Hybrid expandable or not?
I am considering a hybrid expandable for my family of 5. Looking for feedback on this type of travel trailer. Pros and cons.
Forum Discussion
Hybrids as you seem to already understand are not for everyone. We bought our second one last year, the first we owned for 10 years. A hybrid can be a great choice with a family of 5.
If you've tented before or used/owned a pop-up camper you may as we do, love hybrids. If you are not used to some kind of tenting, know that you will hear all the outside noise both during the day and at night, conversely, everyone near your trailer will hear you. That's probably the biggest drawback to a hybrid.
Some folks will cite leaky beds but the reality is that stories of leaky beds are not as common as some like to think. This was a problem on some early models but is very rare now.
Some will also talk about the extra setup time involved. That may be true depending on how fancy you like to "make" the beds. It was certainly true on older models that used poles to hold up the beds. I'm pretty sure all makes use cables for the beds now. It takes us all of a few minutes to fully setup the beds with bedding. Again, this could be a longer process if you want to make it so.
You can make general setup as involved or as simple as you want it to be with any type of trailer.
Packing wet may be a problem. The tent ends are vinyl covered and don't absorb water so if its wet, we wipe them down before folding them up. If its raining, we open them when we get home and they dry off fast. That could be a hassle though especially if you have to store it somewhere other than your own yard. I'm not sure we'd have a hybrid if it wasn't next to my house.
Some definite pluses are a lot of floor space in a small package. Our Jayco X20E has the floor space of a 24/25 ft trailer and is only 21 feet long. when the beds are open you can open up all the bed flaps and get a lot of light as well as nice cross breezes, even on really warm days. But you also have the convenience of AC when you really need it. Typically a hybrid is lighter weight than a similarly equipped hard side trailer, but there are so many sizes and floor plans out there that I think think the point about weight is moot.
I would highly recommend that you really "test" them out at the dealers. Climb up on the beds and see if they are comfortable or if climbing on them is a hassle. Imagine yourself trying to sleep in one. Some mattresses are thicker than others. Some folks use a memory foam pad because the mattress can be uncomfortable. That can be a deal breaker for a lot of people. A dealer on a Saturday afternoon is usually busy so you'll get a feel for the inside noise level. Ask if they can show you how to open and close one of the beds so you can better understand what's involved.
If you've tented before or used/owned a pop-up camper you may as we do, love hybrids. If you are not used to some kind of tenting, know that you will hear all the outside noise both during the day and at night, conversely, everyone near your trailer will hear you. That's probably the biggest drawback to a hybrid.
Some folks will cite leaky beds but the reality is that stories of leaky beds are not as common as some like to think. This was a problem on some early models but is very rare now.
Some will also talk about the extra setup time involved. That may be true depending on how fancy you like to "make" the beds. It was certainly true on older models that used poles to hold up the beds. I'm pretty sure all makes use cables for the beds now. It takes us all of a few minutes to fully setup the beds with bedding. Again, this could be a longer process if you want to make it so.
You can make general setup as involved or as simple as you want it to be with any type of trailer.
Packing wet may be a problem. The tent ends are vinyl covered and don't absorb water so if its wet, we wipe them down before folding them up. If its raining, we open them when we get home and they dry off fast. That could be a hassle though especially if you have to store it somewhere other than your own yard. I'm not sure we'd have a hybrid if it wasn't next to my house.
Some definite pluses are a lot of floor space in a small package. Our Jayco X20E has the floor space of a 24/25 ft trailer and is only 21 feet long. when the beds are open you can open up all the bed flaps and get a lot of light as well as nice cross breezes, even on really warm days. But you also have the convenience of AC when you really need it. Typically a hybrid is lighter weight than a similarly equipped hard side trailer, but there are so many sizes and floor plans out there that I think think the point about weight is moot.
I would highly recommend that you really "test" them out at the dealers. Climb up on the beds and see if they are comfortable or if climbing on them is a hassle. Imagine yourself trying to sleep in one. Some mattresses are thicker than others. Some folks use a memory foam pad because the mattress can be uncomfortable. That can be a deal breaker for a lot of people. A dealer on a Saturday afternoon is usually busy so you'll get a feel for the inside noise level. Ask if they can show you how to open and close one of the beds so you can better understand what's involved.
