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Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Quote:
Originally Posted by unxpctd
I'll be buying a pop up truck camper when I retire in a few years.
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4 Wheel Camper (Brand name) fits the bill. Doesn't weigh as much as a full size hard sided camper. Pops up in 3 minutes and when driving (it's down) you have better aerodynamics for better mileage. And it's not as top heavy.
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Or the version many backcountry campers have used since 1950's
Alaskan Campers (not cheap, not light, but very robust and excellent service life / resale)
Very good insulation for winter / hunting season camping.
We are converging on an Escape fiberglass trailer pulled by F150. Since we have neither as yet - we will take our time figuring out the details and educating ourselves. Given the Covid situation, we aren’t likely to take many (any?) trips in the short run. So, planning to get the project (trailer, truck) setup by Summer 2021.
Background: I and my wife are nearing 60. We are into outdoors - and do tent camping. So far, 2-3 times a year (though we enjoy it), partly as we have professional careers and also we are able to hike and bike right where we are. Our careers are flexible enough that we can take Fridays off often enough, but happens less often than we like. There are multiple factors - but the drag of prep for a 2-night tent camping trip is one part of that. We are active (hiking, biking) and in good health so far. We also live in an area with a lot of attractive nature around us. So, we (I am more enthusiastic than my wife who is in agreement but more objectively assessing pros and cons) have the thought that a RV/trailer (likely trailer) might be a good addition to our lifestyle as we move towards retirement and an early phase of retirement where our health is hopefully good (though the retirement is a few years away). Our intended use is driving to the national parks and national forests - not really boondocking but mostly non-commercial campgrounds (sometimes with limited facilities) as we prefer to be in the nature. A couple of additional considerations: (a) My wife is an eco-conscious person - so we need to keep the size down, and (b) we are financially comfortable - conservative in how we spend the money but it is more a consideration than a constraint. Finally, we are a car family and will need to buy a towing vehicle and trailer (or a class-B).
Rough Plan/Idea: We will only be able to put it into place 8-12 months from now at the earliest.
First, less than 20 ft (17 ft?) trailer vs a class B camper (like Sprinter conversion): Both are attractive. I am thinking trailer for the following reason: The hikes we like to do and areas we like to visit often require a 4x4 high clearance type vehicle. [That said, these are mostly dirt roads with ruts - rather than sand dunes and we might be overestimating the high clearance part.] So, it might be better to have a trailer that we can park and then use the towing vehicle by itself to get to trailheads, etc. So, that's the idea we have been discussing.
With that - I have been eying the coming Ford Bronco with a 6-cyl engine, though its specs are not yet announced. What goes into this choice is that (a) we are not really a truck family (at least my wife has some resistance to the idea), and (b) it should give us some 4x4 and off-road capabilities. As a 2-person family, we are somewhat resistant to the huge SUV if it can be avoided. That said, it is a lighter vehicle (thinking 4000 lbs range but waiting for the specs)...
In term of trailers we are thinking of: Casita (16/17ft), Escape (17 or 19 ft), Airstream Basecamp (16 ft), Airstream Nest (17 ft). The trailer weights ranges from 2500 to 3400 lbs and the gross (loaded) weight ranges from 3000 to 4000 lbs.
Advice: Any and all advice is welcome. Some questions in our mind are:
Towing Vehicle: I am sure we will make sure that the towing capacity is well above the gross trailer weight. But, I have picked up that just because the vehicle can tow the weight doesn't mean it is a good idea - and the weight of the vehicle in comparison with the trailer is a factor. I get the concept but not about how to apply it. What is the acceptable or desirable ratio of vehicle weight to trailer weight? Assuming a gross trailer weight between 3-4000 lbs, what is the towing vehicle type or weight we should consider as comfortable. I am also not clear about the trailer weight, loaded trailer weight (just adding 600 lbs), tongue weight? In terms of driving experience, it is mainly limited to cars and (rental) SUVs and occasional RV or moving truck.
New or Used:Our thinking is new for the following reason: We are not knowledgeable or talented in practical repair, mechanical or electrical. So, if it requires more than 5 minutes with a screwdriver (exaggerating but only a little), we need to take it somewhere. But, we are good at following the correct usage and maintenance instructions. The prices of new seem within our capacity. Also, we aren't the most skilled at trading - so often lose a little both buying and selling. So, buying used and then trading up isn't the best fit for us.
