Considering a HTT- Family of 4-Please Share your Pros/Cons

[Baja_Man]

We have had Class A, C, TT, 5er. Never tented with family.

Now, one DS is 18 and the DS is 13. Our 13yo will be with us for many years as he has Autism. He LOVES to be on the road, camp, boat, and explore new places!

I have plenty of truck to pull a TT or 5er but looking for something more simple.

It will be a TT or HTT 28'MAX length.

Where do we typically camp:

Mainly RV parks with hook ups, some boondocking (beaches, Baja, etc)

Locales.....CA coast, inland parks, Sierras, NV/AZ lakes, Colorado River, 15-20 days per year 2017-18.

Summer 2018 and beyond......20-30 days per year with future plans on...

NM, maybe Texas, Colorado, Montana, and perhaps the South MS, LA, etc. Some Baja trips.

In 5 years, it will be primarily be my wife, me and one son using the camper.

Sleeping beds are very important. Boys would like their own beds and not the coffin size bunks in most older TTs.

Micro/Refer/Stove very important
Storage very important

Pros: I can get 3 FULL size sleeping beds, a full size dinette AND a good size couch in a HTT that is 23'-26'

Cons/My concerns:
Too Cold inside and when sleeping (coastal, Sierras at night, etc)
Too hot inside when its 100F outside

Please help me understand what I would be getting into with a HTT. Be honest, frank, and all of that stuff!

Thanks!

[bisaacs]

Hybrid manufacturers dropped pole supports, for the cable supports, almost 15 years ago.

I can play songs on my support cables when I'm lying in bed. Is that a pro or a con?

[bikendan]

Front Range wrote:
Not all hybrids have the poles mentioned above supporting the bunks. We have a Sportsmen and just have to unlatch them and drop them down. Much easier than our previous Thor HTT that used the pole supports.

Hybrid manufacturers dropped pole supports, for the cable supports, almost 15 years ago.

[Front_Range]

Not all hybrids have the poles mentioned above supporting the bunks. We have a Sportsmen and just have to unlatch them and drop them down. Much easier than our previous Thor HTT that used the pole supports.

[bisaacs]

We love our hybrid. Air flow is a must for us because we dry camp in the summer. If there are critters like bears around where you camp you may feel a bit vulnerable. I once had a racoon walk on the tent above me and it was a bit unnerving but I lived to tell the tale. Thunderstorms can also be a bit of a thrill.

[thesaads]

We came from a class A bunkhouse and as our girls got older they found them to cramped. We purchased a Keystone passport 217exp three queen beds and dinette slide out. We absolutely love it. We live in prairies in Canada and it is either cold or very hot no in between. We have regulated the temps with pop up gizmos and reflectix in the windows. This has made all the difference in the world and the A/C works no harder than in my class A. We did add a heated mattress pad for the cold nights and the DW has not complained since. We keep a container of ear plugs and only use them if we happen to camp in a noisy area, but lets be real no matter what type of camper or RV you have you will hear partyers and ear plugs do the trick. Based on what you have said this might be a great solution for you. It takes no more than 30 minutes for setup from the time we pull up to our site.

Happy Camping!

[fritz_monroe]

I'm another fan of hybrids. But I will say that they are not everyone's cup of tea. I know plenty of people that have purchased hybrids only to hate them.

For me, the biggest benefit of a hybrid is the ability to open up all the bed ends to get a lot of air flow. It really helps with the hot weather.

[Baja_Man]

Thank you all for your detailed responses! They are VERY helpful!

This is a hard one! TT or HTT? I DO LIKE the queen beds at both ends and the option to have 3 queens. Dinette, sofa, and bathroom is what we are accustomed to.

My son with Autism is pretty easy going and all he really needs is HOT food. His food must be HOT, not warm. So the Micro is crucial.

Wife....she gets cold easy. 50F and she is FREEZING!

Separate bath/shower is nice. Like I said, we mainly camp in fair weather....if we can keep it warm in 30-40F weather and cool in 105F weather then it could work. More concerned about winds and cold. When its hot, its hot! Hot is what we try and avoid as we live in a desert climate and have extremes....hot in summer (105F) and cold (35F) in winter. Wife gets cold easy like I mentioned.....50 is very, very cold for her.

Noise I would have to experience. We try and avoid party/rowdy places but it can't always be prevented. If the party revelers keep us awake on occasion, oh well, such is life.

The used TTs I have seen all have the narrow bunks....which is a negative. I'd have to go 2010 or newer to get the full size double bunks. This means price is now $15K up for a 27-28' whic is the lenght needed to get double bunks. A 20'-23' HTT can be found under $10K.

Difficult decisions!!!

[bikendan]

Pucka1378 wrote:


We struggle a bit in the colder weather with the condensation. We have not been able to perfect this yet.

Are you using Popup Gizmos and Reflectix? Are you allowing for air movement?

If not, that's why you are struggling with condensation.

[cmcdar]

LOVE my Hybrid!

Live in it 5 months out of the year. Lightweight to tow and compact to store.

We have stayed in it in 20 degree weather and stayed warm. I use a silver/brown tarp over the tent ends. Silver side up (to reflect heat) in warm weather and brown side up (to absorb heat) in cold weather.

In cold weather I also use reflectix in tent screen windows and a blanket to cover (under the tarp) the tent. We stay toasty warm and NO CONDENSATION.

