Best family boondocking rigs?
We currently have a 29' (33' overall) travel trailer. The clearance is decent, but the long overhang behind the axles (and to a degree in front of the axles) makes off-road maneuvering tough. I can't jackknife the trailer very sharp and the rear overhang creates a very large butt swing. We are a family of 5 (3 young kids). I really want something smaller to fit into a few more of the spots here in Washington. I want to be 5 feet shorter overall and we're willing to give up some "comfort space" to do it.
Boondocking for me means off-road (FS road) travel and tight spaces sometimes.
Option 1: Off-road tent trailer. As cool as they are, we would like to expand our camping into colder months and also have the option to make easy stops while on the road. I really like the size and utility of these rigs, but we're looking harder at hard-wall options.
Option 2: 5th wheel in the 25-28ft range. It's harder to find nice bunks in these sizes and I worry about the ruggedness of some of the trailers (Arctic Fox/Nash don't currently have a configuration that works for us and most other brands are unknown to me). My uncle has a 5'er and I'm pretty impressed with how he has been able to get into smaller sites with jackknifing etc. It seems like it would be easier to turn around on backroads. I also like that some of the length travels over the truck bed. I learned in one of my previous posts that I will need to be concerned about my bed rail clearance, but I may be interested in flipping the axles on whichever trailer I get, which should help with this.
Option 3: Toyhauler. I like the built-in boondocking features such as large tanks and generators. I also like the open/versatile floor plans and overall ruggedness. No toys, but would be nice to have the option in the future. On the downside, they are longer and without the benefit of some length being over the truck bed. Hard to find a floorplan that works while cutting much length from the current rig.
Any thoughts/advice?
Boondocking for me means off-road (FS road) travel and tight spaces sometimes.
Option 1: Off-road tent trailer. As cool as they are, we would like to expand our camping into colder months and also have the option to make easy stops while on the road. I really like the size and utility of these rigs, but we're looking harder at hard-wall options.
Option 2: 5th wheel in the 25-28ft range. It's harder to find nice bunks in these sizes and I worry about the ruggedness of some of the trailers (Arctic Fox/Nash don't currently have a configuration that works for us and most other brands are unknown to me). My uncle has a 5'er and I'm pretty impressed with how he has been able to get into smaller sites with jackknifing etc. It seems like it would be easier to turn around on backroads. I also like that some of the length travels over the truck bed. I learned in one of my previous posts that I will need to be concerned about my bed rail clearance, but I may be interested in flipping the axles on whichever trailer I get, which should help with this.
Option 3: Toyhauler. I like the built-in boondocking features such as large tanks and generators. I also like the open/versatile floor plans and overall ruggedness. No toys, but would be nice to have the option in the future. On the downside, they are longer and without the benefit of some length being over the truck bed. Hard to find a floorplan that works while cutting much length from the current rig.
Any thoughts/advice?
