To buy a camping trailer, or not (wide, park, bed)

[kavm]

We are the late 50s and still very much working. We enjoy hiking, nature and often visit national parks and similar areas. Being located in Utah, we have some attractive and not too distant options.

We use tent camping but that does get a bit tiresome. We sometimes rent VRBO properties but they easily go 250-300/night, and often a challenge to keep to that range. We vacation in / near the national parks or forest areas 3-4 times a year. To a degree, part of the frequency is a function of the fact that we think you need minimum of 3 nights to make tent camping worthwhile, and it is conceivable that we make more camping trips if they were less effort.

So, we are seriously looking into the camper van / trailer option. Inclined towards small (class B) camping trailer (not interested in towing a humongous RV, no matter how nice) pulled by a towing vehicle - as that’d give us the chance to head to the trails in the towing vehicle while the camper stays in a campground. [Note: Have done some RV vacations in Alaska, so aren't totally unfamiliar with the concept.]

The expense is not insubstantial as we’d need to buy both the towing vehicle and trailer and are not bottom-end buyers - for instance, Airstream Nest / Basecamp are more our speed. Furthermore, we'd need to a monthly storage rental as we can’t park it in our condo. The main thing that’s holding us back, however, is not the expense but the question as to how much we would actually use it. Since we aren’t retired and still very much (happily) in our careers, the time we’d use it in the near term is the biggest question mark. We do have some flexibility in our work (i.e., not 8-5 employees controlled by some employer / boss) but so far the demand for our time, particularly mine, outstrips the supply but is hard to pass up due to the high opportunity cost.

I argue that if we have a more convenient camping as an option, we’d be less hesitant to go every few weekends, as compared to now (every few months) when to go somewhere with tent on Friday night with plan to return on Sunday is too much to contemplate. My wife is not uninterested but also rightly skeptical. It’s hard to know the extent of usage ahead of time.

Of course, we could postpone the decision for a few years when we are retired and have more free time, but then we’d perhaps be asking a different question - how long do we really have to make use of it.

I would like to get some opinions on our situation. Are we thinking about it the right way? Should we be thinking of something else?

[engineman]

We tent camped in the late 60s with 2 small kids. In the first season we observed that the folks with popup trailers were up off the ground and had real mattresses on their beds. We had a popup the next year.
Time marches on and some time after the kids were gone we got a Casita travel trailer. It was 17' and worked well for 2 retirees. The Casita and similar Escape trailer are made of durable fiberglass like a boat. We towed ours with mid-sized SUVs which were entirely adequate and served as our general use car when not towing.

Most of that time we lived in Arizona and traveled up to British Columbia and Alberta and on 2 separate trips went to Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas in Mexico. We favored National Parks and National Forests plus some state parks.

Casita and Escape have web sites and sell direct to the public.

[kavm]

Thank you! We do prefer hard body over pop-ups as we plan to camp in bear country and might sleep better. Will definitely look at Casita and Escape sites. How does one check out and see the real thing to decide whether one likes it or not?

[Hemlock140]

We used to tent camp with the kids too, now they are grown and we got a 20’ trailer and love it. Ours is a Keystone Springdale 20’, and we got it for about $15k. Look at the Rpod, but the 18x series, which has a dry bath. Many of the smaller trailers like the Rpod 17x have the toilet in the shower (wet bath). The best thing about ours is the rear dinette surrounded with big windows. Also, look for a bed that you can walk around, and not have to climb over the other person. We looked at trailers at 5 different dealers before buying.

The Nest and Casita that we looked at all had the sideways beds against the walls. When you get older, you won’t want to climb over your spouse to get up in the night to go to the bathroom.

[StealthRabbit]

Do realize the Class B as you note, is typically a Campervan, not a trailer.

If you can spare 10 weekends / yr and a couple longer trips you should consider 'trying' the RV routine soon. (I did UT parks a couple weeks ago, as I often do) I do CO, WY, ID, WA, OR, CA, MT, AZ, NM, NV several times a yr too (since age 17).

The mini trailers you mention do not require a special tow rig (Minivan , SUV will do)

Thus, you can be very picky and find a nice used Casita or similar for $5000. They are very ez to resell, so I would certainly get one as soon as you find a nice used bargain (My mom has bought many RV's used and ONLY buy those that are pristine, often with factory plastic wrap still on upholstery. Many buy RV's with great intentions then life happens. (Often this is people who wait too long, then lose their mobility before they get the opportunity to use their new RV! * don't become one of them!). An older couple I was helping had a new RV delivered to their home, and then they got ill and NEVER used it ONCE!

A reasonable tow vehicle (as a starter trial) could be under $5000. I would get a nice used Minivan and spend $500 outfitting it so you can try 'van camping' as well as trailer. Trust this old tent camper... life (camping) gets BETTER!!! All these camping trailers / campervans have 'chat' groups on Google and Yahoo that are very helpful.

When you get ready to REALLY retire, you will know what you want and can get a nice return on your used rig.

