Hi, folks never really paid much attention to types of rv's and am curious :@

A Hybrid refers to the class of travel trailers that have canvas extensions for sleeping. Many look like half trailer / half tent.

thanks now I know we bought our 1st tt for evacuation in hurricane season funny thing haven't had one since we got it but fell in love with camping and go quite often thanks again:)

a hybrid travel trailer is a cross between a popup and a regular travel trailer, hence the name "hybrid".the body of the trailer is a regular travel trailer but generally, in each end, there is a drop-down door that will have a canvas tent attached too. drops down like a truck tailgate.the canvas tent ends use the door as a bed platform. so this is where it resembles a popup, except that the bed platform drop down instead of pulling out like a popup.most of the time, these drop-down beds are RV queen sized. some hybrids have 3 of these beds, with the third being on the side.the advantage of the hybrid is that you can sleep large numbers of people, in a short package, since none of these canvas beds take up any floorspace, as a walk-around bed would.for some of the 3 bed hybrids that have a u-dinette slide, they can sleep 8 adults and two kids. not even a full bunkhouse trailer can do that.most hybrid owners are former popup owners who want more amenities and less setup, but still want the canvas tent experience. plus when you open the windows of each tent end, the airiness and openness are only equaled by a popup.they are not for everyone though and require more maintenance than a regular TT. but they can't be beat for sleeping capacity in a short and lighter package.

what exactly is a hybrid | Good Sam Community

atreis
Explorer
Jan 11, 2014
No, the ends aren't heavy at all. My wife can handle them easily.

The stock mattresses aren't very good. I replaced ours with much more comfortable ones. (At a small weight penalty - also replaced our steel-framed camp chairs and cooking table with aluminum-framed ones to make up the weight difference. It was worth it though for a good night's sleep!)
Wavesprite
Explorer II
Jan 10, 2014
krinkle wrote:
We have been thinking about downsizing to a hybird. We were in one with a small slide. It impressed us. Had everything we need. space. Our only question is: Are the ends "heavy" to let down and put back up? The mattresses looked very comfortable.

No, the ends aren't heavy at all, my 12 year old son can put them up and down without them crashing down.

Our hybrid is a 2003 and the mattresses are foam and comfy, but we add a memory foam topper to ours for more comfort. :)
drenjoey
Explorer
Jan 10, 2014
bikendan wrote:
krinkle wrote:
We have been thinking about downsizing to a hybird. We were in one with a small slide. It impressed us. Had everything we need. space. Our only question is: Are the ends "heavy" to let down and put back up? The mattresses looked very comfortable.

no, the ends are not heavy. i can lift/drop them by myself, though it's even easier with two people.

the mattresses may look "comfortable" but i've yet to see a brand of hybrid that most haven't added a memory foam topper to the hybrid's mattresses.
very few are fine with the stock mattress.

I feel the quality of mattresses have changed with the years. They are not as great as before.
When we lost our 2004 Travelstar (a tree fell on it) and after payment from the insurance, we bought a 2011 Palomino. We found out the mattresses on the 2004 were much better then the 2011.
I went to the scrap yard where the Palomino was and after talking to the people there, they agreed to exchange the mattresses.........and I'm happy again :Z
bikendan
Explorer
Jan 10, 2014
krinkle wrote:
We have been thinking about downsizing to a hybird. We were in one with a small slide. It impressed us. Had everything we need. space. Our only question is: Are the ends "heavy" to let down and put back up? The mattresses looked very comfortable.

no, the ends are not heavy. i can lift/drop them by myself, though it's even easier with two people.

the mattresses may look "comfortable" but i've yet to see a brand of hybrid that most haven't added a memory foam topper to the hybrid's mattresses.
very few are fine with the stock mattress.
krinkle
Explorer
Jan 10, 2014
We have been thinking about downsizing to a hybird. We were in one with a small slide. It impressed us. Had everything we need. space. Our only question is: Are the ends "heavy" to let down and put back up? The mattresses looked very comfortable.
atreis
Explorer
Jan 08, 2014
Likewise. Being able to turtle when necessary was a requirement for me. We lose the dinette, but it works. (There are 5 of us.)
PAThwacker
Explorer
Jan 08, 2014
i can turtle in my 21ft bunkhouse htt and crash on the perpendicular bunkbeds across the rear. winter, walmart, truck stop, or bear country.

sleep 6 adults in a 21ft package and not disturb the dinette. biggest downer is narrow body, no couch, or vertical wards. bunkbeds in the rear outweigh the wards YMMV
a 5 year old, and 2 year old get the rear bunkbed. side tent play area, clothes in the lower storage bow and side, and vertical pantry in the kitchen
not a pupup at all, been there, dreaded it.
PAThwacker
Explorer
Jan 08, 2014
biggest advantage over 90% of pups is fully self contained. Add 100% anytime access, larger fridge, no flipping of sinks or cranking up. Pupop only similarity are the tent ends.
gheicher
Explorer
Jan 05, 2014
The advantage of a Hybrid for myself is having the extra room when you need it without a lot of extra size and/or weight to lug around. If I go by myself or just two of us, I don't bother to open the extra sleeping quarters in my AR-One 15RB, but its there just in case. Since mine is basically a travel trailer with a fold out fabric sleep area, maybe it should be designated a hybrid-hybrid.
catmancando
Explorer
Jan 05, 2014
thanks to all now I know:)