Camper decision...need advice!

[BarleyJack]

Okay so here's the deal: currently we are tent campers but have always wanted a camper and are starting to look into it. Here are my thoughts: pop ups seem great for a first timer, but I'm worried about canvas/tent material that would need to be replaced in the future; also few of them offer shower/toilet options with hot water at a reasonable price. Have thought about a hard sided travel trailer, but I'm having a hard time finding one that would be "right" for us. We are a couple, no kids, and don't want wasted space with bunks/bunkhouse versions, etc. The smaller trailers all seem to have full size beds, but we'd like a queen at least. Is it just me or is it difficult to find: 1)trailer less than 25" that has A)queen sized bed, B)tv that actually faces a sitting area, C) a decent sized shower with sufficient hot water source, D) in a newer or new travel trailer for less than 12,000 (nothing too old, don't want to buy someone else's headache) and E) AC and Heat? Any advice from you seasoned campers would be MUCH appreciated!

 

[OK GRUMPY]

We have a 22ft 5ver with a dinette slide. They are out there. It took us a lot of searching. We started out with a Pop Up enjoyed it greatly! Then moved up to a trailer. Have you gone to any of those RV shows? Good Luck!

 

[John VN]

First off, do you have a tow vehicle and if so what is the tow limit?

Should have the horse so you know what, how big, you can tow.

Happy searching.

 

[AlyLynn]

I agree that you should go to an RV show! We just made our first purchase, and we received a wealth of info at the RV show in Hershey. Our needs our different than yours because we have 4 kids, and needed the bunkhouse and room! We did see many options at the show that might have been helpful to you. We went without having a tow vehicle, and when we knew what we wanted, we bought the truck first, then went back and bought the trailer!
Good Luck!

 

[BarleyJack]

First off, do you have a tow vehicle and if so what is the tow limit?

Should have the horse so you know what, how big, you can tow.

Happy searching.

7150 lbs

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

7150 lbs

Wheelbase and size of the tow vehicle have a lot to do with the appropriateness for a certain trailer, weight is just one of several considerations. It would be helpful to know what vehicle you have.
Scott

 

[loveDmouse]

You should go to an RV show. There is so much to pick from.

Also be careful about what a dealer says your vechile can tow. They don't always give correct information if you know what I mean.

 

[BarleyJack]

Wheelbase and size of the tow vehicle have a lot to do with the appropriateness for a certain trailer, weight is just one of several considerations. It would be helpful to know what vehicle you have.
Scott

Dodge Dakota 2006 v8

 

[becky1960]

Again, it would also depend on the V8 size. Many years I had a Dodge truck with a 360 V8 and it did not have enough power. We now have a Gmc Dually Diesel that pulls great.

 

[clkelley]

Of course I'm biased, but check out www.tab-rv.com They do have a Queen bed model.

Also www.tada-rv.com

Then in the regular TT world, check out

http://www.cruiserrv.com/funfinderX/index.html

 

[BarleyJack]

Again, it would also depend on the V8 size. Many years I had a Dodge truck with a 360 V8 and it did not have enough power. We now have a Gmc Dually Diesel that pulls great.

We're not worried about the tow capacity. It's towed most anything just fine. We're more concerned with the type of camper to look for, etc.

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

Check with ftwildernessguy, he has a hybrid, they seem to pack a lot of room into an easily towable trailer.

 

[LarryJ]

We're not worried about the tow capacity. It's towed most anything just fine. We're more concerned with the type of camper to look for, etc.

With only have your truck for a year or so, I'm not sure what all you have towed, especially something like a larger TT. Boats and Utility/U-hauls are a whole other thing. The best I can tell is that the 7150 you mentioned is the max which means the most stripped down version of the Dakota, i.e. club cab, 4x2, etc. Best thing is to compare what your actual vehicle really weighs and what the GAW actually are and then do the math. A lot of folks are really surprised that they go way over the GVWR for a typically equipped TV.

I would recommend you join and research this more on something like RV.net where you will get a wider range and probably more complete and accurate recommendations of what you might be happy towing. In my reading of most of the tow type threads, unless you have the top of the line diesel most vehicles only do good at about 75 to 80% of the tow capacity that the manufacturers say they can do. A 4.7 V8 is a fairly small towing engine and 25' TTs are not real light.

JMHO,

Larry

 

[bama_ed]

BarleyJack,

I'll put in a good word for the move to pop-ups. We were a tent camping family with 3 small children and my DW really is not an outdoor girl so she was happy to get off the ground and into a bed.

