article, you’ll learn everything you need to know about renting a pop up camper. Here’s what we’re covering:
- What a pop up camper is and the different types of pop ups you can rent
- Pros and cons of renting a pop up camper
- How much it costs to rent a pop up camper
- Where to find one for rent near you
- And much more!
Let’s get started.
Renting a Pop Up Camper
When you venture into the outdoors, some people like to feel like they are getting as much of a true camping experience as possible. RVs are awesome, but some folks claim they are basically a hotel on wheels. When looking for a more outdoorsy take on trailers, popup campers are the best way to go.
When you arrive at your campsite, you can unfold and expand your pop up camper. Some popup campers are incredibly large when expanded, and can sleep up to as many as 8 people! But most pop-ups can comfortably sleep 6 people.
What is a Pop Up Camper?
What exactly is a popup camper or tent trailer, folding trailer, or folding tent camper? There are many names for a popup camper and three prominent examples of popup campers. Let’s dive a little deeper into these examples so you can get more familiar.
A popup camper is one of the lightest and most affordable RVs you can rent. Pop-up tent trailers are lightweight trailers that you can tow using a truck or SUV. And some camper trailers are even light enough that they can be towed by a car.
Luckily, pop up camper rentals are readily available online. You can search for a great deal on a popup camper to rent for a few days, weeks or even months and be ready to hit the road for your next fun camping adventure.
Types of Pop-Up Tent Trailer Rentals
Renting a popup camper can be a little confusing since there are several types of campers. You will see many different popup camper types, styles, models, floor plans, and designs on the online peer-to-peer RV rental platforms.
There are three main types of popup tent trailer rentals:
Soft-Top Trailers
These campers have a soft canvas roof covering the living area when the camper is open. There are sleeping areas on either side, extending out from the roof and covered in canvas with mesh screen sides, kind of like a tent. Although they can be smaller in size, their advantage is that they are easier to set up and are more affordable. They also weigh less than the other types of popup campers, so they are easier to tow.
Hard-Roofed Tent Trailer
This type of trailer has a fiberglass roof covering the main living area when the camper is open. The sides that fold out on either end have a canvas top with mesh-screened openings to allow airflow.
Hardtop popup campers feel like you’re camping in a tent, but they provide a little more protection from the elements. Additionally, hardtop popup campers can also support a rooftop air conditioner, which is a luxury every camper wishes they had on hot summer days.
Hard-roof popup campers can comfortably sleep four to six people and typically have a small kitchen and a dinette. Most popup campers come with a toilet, but some even come with a shower!
A-Frame Pop Up Campers
This style of pop up camper forms an A shape once they are set up. They are hard on all sides, which provides protection and privacy. Most models have windows and skylights boasting incredible views and brightness.
A-frame campers are the easiest to set up, but they sacrifice interior headroom and floor space due to their shape and size. They can sleep up to three people comfortably, but some models may have dormers that popup to create an additional sleeping area.
Is a Popup Trailer Right for Me?
If you are looking for a very affordable RV rental that is easy to tow, sleeps up to eight, and has all of the basics, then a popup camper rentals may be perfect for you! Here’s a checklist to see if you should rent a popup tent trailer:
- You want an affordable RV option.
- You like the sound and feeling of sleeping in a tent but want the comfort of sleeping off the ground on a comfy mattress.
- You need a light camper that your vehicle can tow easily.
- You need enough space for four to eight people.
If you need all of the above, then a popup camper rental may be perfect for you!
Luckily, popup camper rentals are readily available online. You can search for a great deal on a popup camper to rent for a few days, weeks, or even months and be ready to hit the road for your next fun camping adventure. Now let’s explore why you should opt-in for a popup trailer.
Why Rent a Pop Up Tent Trailer?
A popup trailer rental is inexpensive and provides a home away from home when you hit the road on your pop up trailer rental vacation. Great for any RVer who wants to disconnect and enjoy nature. A popup trailer rental is an easy and affordable way to experience the great outdoors.
