What RV am I looking for? (Newbie)
First off, I am new and glad I found this forum. Hello. My wife and I have backpacked extensively worldwide and we are now in the market for our first RV. We like roughing it with a minimalist ...
Forum Discussion
If the primary stays will be front country campgrounds with real roads, then you just can't beat a modern minivan towing a popup for overall low cost of acquisition, gas and operation. Only real downside is setting up the van for towing (ATF cooler and brake controller wiring). We've done it for over a decade now on family vacations and trips and routinely get 18.5+ on freeway cruising at 67mph (and that's a medium popup - 12 foot low wall). Virtually NO off road ability though!
If you plan to spend time "dispersed camping" on public lands and Forest Service "roads," then an AWD CUV will probably handle the task with a popup or Aliner that has had an axle flip for more ground clearance. The previous gen Rav4 V6 had oodles of power to spare for towing while still getting good highway gas mileage.
You aren't going to get much "backpacker" advice on an RV forum like this. This forum is geared towards bringing home on the road with you. If your ideal is the backpacking experience, but with a decent bed at night and a better way to wash up, a popup might just fit the bill. Most folks here couldn't imagine setting one up every night, but a backpacker will find it totally luxurious in comparison to what you're used to!
Look hard at the Aliner trailers or more recent imitation hard sided A frame popup campers. They're much smaller when setup than regular popups, but go up much faster. If you've spend much time sleeping under a Hexamid tarp, it will feel like the Taj Mahal.
If you plan to spend time "dispersed camping" on public lands and Forest Service "roads," then an AWD CUV will probably handle the task with a popup or Aliner that has had an axle flip for more ground clearance. The previous gen Rav4 V6 had oodles of power to spare for towing while still getting good highway gas mileage.
You aren't going to get much "backpacker" advice on an RV forum like this. This forum is geared towards bringing home on the road with you. If your ideal is the backpacking experience, but with a decent bed at night and a better way to wash up, a popup might just fit the bill. Most folks here couldn't imagine setting one up every night, but a backpacker will find it totally luxurious in comparison to what you're used to!
Look hard at the Aliner trailers or more recent imitation hard sided A frame popup campers. They're much smaller when setup than regular popups, but go up much faster. If you've spend much time sleeping under a Hexamid tarp, it will feel like the Taj Mahal.
