Setting up a camper, thinking of buying.

[TheRatPack]

Okay....when I was younger we camped all the time. My grandparents always had a pull behind, Alumilite(sp?). Anyhow, my husband has always tent camped and now he's got this big idea of buying a Class C. He can't understand that really with the size family we have, a pull behind might be smarter in the long run when traveling to Disney. We like to go off site sometimes to eat, and what if the kids get sick or hurt and need to be driven to a quick care...etc?

He said something to the effect of 'well you just unhook this or that and go'...ummm, no! I remember very little about the set up of the camper when I was a kid.....we went all the time, but seriously we were more interested in getting to the pool or hiking...etc and so I just remember it took way too long for them to get us leveled and hooked up...LOL

We already have a 3/4 ton Suburban, tow package...etc so it's not like a pull behind doesn't make since.....I just can't wrap my head around a Class C with all the reasons we'd need to drive a vehicle too.

So....for those of you that decided on a Class C....does it work out as you'd planned? Anytime you wish you had a vehicle? And those that decided against a Class C....why? Oh and chime in on the set up and break down of the Class C as well please....I just don't see 'unhooking things and driving away' LOL

Thanks!!!

 

[BigDaddyRog]

In my humble opinion...you have won this arguement!!!!

 

[BradyBz12]

DH and I have this discussion a lot when talking about our next camper in the not-too-distant future (we're in a hybrid TT now). We keep coming back to the same conclusions you have when it comes to having a vehicle once we get to our destination.

At some point in time we may find ourselves in a Class A or C with a dinghy, but for now it makes the most sense for us to tow a camper and have our vehicle with us.

 

[Bessie_Blue]

In my opinion you have asked the most difficult question. What to buy A, C, or TT. We just purchased a Class A 32' in June. I own a 08 Ram quad cab and wife drives a Honda Pilot. We decided to go with a class A due to not wanting to put the miles on the new truck and there's not a lot of space in the quad cab for long distance trips with a 5 y/o and an 5 month old. On local trips (less than 1.5 hours) wife drives the honda while I drive the bus. With a suburban space probably isn't an issue. The inlaws have a 27' TT and we drive into our spots at the same time. We can level and setup in about 15 minutes. I am usually having a beer watching them holler at one another while they argue over disconnecting the TT (until the ask for my help ofcourse). But there are times we wished we had a vehicle to go off. I am still trying to find out how to tow a car behind the bus. We are absolutely crazy. Never owned a TT, pop up, tent, or class C and here we go out and by a Class A........on ebay none-the-less...insane I tell you. But I already love the thing. Good luck with you travels, either way, you'll have a blast

 

[DaveInTN]

I think there are arguments for both, depending on the types of trips you will predominantly take. Until 3 years ago, we had a 3/4 ton Suburban and a TT. Most of our trips were long weekends within 4 hours of home, with the ocassional longer trip.

After our 4th DD was born, our TT was too small and we began to shop for a larger TT. But we also began to talk about taking more longer trips...not just an annual trip to Disney but also trips out west, to New England, DC, Williamsburg, the Great Lakes, etc. (I saw on another post that you homeschool, as we do, so these longer trips are possible during quiet times of the year ) We ultimately decided that, if we were going to take those trips while our kids are a "good age" for it, it would be easier traveling those long distances for 2 or 3 weeks at a time with a motorhome. After a lot of looking, we settled on a class A bunk model; the Itasca Sunova 35J. We pull my daily driver behind us to use when we stop at destinations.

We love traveling in the MH! You've likely heard all the arguments for one, such as having access to the bathroom and kitchen while on the road, and the comfort of stretching out on the sofa or at the dinette while traveling. However, my wife and I were just talking the other day about a time in the future when we may not take as many long trips due to the kids' schedules and/or changing priorities in life. When that happens, my opinion is to go back to a TT or 5th wheel with a truck. I personally don't see the expense of a MH if it's not going to be used for long trips. JMHO. So, I would look at it in that light and see what you think.

 

[des1954]

I'm totally with you on having a vehicle you can drive without breaking camp. It's not just a matter of un-hooking and going. You have to secure everything inside the MH before you leave, too. You don't want to have little mini-missles flying around while you're driving.

If your DH wins the MH battle, make sure the engine is strong enough to tow a vehicle and that it's properly set up to tow. You can always rent a tow-dolly from U-Haul and bring your vehicle with you. If the bed of your truck is big enough, you can put a golf cart in the truck and bring that with you, too!

 

[dtum]

DH and I had talked about a Class C (we had a TT that we towed with an Astro, but the wheelbase was too short on the Astro and it was really bad towing) when we got rid of TT. Also, talked about having to always tow a car behind. Since we had our truck, we went the fifth-wheel route...we really loved the 12' height-it's just so much more open. We also couldn't justify the expense and maintenance of another motorized vehicle--really love our fifth-wheel and we have our truck to drive out if we want to.