Before you move forward with your rental decision, let’s look at the pros and cons of pop up campers.
Pros and Cons of Popup Trailers
A popup trailer rental is inexpensive and provides a home away from home when you hit the road on your popup trailer rental vacation. It is fantastic for any RVer who wants to disconnect and enjoy nature. A popup trailer rental is an easy and affordable way to experience the great outdoors. Before you move forward with your rental decision, let’s look at the pros and cons of popup campers.
Popup Camper Pros
- Affordability: Popup camper rentals are one of the least expensive RV rentals because they’re not motorized and are basic.
- Lightweight: You can tow them easily with a truck or SUV, and some are light enough to be towed by your car!
- Easy to Tow. Because they have little wind resistance like a travel trailer or fifth, they don’t sway.
- Compact. Their smaller size allows you to camp in areas where large RVs won’t fit. Even on tent sites in some locations!
- Plenty of Storage Space. Many models have a cargo hatch in the body of the camper. Some have storage boxes attached to the outside of the trailer. Some toy hauler popup campers even have storage for a motorcycle, ATV, bikes, or kayaks.
- Bathrooms: Even the most basic popup tent trailer will have a small kitchen and dinette. And larger models will have full kitchens, toilets, and showers for a very convenient camping experience. Some even include a shower!
- Multiple Sleeping Areas. There is a fold-down bed on either side, and the dinette converts into a bed so they can sleep up to six people.
- Slide-Outs: Newer Popup Camper models typically have slide-outs, which give you even more room inside
- Experiencing the Great Outdoors: My favorite pro is that both of the foldout beds have mesh sides, so you feel like you are camping in a tent! However, you aren’t on the ground; you are on a comfy mattress.
No matter what the design or floor plan is, popup campers are cheaper to rent than other RVs with similar features. These tent trailers a very budget-friendly choice for any RVer looking for an affordable camping trip. However, there are some cons to popup campers as well. Let’s explore that a little further.
Popup Camper Cons
Of course, there are drawbacks to every type of RV, and popup campers are no exception.
- Set-Up: One of the main drawbacks of a popup camper is that you have to set it up and take it down every time you move it. You’ll have to unfold and crank open your tent before you can get inside, which can be tiresome at the end of a day on the road.
- Limited Preparations for Wind: You can ride out a storm in a popup camper, but the canvas sides aren’t exactly windproof. Like most RVs, they will rock back and forth if the wind kicks up.
- Privacy: There isn’t much privacy in a popup trailer. Curtains or thin plastic walls may only separate the bathroom in a popup camper, but let’s face it; there isn’t a lot of privacy in most RVs anyway.
You might still be on the fence about popup trailers, and that’s okay. A better option could be renting a popup trailer instead of buying one. Now that you know the different styles of popup trailers and the pros and cons of what they have to offer let’s discuss renting a popup trailer.
Why You Should Rent A Popup Camper
There are many reasons why you might rent a pop up camper. Maybe you are new to RV camping and want to try it rather than spending an other weekend in a tent and on the ground!
Or maybe you are considering purchasing a popup camper. If so, we always recommend renting an RV before you buy one. Even though most popup campers are very affordable, we still recommend renting one BEFORE you buy one for several reasons.
- Discovering the Features: You should rent a popup trailer first to see what you like about the rental popup. For example, you might discover that you want a bathroom with rigid walls, so you know that you should look for that feature when you buy one.
- Finding What Doesn’t Work: When you rent before you buy, you will discover what you don’t like. For example, you may rent an A-frame popup and discover that you need more headroom to feel comfortable.
- Affordability: You won’t break the bank if you take a popup trailer out for a spin. After you have gone on your trip with a trail popup trailer, you can decide if it is the right decision and make a purchase from there.
We rented an RV before we bought ours, and we are glad we did! That is why we always recommend renting before buying whenever someone inquires about it because it is a budget-friendly way to become a fully educated purchaser.