Knowledge of trailers and options: The trailers seem to come with gazillion choices - and we understand only a few of the terms and even fewer implications. [I should note that neither of us knowledgeable in these things - software is my speed, literature is my wife's ]. So, when the options about the hitch, anti-sway equipment, battery etc. come up - we aren't totally clear what's an unnecessary upsell and what's an important decision we might end up regretting. So, we need to educate ourselves about trailer/towing 101 (for the dummies).
Wet bath vs separate bath and toilet:As far as my wife goes, the bath and toilet (limited as they are in small trailers) are the #1 requirement. All except one choice (Casita) feature wet bath. Any idea how good/bad that is. [We understand that the usage might be limited in non-hookup situations, but it is an important factor.]
Timing:It is clear that our usage will be relatively light in the first 2-3 years (as we continue our careers) and increase once we retire, provided our health holds up. My thought is that this will require an investment either way - and we are better making that sooner. Does that make sense?
Trailer Parking:We will need to rent parking for trailer. Our condo garage will not fit it. The fees I have seen seem to be of the order of 1500-2000 /yr. Is that about right?
Sorry about the long post, but hopefully it gives you the relevant background to advise us. Many many thanks!
We haven’t camped in multiple decades but we don’t want to stay at motel on our trip to FL
We also didn’t want to give up our Traverse when we would only pull a tent/trailer for short times
We ordered a Sylvan GO tent/trailer—
You can look online
We tried it out just driving locally a couple of days ago and there is no problem with pulling it w/o any items stored in the 18” storage cargo section—in fact it will probably bounce less with some weight
We bought this because 1–tow capacity for our present vehicle, 2-can store in single garage bay (we have 3 car garage). The website says/shows that you can even store it vertically/standing up but my husband doesn’t feel comfortable doing that
It doesn’t take up an entire bay so there is room for work bench, exercise bike, etc...
Haven’t slept in it yet but it can be ordered with a solar kit for outgrid camping or you can buy your own solar setup from various companies
No toilet but we got a 2 room shower tent to use for toilet and shower setup
We likely will try to camp w/water and electric available but don’t want to use bathhouses at camping sites
We haven’t camped in multiple decades but we don’t want to stay at motel on our trip to FL
We also didn’t want to give up our Traverse when we would only pull a tent/trailer for short times
We ordered a Sylvan GO tent/trailer—
You can look online
We tried it out just driving locally a couple of days ago and there is no problem with pulling it w/o any items stored in the 18” storage cargo section—in fact it will probably bounce less with some weight
We bought this because 1–tow capacity for our present vehicle, 2-can store in single garage bay (we have 3 car garage). The website says/shows that you can even store it vertically/standing up but my husband doesn’t feel comfortable doing that
It doesn’t take up an entire bay so there is room for work bench, exercise bike, etc...
Haven’t slept in it yet but it can be ordered with a solar kit for outgrid camping or you can buy your own solar setup from various companies
No toilet but we got a 2 room shower tent to use for toilet and shower setup
We likely will try to camp w/water and electric available but don’t want to use bathhouses at camping sites
Interesting thought!
For us, it is not a Covid-19 related project. In fact, we are not rushing to acquire the tow vehicle and trailer right now and waiting a year- thinking that we would not use it sufficiently (or at all) due to all the Covid concerns. So, we are thinking long term. In early 60s, we think that the tow vehicle and trailer we acquire will serve us into the 70s - provided our health and abilities last. And, since it is something we have been thinking about for years as a retirement activity - acquiring them a bit earlier might enhance our lifestyle earlier - without adding substantial incremental costs.
And, for longer trips and hopefully healthy but undeniably aging bodies - some comfort and space might make a huge difference. We will see. Whether it turns out to be the right decision depends upon how long we are able to enjoy it. Our enjoyment of nature and visiting naturally beautiful areas (national parks, wildernesses, etc.) is long and enduring, so it is more dependent upon health. And, that is something no one can predict.
All the best with your setup! I did look at the website. Looks charming!
We are converging on an Escape fiberglass trailer pulled by F150. Since we have neither as yet - we will take our time figuring out the details and educating ourselves. Given the Covid situation, we aren’t likely to take many (any?) trips in the short run. So, planning to get the project (trailer, truck) setup by Summer 2021.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,744 posts, read 58,090,525 times
Reputation: 46231
For your type of MTN camping / hiking and vehicle needs.... The new bronco and lightest / sturdy / high clearance / low height travel trailer appears best. See if you can find a lightly used trailer, so you can resale if you head another direction after retirement. We do very well fly/drive on our longer trips, but mini RV for more local or regional trips. Next year we will be taking RV to a region of USA and keeping it there for several months. Flying home or elsewhere while out and about. You can do likewise if you stay with farmers / acreage where you can leave trailer for a month or 3 if you need to run home for some reason. This works well for us in NE, SE and SW USA.
