Future camper advice!

[Pstecker]

We just bought a new to us 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee diesel. So we have our family tow vehicle, now we need our camper.

Currently we have only camped in a cabin and also a tent at FW. Mostly during October and early December (we love the cooler weather). So we're looking at either a pop up, hybrid or ultra-lite TT.

My concerns about the popup:
Ease of setup
Weather during summer and colder months.
Long term maintenance of the canvas.
Not able to utilize during travel

Hybrid concerns:
Weather/temps
Canvas
Can we utilize tent/popup sites? Are there limits to that?

Travel trailer:
Will we loose that outdoor feel?
Weight and layouts for 4 of us.
Can Tt's have issues when it gets really hot?

We hope to up how often we camp, not only at the Fort but also here in VA which can get pretty humid and yucky .

Thanks for any advice on this!

 

[4077]

You will find a lot of advice coming and available to read here! Headed off for night, but if you read through "Finally taking the plunge and buying a trailer", that will have some of the same advice you'll want for a start. Good luck and we'll see you on here as you start the fun of looking!

 

[Pstecker]

Thank you, I'll read through that!

Also does anyone have experience with trail manors?

 

[Teamubr]

Hybrid concerns:
Can we utilize tent/popup sites? Are there limits to that?

Travel trailer:
Will we loose that outdoor feel?
Weight and layouts for 4 of us.
Can Tt's have issues when it gets really hot?

Congrats on the Jeep and staring off camper shopping. You have the pro/cons mapped out pretty well. As for your questions above:

You will be able to put a hybrid (or TT... or tent...) on any type of site it will fit on. A hybrid on a tent/popup site will work fine. Just remember there won't be a sewer hookup.

TT:
You will feel more "indoors" than you do in a tent or popup, but a TT doesn't prevent you from being outside.
Weight will probably be your biggest limit. There are lots of TT floor plans. You will certainly be able to find the right "one", but weight may be the factor. It looks like the Jeep has a tow rating of 7200 lbs. There are lots of nice TTs that will work. Just not a 35ft, 3 slide TT.
Any trailer (or tent for that matter) will get hot sitting in the sun in the summer. Nice thing about a TT vs a popup or hybrid is you have insulation on all sides so the A/C doesn't have to work as hard. Although the A/C never had any problems in my hybrid. It was keeping it warm when the temps get below 50 that was the problem.

I'd look for trailers that run about 6000 lbs or under empty. I always seemed to put about 1000lbs of "stuff" in the camper for a week long trip. That would keep you under your tow rating. Start looking at all the manufacturers web sites to compare floorplans. When you find some you think will work for your family, go see them at the dealer. Spend as much time as you can looking at different brands. Pull out drawers. Try the couches. Bounce on the bed. There will eventually be 1 or 2 that start to check off what you want.

If that's your family in your avatar, looks like you have small kids. There are some neat bunk house TT layouts on the market. I just traded my bunk house 5th wheel after 13 years. Bought it when DS was 5 and it was a great fit for a long time.

Have fun looking. Keeping asking questions and make sure you let us know what you decided on.

j

 

[Pstecker]

Congrats on the Jeep and staring off camper shopping. You have the pro/cons mapped out pretty well. As for your questions above:

You will be able to put a hybrid (or TT... or tent...) on any type of site it will fit on. A hybrid on a tent/popup site will work fine. Just remember there won't be a sewer hookup.

TT:
You will feel more "indoors" than you do in a tent or popup, but a TT doesn't prevent you from being outside.
Weight will probably be your biggest limit. There are lots of TT floor plans. You will certainly be able to find the right "one", but weight may be the factor. It looks like the Jeep has a tow rating of 7200 lbs. There are lots of nice TTs that will work. Just not a 35ft, 3 slide TT.
Any trailer (or tent for that matter) will get hot sitting in the sun in the summer. Nice thing about a TT vs a popup or hybrid is you have insulation on all sides so the A/C doesn't have to work as hard. Although the A/C never had any problems in my hybrid. It was keeping it warm when the temps get below 50 that was the problem.

I'd look for trailers that run about 6000 lbs or under empty. I always seemed to put about 1000lbs of "stuff" in the camper for a week long trip. That would keep you under your tow rating. Start looking at all the manufacturers web sites to compare floorplans. When you find some you think will work for your family, go see them at the dealer. Spend as much time as you can looking at different brands. Pull out drawers. Try the couches. Bounce on the bed. There will eventually be 1 or 2 that start to check off what you want.

If that's your family in your avatar, looks like you have small kids. There are some neat bunk house TT layouts on the market. I just traded my bunk house 5th wheel after 13 years. Bought it when DS was 5 and it was a great fit for a long time.

