Community Forums

SkiSmuggs · 05-04-2018, 08:08 AM

Take a good look at hybrids (fold out beds fore and aft) as they offer a lot of room with light weight. That was our first, we bought used, and traded after a couple of years as DW did not like crawling over me to use bathroom or making a sideways bed. Our next was a hardshell TT with small slide that wasn't nearly as roomy and we finally ended up with a fifth wheel.

RickNC · 05-04-2018, 01:08 PM

I tented for 30 years including 1 continuous year camping while traveling the US. I first went to a 16’ travel trailer which was nice enough, but towing it with a small pickup wasn’t much fun on windy days. and it was a hassle to drag through cities or towns with limited parking. For a couple years we rented a friend’s 30’ Itasca motorhome, We liked the convenience of everything being contained in one vehicle. The down side was the fuel mileage and again limited agility in urban areas and back roads. We also figured out we didn’t need or want that much living area and storage for the 2 of us and medium size dog.
The solution for us was a 23’ class a motorhome. Same size as a UPS truck and it goes just about anywhere we want to go. It has enough storage for us to stay away a month at a time easily.

brucev · 05-04-2018, 01:39 PM

Tent camped until 1986 when I moved up to a Coleman tent trailer, then in 2007 moved up to a Hi-Lo 19' TT so I could have a shower and AC, then in 2015 we bought a Class A 27'. All of them had pros and cons. The larger you go the more limitations you have on where you go and how you get there, but the larger the more comfortable we are, I love having a full size bed that is always made and ready to go. I always bought new but there is great value in buying used as the loss won't be as great when you decide you want something different. Like mentioned above, your tow vehicle will impact how much weight and the size of the TT. I towed my Coleman all over with my Jeep CJ but the Hi-lo required a full size truck. Good luck and don't sweat the small stuff.

okmunky · 05-04-2018, 04:08 PM

I met a couple in Utah that had a pop-up trailer that the walls and roof are solid and just fold down for towing.

Flagstaff Hard Side Pop-Up Campers Folding Camping Trailers by Forest River RV

Theirs had a "front porch" which is an uncovered area where they could store stuff, even an ATV. They said they paid $12,000 for it used. Some are called pop up toy haulers.

simplecamper · 05-06-2018, 08:52 PM

I was tent camper for about 45 years, bought a 25' has queen and a break down dinette table into a bed. It has stove, oven, microwave. I added TV. Has separate sink in bathroom.
I have no slide out on purpose. There is a foldout couch ( child can sleep on it. ok there is lots of room when compared to tent camping. Then a real bed and AC!! To me this is a minimum of size and it was the right price for me. There is running water and toilet. But then you have to consider how much your tanks hold on a small TT. You can use it up in a hurry. I suggest a tank cart for your waste water if you do not have full hookup.

This is a great convenience and I can go camping again. But with RV you have to plan reservations way ahead for many camping sites/resorts/etc... No more ground or hot tents sleeping. If you like this kind of camping it can be really great.

okmunky · 05-07-2018, 09:40 AM

With all due respect to simple camper, parking your RV in an RV park is not camping. I prefer to boondock away from all the noise. It takes solar panels and/or a generator, but those soon get paid for by not paying park fees.

Badlands Bob · 05-07-2018, 09:48 PM

I spent a lot of years backpacking the Appalachian Trail. Later I bought a used popup camper for the wife and kids. After the kids grew up and I retired, I bought the Winnebago 2201DS for the wife and I to wander around in. We go for about 3 weeks at a time with no problem.

I'd recommend getting something where you don't have to sit on the toilet to take a shower. Commonly known as a wet bath. AC, a real bed, bathroom, fridge are all requirement for me now. Did I mention the AC?

I gave all my backpacking stuff to my son. I won't be need that stuff any more.

nothermark · 05-07-2018, 11:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brucev

Tent camped until 1986 when I moved up to a Coleman tent trailer, then in 2007 moved up to a Hi-Lo 19' TT so I could have a shower and AC, then in 2015 we bought a Class A 27'. All of them had pros and cons. The larger you go the more limitations you have on where you go and how you get there, but the larger the more comfortable we are, I love having a full size bed that is always made and ready to go. I always bought new but there is great value in buying used as the loss won't be as great when you decide you want something different. Like mentioned above, your tow vehicle will impact how much weight and the size of the TT. I towed my Coleman all over with my Jeep CJ but the Hi-lo required a full size truck. Good luck and don't sweat the small stuff.

All depends on where you live. Some parts of the country have very little to no boondocking possibilities other than Walmart. Others are blessed with huge chunks of government land folks can camp on for cheap to free.

saddlesore · 05-07-2018, 11:41 PM

Keep in mind..
Your 1st coach is a learning tool..
BUY USED! & buy one with everything you "think" you want and will need..
As You will make mistakes and have booboo's We all have.....(sometimes more than twice..)
Within a year or two you will discover..about the RV

What you love about the RV...
What you can kinda-sorta tolerate with the RV..
And what you absolutely hate about that !@#$%^%$#@! RV.
Then you can go get what you should have gotten in the first place..
Happy Hunting

Gish · 05-08-2018, 03:31 AM

We love our 17’ Liberty Deluxe Casita. Found her for a great price, so we did the leap. No regrets. Roomy for 2, and our small pooch. And it has a closet!
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