What kind of camper for trip around the United states

[jenjen77]

I live in the panhandle of florida, we are getting ready to travel from Florida to Yosemite in the summer. We plan on going to north rim of grand canyon among a bunch of other stops. We are on the search for a camper on some sort. I have 3 kids, my boyfriend and myself and going to be in our 2011 suburban LT with the extra transmission cooler for more pulling weight

We are thinking a pop up tent will give us the best gas mileage for our trip, but I also hear that the HTTs are nice. Any suggestion on what would be giving us the best gas mileage or the best option as far as traveling such a long distance? thanks!

[Redsky]

Do the math with campgrounds and hotels and restaurants and groceries and gas and wear and tear on the SUV (figure $0.65 per mile) and then compare that to flying to Phoenix and renting a Class C camper.

With any RV the most important and limiting aspect will be real sleeping capacity for 5 people that does not require moving lots of stuff at bed or nap time and installing a platform and moving cushions, etc. The popup type are going to be the least accommodating.

There are hard sided travel trailers that have a roof line that slopes down to the front and will help with fuel economy and provide more usable storage space than a popup type. Also a lot less expensive than a full size popup type.

[fla-gypsy]

jenjen77 wrote:

fla-gypsy wrote:
A PUP that can sleep 5 comfortably and have a bathroom will be very large and tend to cost as much as a HTT. An HTT would in turn be much more comfortable for 5 than a PUP. Have you ever been trapped in a PUP during a thunderstorm or all day rain event with 5 people? Think miserable!

do you think a HTT is much heavier? I'm thinking an HTT is much more high profile, also, we are not sure we like the idea of having to make the bed every time we have to stop, as we have a few stops we are planning to just "sleep" and leave the next morning. I dont have experience with any of the campers, which is why I am getting others advice!! 🙂

No an HTT would not be much heavier than a large PUP. Setting up and breaking down a PUP is much more work than a HTT.

[MKish]

I always preferred being trapped in a popup than any other form of RV. Very outdoorsy! A rainstorm in a popup can be delightful (if you are set up before it starts).

But setting up gets to you. But mileage is much better!

Avoid the ONE campground that has bear issues and you'll be fine.

[Steeljag]

Time and effort for the Hybrid is well worth it. A 17 to 19 foot hybrid should fit your needs, provide a solid shell for the living area, have a real bathroom, couch, table, etc.

At rest areas with the hybrid you will still have access to the kitchen and bathroom.

As stated above, a few days of rain stuck in Hybrid is allot better than a pup. Just having access to a bathroom, kitchen and being able to sit on a couch and dinette to watch a movie or 10 is so much more comfortable.

Good luck with whatever you choose and enjoy your adventure!

[jenjen77]

thanks for all the great advise!! So much to research.. right now we are planning to look at a 2005 palomino pop up..and a Keystone FreedomLite 185QB 2008 to kind of get a feel for both.. i am almost thinking the travel trailer LITE might be easier for on the road camping...then setting up and taking down all the time.. the mildew post really got me thinking..especially living in florida, we have to think about that alot! thank you!

[bikendan]

doxiemom11 wrote:
Soft sided tent isn't really safe in the areas you want to go.

this is not true. there's only ONE major/popular campground, in the country, that has a permanent ban on soft-sided campers. that is Fishing Bridge campground in Yellowstone. and if you have a hybrid, you can stay there if you "turtle", which is not deploying the canvas ends and sleeping on the sofa and dinette.
all the other major campgrounds in Yellowstone DO allow soft-sided campers. this also goes for Yosemite also.

think about it, if they banned soft-sided RV's, they'd have to ban tents too.

you need to forget gas mileage if you plan to tow anything other than a popup or Airstream. basic gas mileage for a gasser towing a travel trailer is 8-10mpg. doesn't matter what it weighs, it's the air resistance that is the killer.

if gas mileage is important to you, keep the popup.
i own a hybrid and it is easier to setup than our two popups were. and we've camped in Yellowstone and Yosemite with it.

[doxiemom11]

Even with a popup you will have to put things up , make beds and put it all away each time you stop. Soft sided tent isn't really safe in the areas you want to go.

[spoon059]

Just some thoughts from a family that has gone cross country before... You will inevitably be camping in rain. Rain and a pop up are NOT a fun mix. You will be pulling into a campground in the rain and have to set up. You will have to break down in the rain and stow a wet pop up camper for a day's drive. You will then have to set up that wet pop up, which will have likely leaked and gotten your mattresses wet. Now you are sleeping in a mildew smelling pop up on a wet mattress.