The tarping system provides added benefits. One is that you can have screens open (and not get wet) while raining in the summer. The second benefit is that I can actually close up in the rain and have the tent stay dry and only the tarp is wet. A third benefit is that it keeps my tent end clean and protected from ultra-violet rays.

This system takes hardly any time to set up and take down.

ALSO - We often spend overnights while traveling long distances, drycamping in Walmarts, Cabela's, etc. There is enough room inside to eat, sleep, and toilet WITHOUT having to open the tent ends.

PS - I am camping in it right now as I write this post!

[Pucka1378]

I have 2 sons ages 16 and 14 years old. We opted for them to share a bed vs a 3 bed model. Mainly for the storage space. We have the Dutchmen Aerolite 204ES it fits our needs really well. Lots of storage, a shower that fits my aprox 6feet boys and husband.

My biggest con is that if you are moving frequently on a trip the bunk ends get a little tiring of taking up and putting down. If we have 3 plus days in between no big deal. But, going and setting up for one night and then moving along is irritating.

We struggle a bit in the colder weather with the condensation. We have not been able to perfect this yet.

We live in CA and go to the beach and the mountains mainly to camp and we love our little trailer and it is a great size for us. Even on rainy days it does not feel cramped inside the trailer.

[Campfire_Time]

drenjoey wrote:

captnjack wrote:
I don't believe temperature is a problem unless it is extreme. Most hot places cool down at night to a fairly comfortable level. Plus, even without AC, you can unzip your canvas and go full screen which will allow for a cross breeze. My hybrid has three queen size bunks. Who can compete with that? Plus a deep slide dinette. Huge interior. Cold can be a problem but how many of us really camp when it is cold anyway? And if you do you probably can already deal with it. Heated mattresses make a big difference assuming you have power.
I find noise to be a bigger problem than weather. Not a common occurrence but when it happens (trains, loud neighbors, etc) it can be a problem.
I like the shorter length for storage. I can keep it at my house. I couldn't do that with a longer box.
The bunk ends are no problem at all. All three can be set up in well under 10 minutes. Easiest part of setup, IMO. We don't use sheets or blankets; we use sleeping bags.

X2

X3!. We use a sleeping bag unzipped on top the mattress. Then throw a couple of light weight comforters and pillows on top. Easy peasy. We carry a heating blanket for the really cold nights. And we do get them in May and Oct.

[3boxerss]

We had a Hybrid and loved it. The air conditioner worked well in the summer but the last foot of the tent ends was warmer.. My DH doesnt like air conditioning so he slept on that end of the tent end.. In cooler weather we used a ceramic electric heater placed on the counter. It too worked well except for the last foot of the tent end..Since I like it cooler we would switch places on the bed in cooler weather ..We did not use the PUPS . Windy weather the tent ends would whip but I liked the tent feel and the convenience of a bathroom. The DH wanted to change to a TT. The difference is the more even temperature and it is quieter .. You dont hear the people outside like in the Hybrid..There is alot of movement and outside noise in a Hybrid. If that bothers your child that would be an issue with the Hybrid. There are plus an minus to both.. I would go with the style You like the most..

[drenjoey]

captnjack wrote:
I don't believe temperature is a problem unless it is extreme. Most hot places cool down at night to a fairly comfortable level. Plus, even without AC, you can unzip your canvas and go full screen which will allow for a cross breeze. My hybrid has three queen size bunks. Who can compete with that? Plus a deep slide dinette. Huge interior. Cold can be a problem but how many of us really camp when it is cold anyway? And if you do you probably can already deal with it. Heated mattresses make a big difference assuming you have power.
I find noise to be a bigger problem than weather. Not a common occurrence but when it happens (trains, loud neighbors, etc) it can be a problem.
I like the shorter length for storage. I can keep it at my house. I couldn't do that with a longer box.
The bunk ends are no problem at all. All three can be set up in well under 10 minutes. Easiest part of setup, IMO. We don't use sheets or blankets; we use sleeping bags.

X2

[captnjack]

I don't believe temperature is a problem unless it is extreme. Most hot places cool down at night to a fairly comfortable level. Plus, even without AC, you can unzip your canvas and go full screen which will allow for a cross breeze. My hybrid has three queen size bunks. Who can compete with that? Plus a deep slide dinette. Huge interior. Cold can be a problem but how many of us really camp when it is cold anyway? And if you do you probably can already deal with it. Heated mattresses make a big difference assuming you have power.
I find noise to be a bigger problem than weather. Not a common occurrence but when it happens (trains, loud neighbors, etc) it can be a problem.
I like the shorter length for storage. I can keep it at my house. I couldn't do that with a longer box.
The bunk ends are no problem at all. All three can be set up in well under 10 minutes. Easiest part of setup, IMO. We don't use sheets or blankets; we use sleeping bags.

[drenjoey]

PAThwacker wrote:
I had a hybrid for years and it was easy to use. Just thinking out loud, you state the wife and autistic child. I'm suggesting you get a travel trailerwith push button slides, push button awning, push button stabilizers. Hybrids are work, open doors, make beds, and setup the site.

Not much more work than a TT.......Like a TT, you can have the push button accessories (awning, slides, etc) if you ask for them.
You also have the advantage of having two queen size beds, and if you do like me, we use sleeping bags....so no sheets and no blankets.