One thing, at least in Ohio, it doesn't matter what type of vehicle you are riding in-everyone has to be in a seat belt. Walking around cooking, using the facility, etc. is illegal. I know a lot of people do it with MHs-especially letting their little kids play on the floor etc. (and that's a discussion for another day). We actually enjoy stopping at rest stops and getting out for a little break. Good luck on your search and just make sure if you go with TT that your Suburban can handle the weight/length of the TT.

 

[TheRatPack]

Thanks everyone We have 5 children and yes we do homeschool so long trips would be GREAT. My husband works full time though so we can't really take 2-3 week trips right now. Maybe in the future Right now we're looking for shorter trips, maybe a long weekend here or there and our 9 day trip to Disney each year

If we do end up buying something like a Class C, I would still have to drive the Suburban.....not sure it could be towed. I just can't see being without a vehicle for a week or so....especially since we like to go visit family in different states when we go on vacation, and seriously if we didn't take a car, how on earth would we go visit them. Most people couldn't fit us all in their car and we'd have to call 2 or 3 cabs LOL

Thanks again for all the input. I know TT probably are a bit more involved to set up and break down, but still I didn't think breaking down a Class C (if we had to run to the emergency room or something) would be as easy as he was thinking LOL and/or doable in a rushed emergency situation.

Plus the whole cost issue between the two....that's a discussion for another day LOL

 

[mouseketeer_mom]

Just my 2 cents but...

We went the opposite way that most do. Went from a Class A to a TT just because of how well it fit our family. I've done the whole "tear it down at night and put it back up in the morning thing" with the living space in a Class A. We have three kids and there is just not enough room in a drivable RV for them to sleep and keep all their endless crap. I really wanted them to have their own space for sleeping and all their stuff. And I don't have to use the "living space" as their bedroom space anymore.

As far as setting up goes, I guess it probably takes us maybe ten minutes longer in the TT overall. Well worth it as far as I am concerned.

 

[ftwildernessguy]

For the size, I don't think you can beat a TT for sleeping capacity. With a 3/4ton, you should be able to pull a pretty good sized TT. I am always amazed at the limited sleeping capacity of most Class A's and C's. We are in the market for a new TT, trading the Hybrid for a hard side. Personally, I like the idea of having my TV for transportation after arrival at the campground. Despite what people may think and say about motorhomes, it is not any safer to let people wander about while under motion than a regular van, car or truck.

 

[DaveInTN]

Thanks everyone We have 5 children and yes we do homeschool so long trips would be GREAT. My husband works full time though so we can't really take 2-3 week trips right now. Maybe in the future Right now we're looking for shorter trips, maybe a long weekend here or there and our 9 day trip to Disney each year

If we do end up buying something like a Class C, I would still have to drive the Suburban.....not sure it could be towed. I just can't see being without a vehicle for a week or so....especially since we like to go visit family in different states when we go on vacation, and seriously if we didn't take a car, how on earth would we go visit them. Most people couldn't fit us all in their car and we'd have to call 2 or 3 cabs LOL

Thanks again for all the input. I know TT probably are a bit more involved to set up and break down, but still I didn't think breaking down a Class C (if we had to run to the emergency room or something) would be as easy as he was thinking LOL and/or doable in a rushed emergency situation.

Plus the whole cost issue between the two....that's a discussion for another day LOL

It now sounds to me like your argument is complete. With 5 kids, your choices in Toads that can be towed by a Class C, or even a gas Class A, are seriously limited. I know because I have 4 kids myself and went through this. Since you need the Suburban for your daily driver, and it is already a very capable tow vehicle, a TT makes a lot of sense. To get a MH AND a new vehicle to pull that would seat all of you would be very expensive. Also, while our floor plan of class A with bunks works wonderfully for our family of 6, adding another body to the mix would be very difficult. We are pretty well maxed out without setting up blow up mattresses. In TT's you have choices with bunk rooms to sleep all your kids. And without the expense of a new tow vehicle. And since you don't plan on those longer trips now like we are currently doing, the expense of a MH doesn't make sense IMHO.

Sounds like you win!

Now is the fun part...shopping! Check out Jayco's line up of TT's. They make some awesome units. And don't forget that, before you start shopping, you need to be clear on what your Suburban's tow capacities are. That depends on the motor (6.0L or 8.1L) and the rear axle ratio (probably either 3.73 or 4.10). If you have the 6.0 with 3.73 rear end you are much more limited than if you have the larger motor and higher rear ratio.

