My nephew asked for suggestions for a light weight bunkhouse with slide out(s), not a hybrid. I did some looking and found several possibilities. But our experience is with fifth wheels and I feel there may be some really nice ones out there that I don't know about. He is doing it the right way, taking his trucks towing capacity into consideration. We have discussed that he would be best served by something in the 5500 to 7000 weight range. That would still leave him capacity for stuff and be under his tow ratings. He knows that he needs to get a weight distributing hitch and would like pros and cons of brands from the folks that are using them. Thanks for your suggestions.

And length restrictions? How big is the family?

I forgot to add that three that I came up with in my search was a Lance 2185, Keystone Bullet and KZ-Spree Escape. I am not familiar with those specific trailers but have read comments, good and bad, about the manufacturers.

Right now it is a family of three but expect the family to grow by at least one more. I was thinking of something in the 22-25 foot range because I figured they would be most likely to be with in weight range. We don't want the tail wagging the dog here.

The Lance 2185 hits it out of the park in my opinion. They take about 6 weeks to build, come with a 2 year warranty, are made with composite materials (Azdel in the walls instead of wood (luaun) that can rot, mold and mildew) and BeauFlor flooring. 2" thick block form insulation (as opposed to house "pink fluffy stuff" and Luaun (an inferior product used in 95% of RV's on the market today) Lance also uses LitePly, which is 50% lighter than traditional plywood. LitePly is used in corporate jets, etc. Pex plumbing, Dexter torsion suspension axles, pinch rolled fiberglass exterior.4,000 dry weight and a GVWR of 6,000 lbs.Take a look at the links in my signature. The factory tour will help explain a lot about their corporate mentality and the care taken to build each trailer or truck camper.WoodGlue

I'm very happy with my Heartland North Trail 28BRS. 5500 pounds dry yellow sticker weight. Lots of great features like slam latch storage doors, power stabilizer jacks, solid surface kitchen counter, and rear slide out bike rack, for about $20k OTD. We are on our 4th summer with it for our family of 5.

suggestions for light weight bunk house with slide out(s)

JA722
Explorer
Jan 12, 2014
Check out Cruiser RV (manufacturer). We chose the Shadow Cruiser. Excellent quality and price!

We have been beyond thrilled.
Rthomas61
Explorer
Jan 12, 2014
I purchased a 2013 KZ Sportsmen 280BHS Show Stopper last year for my family of 4. Myself, wife, 9 year old son and 6 year old daughter. Has a super slide for the dinette and the couch and SO much room. 2014 model looks identical. We have it on a seasonal site and stayed there for most of the summer. Perfect amount of room. Weighs only 5,400 dry. Easy to tow as well.
Glendale_290
Explorer
Jan 11, 2014
Take a look at the Solaire by Palomino. Lots of great floor plans to choose from.

Lou
likesadvice
Explorer
Jan 11, 2014
We are a family of 4 and just purchased a Winnebago Minnie 2451 BHS travel trailer. Great quality and fun colors. We bought the cherry red.
pappcam
Explorer
Jan 10, 2014
The TT in my sig is a nice roomy and fairly lightweight trailer that's 1/2 ton towable. Rockwood makes the same trailer except for the decals and upholstery.
Cattiva73
Explorer
Jan 10, 2014
gman82001,
Im so glad to read about your Dutchmen Aspen Trail...we just bought the same exact model :2810bhs and we have two boys.
I cant wait to try it out ;)
ps: any suggestions on the functions of this tailer?
Thanks
Doug33
Explorer
Jul 14, 2013
jrs1871 wrote:
Doug33, what brand/model of TT did you buy. Trying to keep an open mind and will not rule out anything that will safely fit into their parameters. As a general rule I agree, all things being equal I would opt for more space as it is amazing how quickly you fill up the available space.

I don't know why my signature is not showing up. I just bought a Keystone Bullet 281BHS.
gman82001
Explorer
Jul 14, 2013
we bought an Dutchmen aspen trail 2810bhs it has a rear bunk for our 2 girls with the bottom being a full size for when me and my buddy take it hunting. its a 32' but dry weight is around 6500lb were on our 3rd trip with it and just finished a week long dry camping trip in the mtns I honestly cant think of a floor plan or different model that would suit my family better, maybe a couple options i would like different but that's what customizing is all about lol

http://www.aspentrailrv.com/floorplan/2810BHS
jrs1871
Explorer
Jul 14, 2013
Doug33, what brand/model of TT did you buy. Trying to keep an open mind and will not rule out anything that will safely fit into their parameters. As a general rule I agree, all things being equal I would opt for more space as it is amazing how quickly you fill up the available space.
Doug33
Explorer
Jul 14, 2013
IMHO - a 22' is not going to be comfortable for a future family of 4. We got by with a 24' for many years, but just up-sized because we were tired of being cramped. We were surprised we could get a 28' with a slide and so many options for a dry weight of only 5200 lbs. And the TT tows like a dream due to the aerodynamic shape of the front end.