Welcome back . . . hope you had a Merry Christmas.
There is no question that the Winnebago line is going to provide a quality experience for you. But it all gets down to what you want/can afford and what you can safely tow (back to that again). I am not familiar with the specs on the Micro Minnie except that you did mention the 7' width. And in this size trailer, that 1' difference in living area width can be significant. But only you can determine if that is meaningful to you.
If you haven't already, I recommend that you spend lots of time on RV lots and crawling in and out of your potential candidates and literally role play how you would live in this one or that one. For instance, walk through how you would prepare a meal in the galley. Work out who would be doing what - and when. It can be a bit of a "ballet" when two people are cooking on the range and retrieving food items from the refrigerator/freezer and the pantry. Will you have to contort into a pretzel just to be able to bend down to light the pilot light for your oven? Think about how you will clean up after each meal, and again - who will be doing what and when.
Do you have a pet? A dog, maybe? Will your "best friend" have an adequate place to lie down out of the way while your "ballet" is going on? They need their space, too, or you might end up with a neurotic critter that does not enjoy the RV experience.
How is the storage arranged? Can you imagine where you will place items that are accessible for when you need them without crawling over something or someone else?
Can you or your wife hit the sack early and let the other stay up and quietly watch TV without disturbing the one in bed? Or can one sleep in while the other gets up, fixes coffee, etc. (We installed some draperies from ceiling to floor that divide the sleeping area from the galley.) That little action has turned out to be important to us.
You are going to want to modify your trailer at some point - no matter what you get. This forum is one of many great sources for ideas and instruction. But think carefully about how "modifiable" the trailer is. Where and how can you install additional electrical equipment/electronics; i.e. electrical management system, inverter, a second battery on the tongue, solar panels, etc. Can you hang items on your walls to make your rig more like "home?" How about the ceiling? You get the idea.
Can you be comfortable taking a shower in the space provided? Where will you hang towels, washcloths, etc.?
Ultimately, maybe you can rent each of your favorite trailers and try them out. There is hardly a substitute for that kind of experience.
So the final decision will be an equation that balances the variables of tow-ability, affordability, practical living space and what your expectations are for living in a travel trailer for whatever periods of time you choose. For us, the 192 RBS has been an ideal solution. It may or may not be for you. But once you come to a conclusion that is well thought out, you'll have a great time.
Frankly, we can hardly wait to get out again after one of our trips. And living in this part of Texas allows us the opportunities to camp year round. So early in January we will take a quick four day excursion again to the Texas Hill Country just north of San Antonio. We'll have freezing or near freezing temps at night but high temperatures in the 50s. The Riverwalk at night is spectacular, you have the historical mission trails, and yes, the Alamo (still gives me goose bumps every time I go there). But if we do get cooped up by inclement weather, we have sufficient space for all three of us (our dog is in that count) to be very comfortable.
It's about your lifestyle expectations as much as anything. Think it through carefully and analytically, and press ahead with no regrets. Let us know . . .
Happy New Year!
There is no question that the Winnebago line is going to provide a quality experience for you. But it all gets down to what you want/can afford and what you can safely tow (back to that again). I am not familiar with the specs on the Micro Minnie except that you did mention the 7' width. And in this size trailer, that 1' difference in living area width can be significant. But only you can determine if that is meaningful to you.
If you haven't already, I recommend that you spend lots of time on RV lots and crawling in and out of your potential candidates and literally role play how you would live in this one or that one. For instance, walk through how you would prepare a meal in the galley. Work out who would be doing what - and when. It can be a bit of a "ballet" when two people are cooking on the range and retrieving food items from the refrigerator/freezer and the pantry. Will you have to contort into a pretzel just to be able to bend down to light the pilot light for your oven? Think about how you will clean up after each meal, and again - who will be doing what and when.
Do you have a pet? A dog, maybe? Will your "best friend" have an adequate place to lie down out of the way while your "ballet" is going on? They need their space, too, or you might end up with a neurotic critter that does not enjoy the RV experience.
How is the storage arranged? Can you imagine where you will place items that are accessible for when you need them without crawling over something or someone else?
Can you or your wife hit the sack early and let the other stay up and quietly watch TV without disturbing the one in bed? Or can one sleep in while the other gets up, fixes coffee, etc. (We installed some draperies from ceiling to floor that divide the sleeping area from the galley.) That little action has turned out to be important to us.