Have fun looking. Keeping asking questions and make sure you let us know what you decided on.

j

Thanks for the input, lots to consider!

I imagine the hybrid being cold is only slightly different from a tent. I can handle cold much better than heat!

The lack of sewer hook up shouldn't bother us, but may confuse our potty training dd lol. Does disney have a dump station? Something to consider using tent sites for sure.

We're aiming for trailers in the 5,000lb or less category. Buying used would the weights listed be more accurate or do they tend to list stock weight like new trailers?

 

[2goofycampers]

We had a friend that had a Trail Manor. He said it was some work to set up and take down (compared to a TT) but it towed easily. There are also some hard sided pop up type campers. Jayco has one and Aliner.

 

[Magic Fanatic]

We just bought a new to us 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee diesel. So we have our family tow vehicle, now we need our camper.

Currently we have only camped in a cabin and also a tent at FW. Mostly during October and early December (we love the cooler weather). So we're looking at either a pop up, hybrid or ultra-lite TT.

My concerns about the popup:
Ease of setup
Weather during summer and colder months.
Long term maintenance of the canvas.
Not able to utilize during travel

Hybrid concerns:
Weather/temps
Canvas
Can we utilize tent/popup sites? Are there limits to that?

Travel trailer:
Will we loose that outdoor feel?
Weight and layouts for 4 of us.
Can Tt's have issues when it gets really hot?

We hope to up how often we camp, not only at the Fort but also here in VA which can get pretty humid and yucky .

Thanks for any advice on this!

Check out the website irv2.com. You will find all you could possibly want to know about any camper you can imagine, from entry level pop ups all the way through high end class A diesel pushers. Lots of great advice.

 

[Pstecker]

Thanks, I'll be sure to check out that site!

 

[5kidsmommy]

We have a hybrid and love it. The main reason we went with a hybrid over a popup is because it's super easy to set up and because we can access it when the ends are folded up. When we drive places we pull over and have lunch in the trailer, having access to the kitchen when on the road is nice. Heck we've even slept in it without folding down the ends when we needed to stop for a quick sleep in a rest area. We've been in it as cold as in the low 30s, one January Disney trips a few years ago. It does get cold but ceramic heaters work great as do electric mattress pads.

My husband enjoyed tent camping but it was just too much for me with all the kids, the hybrid was a compromise and I do enjoy the feeling of sleeping outside but with the convenience of a trailer. You do though have to be a little more aware of noise in a hybrid which with kids can sometimes be difficult. I love ours though, we've never regretted the purchase.

 

[tltay2005]

We have a small bunkhouse TT that sleeps 4 easily. We decided against a hybrid or pop up because didn't want to deal with the problems of the canvas. You will not lose the outdoor feel of camping unless you choose to. We basically consider our TT a hard sided tent. We sleep inside, but live out doors. We cook, eat and spend time outside. Only time we are inside, when not sleeping, is if it is storming. We set up a canopy over the picnic table and utilize the area under the canopy. Please visit the March trip reports for photos of out set up. Good luck on your purchase.

 

[Boopuff]

I've owned a pop-up, hybrid, TT and now a Class A. The pop-up was fine for towing with a Dodge Caravan. We got the hybrid and moved up to a Suburban. I think you never loose the great outdoor feel when you're camping because we spend most of our time outside. Take time picking out your camper. Go to camping shows and dealers. Bring the whole family see how it feels with the whole gang! Have fun!

 

[Pstecker]

We have a hybrid and love it. The main reason we went with a hybrid over a popup is because it's super easy to set up and because we can access it when the ends are folded up. When we drive places we pull over and have lunch in the trailer, having access to the kitchen when on the road is nice. Heck we've even slept in it without folding down the ends when we needed to stop for a quick sleep in a rest area. We've been in it as cold as in the low 30s, one January Disney trips a few years ago. It does get cold but ceramic heaters work great as do electric mattress pads.

My husband enjoyed tent camping but it was just too much for me with all the kids, the hybrid was a compromise and I do enjoy the feeling of sleeping outside but with the convenience of a trailer. You do though have to be a little more aware of noise in a hybrid which with kids can sometimes be difficult. I love ours though, we've never regretted the purchase.

You hit the nail on the head. I have pretty similar feelings towards a hybrid. It's such a big purchase for us and we want to be sure. I'm pretty sure we'll pass on the popup just for the ability to hop in on road trips. Which if we're getting a camper we definitely want to travel with it.

