Seems like a lot of people go the other way. We have a 35' Jayco bunkhouse that we love, but it's HUGE and heavy. We knew when purchasing it that we'd be limited on the places we could camp and what we could carry with us.With our TT full of firewood, food, bikes, etc. we really can't take water, a generator or much of anything else. Even if we could we can't get into some of the tighter camping spots. Finding a place to camp with thing is is expensive too!So we went to a dealer yesterday and looked at Roo HTTs. DW loves the 23IKSS. We are waiting for a 233S to come in so that we can compare the two. Overall there is a ton of living space in it with the two slides. We've never camped in a HTT before. With the HTT weighing less and being about 10' shorter, we think it will be more flexible and give us added payload in the 'Burb (rated to tow 12,000 lbs, ~2900 lbs payload). Jayco GVWR = 9,975 lbs vs Roo GVWR = 6,402 lbs. Seems like with a HTT we can load up with fresh water, a generator, lots of food, firewood, etc. and still have towing capacity and payload to spare.I guess my questions are:Will there be a big difference in how a HTT tows compared to our TT? We live in CO.What will we be giving up in the name of flexibility? (Not as quiet with the tent beds? Maybe not as secure? How well will the AC and furnace work?)How much easier is a HTT to maneuver vs our TT? Or is there not a huge difference?Always seems like the grass is greener on the other side haha. Any input is welcome. Thanks everyone.

We did the opposite, went from HTT to TT. HTTs are great for packing in lots of people, they are lightweight, and also give you more of a camping feel, but there are some downsides, too.Main reasons we switched:Set up: next to nothing with TT, 15-30 minutes with HTT (need to make beds each time)Sound: Much, much quieter in TT, canvas doesn't stop soundLonger season: tough to heat/cool the HTT vs. TTMany people also have trouble with the bunkends warping, leaking, rotting (me included).

Most people come out of a tent or pop-up into a HTT so they're used to the canvas. Check out Popup Gizmos for insulating the bunk ends and also using Reflectix cutouts for the windows.Some people have issues with water leaks on the front bunk when closed & towing but our Starcraft was OK in that respect.Storage will be something you'll need to work out.DW's knees give her a hard time climbing into the bunk ends so that's why we went with a small TT this time.

mrgrim007 wrote:I guess my questions are:Will there be a big difference in how a HTT tows compared to our TT? We live in CO.your Burb will have no problems towing even the biggest/heaviest HTT, compared to what you've been towing. you probably won't even know that it's there, as long as you've got a good WDH.What will we be giving up in the name of flexibility? (Not as quiet with the tent beds? Maybe not as secure? How well will the AC and furnace work?)a hybrid is extremely flexible if you know that you can also "turtle". this is when you don't want to put the bunk ends out and convert the sofa and dinette into beds. this comes in handy for overnite stops or in bad weather. yes, it won't be as quiet. but any RV is easy to get into, hybrid or not. as was mentioned, using PUG's and Reflectix, temp control is easy to maintain. the furnace and a/c will easily keep it warm or cool by using these mods. you won't have a walk-around bed anymore, so ease of bed setup will depend on if you are fine with sleeping bags or decide you want sheets/covers on it.How much easier is a HTT to maneuver vs our TT? Or is there not a huge difference?having a 5' or more shorter trailer will of course, be easier to maneuver. there is no hybrid made currently, that's over 25' long, unless you get one with a toyhauler deck or you find some older bigger hybrids that are no longer made, like the Jayco 26L.Always seems like the grass is greener on the other side haha. Any input is welcome. Thanks everyone.

