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?

[Lantley]

I see your Land Rover as the real issue. The Land Rover may fulfill a lot of your needs however it simply is not a very good RV tow vehicle. The End......

It's really a matter of you choosing your priorities. When you become a serious/dedicated camper you will make the necessary changes,adaptations and compromises to obtain a capable tow vehicle and a RV that matches it.
While you claim there is nothing available, there must be a few thousand members on this forum alone that have managed to find a combo to meet/fit there needs. Yes we all have budgets, but we have also decided we enjoy camping and have found a way to make it work.
You have not turned that corner yet. For some reason you are reluctant. Until you change your focus/attitude and make camping a real priority you will not find the appropriate combo.

[eluwak]

:S

Wow this thread is something else...

OP, you don't want to change anything about your TV? Great... deal with its limitations. I'm sorry your perfect trailer doesn't exist with its feather weight tongue. The RV industry makes what people buy.

Be wary of a lightweight tongue trailer though as you may not like how it pulls. Been there, done that.

[_tpc_]

What about one of those work and play deals? I have no idea about layouts and weights but you might be able to buy something "new" and add in the bunks you need.

Just a thought. 🙂

[johnsoax]

Heard back from Rockwood already.

"We appreciate your interest in our Rockwood Mini Lite 2306 travel trailer. Unfortunately, we no longer the triple bunk configuration available. We have moved the water to a location in the back of the unit and under the 2nd bunk to accommodate the Murphy Bed option. Therefore, the remaining area is now useful only as a storage compartment."

[cbshoestring]

You can not get that 10lbs into the 5lb bag.

You have been given option after option....each to be met with your unwillingness to give an inch. You expect the trailer industry (and apperantly car manufactures) to have everything available to suit YOU.

You are going to have to compromise somewhere, or build it yourself (bet you still compromise).

Not just my opinion....the hard truthful fact of life.

I understand this sounds HARSH. The MOD may even get made at me. However, I think it needs laid out in the open. Repeat after me..."IT IS NOT ABOUT ME".

Again, people have been trying to give you as many options as they can think of. TRUTH is, the option you want is probably not obtainable. WHY....unrealistic expectations.

DEAR MOD. This is not intended to be a personal assault. I hope it is not deemed so. I just think it needs to be said, that after 8 pages of willingness to help, with nary a bend from the OP, it needs to be pointed out that you can not tow a 4 bedroom home with a prius, and manufactures are not dying because they won't make it happen.

[johnsoax]

Wishbone51 wrote:
I have a feeling, Alex, that this thread will be closed soon.

I think you might be right... I've blocked that guy. I'm not interested in what he has to say.

[therink]

If the max tongue weight you can haul with your SUV is 550 lbs, then you are limited to a travel trailer weighing (loaded not empty) weighing about 4200 lbs. A small hybrid trailer may work for you. If you want a hard sided full travel trailer weighing more than 4200 loaded, it looks like you need a full frame truck or larger SUV capable of handling a heavier tongue weight.

The tongue weight of travel trailer equals near 13 percent of the loaded weight of the trailer. In other words for example, a loaded trailer weighing 5000 will have a loaded tongue weight of around 650.

[Wishbone51]

I have a feeling, Alex, that this thread will be closed soon.

[johnsoax]

cbshoestring wrote:
4 kids in a crew cab? I don't think so

Why not? They have seating four six. Three up front, three in back.


But this speaks to me that the camper industry is dying. From my research almost all the manufacturers have the same 10 or so floor plans with very little to differentiate themselves from each other. That isn't good for the industry

The 2014 US Cenus puts the average family at 3.1 persons. The trailer indistries make numerous models/configurations that sleep 4-6 people. Plenty large enough for the family and a friend or two. The range from the mini PODS up to 40'ish feet of bliss...some even propel themselves.

What we have here is...I want what I want, I want it in my price range, I refuse to waivery on anything or make any other changes to my side of the equation. NOW SOMEONE MAKE IT FOR ME OR I WILL THROW A HISSY FIT.



START HERE:



THEN GO HERE:




In a couple years you may be happy.

ALTERNATIVE----compromise :B

And I will take your opinion for what it is worth....

And have you heard of child car seats? They take up a lot of space, and pretty much make bench seats hold a lot less people.

[cbshoestring]

johnsoax wrote:
I don't understand a lot of tongue weights on campers.

They are HEAVY.

Most of us want A/C, heat, stove,sink, Microwave, TV, Bathroom....etc...

We suck it up, buy the bigger tow vehicle.

Not willing to do so. COMPROMISE. Be willing to put the table up and down to make a bed, or fold the beds out. Tell one kid to sleep on the floor.

Have you considered buying a cargo trailer, building bunks into it? Sounds easier than trying to get an entire industry to meet your needs, when your needs are a bit unrealistic considering the average user they are currently making happy (for the mst part).

[wannavolunteerF]

one warning... before you buy a trailer... look at the actual sticker on the trailer. I discovered the published weight of my trailer was about 200 lbs less that the actual weight. I figure a lot of the difference is the 2 propane cylinders (55lbs each) and the battery, all of which add to the tongue weight. I have not weighed for tongue weight, but know the sticker says it includes these things.

[cbshoestring]

4 kids in a crew cab? I don't think so

Why not? They have seating four six. Three up front, three in back.


But this speaks to me that the camper industry is dying. From my research almost all the manufacturers have the same 10 or so floor plans with very little to differentiate themselves from each other. That isn't good for the industry

The 2014 US Cenus puts the average family at 3.1 persons. The trailer industry make numerous models/configurations that sleep 4-6 people. Plenty large enough for the family and a friend or two. They range from the mini PODS up to 40'ish feet of bliss...some even propel themselves.

What we have here is...I want what I want, I want it in my price range, I refuse to waivery on anything or make any other changes to my side of the equation. NOW SOMEONE MAKE IT FOR ME OR I WILL THROW A HISSY FIT.



START HERE:



THEN GO HERE:




In a couple years you may be happy.

ALTERNATIVE----compromise :B

[johnsoax]

PUCampin wrote:
The Rockwood 2306 used to have triple bunks as an option. If they discontinued that option it was not too long ago. Might be worth asking them if it could still be made that way, or look for one that is a couple years old.

Also, it might be worth calling Lance camper directly, the tongue weight listed in their specs on the website for the 2185 seems like a typo. I can't imagine it is actually that high. Doesn't take much to accidently hit "7" instead of "4" on the keypad and then publish the info to the website 🙂

Good luck with your search.

Thanks, I've written Rockwood to see if that option is still available.

I checked the printed literature I received yesterday, and the tongue weight is listed as 590 on the 2185.

Edited and added - I have an email into Lancer about it.

[PUCampin]

The Rockwood 2306 used to have triple bunks as an option. If they discontinued that option it was not too long ago. Might be worth asking them if it could still be made that way, or look for one that is a couple years old.

Also, it might be worth calling Lance camper directly, the tongue weight listed in their specs on the website for the 2185 seems like a typo. I can't imagine it is actually that high. Doesn't take much to accidently hit "7" instead of "4" on the keypad and then publish the info to the website 🙂

Good luck with your search.

[johnsoax]

Oasisbob wrote:
We have four kids and a dog. I know what you are saying. My complaint with our HTT is outside noise and folding up/down of beds. I have a solution and am saving up for one right now. I do not believe in financing an RV. It is the COACHMEN CLIPPER 17 BH. Two bunk beds in back. permanant queen up front and dinnette bed mid section. Storage is plentiful. Weight is same as my HTT. Check it out

I will, thanks.