 

[Pstecker]

We have a small bunkhouse TT that sleeps 4 easily. We decided against a hybrid or pop up because didn't want to deal with the problems of the canvas. You will not lose the outdoor feel of camping unless you choose to. We basically consider our TT a hard sided tent. We sleep inside, but live out doors. We cook, eat and spend time outside. Only time we are inside, when not sleeping, is if it is storming. We set up a canopy over the picnic table and utilize the area under the canopy. Please visit the March trip reports for photos of out set up. Good luck on your purchase.

We have a similar setup when we tent camp, and just enjoy being out. I'll check out the trip reportsď

 

[peg110]

We looked at Hybrids because we definitely like to hop in while on the road, if nothing else but to use the bathroom. (It's always nice to have it.... You always know the quality of the facility unlike some place you could stop).

The only problem with the Hybrid for us, is that we will stop and rest for a few hours in rest stops or truck stops. These place really (REALLY) frown on you "Expanding" your trailers (slides or the canvas pull out/drop down). Most hybrids will have some "Sleep space" in the way of the dinette or a couch. Most Manufactures consider the dinette and/or couch to be able to sleep 2 each (total of 4) but that is for "Tiny" folks. Not us full size (or shall I say Plus size) adults. So with DW and I and anywhere from 1 to 3 kids (11, 18 and 21) it just won't work. Plus I hate to convert the Dinette. I am okay with converting the couch in a pinch (as it's relatively simple to do).

Of course not everyone travels the same way that we do. We might get a hybrid as more of the kids fly the roost, but right now... Not yet.

Good luck with your choice, everyone's advice previously is spot on. Check the shows.... Try and borrow or rent one to test them out.

 

[North of Mouse]

Thanks for the input, lots to consider!
The lack of sewer hook up shouldn't bother us, but may confuse our potty training dd lol. Does disney have a dump station?

No, Disney does not have a dump station. That may be a reason to get a full hook up (not a huge difference in price) as that could become an issue if you are there several days - 'or' you could use the restrooms at the loop, but to me that would defeat the purpose of having your own personal bathroom.

 

[peg110]

The lack of sewer hook up shouldn't bother us, but may confuse our potty training dd lol. Does disney have a dump station?

Shouldn't confuse the dd too much. If you are at a site without a sewer hook up, then only use the TT/Hybrid bathroom when absolutely necessary. Certainly the capacity of the tank should be adequate for those "Occasional" uses. Other times just use the Comfort Stations.

Also depending on how busy the Fort is, it's also possible to drive to an empty site with hookups and dump your tanks. While it may be a bit of a pain, it's probably less of a pain then having a full black (or grey) water tank to contend with.

 

[5kidsmommy]

We regularly camp at national parks for 5-7 days without hook ups, we have always been able to last until checkout and usually one or more of us use the bathroom in the middle of the night. Even on a partial site for a week or so you should be fine using the toilet from time to time.

 

[jgdsoarin]

We are also in Virginia and have gone from a pop up to an Aliner to a recently purchased small hybrid. I was not going to consider a hybrid, but my cousin has one and loves it. We just couldn't beat the towing weight we got with the hybrid. Ours is small with only one fold out bed (Starcraft AR One 15rb), but it will sleep four easily and has all the storage space we need. I like that we can still sleep 3 without folding out the bed by using the sofa. We have yet to see how it will hold up in Virginia's humid summers, but our old pop up did fine, so we expect this one will, too. I agree that the cold is harder to manage with canvas, but a heater or electric blanket should be fine. You have a lot of options with your towing capacity. The main thing I will miss about the Aliner and popup will be the gas mileage when towing. The hybrid gets about half of what I got with those! I will love the ability to stop and access the trailer easily for lunch breaks, etc.

 

[Pstecker]

We are also in Virginia and have gone from a pop up to an Aliner to a recently purchased small hybrid. I was not going to consider a hybrid, but my cousin has one and loves it. We just couldn't beat the towing weight we got with the hybrid. Ours is small with only one fold out bed (Starcraft AR One 15rb), but it will sleep four easily and has all the storage space we need. I like that we can still sleep 3 without folding out the bed by using the sofa. We have yet to see how it will hold up in Virginia's humid summers, but our old pop up did fine, so we expect this one will, too. I agree that the cold is harder to manage with canvas, but a heater or electric blanket should be fine. You have a lot of options with your towing capacity. The main thing I will miss about the Aliner and popup will be the gas mileage when towing. The hybrid gets about half of what I got with those! I will love the ability to stop and access the trailer easily for lunch breaks, etc.

Super good points thanks! Now to find the right trailer

 

[Pstecker]

We regularly camp at national parks for 5-7 days without hook ups, we have always been able to last until checkout and usually one or more of us use the bathroom in the middle of the night. Even on a partial site for a week or so you should be fine using the toilet from time to time.

Good to know, I really gotta read up on the whole waste and water systems in rv's.