I camped my whole life as a kid and as a 38 yr old married with two little boys we still visit and spend a couple days with my parents in their camper each year. We have no camper currently, but growing up i've camped in and driven my dads 3 class Cs and up to their former 34ft classA. Not afraid to tow a trailer one bit.My boys are almost 3 and 1 yr old, and I plan to tow for 2-3 years with my chevy Trailblazer with inline 6. (5500 lb tow capacity with tow package and tranny cooler in place). I'll also get a load leveling hitch and a sway controller. Recommendations on hitch and controller?Looking at hybrid trailers, but open to other suggestions.Would like a slide out for more space but they are fairly rare.I'm currently pondering a 2007 Coyote 22CT. Looking about $6000 will buy it, but unsure if its a good buy or a decent quality to buy. I don't need a problem.After a few years, I'll buy a truck and we'll prob upgrade to a bigger camper, so going used, i can prob sell it for not much less than I pay.I've read some good about coyote, but also read about some models having a wood frame that rots, and a front cap will rot, and issues with flip bunk seals and such. Not sure what model year they upgraded these things, and if 2007 is good or bad.Would prefer..1. 3 bunks flip outs2. slideout sofa or dinette.3. Around 3500-4000 lb dry4. Dont need a problem child.5. Target was $5000, but can go a little more to buy something better to serve our need and want.Require..1. min 2 flip bunks2. sofa3. at least 19 ft box (22 is ok though)Any input?

My parents currently have a 2007 Keystone Mountaineer with 2 slides, and its pretty roomy. Our motor homes when I was a kid never had a slide and felt cramped, so I can deal with a couple hundred pounds for more room.We live in the south east, and will go to the beach a little, maybe to the app mountains, and prob out to our nearby lake campgrounds and for us about the camping experience for the kids.We want to start camping as soon as this winter or spring with the kids, but honestly I have a 1 car payment rule, and we have 2.6 yrs left on our van, and so wont buy a truck till after. I'll pay cash for the camper in this price range, but again don't want a problem. We both work, two kids, I have a rental property, so don't have time for a bunch of trouble. Storage might not be in my yard, working that out, as our yard is fairly small. I started looking at a 2010 Jayfeather no slides, 2 end bunk flip outs, wanting over 7000. Then found this 2007 Coyote with 3 flip bunks and about $6000. Havn't been looking long enough to know how rare these are, or if this age means bunks leak, do I have to spray them, cover them,replace them? The 2010 is 2 hour drive, then 2007 is an 8 hour drive. Really like the one I saw online that had 3 bunks and a slide out sofa, and i think it was around 8-9000, and a 9 hour drive.

Isn't that unit a 7,000 pound max? Is the Trailblazer rated for that much?

I'd be more concerned with the TBs ability to tow that trailer. The trailer you are looking at seems to have a GVWR of 6000#. Granted you may not load it to it's full potential, but with two growing boys you will be closer to the GVWR than the unloaded weight. Probably very close to the 5500# rating of the truck. Worse your payload is probably only 1100# or 1200#. Between the tongue weight, hitch weight, your kids, wife, and "stuff" in the truck, you'll be over your payload. I used to have a Trailblazer, I6, 3:42 gears and towed two hybrids with it. One had a GVWR of 3500#. The TB towed it beautifully. Then we towed our current X20E with it. It has a GVWR of 4500#. The TB towed it OK, but nothing stellar about the experience. It struggled a bit when fighting wind. For short trips it was fine but we got the Sierra because the TB had a lot of miles and was not going to cut for mountains. I can't see you having a good experience towing the trailer you are considering.

Campfire Time wrote:I'd be more concerned with the TBs ability to tow that trailer. The trailer you are looking at seems to have a GVWR of 6000#. Granted you may not load it to it's full potential, but with two growing boys you will be closer to the GVWR than the unloaded weight. Probably very close to the 5500# rating of the truck. Worse your payload is probably only 1100# or 1200#. Between the tongue weight, hitch weight, your kids, wife, and "stuff" in the truck, you'll be over your payload. I used to have a Trailblazer, I6, 3:42 gears and towed two hybrids with it. One had a GVWR of 3500#. The TB towed it beautifully. Then we towed our current X20E with it. It has a GVWR of 4500#. The TB towed it OK, but nothing stellar about the experience. It struggled a bit when fighting wind. For short trips it was fine but we got the Sierra because the TB had a lot of miles and was not going to cut for mountains. I can't see you having a good experience towing the trailer you are considering.I understand your concerns. I've had the TB since new, its what I have to tow with as I'm not buy a truck for prob 3 years. When I buy a truck, I may go to a larger camper accordingly. I don't see a shorter 17 ft trailer cutting it for us, so if we pudder along at 60 MPH in the TB for a couple years I can live with that. If it blows the engine I can live with that.Mainly I'd love you guys input about the camper availability, quality and overall value for the money for what I hope will be about 3 years of ownership, and if it goes well I might keep it longer, but I'll buy a truck in 3 years.

