Overnight stay

Thanks to everyone for their helpful information. I'm sure we will get the hang of backing and what will work for us on the overnight stays.

My tiny hybrid I can just barely fold down the front bed with my explorer attached but only if I am perfectly straight. When we make a quick overnight stop we usually stay hooked up and open the rear bed and use the dinette area. Keep in mind even if there is room to open the front bed it will be much harder to set up with the car so close. Also remember to get anything you need out of the back of the truck before you fold down the bed!

We tow a 2007 Jayco 23B with a 2008 T4R, I have dropped the front bunk while hooked up but only for inspection purposes - it is very tight. If I were going to drop a bunk for a one night stay, I'd use the rear bunk. Typically we just drop the dinette down into a bed before we take off that way when it comes time to hit the sack, the sack is already made.

My tiny hybrid I can just barely fold down the front bed with my explorer attached but only if I am perfectly straight. When we make a quick overnight stop we usually stay hooked up and open the rear bed and use the dinette area. Keep in mind even if there is room to open the front bed it will be much harder to set up with the car so close. Also remember to get anything you need out of the back of the truck before you fold down the bed!

With our hybrid we have no trouble putting the front bunk down while hitched up. Comes in handy for one night stops. We just get a pull through site and stay hitched. Give it a try on your setup and see if the bunk clears.

As for backing up, as others have suggested - an empty parking lot and some cones are the way to learn. There are always You-tube videos that suggest different techniques that you can check out, but in the end it just comes down to practice. The biggest thing I miss from backing up our popup is the fact that I can't see over the top of the trailer any more. Had to learn to use the mirrors...

Vacation Bound wrote:
We have Rv'd and camped for many years, but this is the first Hybrid trailer we have had. FOr an overnight stay can you put the bunk out with the tow vehicle still attached? We measured and it looks like it would just be enough room between the trailer and the tow vechicle. We are towing this with a 2015 Toyota 4Runner.

In the time it took you to measure surely you could have hitched up and tried it ... no? Every trailer / TV combination is different, it just depends on the clearances between them.

Also, how long did it take to learn how to back this up. At this point, I think we can only go forward and use all pull thrus.

ANy tidbits of info will be appreciated.

There's no standard for learning how to back up a trailer ... some have difficulty, for others it's a natural. Take your trailer to an empty parking lot, set up a few cones, and practice.

As for whether you can open the bed-end while still hooked up, there are a few considerations. One, if you're at a truck-stop or a parking lot, it's would seem rude to do so. In those instances, we just sleep on the dinette bed. Next, if your site isn't level, you may have a problem with your refrigerator. Ours demands to be perfectly level, front to back. It's hard to level a camper while it's still attached.

Parking and backing up - OY! I don't know how to do it, no matter how hard I've tried. I usually travel with someone who knows how or else I use a pull-through site. I intend to keep practicing, though. I have a patient brother who's willing to teach me.

Cannot answer your question about unhooking. As for backing up, go to an empty parking lot to practice. Place your hand on the bottom of the steering wheel and which ever direction you want the trailer to go is the direction you move your hand. I spent hours learning to back all sorts of trailers--boat, 30 foot TT, u-haul trailers from 4x6 to 6x12. The key is lots of practice and to remain calm and not get cocky. Every trailer one backs up will "kick" differently so don't get frustrated. Also, no more than 1 hour at a time, or you will get tired and what headway you made will be lost. 3-4 days of that and you should be feeling more comfortable and be ready to practice putting it between the lines on the parking lot, or if no lines, blocks of wood.