TV & 30 ft TT to Mini Van and 17 ft TT

[K3WE]

First of all, I’m looking for a friendly DISCUSSION (As if friends were having a beer around a fire.)

Obviously, gas is up, but both I and the DW have wondered about “something minimal you could sleep in”.

But dang, we sure like the bathroom, kitchen and fridge.

Our camping varies widely.

I had these ‘crazy thoughts:

-A mini van could work as a self-contained camper (No kitchen & bath, but a good place to sleep).

-And it could pull a small camper. Note: I have edited this to a 17 ft TT from 19 ft- towing capacity is around 3,500.

-And maybe get ~15 MPG towing.

-And it’s a very useful and comfortable and adaptable buttocks, cargo, AND grocery hauler for the rest of the time.

-Sometimes camp with the van only, others, take a small TT.

Another edit- no real plans to plumbing/fridge/stove to minivan.

Anyone have thoughts or even relevant stories?

Again, not looking for ANSWERS as much as a fun DISCUSSION.

Edit #3- Thanks for the comments.

[BurbMan]

K3WE wrote:
Being redundant, we do a huge variety of things- AND find campers to be wonderfully flexible. The flip side is a favorite joke about the two things I dislike about most campers: 1. Too big on the outside, 2. too small on the inside. The 30 ft camper occasionally challenges us on state/national park campsites.

The paradox of the RV, they are never small enough when traveling and never big enough when parked...

[Reisender]

You could consider downsizing to an 18 foot teardrop travel trailer and pull it with an Electric vehicle. That’s what we did. We are about 4000 kilometres into an 11000 kilometres Rv road trip right now. So far so good. We are still under 500 bucks for charging costs although we’ll probably break thru that today.

Hope you find a solution. Happy travels.

[wanderingaimles]

I searched but could not find a thread I remember seeing a few months ago. Someone had bought the little GM pickup, had gotten the 2.8 turbo diesel and was pulling about a 5000 pound trailer first trip and I thought they claimed 16-18 mpg. I believe the trailer was a 7' wide model and some in the 18-20 foot range meet that weight limit.
May be worth you exploring.

[valhalla360]

I would be looking at a 1/2 ton pickup with a small pop up truck camper. Then get a 20-25ft travel trailer.

Double check your payload limits both for the truck camper and trailer...and use the fully loaded weights for camper and trailer.

I repeat double check your payload limits for the truck camper and trailer. 1/2 ton trucks vary wildly in terms of payload. From under 1000lb to upwards of 2500lb. You want one near the upper limits (at least close to 2000lb)

The popup truck camper will be better outfitted and more comfortable when traveling light.
You can legitimately pull a 20-25ft trailer.
With the modern 1/2 tons, getting 25-30mpg running empty is possible.
It's also handy if you need to pick up mulch for the yard or bring home a new dish washer.

[p220sigman]

Having towed with a minivan for many years (two Toyota Siennas), I have some thoughts.

They do make very good tow vehicles within their capabilities. They have a very low center of gravity. We towed a popup that weighed about 3300 loaded for camping. We typically averaged about 16 mpg, but most of our towing was in Florida, South Georgia, and South Alabama so mostly flat.

Tongue weight is where they struggle. We were running about 350lbs tongue weight plus the weight of the drawbar. The rear suspension is soft to make for the cushy ride. I added airbags to help with the rear sag with both the Pup and our bike rack. I wouldn't want to have towed anything heavier though. The clearance in the back with the hitch isn't great either. Get used to planning your entrance into parking lots to avoid the hitch scraping and bottoming out. I also think you are optimistic about getting 15 mpg with a full-height trailer. We had pretty much optimum towing conditions and only managed 16 mpg.

The other concern I would have with a modern minivan is the transmission. Most have CVTs and I would have serious concerns about their longevity towing at the max.

We chose our van as the right fit as the family vehicle. DW did the soccer mom SUV thing and hated it. She much more enjoyed driving and traveling in a minivan. We chose the Pup as the best camping option for something the van could comfortably tow.

[K3WE]

Quote = Craig

***Reply

You are covering alot of ground and many topics in this friendly talk.

***Yes, and am enjoying the broad topics.

For me its what do I want, how do I want to travel those kind of things. Yes fuel is up but so is everything else. I used to go to the grocery store and walk out spending only 50or 75 dollars now its 100 or 125.

***For us, it’s the WIDE variety- There are times, it would be nice to have an economy bed on wheels. Other times, a camper is nice.

DW and I used to have a 35' 5th wheel 1ton dually. Thought we did not need a set up that large. So what did we do we downsized to a 29' MH. After one year of traveling we realized we made a mistake. Not in the fuel milage area, not is the length area, nor the comforts. We messed up in the storage area! We found out the way we like to travel there was not enough room for clothes, pots and pans, tools that kind on thing.

***Yep, fuel mileage is strongly tied to wind resistance, so 25 ft…35 ft often has similarly bad mileage.

So what did we do we up sized to 37' Mh now when we go for months at a time we have room for cloths, pots and pans etc.

***Ironically, 4 years ag, we went from a 27 ft, half bunkhouse, no slide, to a 30 ft rear living with slide. WE REALLY MISS THE STORAGE WE HAD WITH THE BUNKS LOL. (This is a whole other discussion topic!)

I guess all that you are talking about really depends on what type of rving you are planning on doing.

***Being redundant, we do a huge variety of things- AND find campers to be wonderfully flexible. The flip side is a favorite joke about the two things I dislike about most campers: 1. Too big on the outside, 2. too small on the inside :). The 30 ft camper occasionally challenges us on state/national park campsites.

