I camped my whole life as a kid and as a 38 yr old married with two little boys we still visit and spend a couple days with my parents in their camper each year. We have no camper currently, but growing up i've camped in and driven my dads 3 class Cs and up to their former 34ft classA. Not afraid to tow a trailer one bit.My boys are almost 3 and 1 yr old, and I plan to tow for 2-3 years with my chevy Trailblazer with inline 6. (5500 lb tow capacity with tow package and tranny cooler in place). I'll also get a load leveling hitch and a sway controller. Recommendations on hitch and controller?Looking at hybrid trailers, but open to other suggestions.Would like a slide out for more space but they are fairly rare.I'm currently pondering a 2007 Coyote 22CT. Looking about $6000 will buy it, but unsure if its a good buy or a decent quality to buy. I don't need a problem.After a few years, I'll buy a truck and we'll prob upgrade to a bigger camper, so going used, i can prob sell it for not much less than I pay.I've read some good about coyote, but also read about some models having a wood frame that rots, and a front cap will rot, and issues with flip bunk seals and such. Not sure what model year they upgraded these things, and if 2007 is good or bad.Would prefer..1. 3 bunks flip outs2. slideout sofa or dinette.3. Around 3500-4000 lb dry4. Dont need a problem child.5. Target was $5000, but can go a little more to buy something better to serve our need and want.Require..1. min 2 flip bunks2. sofa3. at least 19 ft box (22 is ok though)Any input?

My parents currently have a 2007 Keystone Mountaineer with 2 slides, and its pretty roomy. Our motor homes when I was a kid never had a slide and felt cramped, so I can deal with a couple hundred pounds for more room.We live in the south east, and will go to the beach a little, maybe to the app mountains, and prob out to our nearby lake campgrounds and for us about the camping experience for the kids.We want to start camping as soon as this winter or spring with the kids, but honestly I have a 1 car payment rule, and we have 2.6 yrs left on our van, and so wont buy a truck till after. I'll pay cash for the camper in this price range, but again don't want a problem. We both work, two kids, I have a rental property, so don't have time for a bunch of trouble. Storage might not be in my yard, working that out, as our yard is fairly small. I started looking at a 2010 Jayfeather no slides, 2 end bunk flip outs, wanting over 7000. Then found this 2007 Coyote with 3 flip bunks and about $6000. Havn't been looking long enough to know how rare these are, or if this age means bunks leak, do I have to spray them, cover them,replace them? The 2010 is 2 hour drive, then 2007 is an 8 hour drive. Really like the one I saw online that had 3 bunks and a slide out sofa, and i think it was around 8-9000, and a 9 hour drive.

Isn't that unit a 7,000 pound max? Is the Trailblazer rated for that much?

I'd be more concerned with the TBs ability to tow that trailer. The trailer you are looking at seems to have a GVWR of 6000#. Granted you may not load it to it's full potential, but with two growing boys you will be closer to the GVWR than the unloaded weight. Probably very close to the 5500# rating of the truck. Worse your payload is probably only 1100# or 1200#. Between the tongue weight, hitch weight, your kids, wife, and "stuff" in the truck, you'll be over your payload. I used to have a Trailblazer, I6, 3:42 gears and towed two hybrids with it. One had a GVWR of 3500#. The TB towed it beautifully. Then we towed our current X20E with it. It has a GVWR of 4500#. The TB towed it OK, but nothing stellar about the experience. It struggled a bit when fighting wind. For short trips it was fine but we got the Sierra because the TB had a lot of miles and was not going to cut for mountains. I can't see you having a good experience towing the trailer you are considering.

