Rant - looking for a travel trailer

[johnsoax]

I wish some manufacturer made the trailer I was looking for. I have 4 children, and I use a SUV to carry the family. And from all the threads I constantly see here, and on other sites, I'm not the only one looking.

Right now I use a popup to fit everyone and still be able to carry all the gear we need. And for the type of camping we do, it is annoying to have to setup and tear down every day as we travel to our destination. Then when we are at our destination, we have to do a smaller setup and tear down everyday to convert tables and couches to beds to fit everyone.

Someone should be able to design a trailer that will give me 3 or 4 individual beds for the kids and a larger bed for my wife and I while still letting us have our gear for less than 550 lbs of tongue weight.

My vehicle is a pretty typical SUV that has a 550lb tongue weight and a towing capacity of 7700. Once I put all the gear in a trailer, I can pull the weight, but everything that has a floor plan we can use has a tongue weight that requires a 2500 or 3500 truck to pull it, before the gear is even in the trailer.

Why can't someone make something for larger families that fits the smaller vehicles that most people drive nowadays.

I know there are Hybrid trailers. If I wanted to deal with tenting issues, I would stay with the popup.

We want to be able to have a nice base camp for destination camping and be able to stop at places on the way there to make lunch/use the bathroom/ and sleep in the camper without deploying everything (stealth road camping).

Airstream used to build something like this, but they have gone $$$ high end, and super heavy. I can find much older trailers that might work, if I could actually find one for sale...

Anyone have any ideas?

[Wishbone51]

johnsoax wrote:
And that thread was one of the reasons I have been looking for a travel trailer that actually fits into the ratings...

There are many, just not one that meets your expectations, which is unrealistic. For that you need to "get a truck" to quote your advice.

[johnsoax]

Wishbone51 wrote:
Funny post from johnsoax on a Land Rover forum that seems to apply to this thread. Good advice for him.



hahaha

Source: http://www.landroverworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=26945

It's a good read.

Sigh.. And like the guy I was responding to there, who runs a WD hitch against the manufacturers recommendation, you missed the comment I was replying to....

And that thread was one of the reasons I have been looking for a travel trailer that actually fits into the ratings...

[Wishbone51]

Funny post from johnsoax on a Land Rover forum that seems to apply to this thread. Good advice for him.



hahaha

Source: http://www.landroverworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=26945

It's a good read.

[badercubed]

http://www.trailertoad.com/

Done

[tbred]

chracatoa wrote:
Did anyone suggest CanAm already? I know it's controversial but so is this thread, apparently.

Yep, about 10 pages ago.

[RobertRyan]

2012Coleman wrote:
I was wondering when RobertRyan would show up, showing us pictures of TT's we could never get over here... Your killing me again!!! 😛

Interesting with the Caria, it was started by someone who raced Motorbikes and went from there

[chracatoa]

Did anyone suggest CanAm already? I know it's controversial but so is this thread, apparently.

[johnsoax]

Lantley wrote:


Kind of a mute point. But you would actually consider moving spare tire from LR to RV and back each time to go camping?

That would be pretty easy, so, yes.. My main concern is getting the full size spare on the truck if I switch to the Curt Receiver. Using a receiver mounted carrier would take out my rear backup sensors, which come in handy... So I am back to installed bumper swing away carrier. But then I wouldn't have to move it to the trailer.

[Lantley]

johnsoax wrote:

Lantley wrote:


You would be better off spending that $2K on a dedicated TV vs. wasting it trying to modify your hitch and spare tire carrier.

Would I? Then I have another vehicle to purchase, maintain, license, insure and park/store, on top of the travel trailer. 2k sounds pretty cheap next to that.

Kind of a mute point. But you would actually consider moving spare tire from LR to RV and back each time to go camping?

[Lantley]

dodge guy wrote:
I have the stick!.........who wants to supply the horse?

No horse needed just beat me with it.

[dodge_guy]

I have the stick!.........who wants to supply the horse?

[johnsoax]

Lantley wrote:


You would be better off spending that $2K on a dedicated TV vs. wasting it trying to modify your hitch and spare tire carrier.

Would I? Then I have another vehicle to purchase, maintain, license, insure and park/store, on top of the travel trailer. 2k sounds pretty cheap next to that.

[Lantley]

johnsoax wrote:

Beatfarmer wrote:
And for those times you are not towing the TT and need the greater departure angle, just unbolt the Curt and have at it.

Sadly, I don't think this would be possible, as to install the Curt you have to use feeder wires to feed bolts through the frame.

If I can't find anything to work with my standard receiver, I may just have to bite the bullet and use the curt, but I still would have to figure out something to do with the full size spare, as putting it on the roof full time isn't a good option.

There are two manufacturers that make a swing away carrier for the spare, each are over $1000, and involve grinding and welding for the install, doable, but a ton of time. With a full time receiver, I may have to look into receiver mounted spare tire carriers, and then have a receiver mounted to the back of the TT to carry it while towing..

You would be better off spending that $2K on a dedicated TV vs. wasting it trying to modify your hitch and spare tire carrier.

[johnsoax]

Beatfarmer wrote:
And for those times you are not towing the TT and need the greater departure angle, just unbolt the Curt and have at it.

Sadly, I don't think this would be possible, as to install the Curt you have to use feeder wires to feed bolts through the frame.

If I can't find anything to work with my standard receiver, I may just have to bite the bullet and use the curt, but I still would have to figure out something to do with the full size spare, as putting it on the roof full time isn't a good option.

There are two manufacturers that make a swing away carrier for the spare, each are over $1000, and involve grinding and welding for the install, doable, but a ton of time. With a full time receiver, I may have to look into receiver mounted spare tire carriers, and then have a receiver mounted to the back of the TT to carry it while towing..

[LarryJM]

johnsoax wrote:

SoundGuy wrote:
Frankly, I'm mystified that so many have tried to offer helpful suggestions only to have you so vociferously disparage what they've offered

The only thing I have disparaged is to replace my tow vehicle. Period.

Or put on a real receiver that WILL TAKE A WDH and open up a plethora of additional options.

Best thing is just stick with popups or hybrids and forget moving up to a more spacious and optioned full profile trailer until you realize you need a REAL TOW VEHICLE and not a WANNABE TV.

You mistakenly place belief is the industry is not addressing such a large potential market IMO shows how little you appreciate all this.

Larry