Opinions on Alto Safari Condo and Vehicle

[NYCgrrl]

I decided to put our summer tenting to the side, buy a small modified tear drop and tour the US for several months as a retirement present. It'll just be 2 of us and because we live in NYC this will be the first time we will own a car since..the mid '70's. As such we'll be buying not only a TT but a car at the same time. Strange how life goes isn't it?...content being car-less for decades and then BAM,change up LOL.

So this is the style we are prolly going to buy:

ALTO CONDO SAFARI R1723

Dry weight: 1725

I'm thinking a car with a towing capacity of 3000-3500 lbs would be about right. Haven't picked a car yet though I know of someone with a similar model that uses a Golf.

Anyway back to the TT.....any deficiencies noted in the layout or specs? Do the solar panels seem to provide a nice amt of power for infrequent TV use(maybe once a wk) and constant radio as well as charging smartphones and a tablet? I've done a lot of reading on te subject but I'm sure there are areas I've missed.

TIA!:)

[bakerkids]

A sister of a fellow T@B owner recently purchased an Alto. She had it at the fall rally, which I didn't get to attend. I'm now dying to see it, so I hope I get the chance this summer. I'll be looking forward to your photos! Love my T@B, and I'm sure you will love your Alto!

[NYCgrrl]

bakerkids wrote:
I've always loved the Alto and was pleased when they became available to us in the USA. I didn't read about the type of heat pump, but my T@B has a Cool Cat AC/heat pump. Mine is electric. Heat pumps are not effective at heating when temps dip below 40. At that point I switch to my propane furnace or, when I have hookups, a ceramic heater. The AC works like a charm. I would definitely tow with an SUV or truck.

Thanks for the detailed info comparing a similar sized TT. Your evaluation of the HVAC system and how it works reconfirms my research.

Got to say T@B was the first small TT that sparked my interest and the variety of current floor plans simply amazes me:). It made the final decision challenging.

[bakerkids]

I've always loved the Alto and was pleased when they became available to us in the USA. I didn't read about the type of heat pump, but my T@B has a Cool Cat AC/heat pump. Mine is electric. Heat pumps are not effective at heating when temps dip below 40. At that point I switch to my propane furnace or, when I have hookups, a ceramic heater. The AC works like a charm. I would definitely tow with an SUV or truck.

[RobertRyan]

westend wrote:
If you try to get on the Interstate with that Alto and a small car, you will be in for a shock the first time a truck passes. Also, climbing or descending any sizable grade will a terrible experience.

No that is not a problem with them as they are suitably light and adequately braked to cope.Heavy Trucks are everywhere in Europe and they face being "blown" away on a daily basis. The problem with European Caravans is their small payloads they do not do full timing in them. Motorhomes yes, but not towables.

[NYCgrrl]

SkiMore wrote:

NYCgrrl wrote:

SkiMore wrote:
What a cool looking RV.
Are you going to park it in a public indoor garage in NYC? Have you talked to them about it and what they are going to charge? Will it really fit? I've got a feeling that it is going to cost a lot and few garages will take it.

I'd like to but the cost is hair raising; found a few new garages that have promotional rates that look good but the prices (best indoor:400.00 mthly)rise at the end of the 3-6 month promotional period so at the end of the year it's just as expensive as the established garages. I'm also looking at nearby counties. Best price so far is a 3 car residential garage for $700/mthly; could rent out the 3rd space and make back some money that way. Another option is to build a storage shed on a non NYC relative's property. Could just as well sell the TT at the end of the cross country trip to save on upkeep. Time will tell.

I bet it will get even more expensive when they see it and try to maneuver in those tight garages. If it's gonna cost you $3K-$5K/year to store the RV why not buy a low priced used trailer and just get rid of it after the trip. Buy cheap sell cheaper.

Or get a sports mobile with pop-up roof and skip the tow car. It will be easier to drive than towing a trailer, it isn't as tall as many of the other options and parking one van has got to be cheaper than a car/suv + trailer.

The one part of these life changing purchases I'm sure to keep is the car. I'm willing to chalk up the cost of the TT to a vacation well enjoyed (so is the IRS Wooohoo!) but do see a later need for my own wheels. On it's own I've access to a no/low cost storage spot. With the TT, I'll have to pay for both or suffer thru the logistics of having a free spot for the car and not for the TT. Oh and I already did a costing of buying a small MH; made no sense on my financial end, either pre or post sale when adding in insurance costs, extended service warranty, gas costs and depreciation. Kinda wished it had.

[SkiMore]

NYCgrrl wrote:

SkiMore wrote:
What a cool looking RV.
Are you going to park it in a public indoor garage in NYC? Have you talked to them about it and what they are going to charge? Will it really fit? I've got a feeling that it is going to cost a lot and few garages will take it.

I'd like to but the cost is hair raising; found a few new garages that have promotional rates that look good but the prices (best indoor:400.00 mthly)rise at the end of the 3-6 month promotional period so at the end of the year it's just as expensive as the established garages. I'm also looking at nearby counties. Best price so far is a 3 car residential garage for $700/mthly; could rent out the 3rd space and make back some money that way. Another option is to build a storage shed on a non NYC relative's property. Could just as well sell the TT at the end of the cross country trip to save on upkeep. Time will tell.

