Camper Remodel Diary: 1999 Jayco Pop Up Day 1

Camper Remodel Diary: Day 1 with our 1999 Jayco pop up camper remodel. We’re documenting the entire experience with this one, so follow along!

Day 1: buying the pop up camper, questions to ask, first impressions, and getting her home (almost) in one piece.

I have been waiting for this! Some may say my obsession with campers – especially pop ups – is a little extreme. It just makes me so happy!

We are now the proud owners of a 1999 Eagle by Jayco pop up camper!

This time around, I thought it would be fun to keep a running record of the project. So, we give you our Camper Remodel Diary Day 1 with our 1999 Jayco pop up!

This is not our first camper

If you’ve read about our 1999 Viking Pop Up – there must be something about that year – you’ll know it was my baby. It brought me back to pop up camping with my own parents. I was about the age our kids are now.

I still think about that camper. There have been more than a few times I’ve considered messaging the buyer to let them know if they ever want to sell, I want to know about it!

That was the first camper I was able to talk my husband into buying. We put a lot of work into it, enjoyed it for a few years, and sold it for a profit. I still loved it, though!

In the meantime, I also collected some very cheap campers for another project idea. (It’s a sickness, but I’ll share about one of those soon!)

We also bought our current family camper which is a 2007 Kodiak Hybrid. My husband was fed up with the setup and take down of the pop up camper. He wanted something we could store more items inside permanently.

Also Read: 1999 Viking Pop Up Camper Remodel

I have a special place in my heart for pop ups

My husband is not giving up the hybrid, but I sure miss my pop ups.

So, guess what?!!

I’m sure you figured it out by now, but my constant monitoring for any pop up camper listing on Facebook or Craigslist finally paid off. I was on the lookout and finally gave myself permission to jump on an amazing deal when I saw one.

We got one, y’all!

After watching how much more expensive pop up campers seemed to be going for, I was starting to get a little discouraged.

If I found an amazing deal for $2,500 or $2,000 like our original pop up, it was sold before I knew it. Also, I couldn’t believe older campers were listing for more like $4,000 – $6,000. It’s crazy right now!

Pop Up Camper Buying Tip

One thing that helped us secure the camper we bought is getting creative with search terms.

It’s pretty easy to pop in and check out “campers” or “popup” and “pop up” campers. However, sometimes you need to look up “tent trailer,” “jayco,” “fleetwood,” etc.

This listing on Craigslist didn’t have “camper” anywhere in the post. It was listed under trailers (not rvs) and titled “Jayco Eagle Pop Up.” I believe I actually found it from searching “pop up beds.”

“Pop up” is also a difficult term because you will end up having to sort through a lot of unrelated listings.

Camper buying questions

Over more than a few camper buys, we’ve learned there are some important questions to ask right off the bat.

So, when I first inquire about a camper, I also include, “do you have the title and is there any water damage?”

We’ve learned from our hybrid that water damage is not something we want to deal with again. We also learned with our Little Gasser that trying to track down a title is a major pain.

Beyond those two questions, my husband is also interested in the tires, but that’s not a real deal-breaker – unless it won’t even make it home!

Also Read: Musty Camper Smell: How to get it out

Camper Remodel Diary Day 1

This camper passed the test. He told us he had the title, there was no water damage (only water staining on the canvas from being put away wet), and the tires seemed like they would hold up.

So, we headed out to take a look.

Oh! I didn’t mention the best part about this camper. It was listed for $1,500 and it has a/c!

I knew it could have quite a few imperfections and I was still going to take it for a price like that.

First look

The first things we noticed is that there wasn’t a propane take with the camper, and the owner suggested a new battery.

Once inside, the curtains and cushion covers were a mess. No big deal Those are the first to go, and I can’t wait to outfit it with new cushions!

The faucet wasn’t very secure, the stove was missing, and the floor was a little bubbly near the door.

One of the biggest issues is that the entire backside of the canvas has been “sewn” together with fishing line where the zipper has separated.

We found later that this is likely because of a minor adjustment needed in the lift system. That also seems to be a contributing factor to the door not fitting in place.

As we we’re folding the camper back down, we did have to put some pressure on the one side to get it closed.

We also noticed the awning bag was torn toward the front. The owner claimed it has hung on when they hauled it. They had never used the awning – along with the heat and water – so we do have a few unknowns.

All that considered, it was still totally worth the $1,500!

Also Read: Pop Up Camper Parts Everyone’s Buying

Did it all make it home?

Here’s a funny story…

The camper pulled just fine on the 40 minute ride home. We were slightly nervous about the ’18 tabs and no lights on the right side, but we made it.

We arrived just before dark and got out to take a look and talk about it, as you do…

My husband and dad were on the opposite side of the trailer when I gasped!

There was no awning!

We were right to be concerned about that awning! We figured it didn’t make it very far and would have to completely re-trace our steps and get on the other side of the highway.

That was right, it was way back where we started. The good news is the the awning was found safe by the side of the road. It has a bit of road rash, but we have it!

Ready to remodel!

That’s it! That’s the intro to our 1999 Jayco pop up camper remodel diary.

We’re so excited about this, and can’t wait to get our hands on her. That’s a story for next time, though!

Pin this post to keep up with our progress!