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?

[pappcam]

Well that's a half an hour that I'll never get back.

[patperry2766]

these cots

[patperry2766]

Option#2

If the bunk beds won't work.

Same trailer, BUT:

#1 Have a custom tent/frame made my a local awning company to span the entire length of the rear loading door.

#2 Devise a way to keep the rear loading door level with the rest of the camper (either by attaching some think rubber bumpers, etc)

#3 put a couple of these on the folding door for the kids to sleep on

http://www.kotulas.com/deals/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10602&storeId=10152&productId=45991&langId=-1&srccode=cii_17588969&cpncode=37-56028844-2&utm_source=google_pla&utm_medium=Gifts-Gadgets-Gifts-for-Guys&utm_content=47854

That way, you'll still have the interior use of the camper and have the back covered for the kids to sleep on. Kinda a funky hybrid camper.

[patperry2766]

Quicksilver Toy hauler

Order this trailer with the optional tip-out bunk without the optional fold-up sofa bed.

part #960012

order two of these bed systems and mount them lengthwise on the opposite side of the trailer.

Relocate the battery & propane to the rear of the trailer for traveling.

You might get close to where you need to be this way provided you have enough distance from the entry door to the rear of the trailer.

[johnsoax]

APT wrote:
KZ Spree Escape has a few options that may work for you taking my Option 1 above. 204, 240, 243, 250 a bit tongue heavy. Sportsmen showstopper 242 also.

Thanks.

[APT]

KZ Spree Escape has a few options that may work for you taking my Option 1 above. 204, 240, 243, 250 a bit tongue heavy. Sportsmen showstopper 242 also.

[johnsoax]

Just saw the Jayco 26L HTT over in the HTT forum, that floor plan is the first hybrid I have seen that would work, as if it was raining the wife and I could sleep on the table or couch instead of the tent. And we don't have to step down onto a bed to get out of the bed, like the Jayco X254.

Edited to add, looks like the 26L has a 790 hitch weight... Never mind.

[Jebby14]

my 19 foot prowler is old and out of date but even it can technically sleep 6. double bunk in front with fold down table. u and the wife on the main bed 2 kids in the bunk 2 on the table. when they are old enough to not want to share they are old enough to sleep in the tent behind the camper.

[johnsoax]

tbred wrote:
I understand you want what you want and have young kids, but have you seen the triple bunks in person? They are TIGHT-claustrophobic! Some friends had a Surveyor triple bunk and kids refused to sleep in the bottom bunk,it was bad.

Not sure if anyone makes a lightweight double over double bunk, but those are pretty spacious and can even sleep 2 average adults on each.

My kids loved climbing into the one model that had triple bunks that we have looked at. We would have to see what they thought if we could actually find a camper to look at with them again.

Looks like KZ makes, but is currently discontinuing, a model that would work, the Sportsman Classic 240, unloaded weight 3600, dry hitch weight at 363. I've emailed them to ask if it is truly being discontinued, and if they ever offered a three bunk model. http://kz-rv.com/sportsmen-classic/240.html

This model shows that what I want is doable for the weights I want.

[tbred]

I understand you want what you want and have young kids, but have you seen the triple bunks in person? They are TIGHT-claustrophobic! Some friends had a Surveyor triple bunk and kids refused to sleep in the bottom bunk,it was bad.

Not sure if anyone makes a lightweight double over double bunk, but those are pretty spacious and can even sleep 2 average adults on each.

[johnsoax]

colliehauler wrote:
Did you look at the Rockwood 2306 on ebay?

I did. It is a two bunk model just like the brand new ones that can be purchased.

I'm searching for the 3 bunk model that it appears they quit offering in 2013, but thanks.

[colliehauler]

Did you look at the Rockwood 2306 on ebay?

[johnsoax]

Looks like the Coachman Catalina 21BH had a third bunk option at one time. I've contacted Coachman to see if the replacement, 213BH, still has that option.

[johnsoax]

westend wrote:
Good luck to the OP and his search.

Thanks.

[johnsoax]

rockhillmanor wrote:
From these responses to EACH and EVERY reply I'd say this OP doesn't want to or shouldn't be camping/RV'ing. And has sucked everyone into 12 pages of suggestions where he dismisses every single one.

Interesting, because the ONLY suggestion that I have dismissed is changing my tow vehicle.

Anyone who has pointed out a TT model that is close to my requirements has been thanked and I have looked into those models, including contacting manufacturers to see if certain options are still offered.

Just because I don't like YOUR suggestion, doesn't mean I am a troll.