Your tow vehicle is a consideration in what you choose and also consider where you will store it when not in use. Our pop-up slides into the back half of our unfinished basement off the garage so it is stored "indoors" and I faithfully keep DampRid in it when it is closed up. It is a 2005 Jayco 12 HW, by the way. I feel sorry for the trailers that I see sitting outside in a storage yard fading (literally) away, streaks of grime, and cracking caulk. Whatever you choose, take good care of your investment. My canvas still looks great after 3 years.

The 12HW was the top-of-the-line in the Jayco lineup (has a slide out dinette BTW) and came with heat/ac, shower/potty, bigger fridge, stove/range/microwave and AM/FM for $12k. I would give strong consideration to a hybrid if I were out looking now. It gives you a travel trailer solid wall living environment and the canvas bunkends still give you that "camping" feel. Look at new and used, go to RV shows, go in and out of lots of campers. Pick one that has a local dealer/support in your area in case the need arises. Your DW might like the solid walls and bathroom facilities of a hybrid over a pop-up.

Being able to go to FW for the cost of a campsite makes me laugh when I consider what I would be paying for a FW cabin or room on-site. DW says "but the money you saved with the campsite was spent buying the camper". I reason it by saying we've spent nearly 90 nights in the camper in 3 years and by my math with the delta for lodging and "cooking in versus eating out" it has paid for itself.

So enjoy the journey - I'm sure you'll love the destination when you get there!

Bama ED

 

[CptWife80]

We have a 31' 5th wheel Cardinal. I absolutely love it. I have a king size bed, full bathroom, surround sound, full kitchen with oven and microwave/convection, also has the artic package so we won't have our pipes freeze, AC and heat, oh and a ceiling fan. We lucked out since we have two kids and needed a place for them. On the back is a twin and full size bunk beds with the full on the bottom, our couch also folds out to a queen and the table doubles as a bed. I actually lived in it for a summer on my property just to get out of my hot house.

 

[BarleyJack]

Wow...guess I have some homework to do LOL. Thanks so much for everyone's input! Truly appreciated. Maybe a pop up would be a good starting place after all.

 

[John VN]

Wow...guess I have some homework to do LOL. Thanks so much for everyone's input! Truly appreciated. Maybe a pop up would be a good starting place after all.

Hi-LO and TrailManor are 2 hardside, easy towing rvs. Down and out of wind while towing really helps out the mpg.

 

[LarryJ]

Hi-LO and TrailManor are 2 hardside, easy towing rvs. Down and out of wind while towing really helps out the mpg.

That is absolutely correct, the biggest drag factor is from the rear of the towed vehicle followed next by the turbulence from the bottom. Most think it's the front wind resistance, but that's not true.

Larry

 

[disney4dan]

Wow...guess I have some homework to do LOL. Thanks so much for everyone's input! Truly appreciated. Maybe a pop up would be a good starting place after all.

We went through the same decisions last year and settled on a hard sided trailer for a few reasons:

1. The ability to store items in the trailer so it would be ready to go when we want to go
2. Less set up and break-down time needed; did not want to be putting up a pop-up in the rain
3. Able to stop along the route and make lunches, take a break and relax in our own space
4. price - we found a nice TT with 3 bunks (we have 3 kids) for $8000. It had been used gently and we've had no problems with it in the year we've owned. This price was less than some used pop-ups we'd been looking at and it had air conditioning for trips to FL.
5. My DW really liked the bathroom set-up better in the hard sided trailer.

If you go this route, consider a good quality weight distributing hitch with sway control and you will enjoy the ride better. We pushed the limits with our TT and tow vehicle (2002 Tundra and 29 foot Jayco Quest), but we keep the trailer light and have had no problems. Would not take it through the mountains though. When we bought the trailer, it was with the understanding that we would be looking for a bigger truck soon.

I agree with the other posters about RV.net; lots of good articles about towing and "lessons learned". It's not just how much weight you are towing, but where it is placed in the trailer/truck and how you set up your connection between the two.

 

[KristinU]

We're thinking of making the step-up from tent camping and have been looking at various small trailer options: T@B, Teardrops, and Pop-ups. I've just recently come across the A-Frame pop-ups (Aliner & Chalet seem to be the two main brands) and they seem just about perfect for our family. They're hard-sided and pop up in a minute or so, and are pretty darn cute. Not a massive amount of room, but certainly adequate for our tent-camping family of 3 plus a dog. This style might be worth a look for you!