You are going to want to modify your trailer at some point - no matter what you get. This forum is one of many great sources for ideas and instruction. But think carefully about how "modifiable" the trailer is. Where and how can you install additional electrical equipment/electronics; i.e. electrical management system, inverter, a second battery on the tongue, solar panels, etc. Can you hang items on your walls to make your rig more like "home?" How about the ceiling? You get the idea.
Can you be comfortable taking a shower in the space provided? Where will you hang towels, washcloths, etc.?
Ultimately, maybe you can rent each of your favorite trailers and try them out. There is hardly a substitute for that kind of experience.
So the final decision will be an equation that balances the variables of tow-ability, affordability, practical living space and what your expectations are for living in a travel trailer for whatever periods of time you choose. For us, the 192 RBS has been an ideal solution. It may or may not be for you. But once you come to a conclusion that is well thought out, you'll have a great time.
Frankly, we can hardly wait to get out again after one of our trips. And living in this part of Texas allows us the opportunities to camp year round. So early in January we will take a quick four day excursion again to the Texas Hill Country just north of San Antonio. We'll have freezing or near freezing temps at night but high temperatures in the 50s. The Riverwalk at night is spectacular, you have the historical mission trails, and yes, the Alamo (still gives me goose bumps every time I go there). But if we do get cooped up by inclement weather, we have sufficient space for all three of us (our dog is in that count) to be very comfortable.
It's about your lifestyle expectations as much as anything. Think it through carefully and analytically, and press ahead with no regrets. Let us know . . .
Happy New Year!
Just another SUV pulling a TT. On our way to our favorite boondocking location, WDW Fort Wilderness. ๐
cwmoser wrote:
Oh no, have not left the building.
Have enjoyed conversing with you guys and have learned a lot.
I'm sure I'll have a lot more questions once I purchase a Travel Trailer
and do hope you all don't mind if I bother you some more.
I have browsed through that huge thread on this forum where folks
post pictures of their trailers and tow vehicles and for those
with SUV's I did some googling on their weight and tow specs.
Some folks there look like they are towing trailers three times
the length of their tow vehicle.
Maybe sometime in the near future I'll get the chance to meet some
of you at some camp sites. If you see a black Lexus SUV with an
old gray hair fool and a blonde wifey, it just might be me -- give
me a howdy, or maybe a finger - in jest I hope ๐
Well CW, any news on your camper selection yet? Lots of fun to be had. Example from earlier this morning (we're enjoying a few days at a state park in central Texas) . . . I was walking our dog and struck up a conversation with a guy from Florida two sites away from us. Turns out he knows a cousin of mine who lives in his home town! Who knew? Point being that there are some wonderful experiences waiting for you once you get going. Hope you can report back with news of your selection and your first trip.
Here we are this week:
cwmoser wrote:
Good information about your Coachmen 192RBS and Honda Ridgeline truck.
Also like what you posted that you purchased a Wal-Mart reflective tarp that
you protect your RV with. That too is a concern of mine as I would like to
protect my investment. I did look at a used 2014 Apex RV and the first
thing I noticed was that the outside had faded quite noticeably.
I've also read in other forums that custom RV covers are un-wieldly to put
on and take off, and tear easily snagging on antenna, AC cover, etc. I think
your suggestion to just throw over a tarp and secure it with bungy cords
is a better idea.
I realized that I never had offered a picture of our rather simple approach to covering our 192 RBS. We do have the advantage of keeping our trailer on our property just beyond our driveway, and it is surrounded by thick woods. And, because we use our camper year round the idea of storing it for an extended period of time just isn't on our radar screen. So this Wal-Mart tarp has worked fine for us.
It's not elegant or sophisticated, but the tarp does protect the roof from sun, rain, debris from above, etc. I get up on the roof and carefully unfold and extend the thing so that the front cap is covered down to the diamond plate. The tarp extends just a couple of inches over the rear edge of the roof. You can see that bungee cords are used to secure it - though not too tightly. It "breathes" some since the tarp is supported by the roof vents, A/C unit, etc. - plus a few scattered Lynx Leveler blocks I co-opted to place around the edges of the roof. Takes me about 15-20 minutes to put it up or take it down - with the assistance of my wife on the ground (she lines of the front edge so that the tarp gets down to the diamond plate). We had a line of thunderstorms come through early this morning and I didn't have any concerns about how things were for the trailer.
It's just one couple's approach to caring for our 192 RBS - I do not presume this to be the best answer for someone else. Seems to work great for us. Happy Thanksgiving, and let us know when you get your travel trailer - whatever it ends up being.