We just switched from our beloved ROO 23SS to a Rockwood Ultra Lite 2604. Even that amount of difference is noticed in towing with our F150. The buyer of our 23SS asked for specific #s on length, which in nearly 8 years we had never considered, thinking 23SS meant sorta 23'. The box on the 23SS is 20' 10" and 24' bumper to ball. Go figure. We miss the openness of our ROO. Personally, we miss the "history" and fun times and memories of our ROO. Had it not been for some aging factors that crept up while we weren't looking, it would still be sitting it the ROOport. We love Rocky and he now sits in the Rockyport and we have found that it was the right change for us at the right time. You didn't mention, but do you need 3 beds? The 23IKSS is a drop-dead gorgeous model, but has what may be a glitch or two. When it's closed up, you're hard pressed to get to the kitchen or bathroom without opening a slide. Are they still using slide locks like we had on our '06?? If so, PIta, but we always used them. If you don't need that third bed, I would check out the 23SS before signing on the dotted line. The kitchen area is wonderful and more space than most HTT....another thing I miss, but am learning to appreciate the space I have in the 2604.The difference in towing is not significant, but there is a difference. I miss spring and fall - coming soon - camping in our ROO when you can have the bunkends open and catch a Saturday afternoon snooze with the light breeze coming through....nothing beats it! I miss being able to wake up in the morning and look waaayyyyy down to the other bunkend. I don't miss at all the bathroom when compared to the incredible bathroom in out 2604. I do miss that kitchen area. I don't miss the extra set-up time and effort as those age things caught up. I don't miss DH griping about the PUGs, even thought they're worth their weight in gold.If you have reached the point where you feel that your current TT is not right for you any more, make the change. Another thing that comes with that age thing creeping up is that you realize that you don't know what tomorrow brings and if making things easier and more enjoyable, then you need to give it a good look. Happy Camping!

dadmomh wrote:You didn't mention, but do you need 3 beds? The 23IKSS is a drop-dead gorgeous model, but has what may be a glitch or two. When it's closed up, you're hard pressed to get to the kitchen or bathroom without opening a slide. Are they still using slide locks like we had on our '06?? If so, PIta, but we always used them. If you don't need that third bed, I would check out the 23SS before signing on the dotted line. The kitchen area is wonderful and more space than most HTT....another thing I miss, but am learning to appreciate the space I have in the 2604.I'm not sure about the slide lock...not sure what that is. It seems like the kitchen slid would be easy enough to open to get to the bathroom and kitchen while on the road.Yes, I think we need the 3 beds. We have a 12 (almost 13 yr old) and an 11 yr old boy and girl. They're not really excited about sharing a bed. They like to bring friends with them too.Do the PUGs need to be set up, tore down each time you want to use them?Thanks for the info!

Has anyone gone from a 35' TT to a HTT? | Good Sam Community

sillynikki
Explorer
Jul 23, 2013
PAThwacker wrote:
I have a nonslide 2 tent plus rear perpendicular bunkbeds in a 21ft box. Sure its tight, but give 100% access, and rear bunk beds for off season use.

:BWorks wonders for our family: 1 year old toddler, 5 year old and both are girls. They can play on the side bunk, or up front. Lower bunk secure area for the baby, upper bunk gets dirty clothes, and stores extra bedding, toys, and pillows.
We have super high wind gizmos and have no fears about camping in direct sunlight. Ambient temps in the upper 90s, high 1pm sun angle, and you can hang out, sleep or play in the front bunk area.

This is almost identical to what we're going to look at tomorrow (used model we found on CL). My only hesitation is it not having a slide. I have to see it in person to decide if a slide is a must.
sillynikki
Explorer
Jul 23, 2013
mrgrim007 wrote:
Seems like a lot of people go the other way. We have a 35' Jayco bunkhouse that we love, but it's HUGE and heavy. We knew when purchasing it that we'd be limited on the places we could camp and what we could carry with us.

With our TT full of firewood, food, bikes, etc. we really can't take water, a generator or much of anything else. Even if we could we can't get into some of the tighter camping spots. Finding a place to camp with thing is is expensive too!

So we went to a dealer yesterday and looked at Roo HTTs. DW loves the 23IKSS. We are waiting for a 233S to come in so that we can compare the two. Overall there is a ton of living space in it with the two slides. We've never camped in a HTT before. With the HTT weighing less and being about 10' shorter, we think it will be more flexible and give us added payload in the 'Burb (rated to tow 12,000 lbs, ~2900 lbs payload). Jayco GVWR = 9,975 lbs vs Roo GVWR = 6,402 lbs. Seems like with a HTT we can load up with fresh water, a generator, lots of food, firewood, etc. and still have towing capacity and payload to spare.

