"Couples Camper" advice..

[SnS]

HI-

We've been looking for an acceptable travel trailer for awhile and I thought I'd tap into the collective wisdom here. We live in MI and have been to the Cleveland and Tampa RV shows this year as well as at least a half dozen more over the past few years, talked with Manufacturers Reps, attended seminars, etc.

Here's some of our criteria and what we've been interested in so far:

--We're both in our 50s and both tall. We find the ceiling height on Lance and Winnebago to be pretty low. There has to be some room in the shower and we're probably not interested in a short queen bed that has a wall at both ends. Ditto for a bed where we have to crawl over the other person.
--We plan on taking the rig on several long (distance and time) adventures..like down South away from the winter and Out West in the summer (We are semi-retired in a manner of speaking and will be able to blast off from Mid June through August this year if we want to).
--We want to be active while we still can and don't mind boon docking. We did a 3000 mile tent- camping trip 2 years ago with kayaks on top, mtn bikes on the back hitch. So-- shorter is better.
--We won't be buying one with an unprotected front windshield or that electronic module to put out your slide or turn on your lights. Simple and reliable is better, I have no need to be the "crash test dummy" for the latest gadgets.
--I've done a LOT of research online and talking with folks at shows, etc. To be honest, I'm also thinking of just bagging the whole idea of getting an RV based on all the problems and maintenance issues I see. At this stage of life, I want to have fun and travel not spend my time trying to get something fixed or repairing "China Bomb" tires alongside a narrow mountain road. I do remember the GREAT times I had as a kid in our family travel trailer though.
--We have a "two day rain test"..as in how will the two of us live in the trailer for two rainy days without killing one another? Our solution is a place for reading/relaxing and enough space for two tall people to move about. The bed should be there all the time-- no Murphy bed or changing the dinette into a bed every night.
--We also consider the "Walmart test". Can we pull the rig into a Walmart lot and access the needed things to overnight without pulling out the slide?
--This isn't an exhaustive list, but I'd be curious to know what we left out.
--In the final analysis, the "perfect" trailer is of no value to us if slides are leaking, tires exploding and we can't get it serviced-- so I'm interested in your inputs on reliability and quality.

SO FAR, we've found a couple trailer types that interest us, I'd appreciate your comments on these, or other suggestions, either here or via PM:

Keystone Outback "URS" series. The trailer is shorter because the bed is on a slide out. They seem fairly well built as far as the components. They also have some bunks that can be removed to create a bike/misc storage area which would be very handy. I'm checking to see if you can sleep on the bed with the slide in, and have heard previous year-models had problems with the big slide.

"Breakfast Bar" rigs. an example is Forest River Wildwood HG 23RBHL or Passport 23RB. In these, the "breakfast bar" serves to increase counter space while providing a place to eat, allowing you to get a couch for relaxing on in a smaller package.

"Other/Quality". Like Aerolite Luxury 213RBSL or Open Range UT2310RK.

Thanks in advance for your help-- hope to see you on the road!

Scott n Susan

[manderson2228]

Take a look at the forest river Surveyor line. They have some actually called "Couples couch". My wife and I had one and we had really good luck with it. We only upgraded because we wanted to get into a class A.

[Barlow46]

Go here and take a look. Northwood | Travel Trailers
[mod edit]

You are fairly close to an excellent dealer, Niemyer Trailer Sales in Minnesotta should you decide to purchase one. I had to drive all the way from FL to the dealership to pick up our 25Y and very glad I did. No issues so far after 5000 miles and 20 plus nights camping. A true 4 seasons camper with a decently high ceiling for a travel trailer and plenty of room in the shower. Also had a full size residential queen bed. Quality is very good. Good luck in your hunt.

[TonyDi]

Glad to have you here in the forum with us.

In he header at the top of the page there is a tab marked RV Forums. In the drop down there is a tab for Travel Trailer discussions. It should be a good starting place for some of your questions regarding TTs.

Good luck with your search.

Happy Trails!!!

[Jimbow]

I'd look at floor plans first. Our criteria was similar to yours. Queen walk around bed, couch and dinette, access when on the road without putting out a slide, being able to easily tow it with a 1/2 ton pickup.

We bought the Jayco 21QB. It also happened to be quite a bit under budget for us, which was a very pleasant surprise.

The floor plan is available from any number of manufacturers. We went with the Jay Flight version for boondocking ease. LED lighting, two fresh water tanks, larger refrigerator, etc.

We are also in the 55 to 60 age range and both teachers. I'm 6'1 and the only fit issue is the toilet. Not much knee room.