 

[TheRatPack]

Mouseketeer Mom, thanks for explaining that. I'd not even thought about the time of having to set everything up to sleep and then transforming it all back in to a living space the next day, not something I would look forward to...well unless we could afford one that did it all at the push of a button LOL

FtWildernessGuy, I agree....something about moving around in a moving vehicle doesn't seem safe for my bunch either. I'd be a nervous wreck. We have to stop at the rest areas for our dogs, and get plenty of leg stretching time....so really they'd have no reason to be up and about and they'd just be finding reasons to move around in the MH LOL

DaveInTn, yes, our Suburban is the 8.1L with the 496. The axle ratio is listed at 4.10, with a max trailer weight of 12,000lbs. It has a class 5 hitch that says it only goes to 10,000 pounds though...so would that be my max? And it also doesn't have the factory wheels it has aluminum mags and we just installed new tires that have a standard load rating (Goodyear Triple Tread)....so we'll have to check on that as well.

 

[BradyBz12]

For the size, I don't think you can beat a TT for sleeping capacity. ...I am always amazed at the limited sleeping capacity of most Class A's and C's.

Agreed. We're shopping around for our move up from our hybrid (hopefully next year) and while we don't have kids, we do have 3 border collies and are looking for bunkrooms which would give us plenty of space for crates/storage. But we're still in a vehicle that doesn't have a huge towing capacity, so we're watching the weight. So far we're leaning towards THIS

Quad bunks would definitely come in handy with 5 kids.

 

[mdoc]

We used to have a travel trailer, and now we have a very large Class C. We pull a car (usually a Suburban) behind the motorhome if we think we're going to need one at our destination. We've also rented cars while at our destination if we didn't want to pull a toad. We drive 21 hours to Disney, and it is MUCH more comfortable in a motorhome than it is in a truck or Suburban. I can see the benefits of both a trailer and a class C. I cannot see unhooking a class C and using it to drive around at my destination, though. If that's the plan, I'd rethink.

 

[ftwildernessguy]

DaveInTn, yes, our Suburban is the 8.1L with the 496. The axle ratio is listed at 4.10, with a max trailer weight of 12,000lbs. It has a class 5 hitch that says it only goes to 10,000 pounds though...so would that be my max? And it also doesn't have the factory wheels it has aluminum mags and we just installed new tires that have a standard load rating (Goodyear Triple Tread)....so we'll have to check on that as well.

You should never approach the maximum ratings for your TV or hitch.

 

[TheRatPack]

You should never approach the maximum ratings for your TV or hitch.

So then we should be looking at TT with somewhere around an 8000lb weight? That sounds small....but then again I haven't really taken notice of that when we've looked since we haven't gotten serious yet LOL

Something to definitely research though....thanks, you all have been a wealth of information.

 

[clkelley]

So then we should be looking at TT with somewhere around an 8000lb weight? That sounds small....but then again I haven't really taken notice of that when we've looked since we haven't gotten serious yet LOL

Something to definitely research though....thanks, you all have been a wealth of information.

You need to be looking at something with a GROSS of about 8000 lbs.

Actually, that's a lot of trailer. The TTs are getting lighter all the time.

 

[tlh0726]

2 things that I can recommend when you purchase is bunks & slide out

Worth repeating BUNKS & SLIDE OUT

Having to make up and tear down beds every day gets old real fast.
You lose the use of the interior of your unit when the kids are ready for bed and try making breakfast when someone is sleeping on your table and you cannot even sit to have a cup of coffee because someone is on the couch. Not fun.

Remember when you look at the units, the kids will only get bigger. What works now may not work 2 years from now. Have a few of the sales people step into the unit with you and move around. It will definitely give you a feel as to if it is going to be large enough.

With 5 kids I would definitely look into a something that has a seperate bunk room. Have only seen quad bunks, but you could throw an air mattress on the floor between for the 5th. The mattress then could be thrown on top of one the bunks during the day

Take your time and make sure it fits your families needs.

Good luck!!

 

[TheRatPack]

Thanks CL By the way...love the trailer in your signature! I'll get on some sites tonight and check around for what we'd be looking for in that gross range and I'm sure I'll be surprised.

TLH, I would get tired of that.....I can't stand to have something in my living area even when kids spend the night or something, the air mattresses have to be cleaned up and it's just a hassle to do it at home, I can imagine doing it on vacation. I think I'd be okay with 1 on the couch...maybe the one that gets up before anyone else and always makes her bed LOL....but we definitely need to look for quad bunks.

 

[ftwildernessguy]

Check the Jayco website and look at some of the floorplans for the Jay Flight series. I am pretty sure we will be buying a Jay Flight soon, after comparing a lot of different makes at the Hershey show. I have owned a Jayco Kiwi for 8 years, but we are trading in the hybrid for a hardside to simplify my life.