First TT for Drycamping

[chezmoose]

The DH and I are hoping to replace our 40 year old PUP in the spring with a TT. The PUP is still in excellent condition for her age but seems we have to repair something after every trip lately. Plus we're hoping to cut down on set-up/tear-down time.

I've been lurking the forums for a while and we're starting to do our research and visit dealers to figure out what we like/don't like and what will fit within our weight requirements. We will most likely purchase something in the 18-20 ft range.

The majority of our camping is done in state/nat'l forest campgrounds with the occasional boondocking trip and maybe once a year at a campground with electricity.

Are there any special considerations we should take into account when purchasing? Since we're used to not having running water, lights, AC, etc., I imagine we can be pretty conservative. One of the salespeople said that most people run out of water before they run out of battery power. Is it possible to re-fill the fresh water tank from a jug?

What do you recommend for emptying the holding tanks after a dry camping trip? Visit a state park and use their pump station?

Any and all advice for dry camping will be appreciated.

[mbopp]

My notes on dry camping:
TT was brand new and I put LED lighting in it. Each LED panel draws 1/7 the power of a 921 bulb.
I modded the battery tray and run 2-G29 batteries.
Added a second stand-alone IOTA converter (leftover from the previous trailer) to use in place of the factory WFCO. It charges the batteries faster off the generator.
Honda 2000i generator. Many of the campsites we use are shaded so solar doesn't work for us.
Surplus 30 gallon ($10) plastic drum in the bed of the pickup. Some fittings, old garden hose, a 12V marine pump are used to empty the gray tank and take it to the dump station.
We can easily go a week on the black tank. We dump on the way out or at home if the dump station is super crowded (like last weekend.)
I use a 15 gallon drum mounted in the pickup bed for fresh water. Fill at a cg spigot then gravity feed into the TT tank.
The TT had a mid-year change adding a flush slide. As a result it sits higher and there's a lot of ground clearance for rutted campsite driveways.
I could probably get at least 3 days off the batteries but I like to top them off for an hour a day on the generator if I can.
YMMV but it works for us.

[chezmoose]

I wish Lance offered more units without the slideout. Not sure I can talk the DH into a slide...

[WoodGlue]

If you're looking for a smaller, ultra lightweight TT that's 4 Seasons, built to last, you might look at Lance.

Lance Travel Trailer Picker

The 2 smaller units have 25 fresh gray and black tanks. The 1685 has 45 fresh and 40 gal gray and black tanks. The 1575 and models upward have a huge slideout dinette which can sleep 2 adults easily and is great for rainy day board games and reading (with dimming LED lights)

They are into the 2014 model year and offer a full 2 year warranty as well.

WoodGlue

[Lowsuv]

we leave home with 50 plus 6 ( water heater )
our water comes from the Oregon Cascades and is what we are used to .
our trailer tows much better with 1000# on the tongue instead of 600# on the tongue .more important your RV batteries should be 100 % charged at home from the 120V converter .

[profdant139]

We usually travel with a minimum of water and then fill at a ranger station before heading for the boonies. (Be sure to ask nicely before filling!!) Otherwise, we would be lugging a lot of weight from the flatlands into the mountains.

Some folks say that you should tow with a full tank or an empty tank to avoid sloshing while towing, but I have never had a problem with a quarter tank.

[chezmoose]

LOL, Avion. You have an F350 4x4 Diesel, we have a 4.7L Grand Cherokee. An extra 320 lbs of water *might* make a difference to us... 🙂

[69_Avion]

Most of the places that I camp don't have water. I fill my water tanks with 80 gallons when I leave for camping no matter how far that I'm going. This summer I went to Montana and I left with 80 gallons of water and had some water left when I got back home two weeks later. If you know that you will have a good, clean water supply then by all means don't fill all the way up. For me, I fill up because in Arizona, water is life.
Also, I don't notice any difference in mpg carrying the extra 660 pounds. I made my trailer to carry that much water and I have room to add 30 more gallons. So far, 80 gallons has been plenty.

[chezmoose]

Most of the campgrounds we frequent do not have water spigots, they just have a hand pump. But most of them are 100 miles from home or less. I suppose on longer trips we could find a state park or a campground with a pump station close to our destination and just pay to fill the tank?

[Doug33]

When dry camping, especially if a long distance away, I fill up the water tank when I get to the CG, using a hose attached to the closest water spigot on the way in. This is done before I back the TT into the site. I have a 5 gallon water container, but I'd rather not have to lift and carry that container to the TT several times.

If you fill up at home, at 30 gallons, that is close to 250 extra pounds being hauled around.

[69_Avion]

chezmoose wrote:
Thanks for all the great responses, everyone! I'm sure I will have lots more questions as we get closer to a purchase. I will visit the Dry Camping board and read all the pertinent posts.

Most of our camping is done is rustic campgrounds, so the roads in and out are fairly good. I imagine if we go boondocking that we'd pre-scout the area without the TT to make sure it's safe. We've taken the PUP into some pretty tight spots but would have to be much more cautious with a TT. The DH has mentioned keeping the PUP for such occasions, but I imagine he'll eventually want to free up that space in the pole barn.