Campfire Time wrote:I'd be more concerned with the TBs ability to tow that trailer. The trailer you are looking at seems to have a GVWR of 6000#. Granted you may not load it to it's full potential, but with two growing boys you will be closer to the GVWR than the unloaded weight. Probably very close to the 5500# rating of the truck. Worse your payload is probably only 1100# or 1200#. Between the tongue weight, hitch weight, your kids, wife, and "stuff" in the truck, you'll be over your payload. I used to have a Trailblazer, I6, 3:42 gears and towed two hybrids with it. One had a GVWR of 3500#. The TB towed it beautifully. Then we towed our current X20E with it. It has a GVWR of 4500#. The TB towed it OK, but nothing stellar about the experience. It struggled a bit when fighting wind. For short trips it was fine but we got the Sierra because the TB had a lot of miles and was not going to cut for mountains. I can't see you having a good experience towing the trailer you are considering.I understand your concerns. I've had the TB since new, its what I have to tow with as I'm not buy a truck for prob 3 years. When I buy a truck, I may go to a larger camper accordingly. I don't see a shorter 17 ft trailer cutting it for us, so if we pudder along at 60 MPH in the TB for a couple years I can live with that. If it blows the engine I can live with that.Mainly I'd love you guys input about the camper availability, quality and overall value for the money for what I hope will be about 3 years of ownership, and if it goes well I might keep it longer, but I'll buy a truck in 3 years.

It's not a matter of "puttering along at 60". Most of us here only tow at 60-65 for safety and limitations of ST tires. All I'm suggesting is that you are more than likely going to find that this is not at all a good combination and you'll hate the towing experience. I'd really hate to see you go into this and find out after a few trips towing you're looking at trucks anyway. The vast majority of people in your situation do exactly that. Regarding the trailer, no matter what used trailer you look at you need to look for evidence of water damage. Get on the roof and look for dried and cracked seals. In fact look at everything for this. Hybrids are only prone to leaks in the bunks because people fail to take care of them. We're on our second one and have never had a leak that was not due to a dried out seal on the roof. We had our first hybrid for 10 years. Open all the beds and look at the seals around the bunk wall. Are they dry or soft and pliable? Look for evidence of water anywhere. Have the owner or dealer demonstrate that all the appliances work, heat, ac, etc.

Looking to buy a used HTT, first camper, family of 4. Rec?

Oasisbob
Explorer
Oct 31, 2018
Prior to purchase spend a little and have the unit checked out by a reputable service center that has no interest in the sale. My current hybrid of many years was checked out by the sellers mechanic. I did a walk through prior to signing and found severan hundred dollars in needed repairs which the seller did for free. Do you think he would have done this after I signed? No way. Personally I advise against hybrid due to external noise, needing to dry out at home after rainy camping trip, condensation and possible security issues with the tent ends. With six family members and towing with a mini van we need best weight to space ratio. Best of luck
Rhizzlebop
Explorer
Oct 29, 2018
PAThwacker wrote:
Rhizzlebop wrote:
PAThwacker wrote:
Half ton burb That’s a multi generation dilemma. Might as well slap a plow on the f150 and get into the firewood delivery business??

I didn’t get the joke but it sounds like a pretty good one. That F150 eco boost pulls better than anything I’ve ever seen

Nobody cares about how “good” it pulls. It’s how “good” it stops. FYI trailer brakes depend on user to properly plug in the receptical.

I care about both! Trailer lives matter! j/k
PAThwacker
Explorer
Oct 28, 2018
Rhizzlebop wrote:
PAThwacker wrote:
Half ton burb That’s a multi generation dilemma. Might as well slap a plow on the f150 and get into the firewood delivery business??

I didn’t get the joke but it sounds like a pretty good one. That F150 eco boost pulls better than anything I’ve ever seen

Nobody cares about how “good” it pulls. It’s how “good” it stops. FYI trailer brakes depend on user to properly plug in the receptical.
Rhizzlebop
Explorer
Oct 28, 2018
PAThwacker wrote:
Half ton burb That’s a multi generation dilemma. Might as well slap a plow on the f150 and get into the firewood delivery business??