It's not a matter of "puttering along at 60". Most of us here only tow at 60-65 for safety and limitations of ST tires. All I'm suggesting is that you are more than likely going to find that this is not at all a good combination and you'll hate the towing experience. I'd really hate to see you go into this and find out after a few trips towing you're looking at trucks anyway. The vast majority of people in your situation do exactly that. Regarding the trailer, no matter what used trailer you look at you need to look for evidence of water damage. Get on the roof and look for dried and cracked seals. In fact look at everything for this. Hybrids are only prone to leaks in the bunks because people fail to take care of them. We're on our second one and have never had a leak that was not due to a dried out seal on the roof. We had our first hybrid for 10 years. Open all the beds and look at the seals around the bunk wall. Are they dry or soft and pliable? Look for evidence of water anywhere. Have the owner or dealer demonstrate that all the appliances work, heat, ac, etc.

Looking to buy a used HTT, first camper, family of 4. Rec?

74 Replies

Rhizzlebop
Explorer
Sep 20, 2018
Campfire Time wrote:
I'd be more concerned with the TBs ability to tow that trailer. The trailer you are looking at seems to have a GVWR of 6000#. Granted you may not load it to it's full potential, but with two growing boys you will be closer to the GVWR than the unloaded weight. Probably very close to the 5500# rating of the truck. Worse your payload is probably only 1100# or 1200#. Between the tongue weight, hitch weight, your kids, wife, and "stuff" in the truck, you'll be over your payload.

I used to have a Trailblazer, I6, 3:42 gears and towed two hybrids with it. One had a GVWR of 3500#. The TB towed it beautifully. Then we towed our current X20E with it. It has a GVWR of 4500#. The TB towed it OK, but nothing stellar about the experience. It struggled a bit when fighting wind. For short trips it was fine but we got the Sierra because the TB had a lot of miles and was not going to cut for mountains. I can't see you having a good experience towing the trailer you are considering.

I understand your concerns.

I've had the TB since new, its what I have to tow with as I'm not buy a truck for prob 3 years. When I buy a truck, I may go to a larger camper accordingly. I don't see a shorter 17 ft trailer cutting it for us, so if we pudder along at 60 MPH in the TB for a couple years I can live with that. If it blows the engine I can live with that.

Mainly I'd love you guys input about the camper availability, quality and overall value for the money for what I hope will be about 3 years of ownership, and if it goes well I might keep it longer, but I'll buy a truck in 3 years.
Campfire_Time
Explorer
Sep 20, 2018
I'd be more concerned with the TBs ability to tow that trailer. The trailer you are looking at seems to have a GVWR of 6000#. Granted you may not load it to it's full potential, but with two growing boys you will be closer to the GVWR than the unloaded weight. Probably very close to the 5500# rating of the truck. Worse your payload is probably only 1100# or 1200#. Between the tongue weight, hitch weight, your kids, wife, and "stuff" in the truck, you'll be over your payload.

I used to have a Trailblazer, I6, 3:42 gears and towed two hybrids with it. One had a GVWR of 3500#. The TB towed it beautifully. Then we towed our current X20E with it. It has a GVWR of 4500#. The TB towed it OK, but nothing stellar about the experience. It struggled a bit when fighting wind. For short trips it was fine but we got the Sierra because the TB had a lot of miles and was not going to cut for mountains. I can't see you having a good experience towing the trailer you are considering.
Lwiddis
Explorer II
Sep 20, 2018
Isn't that unit a 7,000 pound max? Is the Trailblazer rated for that much?
Rhizzlebop
Explorer
Sep 20, 2018
My parents currently have a 2007 Keystone Mountaineer with 2 slides, and its pretty roomy. Our motor homes when I was a kid never had a slide and felt cramped, so I can deal with a couple hundred pounds for more room.

We live in the south east, and will go to the beach a little, maybe to the app mountains, and prob out to our nearby lake campgrounds and for us about the camping experience for the kids.

We want to start camping as soon as this winter or spring with the kids, but honestly I have a 1 car payment rule, and we have 2.6 yrs left on our van, and so wont buy a truck till after. I'll pay cash for the camper in this price range, but again don't want a problem. We both work, two kids, I have a rental property, so don't have time for a bunch of trouble. Storage might not be in my yard, working that out, as our yard is fairly small.

I started looking at a 2010 Jayfeather no slides, 2 end bunk flip outs, wanting over 7000. Then found this 2007 Coyote with 3 flip bunks and about $6000. Havn't been looking long enough to know how rare these are, or if this age means bunks leak, do I have to spray them, cover them,replace them? The 2010 is 2 hour drive, then 2007 is an 8 hour drive. Really like the one I saw online that had 3 bunks and a slide out sofa, and i think it was around 8-9000, and a 9 hour drive.

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Looking to buy a used HTT, first camper, family of 4. Rec?

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