Community Forums

portdawg82 · 06-05-2017, 10:56 PM

I'm new to trailer camping and need some advice. I don't have too many choices in my area and in my budget (20-27k) they are Heartland North Trail, Heartland Prawler, Crossroads Zinger, Coleman Lanter, and Avenger. My truck has a Max towing capacity of 8040 lbs which shouldn't be a problem and a Max payload of of 1510 lbs. Any advice is much appreciated.

Dropthejacks · 06-06-2017, 08:03 AM

A little more info might be helpful, such as are you solo, couple, family of 12 plus 5 dogs? Are you going to use the RV as a base camp while you spend most of your time sightseeing away from the campground or are you planning to spend most of your time at the campground? I didn't look up each model you mentioned but the Heartland North Trail includes models from 4000 lbs to over 8000 lbs., so make sure you aren't looking at pulling much more than about 80% of your tow max or you will soon find yourself at a truck dealership looking for more vehicle. (Unless you are looking for an excuse to upgrade, in which this technique works great, lol.) Give a little more information and I'm sure you will get some great feedback.

portdawg82 · 06-06-2017, 08:14 AM

Thanks for responding. I have a family of five plus two Labrador retrievers. I'm looking for a 24-ish foot bunkhouse. We will actually be living in it for about a month while we wait on our house but after that it will be just a base camp for all of our adventures.

tbos1958 · 06-06-2017, 10:27 AM

Aluminum frame and bonded walls will be lighter than stick and tin. I'm not familiar with the brands you mentioned but as said before stay well under the limits of your tow vehicle. Don't forget your family is considered part of the payload. You may want to look on line for a newer used model that will be in your price range. Good luck in your search.

Dropthejacks · 06-06-2017, 12:43 PM

With that family, a bunkhouse would be the way to go. I agree with tbos1958, I would do a lot of online shopping looking at used models. Lots of people by bunkhouses, then their kids outgrow camping in a couple of years, so they upgrade to "couples plans". So there are usually some good deals to be had on slightly used bunkhouses. Get as much interior room as you can, which will call for gelcoat sides, not aluminum. Steer clear of the outdoor kitchens, it sounds good at first but you loose a lot of interior room and all you really need is a good Weber grill and you are all set. Two exterior doors might be handy with dogs and 3 children, especially with a door that enters into the bathroom from outside. I'd try and stay under around 6300 lbs, especially if you plan on camping in and around mountains. Something like the floorplan of a Heartland Mallard M29. Good luck with the search!

MSHappyCampers · 06-06-2017, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by portdawg82

I'm new to trailer camping and need some advice. I don't have too many choices in my area and in my budget (20-27k) they are Heartland North Trail, Heartland Prawler, Crossroads Zinger, Coleman Lanter, and Avenger. My truck has a Max towing capacity of 8040 lbs which shouldn't be a problem and a Max payload of of 1510 lbs. Any advice is much appreciated.

Hi !

Welcome to IRV2! We're sure glad you joined the gang!

Good luck, happy trails, and God bless!

portdawg82 · 06-11-2017, 07:34 PM

Thanks for the advice y'all. I got a Zinger ZR252BH. It's definitely a starter but it was the only thing I could find big enough for my family, light enough for my pickup truck, and within in my budget.

Loraura · 06-12-2017, 09:40 PM

1510 payload evaporates fast with a family of 5 and two labs. Be sure you so the math so you don't exceed payload with family, dogs, hitch, everything else in the truck, and the tongue weight of a wet and loaded trailer. Fully loaded that 252bh will put 900 pounds of tongue weight on the TV. WDH is another 50-100. That leaves ~500 pounds for family, pets, and everything else in the vehicle.

portdawg82 · 06-13-2017, 04:27 AM

1510 sure does and so does the GVWR. I've done the math and even went out to a weigh scale to get exact weight of truck so I don't go over my GVWR. I go back in a couple of days to weight the truck and trailer with all my gear so i might not be bring my dogs on our first few camping trips unless I trade my truck in for a 2500.

patriot07 · 06-14-2017, 11:18 AM

My parents picked up a Coleman Lantern 2855BH last year and it's a very nice camper for the size, weight, and money. Lots of space. The 263BH is a good unit too with probably a bit more storage than the 2855BH, but a bit less space.

Heartland makes a good camper too. My parents sold a North Trail 21FX to get their Coleman, and it was a well-built camper. But the Heartlands do tend to be a little heavier for the same size/features.

tbos1958 · 06-14-2017, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by portdawg82

1510 sure does and so does the GVWR. I've done the math and even went out to a weigh scale to get exact weight of truck so I don't go over my GVWR. I go back in a couple of days to weight the truck and trailer with all my gear so i might not be bring my dogs on our first few camping trips unless I trade my truck in for a 2500.

Congrats on your new rig. Enjoy the memories you will make.