I bet it will get even more expensive when they see it and try to maneuver in those tight garages. If it's gonna cost you $3K-$5K/year to store the RV why not buy a low priced used trailer and just get rid of it after the trip. Buy cheap sell cheaper.

Or get a sports mobile with pop-up roof and skip the tow car. It will be easier to drive than towing a trailer, it isn't as tall as many of the other options and parking one van has got to be cheaper than a car/suv + trailer.

[Bumpyroad]

if you buy it and sell it after one trip, that is going to be a very expensive trip. and finding a buyer might be iffy
bumpy

[NYCgrrl]

SkiMore wrote:
What a cool looking RV.
Are you going to park it in a public indoor garage in NYC? Have you talked to them about it and what they are going to charge? Will it really fit? I've got a feeling that it is going to cost a lot and few garages will take it.

I'd like to but the cost is hair raising; found a few new garages that have promotional rates that look good but the prices (best indoor:400.00 mthly)rise at the end of the 3-6 month promotional period so at the end of the year it's just as expensive as the established garages. I'm also looking at nearby counties. Best price so far is a 3 car residential garage for $700/mthly; could rent out the 3rd space and make back some money that way. Another option is to build a storage shed on a non NYC relative's property. Could just as well sell the TT at the end of the cross country trip to save on upkeep. Time will tell.

westend, you are good at picking towing vehicles. Older versions of the VW are listed on Alto's frmr website; think they took it off because of recent change-ups in the car's mechanics.

[westend]

NYCgrrl wrote:

westend wrote:
You need to do some research on the aspects of towing, it sounds like you may be new to it. The tow vehicle must be capable of handling the trailer in different situations. If the towing vehicle isn't up to the task, there can be severe consequences.
Choosing a small car to tow 3000 lbs. would be a terrible decision. You will be fighting the weight of the trailer continually and there may be failure of the car's drive train components. The other sad truth is that you can tow most TT's with a pickup truck or a minivan and your gas mileage will be the same. The Alto, since it has less frontal wind drag, will give you some economy but you will still have the towed weight to consider.

You got me pegged; I know lil of nothing about the criteria needed to tow. Which is part of why I'm sitting at your VL feet:). I lived in Europe for a time and noticed that many TTs were towed by smaller cars but am clueless as to why the same cars cannot tow in this country. Probably different market specifications.

If you look at the European cars that are doing the towing, I think you'll find many of them are AWD and diesel powered. With the exception of a few major routes, roads on the continent are smaller and our Euro brothers travel shorter distances. The Euro TT's are also built lighter, to keep to the weight ratings of the cars there.

If you try to get on the Interstate with that Alto and a small car, you will be in for a shock the first time a truck passes. Also, climbing or descending any sizable grade will a terrible experience.

As others have posted, an SUV or small pickup is what you will want for towing. Look at the VW Toureg or Mercedes ML350, they are both good towing vehicles.

[SkiMore]

What a cool looking RV.
Are you going to park it in a public indoor garage in NYC? Have you talked to them about it and what they are going to charge? Will it really fit? I've got a feeling that it is going to cost a lot and few garages will take it.

[NYCgrrl]

westend wrote:
You need to do some research on the aspects of towing, it sounds like you may be new to it. The tow vehicle must be capable of handling the trailer in different situations. If the towing vehicle isn't up to the task, there can be severe consequences.
Choosing a small car to tow 3000 lbs. would be a terrible decision. You will be fighting the weight of the trailer continually and there may be failure of the car's drive train components. The other sad truth is that you can tow most TT's with a pickup truck or a minivan and your gas mileage will be the same. The Alto, since it has less frontal wind drag, will give you some economy but you will still have the towed weight to consider.

You got me pegged; I know lil of nothing about the criteria needed to tow. Which is part of why I'm sitting at your VL feet:). I lived in Europe for a time and noticed that many TTs were towed by smaller cars but am clueless as to why the same cars cannot tow in this country. Probably different market specifications.

[2012Coleman]

Maintenance may not be as much of an issue as the ones sold in the USA. Looks like this one is made in Canada, and more than likely is much more reliable. It looks very cool. And while it doesn't have a slide out, it has a slide up! Very very nice...

[westend]

You need to do some research on the aspects of towing, it sounds like you may be new to it. The tow vehicle must be capable of handling the trailer in different situations. If the towing vehicle isn't up to the task, there can be severe consequences.
Choosing a small car to tow 3000 lbs. would be a terrible decision. You will be fighting the weight of the trailer continually and there may be failure of the car's drive train components. The other sad truth is that you can tow most TT's with a pickup truck or a minivan and your gas mileage will be the same. The Alto, since it has less frontal wind drag, will give you some economy but you will still have the towed weight to consider.

[NYCgrrl]

ependydad wrote:

NYCgrrl wrote:
I like the electric roof because it's "eye candy cool" much like slideouts;

No, slideouts offer much more space relative to the same towed footprint (at the cost of additional weight). They're not just "eye candy". 🙂

Kind of like this electric roof lowering the frontal area. There's a reason - you have to decide if the extra maintenance is worth the possible cost savings (I'm betting slim to negligible).

These are hella cool, though.

Of course it's more than eye candy; was just joshing:D. It adds usable head space particularly to the tear drop end.

I'm used to making trade off decisions...it's an inherent characteristics of living in NYC,LOL.