I guess my questions are:

Will there be a big difference in how a HTT tows compared to our TT? We live in CO.

What will we be giving up in the name of flexibility? (Not as quiet with the tent beds? Maybe not as secure? How well will the AC and furnace work?)

How much easier is a HTT to maneuver vs our TT? Or is there not a huge difference?

Always seems like the grass is greener on the other side haha. Any input is welcome. Thanks everyone.

We went from a pop up to a hybrid to a 38 foot TT. Now we're heading back to a hybrid I think. The 38 foot TT was just TOO big. We loved our hybrid. The only reason we sold it is because we thought bigger was better. That's not always the case for everyone. We're wanting the hybrid with 3 pop out beds.
bikendan
Explorer
Jul 23, 2013
spud1960 wrote:
Never heard of them!

they are always mentioned on every popup and hybrid forum i've been on, for the past 7 years.
many popup owners are quite familiar with the company and since many hybrid owners are former popup owners, they already know about their value and often use the same PUGs from the popups that they owned.
spud1960
Explorer
Jul 23, 2013
Never heard of them!
dadmomh
Explorer
Jul 23, 2013
Worth their weight in gold.
mrgrim007
Explorer
Jul 22, 2013
spud1960 wrote:
What are PUGS that you guys are talking about?

Popup Gizmos
spud1960
Explorer
Jul 22, 2013
What are PUGS that you guys are talking about?
spud1960
Explorer
Jul 22, 2013
We went from tent to pop up and last year we bought out HTT.When we decided to upgrade form our pop up my husband was sure he wanted a TT but we walked into our Kiwi and fell in love with it.It has more storage than any TT we looked at and with the slide it has plenty of room.Most of the time we have at least one or two of our Grandkids camping with us but if it is just us then we only put down the one end.
We camped the whole HOT week of the 4th and our AC worked great at keeping us cool.
Campfire_Time
Explorer
Jul 22, 2013
Can't help you on going from a TT to an HTT, but I can comment on the HTT related stuff. We just bought our second HTT. The first was a 17ft that we had for 10 years. Prior to that we had a pup for 10 years.

mrgrim007 wrote:

What will we be giving up in the name of flexibility? (Not as quiet with the tent beds? Maybe not as secure? How well will the AC and furnace work?)

Personally I think you'll gain flexibility, but that's just my opinion.

Yes, it is not as quiet with the tent ends. In fact we just had a mildly annoying experience with a group 2 sites down that stayed up talking and laughing until 4:00 AM. They weren't obnoxious or causing trouble, just getting loud from time to time. We're used to it, we've slept under some sort of tent for nearly 30 years. But if you aren't use to it...

Security is relative to where you camp. But in the years we've camped in tents, PUPs and HTTs, we never felt unsafe or vulnerable. Even when we camped with our old HTT at Circus Circus on the Las Vegas strip we didn't feel unsafe. So yes, someone *could* slash the canvas and get in but the likelihood is next to nil. Someone had a general thread last week asking about thefts, etc and nearly every response was "never".

Just like a PUP, in really cold weather the heater will pretty much stay on all the time. We camped in West Yellowstone MT twice with our old HTT. Both times the nights were in the low 20s. We were never cold. Until morning when we went to use the showers! Pretty much the same for A/C. We camped in 95-100f temps and have never felt like it wasn't able to do the job. BTW, we don't use the PUGs. They are too much extra work IMO for the little gain they seem to offer. Might as well go hard side...

The bottom line is that hybrids are not everyone's cup of tea. If there is anyway you can rent one for a weekend and try it out, I'd suggest that before you plunk down cash for something you might end up hating after a short time.
dadmomh
Explorer
Jul 22, 2013
Given your children and their ages, I would definitely pass on the 23IKSS and go for the 3 bed unit. Making up the dinette and or sofa every night would get old really fast. Would think they'd be much happier campers, too, having THEIR beds.

Yes re the 30' opened up. BTW, when you're making reservations, it's easiest to just tell them 30' rather than to try to explain "hybrid".....just gets them all confused and you might end up with something not workable. Also, with the 3-bed, you need to check for trees on that side that might be in the way.

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