Either way enjoy

***Yeah, my idea is struggling a bit that mini vans are a but limited on towing capacity. I’m not a member of the weight police, but conversely understand that the 80% rule has numerous advantages, including some comfort and wear and tear.

***I should confess that I have also considered getting a 4-door, 8 ft pickup and doing a camper shell, but that shoots the fuel economy and the flexibility of city parking.

***PS- were happy with our current set up, but it’s fun considering all the alternatives.

[craig7h]

You are covering alot of ground and many topics in this friendly talk. For me its what do I want, how do I want to travel those kind of things. Yes fuel is up but so is everything else. I used to go to the grocery store and walk out spending only 50or 75 dollars now its 100 or 125.

DW and I used to have a 35' 5th wheel 1ton dually. Thought we did not need a set up that large. So what did we do we downsized to a 29' MH. After one year of traveling we realized we made a mistake. Not in the fuel milage area, not is the length area, nor the comforts. We messed up in the storage area! We found out the way we like to travel there was not enough room for clothes, pots and pans, tools that kind on thing.

So what did we do we up sized to 37' Mh now when we go for months at a time we have room for cloths, pots and pans etc.

I guess all that you are talking about really depends on what type of rving you are planning on doing.

Either way enjoy

[Skibane]

KD4UPL wrote:
Your not going to get 15 MPG towing a 19' TT.

My 4.0L Frontier routinely gets 15+ MPG towing a 17' Casita (approx. 3300 lbs. "wet" weight).

There are other mid-sized pickups and SUVs that could deliver similar fuel economy - but unfortunately, none of them have a body style suitable for use as a camper conversion.

[Grit_dog]

And for my response. First of all, I presume you're the man/husband in this affair. (If not, I'm sorry ma'am and please move to the next response without reading further!) And you've divulged you own a 3/4 ton truck.
First bit of advice, is do whatever you can to get your cajones back out of your wife's purse, and put your foot down. Why, because they don't sell many groceries in paper bags any more and plastic bags pose a greater threat to suffocating when you have to wear them over your head to prevent the embarrassment! (of driving the minivan...if you weren't tracking...)

Second, give some thought to how much you're going to use the man bun van as a shaggin waggon...really. You are accustomed to a 30' TT and you're gonna pack the campin gear like you're going tent camping? (which is basically what it is, except you have to leave your camping gear out in the rain to sleep in your "tent", or bring a tent for your camping gear, so that it has a nice place to spend a rainy night too)

3rd, back to my response about the truck bed being a pre-made tent, with a simple add on topper. Even more room in it likely, if it's a long bed, definitely.

4th, this is the worst time in history to buy a mini van (or any new or newer vehicle, frankly) and if the reason for this revolves at all around fuel mileage, which you've indicated it likely does, and not totally involving your manhood and a purse, which it also very well may, then it's still a great time to sell your truck. But the only thing worse than having to buy a minivan, is having to over pay for the privilege's of not just suspending, but revoking and shredding your man card!

So there you have it...
If you somehow decide to go through with this little endeavor, I am NOT to blame! I warned you! You chose not to heed (or didn't have a choice...the purse thing again...) I had no part in your demise!


Cheers man, all fun. Get a minivan if it's always been on your bucket list! Noone will laugh....I promise!

[Grit_dog]

K3WE wrote:
Skibane: I was disappointed to see towing capacities closer to 3500 lb.

Burbman: Thank you for the very relevant story.

KD4UPL: Yeah… but it’s gotta be a little better than 3/4 ton truck and ‘real’ TT 🙂

4th reply, we got the OP back here...

Yup, minivans generally get smoked buy the little suvs and midsize crossovers for towing. 5k vs 3500, ish, avg. That's because the vehicle mfgs assume that there is no way you'd drive a minivan, unless your wife of 3.5 kids forced you into buying one and the primary goal was to fill any cavity in the van, not occupied by humans, with god knows what for the kids and 2 of some things!
Yes, a minivan towing a 3klb aerodynamic trailer will get better mileage than a 3/4 ton truck (gasser) towing a 30' long 4 ton high profile trailer. Yup, no doubt. (Although maybe on par with a diesel tow rig...if you drive like you're drivin miss daisy...)

BUT and ther's always a butt....your 3/4 ton truck with a topper and a small trailer behind it, probably get about the same mileage as the minivan, towing. And you have your glorified tent, spike camp, in the back of the tee ruck, and your camper behind something that might pull it so easily you forget it's attached!

[Grit_dog]

KD4UPL wrote:
Your not going to get 15 MPG towing a 19' TT.

3rd response...we got a winner here! You are correct, sir.

(is this fun enough like having beers around the campfire?)

[Grit_dog]

Skibane wrote:
A minivan fitted out with typical RV appliances and fixtures is going to be carrying around some extra weight - which will reduce its towing capacity.

Most minivans aren't rated for more than 5000 lbs of towing capacity to begin with - which means that towing a 17' Casita, 16' Scamp or 17' Escape with it will be a handful.

First response, you lose. Didn't read the OP's post. Back of the line, please try again! LOL

[toedtoes]

There really aren't many trailers under 3500lb gvwr. Most you see as identified "under 3500lbs" are talking dry weight. As soon as you add the basics, you're over the towing capacity.

You're really looking at an egg or a folding trailer.

If you plan on sleeping in the minivan, you might just haul a small utility trailer and build a kitchen on it.

[K3WE]

Skibane: I was disappointed to see towing capacities closer to 3500 lb.

Burbman: Thank you for the very relevant story.

KD4UPL: Yeah… but it’s gotta be a little better than 3/4 ton truck and ‘real’ TT 🙂

[KD4UPL]

Your not going to get 15 MPG towing a 19' TT.