[kavm]

Thank you so much for all the responses and thoughts! I did not know that class B was camper van and not a trailer. Getting a lightly used one might be a good idea at this stage. Where does one look at those? I looked at the web - and it's hard going. Also, hard to know what is lightly used and what's not - without actually looking at it? And, most that I saw on the internet aren't exactly around the corner. Any thoughts and advice would be welcome!

[Nefret]

We recently sold our travel trailer through RV Trader, an online site.

[PNW-type-gal]

Unless you want to buy a big truck (Ford F150 or higher), your best bet is with the little fiberglass trailers (Casita, Scamp) which are usually around or below 2,000lb. The Airstream Nest starts at around $45,000, which really seems like a lot to spend if you aren't sure you really want to do it. Plus it's over 3,000 lb, so you'd likely need a truck to tow it. The Casita or Scamp seems like a better starting deal.

The big trailer manufacturers like to say that the small trailers like the rPod, the A-liner, the Hummingbird, can be towed with just a small SUV, but it is really pushing it. Those trailers - absolutely dry and empty and without batteries or propane tanks - weigh about 3,000 lb with a tongue weight of 300-450 lb. Once you add the batteries, propane, all of the things that you want to camp with, that weight goes up significantly, even if you tow with the tanks bone dry. It's not just the weight your tow vehicle is rated to tow, either, it's also the GVWR - the weight of the tow vehicle, the weight on the hitch, the passengers, passenger gear.

Our trailer is 20' hitch-to-bumper and it has a couple features I really wanted:
- dual axle,
- a bed with enough space to get out of without crawling over the other person or sleeping jammed up against a wall,
- headroom to stand up in without feeling like we were going to hit our heads (we are both just under 6' tall),
-a bath with a toilet separate from the shower (ie a dry bath, not a wet bath),
-enough storage that everything has a place and could be stowed away and neat and not out on the counters all the time,
-an awning that was easy to put up (this one is push-button),
-no slides for simplicity.

It did take a bigger truck than I really wanted to tow it - a Ford F150 with a V8, 3.73 rear end and a factory tow package.

We camp for 2-3 weeks at a time, just the two of us and a dog, and after 3 weeks we like being home with much more space. Six contiguous months of life in a 20' trailer would probably be too much - a 20' trailer is about 160 sf of living space.

[StealthRabbit]

for unique items, I typically do a US wide Craigslist Rss feed (adhuntr or similar) You can filter by One Owner for Sale BY Owner. U-ship.com gets a lot of my transportation needs, but I find hotshotters who will deliver loads during a deadhead (empty run).

I usually get someone from the users group, near the rig to examine for me. (I give them and hourly rate and have them examine it while I am on the phone asking questions and looking at a similar rig (for reference) . (There are some excellent RV buyer checklists online) . If I REALLY like one... I jump on SWA and fly and go see it <$200! (but I have had excellent luck having 3rd parties help me look it over). For RV's I insist... no smoking, no pets, no shoes, always kept in indoor storage, (no mice / no mold). Before tugging home... I expect to buy new TRAILER tires (not passenger tires). Tread wear is irrelevant, read and heed the DOT date code on sidewall. 7 yrs MAX life.


The User club fetches a strong price, but privately looking you will do better, either way you will enjoy strong resell. (not sure what Make you will like) For Sale - Casita Travel Trailers - Classifieds - The Casita Club Forums

List of Casita travel trailers for sale


Your BEST bet is networking with users groups, but your best find will be happening upon an estate auction / one sitting by the road FS. I look primarily near retirement havens, and I insist on NO SALT... so usually avoid coastal purchases or Mid America. AZ, CA, OR, WA are pretty good. TX & AZ if always stored inside.

Won't hurt to start looking now, but best RV deals are in late fall / winter (near times people need money... Property and income tax)


Tho a 40+ yr CDL semi driver / and farmer who tows trailers nearly everyday... I am not a fan of travel trailers. I enjoy my FREEDOM!! too much (until I get older). Ideally my favorite camping is 'Then-Came-Bronson'... MC and bedroll is adequate. My 'other / better' half LOVES camping. so... I sometimes camp! If trailering... I prefer tandem - triple axle. Less bounce, great tracking.

My cousin has had a Casita / Escape for 20+ yrs and absolutely love it (they go and STAY places... I just GO places... everyday a different place) +/-, all to your taste.

I LUV our camper van... get up early or late, swing out of bed and DRIVE (while other sleeps). or.. beautiful stream / roadside overlook... pull over and Nap, read, cook a meal, look out the PICTURE WINDOW during coastal storms or 90F days. Cold? turn on the furnace, hot? turn on the genset and AC,
Shower? drive 5 minutes to warm up the Motoraide HW heater, Soup / meal / cocoa / Coffee... fire up the Microwave. Need a toilet (while riding... use the toilet)

Life beyond tenting is really wonderful.

If you see a Hot Springs... you will find me! (often in WY, ID, CO, OR, BC, MT)

[kavm]

Wow! Thank you so much PNW-type-gal and StealthRabbit! This is very useful advice and information. I will start educating myself a bit further on some of the avenues you suggest.

One more question - one of the reasons we crossed the camper van off our list is that we'd not be using it frequently enough and having it sit for the long intervals might not be good for the vehicle. Is that the correct reasoning?