[blueridge-fl]

Looking a the distance and duration of the trips you want to take, combined with your existing tow vehicle, I would recommend looking at a 5th wheel. They are generally much roomier than standard trailers and the sleeping area is more isolated from the living space so you can get some separation if needed.

Also, plan ahead for how you will carry your toys. Bringing along kayaks and bikes can be an amazingly hard goal to achieve when pulling a trailer. The bumpers can't support much weight so you can't count on just throwing a bike carrier on the back. Also, if you truck bed is taken up with a 5th wheel hitch, where do you put the kayaks? You soon understand why you see so many class A rigs pulling a toad with a bike rack and kayaks on the roof. :-)

I have seen the style of trailers with convertible bunk/storage space and think it is a brilliant concept. Toy haulers consume too much space for someone that isn't hauling motorcycles or ATVs.

The dealer you buy your RV from is really important. All RVs show up from the factory with issues that need to be addressed by the dealer. Yes, some are worse than others, but I think they all do. You want a dealer that will take care of the issues before you ever see them and then provide support as needed into the future. If you go look at the models a dealer has on the lot and see tons of obvious issues it should raise a red flag. I mean if you sell a used car don't you at least wash it before showing it to people??

Finally, we are just over 1 year into our RV experience and love it. We have really had no big problems with our Winnebago trailer and in spite of being old backpackers that used to look down on the RV crowd, we now "get it". It sure is nice to get into a real bed instead of a foam pad at the end of a big day outdoors.

Mike

[KT4Wextra]

I don't think you will ever find the "Perfect" RV. Like you, there are just 2 of us. We usually go on 2-3 week trips with our 2 feline fur balls. I have a few must haves and have difficulty putting all my must haves into one RV. First, I want 2 doors, primarily for safety in case there is a fire, which is rare, I want a way to get out as the little exit windows and my body don't match very well. Few 5th wheels have 2 doors. Next I want a shower, not a tub, not to hard to find. One or 2 slides but don't want a kitchen slide with the frig and water in the slide. For longer excursions I want wardrobe space. Since we are gone more than just a weekend the little "wardrobe" closets on each side of the bed won't cut it. Finding a TT with a decent wardrobe is probably the hardest to find. Wardrobes are easier to find in a 5th wheel. We have found several TT's with sofa/dinette slides and reclining chairs, almost forgot about the chairs, the sofa's are not the most comfortable to relax on. For wardrobes, there are several with wardrobe slides or with a bedroom slide which will then offer more wardrobe space. We like to stay at COE campgrounds and state parks mostly so length is a consideration. Don't have a desire for RV resorts where you are 10 feet from your neighbor. 28' to 32' length would be a good size, not to small, not to large to maneuver.

Actually a 5th wheel will probably serve your needs best. You have a TV big enough to accommodate a small-medium length 5th wheel. Another plus of a 5th wheel is there is ample storage.

I believe the best RV is the one with a floorplan that you feel will work best for YOU. Try to buy from a dealer that will give you after the sale service since just about every RV has warranty issues, most are small but some can be a nightmare. Good service seems to be hard to find, not impossible but can be done. Check with friends that own a RV and ask questions here on the forum about good dealers.

[Off Road]

There are two manufacturers you really need to take a look at. One is the previously mentioned Northwood line and two is Outdoors RV. Both companies are owned by the same person Ron Nash. They are manufactured in Oregon and are specifically designed for "the northwest lifestyle." I am 6'3" and my wife and I are both outdoor active people who have zero interest being in RV parks with full hookups where we look out the window and see into our neighbors window. We like to boondock on BLM or Forest lands, we go down rocky gravel roads etc. we looked at a lot of trailers and settled on an Outdoors RV in their Creekside line. The things we liked were, the four seasons package, including double pane windows and extra insulation. Oversized tires with extra weight carrying capacity. Extra ground clearance for two track roads with a hump down the middle. Large tank capacity ours has a 70 gallon water tank and a 10 gallon water heater. Shocks on the axles to smooth out rough roads. They build their own frames which are stouter than the standard frame. Plywood floors instead of OSB. Curved ceilings for extra interior height. A front cap with aluminum rock guard. They are a little heavier than an equivalent length trailer and a little more expensive. I believe it is because they are built a little stronger and better. They have multiple lines and floor plans from entry level to fancy. I know they are mostly a west coast trailer with west coast distribution but for what you are looking for it might be worth a trip. I asked on hunting forums what guys were using for their trailers and these two companies kept coming up over and over. Guys that take trailers hunting out west do not treat them gently. These companies have a very loyal following.

[lgarcia]

You might want to look at the Shasta Oasis 18FQ with the walk around bed. High ceilings, no slides.

