Am I making the right hybrid manufacturer decision?

Typical hybrids have many issues, from quality to build methods. If you have a full sized truck? What ever that means. Why not step up to a decent used fill hard side TT? Buying used you will find much more for less $$$ spent.

We have owned our hybrid for sixteen years. Many many camping trips. We do regular maintenance and store under cover. It is still in pretty good shape. The bunk ends show almost no wear. However, if I were you I would go with a non hybrid. It is a pain to set up and dry out when you get home. Noise from outside is hard to muffle short of running a fan. Condensation where we live is only solved with a water collecting electric dehumidifier. As far as quality they are all lacking so if you are set on a hybrid I woud opt for the rig tiwh the longer warranty. Best of luck. We tow with a mini van and needed best space to weight ratio. Thus the hybrid.

donn0128 wrote:
Typical hybrids have many issues, from quality to build methods. If you have a full sized truck? What ever that means. Why not step up to a decent used fill hard side TT? Buying used you will find much more for less $$$ spent.

And typical TTs do not have quality and build issues? Are hybrids built somehow cheaper than a conventional TT? The fact is most hybrids will cost substantially more than a similarly sized TT, especially Rockwood and Flagstaff. The bunk doors and tents are not exactly low cost.

You have to be a specific type of camper to enjoy a hybrid. I would not have any other type and were on our 3rd different one since 2009. You need to like the canvas and be into it more for camping than RVing.

Rockwood and Flagstaff hybrids are built the same as their TT's...same wall panels, cabinets, everything down to the frame and axles.

Be wary though of the published weights. Our 17 Roo 23WS specs say 500 hitch weight. Loaded with water full its @1100 lbs.

I like the 235 with its outside kitchen.

We've had our Kodiak for 3 seasons now with no issues. My understanding is that the quality for all manufacturers is similarly low. :( My advice would be to find a floorplan that works for you.

Thanks everyone. Yes, we could purchase a TT but I don't feel comfortable pulling something that big. We also enjoy tent camping so the bunk ends are nice that we feel like we are somewhat outside.

Basically it comes down to, purchase a new tent or a new hybrid. We just want to make sure our investment is going to be worth it. However, mixed reviews here seem to point me in the direction of a new tent. :)

A tent will definately be a LOT cheaper. You don't have license and title a tent to tow it on the highways. You don't have to maintain insurance on one to satisfy your lender who you borrowed money from to buy the thing, which means you won't be making payments for the next 10 years on a tent.

You won't have to worry or deal with winterizing the water system, dealing with Chinese made tires and replacing them in a year or so, filling propane tanks, filling the fresh water tank, dumping the black and grey tanks, monitoring your roof for cracks in the calking seams and doing preventative patch work.

You won't have the challenge of washing the thing, keeping black streaks from forming on the outside walls, getting a weight distribution hitch system, or ever have issues with your air conditioner not cooling enough to your satisfaction.

You'll never have issues or problems parking the HTT in your driveway or on your street and having your HOA or City Zoning citing you for illegal parking. You'll never have to pay to store it at a storage facility either.

Nope, you're better of with the tent.

musgt91 wrote:
Thanks everyone. Yes, we could purchase a TT but I don't feel comfortable pulling something that big. We also enjoy tent camping so the bunk ends are nice that we feel like we are somewhat outside.

Basically it comes down to, purchase a new tent or a new hybrid. We just want to make sure our investment is going to be worth it. However, mixed reviews here seem to point me in the direction of a new tent. :)

Forget the word "investment" because its not really in the vocabulary be it a popup, hybrid, TT, 5er, or motorhome. The only return is the enjoyment you get out of it. Youre not going to make a dime on any of them purchasing new and whoever claims they did so is full of it.

Having owned two other hybrids, and researched everything out there before buying our current 17 Rockwood Roo to no end, I can tell you the Rockwood Roos and Flagstaff Shamrocks are the Cadillacs of hybrids. Like everything else out there you can get a bad one, and we did when ordering and refused to purchase that particular one, but they sell the most and offer the most floorplans in hybrids for a reason.

“and would be pulling it with a full size truck so pulling capacity isn't an issue”

Pulling capacity is only one of the determining factors. By not stating your actual gross weight and payload capacities as a minimum you demonstrate the need to read! Some “full size” trucks have less “capacity” than my Tahoe which is adequate for my Winnebago, stuff, DW and me but not much more. You may enjoy tent camping but you can’t camp as much in a tent or pop up as I can in a TT particularly with little kids.

DutchmenSport wrote:
A tent will definately be a LOT cheaper. You don't have license and title a tent to tow it on the highways. You don't have to maintain insurance on one to satisfy your lender who you borrowed money from to buy the thing, which means you won't be making payments for the next 10 years on a tent.

You won't have to worry or deal with winterizing the water system, dealing with Chinese made tires and replacing them in a year or so, filling propane tanks, filling the fresh water tank, dumping the black and grey tanks, monitoring your roof for cracks in the calking seams and doing preventative patch work.

You won't have the challenge of washing the thing, keeping black streaks from forming on the outside walls, getting a weight distribution hitch system, or ever have issues with your air conditioner not cooling enough to your satisfaction.

You'll never have issues or problems parking the HTT in your driveway or on your street and having your HOA or City Zoning citing you for illegal parking. You'll never have to pay to store it at a storage facility either.

Nope, you're better of with the tent.

So why’d you by a new big @ss fiver instead of a tent??

To the OP, a hybrid is a great next step from a tent for a family. Yes they require a bit more setup and take down time and have more opportunity to leak if not taken care of but they have their upsides too. They give you much more space for the tow length and you still get that outdoorsy camping feeling. Learning how to setup and “rough it” is good for the kids. Don’t spoil them too soon. It’s all about the experience and personal preference. We’ve had 2 big trailers since our hybrid and I still miss the hybrid. It still felt like camping, now not as much. Setup now takes just as long because we just bring more comfort ****.

The Rockwoods’ are some of the best hybrids out there. Certainly the most popular.

,... and Ralph knows best btw.