You will struggle to find campgrounds along the way that have "decent" bathhouses. You will find campgrounds that have non heated showers. You will find that you are far away from the bathhouse at times, because you probably won't be able to set up reservations in too far advance. Middle of the night trips to the bathhouse with young kids can be interesting at best and too late at worst.

As others have said, you will find some areas that may not allow you to stay with a pop up because it doesn't protect against wildlife.

If you are serious about wanting to take this trip, you might be a LOT happier if you bite the bullet and get a hard sided (or hybrid) camper and suffer with lower mileage and higher initial cost. You won't have the concerns about setting up a pop up in the rain, mold and mildew from stowing a wet pop up when you leave, have the option of a bathroom in the RV, be able to cook inside the camper, have a little more security and privacy amongst the other benefits. You will be driving across large stretches of NOTHING in northern Texas. I can tell you from experience (especially with young kids) that it is very nice to have 20 or 30 gallons of fresh water and a bathroom in the trailer. Nature calls even when there aren't any local facilities to make the experience easier and cleaner...

If you decide you like camping, you have a decent trailer to continue camping. If you decide you are one and done, you can sell the trailer within the year for roughly the same money you paid for it. The difference in mileage between a pop up and a travel trailer is likely to be 4 or 5 mpg's. That is a lot of gas, especially for a 5 or 6,000 mile round trip.

You have to decide if money (better mileage with a pop up) or convenience and comfort (hard sided trailer with kitchen and bathroom) is more important. If you were just doing weekend trips and could cancel if weather was bad, it would be an easy decision. I've been on that trip before (Maryland, through the south to California, up the coast, back across the northern part of the states and back home in 6 weeks), and I would take the upgraded creature comforts of a hard sided trailer with a bathroom, air conditioner, more privacy and less concerns about the weather.

Either way, it has the potential to be a fantastic trip when all is said and done.

[pitch]

HTT is much easier to deploy the beds than a PUP is, two to three minutes per end. My 23 ft,28 extended is 5000# gross weight. Towing with a 1500 Ram Hemi I average on the low side of 10 mpg. Frontal area is the mileage killer.

Some Yellowstone (I think) campgrounds will not allow a HTT to be extended due to bears

[tragusa3]

There's nothing you're going to tow in a hard-side that will get close to a PUP for gas. If it's a concern at all, go PUP. If you're young and don't mind some "roughing it" aspects (sounds like you are), then do a used PUP for awhile and you won't lose much.

We appreciate our hard-side for local trips, but are about to do a 5k trip that I wish we had a PUP for.

[jenjen77]

fla-gypsy wrote:
A PUP that can sleep 5 comfortably and have a bathroom will be very large and tend to cost as much as a HTT. An HTT would in turn be much more comfortable for 5 than a PUP. Have you ever been trapped in a PUP during a thunderstorm or all day rain event with 5 people? Think miserable!

do you think a HTT is much heavier? I'm thinking an HTT is much more high profile, also, we are not sure we like the idea of having to make the bed every time we have to stop, as we have a few stops we are planning to just "sleep" and leave the next morning. I dont have experience with any of the campers, which is why I am getting others advice!! 🙂

[jenjen77]

donn0128 wrote:
Depending on whether your Suburban is a 1500 or a 2500 will have a bearing on what type/size of trailer you can safely handle. For your situation and if your going to bear country, you might look for a Hi-Lo trailer. Best of both worlds. Low profile for travel and hard sides when raised for comfort and safety.

we have a 1500 suburban but with the extra transmission cooler, i think the rating on the decal says 7500 max weight to pull.. we have a hefty boat we have to pull with it at times, but never for long distances

[fla-gypsy]

A PUP that can sleep 5 comfortably and have a bathroom will be very large and tend to cost as much as a HTT. An HTT would in turn be much more comfortable for 5 than a PUP. Have you ever been trapped in a PUP during a thunderstorm or all day rain event with 5 people? Think miserable!

[jenjen77]

Thank you poppy and nana for that advice..i will definitely have to look into that... It is very hard to find an airstream (decent one at least) and even a PUP is HARD..to the point of, we are going to have to travel 4-6 hours to look at decent one that interests us!

[donn0128]

Depending on whether your Suburban is a 1500 or a 2500 will have a bearing on what type/size of trailer you can safely handle. For your situation and if your going to bear country, you might look for a Hi-Lo trailer. Best of both worlds. Low profile for travel and hard sides when raised for comfort and safety.