Travel Trailers with a rear bed slide... Leaks? Issues?
Hi All,New member here and relatively new to the RV lifestyle. Our present RV (and first RV) is a 2010 Jayco 17C which is a small hybrid. It has been a good entry into this hobby but there are some limitations to this trailer which has frustrated me.
***Link Removed***
Our driveway is where we keep the trailer from May until the end of October. It is winterized now and I am probably going to take it to its hibernation home next weekend. The driveway can keep a 24 ft trailer max. So, a hybrid made sense. Heck, we could keep a 21 ft Rockwood hybrid without an issue.
We have been discussing a larger hybrid as an option to some of the limitations of the smaller footprint of our little Jayco. I have a co worker with a 2014 Kodiac 186E hybrid which is in great shape which he wants to sell. It is tempting but I think my wife and I need to consider a more typical travel trailer. I live in Ontario, Canada and camping in May and October would be a lot more comfortable in a travel trailer instead of a hybrid.
So, a 22' to 24' solid trailer would work. I am looking at ones with a bunkhouse since it would give us a third bed for when my autistic brother in law camps with us. It also gives us a spot to put our French Bulldog's crate for when she is sleeping. The bunkhouse can also seem to work as storage space as well.
So, in my search I happened across the Starcraft Launch 19BHS and I could no get over how large it was for its size once the rear bed was out. I thought to myself that this was sort of like an extension of the advantages of a hybrid. Smaller trailer to tow and fit in my driveway; but with a nice large footprint when parked. However, unlike my hybrid the main bed would still be "solid". I have found two trailers that have floorplans I like:
-Jayco Feather X213
-Grey Wolf 19SM
I know a guy who works at an RV dealer as a tech. He cautioned me against a trailer with a rear bed slide saying that they leak excessively. I thought I would register and post here to see if this is true, was true, is only true if the slide is not properly maintained etc.
If these are indeed decently reliable then great I can keep pursuing this as a possible option.
If not reliable then I need to keep looking at smaller bunkhouse trailers. Ideally I would go tandem axle to have the higher load rating and the extra set of brakes and tires for a margin of safety. My tow vehicle is a 2013 Ram 1500 Outdoorsman with the Hemi and 392 gears. The tow rating is upwards of 10000lbs with a conventional hitch so a trailer under 5000 lbs should be fine.
My other models I have been considering are:
-Jayco 20BH
-Northern Spirit 2342BH
-Rockwood 2306
-Microlite 23LB
-Salem Cruise Lite 201BHXL
-Apex 208BHS
If there are other trailers that fit the bill I would love to hear your recommendations or suggestions.
If some are wondering what limitations have been frustrating me with our Jayco. Some of them are:
-25 gal fresh water. Our Provincial Parks only offer electrical service so I need to fill 6 Gal jugs up and refill the trailer. My coworker's Kodiac he is selling has a 52 Gal fresh tank. That would make a significant difference to my trips at Provincial Parks.
-Surge braking system is annoying and unpredictable. I have the factory brake controller in my truck so it would be nice to get a trailer with a proper electrical brake system I can control.
-Rear dinette is a pain to work with. I end up usually putting the table outside with a table cloth on it and then use one or two tv trays instead.
-The counter space is severely limited. I installed a stove cover which helps because I can put the drying rack on top of it. Even my co worker's hybrid would be so much more functional. It has counter space to the left of its sink where a coffee maker could go and it has a double sink so I could use the right sink for the drying rack and then I could have access to the stove all the time. Hmmm...
So, I could go for a larger hybrid, a travel trailer with a rear slide, or a travel trailer with bunks.
Opinions?
