Hey Boondockers; what TT do you have?

[BPRescue]

Hi All,
Just wondering about those who mostly boondock in remote areas; especially in the west. What TT do you have, and what have you learned, or rather what would you do differently in regard to your choice?

I have a PUP that will go almost anywhere I want to go and rarely do the campground thing. Instead I like to go to remote areas that per conditions and range, eliminate all but those 4 wheel drives. I am considering adding a bit of simplicity, comfort and speed by "upgrading", or shall I say adding to the fleet (I will keep my off road PUP unless this renders it useless), so looking to hear your experiences and recommendations. Someone brought to my attention Outdoor RV's Black Rock series, and it just may be on the leader board per the suspension, stronger frame, etc. Either way, there is no doubt I would hit the occasional full hookup campground, but the priority is dry camping.

I also have solar on my PUP that allows me to dry camp as long as I want sun and propane permitting. In that regard I will be adding 300-400 watts on the camper and doing the 6V battery thing to help here. May get a generator as a backup, or for hot weather camping, but I like it quiet...

Thanks all!

[Ken_O]

I boondock, that is the reason I keep it small, and large capacity FW tank. The FW is IMO the weak link for being in the bush.

I have a Jayflight 21QB, it has 90 gallons of FW, my last was a Jayflight 19RD, both had 90 gallons FW.

That is the main reason I went with the Flights. (and the porcelain crapper, lol)

The new 21QB has LEDs standard, my last trailers I had to put LEDs in myself.

[PAThwacker]

A pup

[westend]

Another way, here. I have an older 220 Starcraft with a full boxed frame. It is built more like an equipment trailer than an RV, guess they could afford some steel back then.

I have torsion axles so surface conditions is what stops me from really rugged trails. I'm also pretty low so the only thing that gets "pinstriped" (love that, Jim) is the gas heater stack. I may chop that so branches aren't an issue. Where I like to camp a lot, in Northern MN forests, the State and Federal guys tend to develop roads and trails that are navigable. More concerns about crossing washouts and high water areas than climbing rock areas. I go out in the woods.

[JiminDenver]

I have a Ameri-lite 25 ft bunk house that I boondock in. The first 6 years was all up in the Rockies of Colorado and I went full time on the first of the year. It has been down trails that required 4x4 in the Rockies but I just haven't seen anything like it in the desert. Here the worse is washboards and I'd rather have the rocks honestly.

I do have the axles flipped for clearance and it still takes forever to go a few miles over the real rough stuff. I have to pay attention to where both the wheels of the truck and trailer are, watch how far the trailer tilts and creeping along so slow the the speedometer doesn't move is the norm. I have also seen trails in the back country that would slow the truck to 15 MPH with switchbacks that wouldn't allow any faster.

The Ameri-lite is about the cheapest thing new that I saw in that size. It has a 3000 pound CCC and the construction description and pictures are the same that Gulfstream uses for there other higher end units. Some of the differences like not being as wide or as tall work in my benefit as they allow me down tighter trails or under lower branches. It has gotten its share of pin stripping but that's not the trailers fault.:)

[_DJ_1]

carringb wrote:

profdant139 wrote:

It makes sense to me that a toy hauler might be built with a beefier frame -- I don't know, since I never had one of those.

I haven't found a toy hauler that makes their chassis as stout as ORV/Northwood. It was the primary reason I went with a TT this go around. Didn't need another total frame failure.

This was my first choice but DW kiboshed it. Certified Northwood off road frame and huge tanks. Best of everything!!

[Vulcanmars]

I would agree that toy haulers make the best boondocking units due to their capacities and ground clearance. We did a lot of it in our home state forest in a TH but never out west. Beach like uphill roads were my biggest concern.
The down side is their weight. If I had no toys a would opt for a 19-22 unit with large tanks (if it exist) and flipped axles for ground clearance.

[Fireballsocal]

profdant139 wrote:
Fireball, I was interested in what you said about a TC being too heavy for fire roads? Is that because of the center of gravity? Sorry if this is a naive question, but I am in the dark. Thanks.

My 1996 Lance squire 9'6" was on my single rear wheel F-250 and yes, I felt it had a lot of weight up top. It leaned in the turns and gave me a pretty good fright in a bad cross wind one day. I thought I was going over. I have seen the pictures of the people driving their truck campers to some incredibly remote areas but I never felt comfortable enough in mine to do that type of exploring. Travel trailers allow me to unhook at camp and at least drive to these places.

[profdant139]

Fireball, I was interested in what you said about a TC being too heavy for fire roads? Is that because of the center of gravity? Sorry if this is a naive question, but I am in the dark. Thanks.

[deltabravo]

BPRescue wrote:
... Someone brought to my attention Outdoor RV's Black Rock series, and it just may be on the leader board per the suspension, stronger frame, etc. Either way, there is no doubt I would hit the occasional full hookup campground, but the priority is dry camping

Arctic Fox and Nash other other good ones to consider.

Their frames are made the same as the frames used at Outdoors RV.... they might even be made in the same frame shop since Northwood and Outdoors are in the same city, and share ownership by part of the same corporate group.

[Fireballsocal]

I ended up with a lance 2009 1880 no slide. While I don't go dragging it down rocky roads, I do carefully camp in well out of the way locations and really enjoy the luxuries the Lance affords. I have also had a casita that was very easy to haul down tight roads but was more of a camper verses a travel trailer. The lance truck camper I owned was a great rig on my F250 but fuel mileage was horrible and the camper was too heavy to comfortably go on all but the flattest of fire roads.

[eichacsj]

We only boon-dock (expect when visiting family) even need the 4wd occasionally. You see my rig in the signature. It is a Northwood MFG TT, (Nash, Arctic Fox, Outdoor RV brands). If you want the ones built for the more rugged off-roading I would go Nash, then Outdoor RV though the AF (higher end interior) does just fine.

Why Northwood? Frames are built by them and are very well built, much higher ground clearance (lets you go over the water breaks), standard 4 season insulation (not a add on). Strong box construction for that off-roading.

Enjoy you search.

[opnspaces]

My 2005 Jayco 27BH. I just go low and slow and avoid any real ditches that will cause me to drag the rear. I do mostly desert camping so it's fairly flat. But man I wish there was a cure for washboard roads.

[carringb]

profdant139 wrote:

It makes sense to me that a toy hauler might be built with a beefier frame -- I don't know, since I never had one of those.

I haven't found a toy hauler that makes their chassis as stout as ORV/Northwood. It was the primary reason I went with a TT this go around. Didn't need another total frame failure.

[profdant139]

webwrangler, I would not call that road a piece of cake, but we travel on roads like that all the time -- every cabinet is locked, and so is the fridge. Not one thing ends up out of place.

And with care, you really can use rocky rough roads without damaging the trailer.

It makes sense to me that a toy hauler might be built with a beefier frame -- I don't know, since I never had one of those.