My Aliner Experience
I have been lurking here since January researching Aliners and other Aframe campers. I know that others lurk here attempting to learn about these unique campers and would like to share our recent expe...
Forum Discussion
I'm sorry you didn't have a good Aliner experience. We bought our Aliner Classic in 2012, and so far, we're enjoying it. We haven't made too many modifications, but we've bought several things to make the experience more enjoyable. At first, we were overwhelmed with the lack of space, but we've become used to it and now enjoy figuring out ways to make the most of the small space.
*We bought an REI camp kitchen to keep all paper goods, cooking gear, coffee maker, toaster oven etc. in outside (no food though); the 2 burner stove fits on a bracket on the side of the camper (with a propane hookup), or it can be used inside, if necessary.
* We bought a Trekker porta-potty shelter for our porta-potty is great for those night time emergencies, or when we're too far from a restroom to make it.
*We've also bought several slide out drawers that stack on a counter (dry foods/towels/foldable clothes/dog stuff) for storage - they work great, and they store under the table and bed during transit.
*In addition, we have an Easy-Up in the place of an awning, which we love! It's 12x12, so we actually like it better than the awning we used to have on our TT.
*We use the back of our Pathfinder as our hanging closet (we have a hanging rod across the back end for hanging shirts and pants), to avoid junking up the camper with all of our clothes.
*We have an x-pen for the dogs to hang out in outside, along with folding dog camp beds - spoiled? Yes!
*We put a bike carrier on the back of our Pathfinder. We load one bike, then hitch up, then load the second bike - works great!
*We have an air mattress/memory foam topper for our queen sized bed
Would we love a bigger camper? You bet! However, we enjoy being able to store the camper in our garage (saves us $50/mo. storage fee), and we enjoy the ability to have a "normal" tow vehicle with decent mileage (21 +/- mpg non-towing; 15-18 mpg towing, depending on speed/grade). This beats the 8-10 mpg (along with a hefty monthly payment!) of our former truck we towed our 31 foot camper with. Insurance, tag fees - everything - is cheaper with our Aliner.
We're becoming very resourceful in making our Aliner work for us. We even take our dogs with us - our 60 lb. boxer sleeps under our slide out queen couch/bed (which we leave in a permanent bed configuration) - yes, he crawls under there on his elbows - LOL,and the little dogs sleep on one of the dinette cushions on their beds(sorry, no dogs in bed with us...).
Yes, it takes more effort in planning to camp in an Aliner, but the ease/cost of travel and set up is worth it to us.
OP, I'm glad that you found a camper that fits your needs better.
*We bought an REI camp kitchen to keep all paper goods, cooking gear, coffee maker, toaster oven etc. in outside (no food though); the 2 burner stove fits on a bracket on the side of the camper (with a propane hookup), or it can be used inside, if necessary.
* We bought a Trekker porta-potty shelter for our porta-potty is great for those night time emergencies, or when we're too far from a restroom to make it.
*We've also bought several slide out drawers that stack on a counter (dry foods/towels/foldable clothes/dog stuff) for storage - they work great, and they store under the table and bed during transit.
*In addition, we have an Easy-Up in the place of an awning, which we love! It's 12x12, so we actually like it better than the awning we used to have on our TT.
*We use the back of our Pathfinder as our hanging closet (we have a hanging rod across the back end for hanging shirts and pants), to avoid junking up the camper with all of our clothes.
*We have an x-pen for the dogs to hang out in outside, along with folding dog camp beds - spoiled? Yes!
*We put a bike carrier on the back of our Pathfinder. We load one bike, then hitch up, then load the second bike - works great!
*We have an air mattress/memory foam topper for our queen sized bed
Would we love a bigger camper? You bet! However, we enjoy being able to store the camper in our garage (saves us $50/mo. storage fee), and we enjoy the ability to have a "normal" tow vehicle with decent mileage (21 +/- mpg non-towing; 15-18 mpg towing, depending on speed/grade). This beats the 8-10 mpg (along with a hefty monthly payment!) of our former truck we towed our 31 foot camper with. Insurance, tag fees - everything - is cheaper with our Aliner.
We're becoming very resourceful in making our Aliner work for us. We even take our dogs with us - our 60 lb. boxer sleeps under our slide out queen couch/bed (which we leave in a permanent bed configuration) - yes, he crawls under there on his elbows - LOL,and the little dogs sleep on one of the dinette cushions on their beds(sorry, no dogs in bed with us...).
Yes, it takes more effort in planning to camp in an Aliner, but the ease/cost of travel and set up is worth it to us.
OP, I'm glad that you found a camper that fits your needs better.