Thanks for all the trailer suggestions also. I will check out the links. Lance seems to be pretty popular here but the only *issue* I see with that is that all but the smallest models have slide-outs, and the DH does not want a slide.

I'm glad to know that the fresh water tanks can be refilled "manually".

The "Slide" will give you more room, but it also leads to more that can go wrong. If you keep it simple with plenty of fresh water and large gray and black water holding tanks, you will be happy. You need to make sure the trailer that you choose had a good support system for the tanks, especially a large fresh water tank. You would be surprised how many trailers aren't built to withstand using the tanks when they are full. My theory has always been, "why have the tank capacity if you can't use it".
Good luck in your search and happy camping.

[chezmoose]

Thanks for all the great responses, everyone! I'm sure I will have lots more questions as we get closer to a purchase. I will visit the Dry Camping board and read all the pertinent posts.

Most of our camping is done is rustic campgrounds, so the roads in and out are fairly good. I imagine if we go boondocking that we'd pre-scout the area without the TT to make sure it's safe. We've taken the PUP into some pretty tight spots but would have to be much more cautious with a TT. The DH has mentioned keeping the PUP for such occasions, but I imagine he'll eventually want to free up that space in the pole barn.

Thanks for all the trailer suggestions also. I will check out the links. Lance seems to be pretty popular here but the only *issue* I see with that is that all but the smallest models have slide-outs, and the DH does not want a slide.

I'm glad to know that the fresh water tanks can be refilled "manually".

[naneen]

chezmoose wrote:


High on my list right now (but subject to change) is the Skyline Eco Camp 19WQ.

Hi Chezmoose,

We also looked at the Eco Camp line and we ended up with a Lance 1685 (40 gallon each grey and black, 45 gallon fresh). We also dump our dish water into the black tank when dry camping/boondocking to free up more grey holding tank space.

Other models we looked at with good holding tank size, yet small footprint, were the Living Lite Camplite trailers (Grey Water: 32 gal.  Black Water: 28 gal. Fresh Water: 30.5 gal.)

The Coachman Freedom Express Ultra Light like the 21bhs or the 191rb (30 gal each grey/black)

and the Winnebago Minnie TT (Fresh 45, grey 25, black 25)

The Fun Finders also have 25 gal grey/black tanks, but we needed a dinette that seats four adults for rainy/cold day board game playing. But if you are traveling with only two people they may work. Sadly they don't make the T160 anymore. And DH really wanted the floor space a slide created. (We have a Scottish Deerhound who takes up a lot of floor space)

We are upgrading from a 2005 ShadowCruiser Funfinder T160 which we loved but only has 12 gallon grey/black tanks. We pick up our lance on Friday and are going camping the following weekend.

[vermilye]

DesertHawk mentioned a Scamp - there are a number of fiberglass trailers in the 18' - 20' range including 5th wheels available from a number of manufacturers. I have an Escape 17B with high lift axle that can go just about anywhere my tow vehicle can pull it. Escape Trailer Industries makes a 15', 17', 19', and 21' as well as a 20.5' 5th wheel.

Again, there are many manufacturers of lightweight fiberglass trailers. Because of the construction methods, most fiberglass trailers will hold up to rough roads better than stick built trailers. They are also usually lighter, and more aerodynamic, providing better gas mileage.

I have links to blogs by owners, manufacturers and other information at my Fiberglass Trailer Page.

[Lowsuv]

Once you start boondocking you will learn a lot .
We can come home from 4 different directions .
We have learned where the dump stations are enroute home from each .
We rarely pay to dump.
If you are buying a new trailer the battery(s) are actually a line item option .
Choose no battery and go buy TWO 6 Volt GC-2 golf cart batteries from costco .
If your tow rig only has one battery look to see if there is a space where the auxilliary battery tray should be . In a Chevy pickup/Sub/Avy that would be on the passenger side just behind the air filter .
If you can only have one battery in the TV then replace the batt with an Exide Edge AGM or Optima AGM. They will stand up to more abuse if run down .
Always leave home with your RV batteries fully charged from a 120V source for 24 hours .
If you spend money on good 12V batteries you can save money on the amount of solar or eliminate it . Once again Heavy Duty jumper cables .
We mount the headband LED lights from costco on our caps at night . The light is always shining right where we are working . AAA batteries . We use the little LED lantern too .
I own 3 solar showers . We have stopped using them . Even boondocking we take a brief shower in the trailer . We get a better shower and we just refill the fresh water a little more often . The 12V does not suffer much .
We carry a little 400 watt inverter to get 120V that clamps on to the tow vehicle battery . These have a parasitic draw so it is only hooked up when we need it . It is used only to recharge the Nook reader , electric shaver , sometimes a laptop .
If you spend some time at the hardware store you can figure how to make a garden hose fitting for your 5 gallon jugs . ProfDan139 uses a broomstick with a hook on it to hold the watercan above the RV fill . Smart dudes , them professor fellas !
The refer is the item most critical to 12V voltage drop . When the refer computer does not have enough volts it shuts off the propane . Watch the refer and you will know when you have run the batteries too long .
Boondocking is by far the best camping we do . We have created a circle of friends that prefer this also .
No genny , no TV , no dagnab text messages , no cell phones .
Just great camping along the stream or lake with no fees or camp hosts .