I didn’t get the joke but it sounds like a pretty good one. That F150 eco boost pulls better than anything I’ve ever seen
PAThwacker
Explorer
Oct 27, 2018
Half ton burb That’s a multi generation dilemma. Might as well slap a plow on the f150 and get into the firewood delivery business??
Rhizzlebop
Explorer
Oct 26, 2018
PAThwacker wrote:
What model suburban did you use? I saw some reference of 9000 pound dry. That better be an 8.1 burb from 01-06.

I was referring to my dads 98' suburban with 350 v8. He had heavier rear springs added and load E tires, and has been towing his 9000 lb Keystone Mountaineer TT around with it since he bought the camper new in 07'. beach, mountains, etc. Just in the past year a couple times he has towed the camper with his 2014 F150 Ecoboost ford.
PAThwacker
Explorer
Oct 26, 2018
What model suburban did you use? I saw some reference of 9000 pound dry. That better be an 8.1 burb from 01-06.
PAThwacker
Explorer
Oct 26, 2018
parker.rowe wrote:
Rhizzlebop wrote:
bikendan wrote:
Rhizzlebop wrote:

Interesting that that is required. My dad told me the place he bought his from new showed him how to change the battery wire to get power from his vehicle and not have to use a house battery.

Well if his trailer had electric brakes, what he did was illegal. How could the trailer brakes work if it detached from his tow vehicle?

Obviously the brakes cant work then. Honestly it never occured to me that those brakes were required to, or even COULD work if it came off the car. I just figured thats what the safety chains are for, (2) for redundancy and that was that. It NEVER in my life occured to me that those brakes could or should work if it came off the car. I bet he has no idea and will not believe me when I tell him. His trailer deff has brakes, it weighs 9000 dry.

I'll go by costco, that guy talked ridiculous. Very unusual for costco to behave as such.

Yep, there is an extra safety cable that you are suppose to hook up to the truck along with the chains.

If it comes unhooked so only the chains are holding it, it pulls the cable and activates the trailer brakes.

I believe that is how it is suppose to work. I've been lucky enough to never have to test it! :)

Attach the brake cable to frame of truck not the hitch. It designed to work if entire hitch chains and all rip off the truck. That can happen due to rust and there has not been a Tb or envoy for ten years lol.
parker_rowe
Explorer
Oct 25, 2018
Rhizzlebop wrote:
bikendan wrote:
Rhizzlebop wrote:

Interesting that that is required. My dad told me the place he bought his from new showed him how to change the battery wire to get power from his vehicle and not have to use a house battery.

Well if his trailer had electric brakes, what he did was illegal. How could the trailer brakes work if it detached from his tow vehicle?

Obviously the brakes cant work then. Honestly it never occured to me that those brakes were required to, or even COULD work if it came off the car. I just figured thats what the safety chains are for, (2) for redundancy and that was that. It NEVER in my life occured to me that those brakes could or should work if it came off the car. I bet he has no idea and will not believe me when I tell him. His trailer deff has brakes, it weighs 9000 dry.

I'll go by costco, that guy talked ridiculous. Very unusual for costco to behave as such.

Yep, there is an extra safety cable that you are suppose to hook up to the truck along with the chains.

If it comes unhooked so only the chains are holding it, it pulls the cable and activates the trailer brakes.

I believe that is how it is suppose to work. I've been lucky enough to never have to test it! :)
Rhizzlebop
Explorer
Oct 24, 2018
bikendan wrote:
Rhizzlebop wrote:

Interesting that that is required. My dad told me the place he bought his from new showed him how to change the battery wire to get power from his vehicle and not have to use a house battery.

Well if his trailer had electric brakes, what he did was illegal. How could the trailer brakes work if it detached from his tow vehicle?

Obviously the brakes cant work then. Honestly it never occured to me that those brakes were required to, or even COULD work if it came off the car. I just figured thats what the safety chains are for, (2) for redundancy and that was that. It NEVER in my life occured to me that those brakes could or should work if it came off the car. I bet he has no idea and will not believe me when I tell him. His trailer deff has brakes, it weighs 9000 dry.

I'll go by costco, that guy talked ridiculous. Very unusual for costco to behave as such.

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