[Megsfolks]

Don't be afraid of quality. Things break. But, this stuff is really no different than a car. You generally get what you pay for, you cant expect perfection without regular maintenance, and you need to recognize that there is often things to tinker with. But, it is not overwhelming. And there are always answers....if you dont like china bombs (I relate to this one!), buy some new Maxxis tires. My folks started me RVing in 1966... these rigs are way better than those built when we were kids and had so much fun!

We just traded in our winnebago micro minnie 21' travel trailer. It was a great couples trailer and cute as a bug. But just too small for us. Towed great! But just too small for us. Parked easy. But just too small for us. You get the point. I really wanted this simple comfortable rv to work, but one weekend with constant rain and a bug wet dog was all it took to know we downsized too much.

I was convinced we were buying either a Northwoods or an Outdoors RV coach. They are made very very well. I though there was no real comparison. Then we looked at the Open Range from Highland Ridge. To me, its quality ranks as good as these units. Plus they have the most unique and comfortable trailers I have seen.

We picked up our little Open Range Light 216RBS today. Everyone has their own criteria and this fit all my points....the same as yours with the exception of the Walmart test. Cant wait to get it on the road!

[Arch Hoagland]

SnS said "We won't be buying one with an unprotected front windshield."

Could you explain what you mean? How can a windshield be protected?

I'd love to know as I've replaced one and had four chips repaired since then.

[Off Road]

Originally Posted by Arch Hoagland

SnS said "We won't be buying one with an unprotected front windshield."

Could you explain what you mean? How can a windshield be protected?

I'd love to know as I've replaced one and had four chips repaired since then.

He is looking at travel trailers. Some of them with front windows have protective covers.

[SnS]

Well...

After another couple of those 2 or 3 hour long RV discussions and reading through your replies here, we're headed off to another RV show.

Thanks so much for the responses so far-- it's especially valuable to hear from folks who have walked this path before us. A couple of quick comments and we're off to the all-too-familiar onslaught of "half ton towable" units, "when will you be making your decision", and "so, what are you camping in now".

--Regarding looking through the site.. I've been a "lurker" here for awhile since well before I officially registered. In fact, IRV2 saved me from making a "5 figure mistake" a few years back. I was planning to score a new F150 and a travel trailer but just wanted to make sure I understood the whole "towing weight" thing. As it turned out, I would have been horrendously underpowered, and probably overweight for what we were hoping to do. Glad I checked here first.

--In conjunction with a lot of my previous nights surfing here, I often look up the rigs that folks have in their signature lines. Folks here seem to know their stuff and think things through so I have no reason to re-invent the wheel. We are also going through the recommendations made in the thread so far (feel free to add, we're not buying one today..). One of the strengths of the internet is the ability to find others like you-- in our case, 55+ outdoorsy folks, so Thanks again for your participation.

--I was concerned with the length of my previous post and tried to keep it somewhat short. I should have included that we thought through the 5th wheel vs travel trailer thing and are pretty committed to the travel trailer. After I got a good deal on the diesel (family member), I put on a nicer cap to haul some of our playthings (hiking and fly fishing gear). The idea is to drop off the trailer and still have "Troutmobile 3--The Chick Magnet" to venture out fishing with. SO--it's kind of like having a Class A with a toad, just that it will be a smaller place to sleep in, go down the road in the other direction, and only have one drivetrain to maintain.

--It's been interesting to see that some of your thoughts match up with units we've already looked at and are still considering. We talked for quite some time with an Open Range product manager at Tampa for example. It's unfortunate that the closest ORV/Northwoods dealer is over 5 hours from here. I'll look through their forum, and even have been considering picking up one elsewhere, but not having a dealer close in might dissuade us.

--We have an RV dealer that's within walking distance, so I plan to stop in one day just to get a feel for the place and how they keep up their rigs. Good idea. I've noticed at shows that there is enough armor all on the tires that you can't read the size, but there's sawdust in the cabinets and about half the glass shower doors have seals that are peeling off.

OK, off to the show! Thanks again everyone, we'll check back for any updates.

SnS


PS-- Arch, Off Road is correct. It doesn't make much sense to me to have have a chunk of diamond plate (to protect from rock strikes) and then a piece of unprotected glass 7 inches above it. IF you need the glass to see through so you can drive, different story. I feel your pain on windshield replacement. Last summer's trip was a little over 8000 miles and I got smacked with a nice sized rock from a forest service truck going in the other direction about 1/2 way through,so had to get the windshield replaced after I got back.

[Spdracr39]

Don't be put off by all the maintenance and trouble posts. If everyone only posted about all the easy trips and non issues they had it would be a very boring place.