How Much Does It Cost to Rent a Popup Camper?
When you are browsing popup campers for rent, you’ll find that rental prices for popup campers range from as low as $50 per night to as much as $175 per night. However, the vast majority of popup camper rentals are between $50 and $90 per night.
Owners are free to price their tent camper listings at whatever price they like, but you are free to negotiate the price and terms of any popup campers you like. If you rent your popup camper for a week or more, many owners will give you a discounted rate.
Finding a great place to rent a popup trailer can be a challenge, but we discovered that Outdoorsy.com is a great place to start your search.
Where Can I Find the Best Popup Camper Rental?
We think the best place to find your best deal for your popup camper rental is on the Outdoorsy RV Rental platform. Outdoorsy is the world’s largest peer-to-peer database of RV rentals platform offering many types, styles, and designs of popup camper rentals to choose from.
What is a peer-to-peer rental you might ask? A peer-to-peer rental is when a popup camper owner rents to the outdoor-loving everyday Joe. Outdoorsy is like the Airbnb of RV rentals. RV owners list their RV for rent when they aren’t using them, along with pictures, specifications, and details you can find by simply browsing for your specific needs.
Without peer-to-peer RV rental platforms like Outdoorsy, RV renters would have to go to a dealership or a national RV rental company to rent an RV. Additionally, those companies tend to nickel and dime you for every add-on and the salespeople are also trained at negotiating, so I can almost guarantee you won’t get your best deal there.
Rent a Pop Up Camper on Outdoorsy
With Outdoorsy, you can easily filter, search, and browse RV rental listings. The search filter allows you to narrow down your search to only specific types of RVs, such as popup campers. You can filter by date, location, price, features, and even kitchen appliances.
Every listing includes interior and exterior photos of the RV and a detailed description from the owner so that you can get a sense of whether it will offer everything you want for your trip. This makes it easy to filter for exactly what you are looking for, which can save you a lot of time.
On Outdoorsy, you’ll likely find the best deal on your RV rental. Since it’s so easy for renters to compare listings, owners price their rentals very competitively. Once you narrow down your list to the RVs you are interested in renting, you can reach out to the owners and negotiate the price or terms making your rental even more affordable!
Why Outdoorsy is the Best Option
We think Outdoorsy is the best place for an RV rental because we compared them to the other top rental companies. We found that they have the best RV selection, insurance, customer service, and customer reviews.
We also prefer peer-to-peer rentals over renting from the big national rental companies because you have a much wider selection of RV styles and types, there are more included features, and you can negotiate the price and terms.
Outdoorsy also has the largest selection of RV rentals in the world! They have fifth wheel rentals, motorhome rentals, travel trailer rentals, toy hauler rentals, camper van rentals, truck camper rentals, popup camper rentals, luxury RV rentals, cheap RV rentals, and more! When deciding on a popup trailer rental, Outdoorsy is the site to check out.
Tips to Save Money on Your Tent Trailer Rental
In addition to saving money on Outdoorsy, we have a few additional tips for saving a few extra bucks after renting your popup trailer:
- Book Your RV Rental Early: Many RVs get booked very quickly, so be sure to book your RV as early as possible. The earlier you book, the less competition there is for your travel dates, and you may be able to negotiate a lower price.
- Travel in the Off-Season: Prices are always more economical in the off-season, so that’s the least expensive time to rent an RV.
- Negotiate for Your Best Price: Be sure to negotiate the rental price, generator time, and cleaning fee. You won’t get a discount on all of these items, but be aware that they are all negotiable when you speak to the owner.
There are many things to consider when buying or renting a popup trailer, but as long as you know the type of popup trailer you are looking for, the pros and cons, and prices, you could easily find the best option for you and your family. With help from Outdoorsy, you could have the best vacation you have ever imagined.
And if you use our special discount code you could Save up to $100 or more!
This is an informative and comprehensive guide on pop up camper rentals, providing valuable information for those looking to explore the great outdoors in style.