We have a small Jayco Jayflight trailer. We opted for a travel trailer because it's easier to drop the trailer off at the campsite, or to disperse camp, disconnect and drive off and be able to park easily at trailheads, a nearby town for eating out or supplies, or those high clearance areas in the back country that you mentioned. There's more freedom when you can disconnect the trailer and go, and then use the trailer as your base camp.
We tow our trailer with a Honda Ridgeline. If you're not familiar it's a Honda Pilot body, with a truck bed. It can pull up to 5,000lbs. Our trailer weighs 3,500 I think. No issues pulling at all, even up the passes. The thing we like about the Ridgeline is that it has all the comfort of a Honda pilot, super smooth ride even pulling, large comfortable cab for those long trips, and then the storage of both the truck bed, and also the trunk underneath for groceries or extra camping supplies etc.
We bought a trailer after years of tent camping because we moved to the Rocky Mountains where there are grizzle bears and there is no way I'm going outside to use the potty outside with grizzlies about. So hardsided trailer with a bathroom was a must. I didn't like the wet bath, so we got the seperate bath/toilet. No regrets.
We bought new. I was looking for a used trailer but the small ones are hard to find where we live. Everyone wants a giant one, we wanted a small one, so to get what we wanted we bought new.
I don't know that I'd think of it as an investment, I mean you're going to lose money buying it, even used. You'll never get back what you paid for it. However the memories our family has made in our trailer are priceless. The places we've seen all over the country, breathtaking views, wild animals galore, so much more, it's just worth it. We make it a priority though. Every summer we plan multiple smaller trips, like weekend getaways, and then one bigger trip that's a longer drive and a longer stay. Last year we went to the Grand Canyon and Zion National Park. The year before we did Bryce Canyon and Grand Staircase Escalate National Monument. We also Mount Rushmore, Badlands N.P. and The Devil's Tower. We've gone on so many places that we wouldn't have gone to if we did not have our trailer. If you buy it, use it as much as you can
Sounds like you made some very smart decisions and had good times. One thing - you're right about losing money despite the brand of trailer you choose and whether or not it's new EXCEPT if you buy an Airstream. They are way expensive but you don't loose as much money with a resale. We bought a used one, had it for seven years and sold it for what we paid for it. (!). I loved it and was sad to see it go buy my husband's illness prevented us from continuing to use it.
Casita 17' trailers are available with high lift axles, which might be good for driving down boonie trails.
just learned that if you were to order a new one (Rice, Tx) it would be ready in April 2021.....you can only buy new ones from the factory in Tx......otherwise, secondhand.
Hi @kavm! It looks like you have some great responses here. My husband and I were thinking about this for a few years and finally everything lined up for us last spring. So we are still newbies (take my input with a large grain of salt!).
We have a capable truck and got the sway bars. And are glad we did when driving Hwy 20 in WA! It's not so much about the moving as it is the stopping for TV needs. To each their own on vehicle preference, 1. Finance for us = used/low quality new 2. we felt used truck was a better ROI for the environment as the production of a car is such a high energy cost. We ended up with a babied 2001 Chevy Silverado. I thought that age would be really lacking but it's actually quiet nice.
I leave the mechanical stuff to him. He would say ford is great for 5-10 years from new. After that problems. However, if you are getting it professionally serviced and plan to upgrade after that time, ford has nice features and is comfortable.
We had originally looked into fiberglass. However, two main issue kept coming up for us, tank and cargo capacity. We want to boondock with toys, extra gear, two dogs stuff (40#/100#), and our stuff. We ended up with a 2015 winnebago 1801fb. For the size, great tank and cargo capacity! We go between national/state parks and boondocking. Every so often we have stayed at a place with full hookups but that is rare for us. We have been fine towing to site and unhooking to explore 'off road'.
Some real quality brands we had on our list: bigfoot, casita, escape, oliver, artic fox, and another I am forgetting now.
We value our 'full bath'. The extra storage for longer trips is useful. We haven't had a wet bath so can't comment much on the difference, but I don't feel it is wasted space.
Sometimes I wish we had a class b for convenience, but it isn't realistic for us. Hoping to add kayaks thia year!
The best set up for you will be whatever gets you out exploring! Please update with your setup!
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]. So, when the options about the hitch, anti-sway equipment, battery etc. come up - we aren't totally clear what's an unnecessary upsell and what's an important decision we might end up regretting. So, we need to educate ourselves about trailer/towing 101 (for the dummies).
