Thinking about down sizing

[phone_man]

I know a lot of people start off with a smaller RV and eventually move up to bigger and better units, but I'm really thinking about going from TT back to a popup. I have a 2011 Lacrosse quad bunkhouse that is paid for so money is not really a factor, but in another month or so my second oldest child will be going off to the Navy and it will just be me, my wife, and an 8 year old. Not sure I really need a 33 foot bunkhouse any more. I had a pop up in the mid 2000s and it sure seemed a lot simpler. Less maintenance, less money for bearings and tires and such, and way less to store and insure it. I also didn't have to sweat the size of my campsite either. Some of my best times were in a pop up and while I love my current TT,and it was a life long dream of mine to own one, I notice my son and wife like to spend a whole lot of time indoors when we go on trips. Maybe with a pop up I can get them out more, save money on monthly storage fees, and go back to "camping". Anyone else ever make this change or entertain the thought. I'd like to hear from you.

[CavemanCharlie]

I like my hard sided TT. I've nover owned a pop up but, I've been in them. In a pop up I always felt like I was outside and never had a privicy. Plus in a storm it never felt safe at all.

I love my 21 foot TT. So easy to pull and park. At a grocery store or disount store I just pull in and use 2 parking spaces. I would never go bigger then 22 foot myslef. But, that is just me .

[Kittykath]

We too just recently downsized from a 39' 5th wheel to a 25' couple's TT, and we couldn't be more comfortable and stress-free. It has just enough space where we can enjoy the creature comforts but not too many to be overwhelming in terms of stuff and maintenance. We made a list of must-haves and went shopping. Canvas anything was out of the question. I require a potty and shower, but not a wet bath. A standard size queen bed, one slide, A/C and an oven were also must-haves. Got it all in 25', plus an outdoor kitchen as a bonus. I think we finally found perfection. Never stepped into an RV show this season.

[IdaD]

Our first camper was a pop up and we enjoyed it and made some great memories in it with our youngest daughter, but there are just too many compromises with pop ups. They lack security, they aren't comfortable in cold weather, they have a severe lack of storage space, and the components tend to be lower end relative to what we've got in our fifth wheel. Setting them up and tearing them down gets very tedious too, especially in poor weather. And any camping trip generally involved three different set-ups/tear-downs - one to pack and get ready, one at camp, and one after we got back home to clean up and empty the trailer.

Our fifth wheel is much more spacious, it pulls better (better TV), it's more comfortable, setup involves leveling it, dropping the rear stablizers and waiting 15 seconds for the slide to deploy. It also has far more storage space for our outdoor gear. I can see myself buying a bigger or smaller fifth wheel as needs change, but I don't see myself ever getting anything but a fifth wheel in the future.

[GrandpaKip]

Personally, we would not go back to a canvas PUP. There are too many places we go where they aren't allowed because of bears. The A-liner is an option, but I really like what we have, ie, island queen, full head, large reefer, etc. I also like piddling around, making stuff for the camper, so I can just go out and open the door to go in.

Good luck.

[Redcatcher70]

We sold our TT several years ago, DW had medical issues and just getting in and our of the TT presented problems. Now, with the help of medications she is more mobile and we wanted to return to camping, on a smaller scale, shorter trips. I was thinking of going back to a PU also, with a bathroom also, but then I remembered all of the cranking and also added an electric lift to my wants. I happened upon a used 19 foot Hi-Lo camper last winter and it is ideal for us. Electric-hydraulic lift system, complete bathroom and is small enough to park in the back yard. We can be parked and set up in less than 30 minutes. You can do it, just keep looking.......

[xteacher]

My husband and I have had almost every type of towable there is over the years. We now have an Aliner Ranger 15 with cassette potty, and a Cool Cat heat pump for a/c and heat (has a thermostat, just like at home) - we love it. It's a pop up, but it doesn't have canvas (not a fan; been there, done that, lasted only 3 trips). The walls our our Aliner set up in one minute. This is a good option if you spend a lot of time outside. It can sleep three, if you use the four person dinette as a bed. We get 16-18 mpg, towing with my 2010 Nissan Pathfinder. If you don't want to use the dinette, your son is almost old enough to enjoy a tent outside.

We also have a very small TT, but we will probably sell it within the next year or two.

[_1nobby]

I've tent camped my whole life and a lot of it in the wilderness with my Dad and a canoe.

I'm done with sleeping on the ground....and my Dad is 88.

With that in mind and a 27ft driveway......I decided on a 21ft travel trailer.

Big enough to be comfortable but small enough to force you outdoors.

Full bathroom for the wife....and nothing to set up in the dark or pouring rain.

Taking Dad this summer back to Northern Quebec with the canoe.....but we will only do day trips while dry camping by various lakes.

[SoundGuy]

winger999 wrote:
Why not a hybrid?

Lots of reasons, the list of which is almost endless - the WORST of both worlds and not any less costly than a nice travel trailer that's much easier to deal with than any trailer with tenting. A hybrid will have the same storage issues as a travel trailer but since the OP now only has to accommodate 3 that's easy to do with the right 21' - 23' travel trailer. 🙂

[winger999]

Why not a hybrid? We have camped with two different pop ups, a hybrid, and now a hard side. We liked the hybrid in that we could store most of our camping stuff in it, and packing up was much easier to head out. We have a 23 foot hard side now (got a deal we couldn't pass up), but we loved our hybrid. When open, it was a foot longer than what we have now.

[SoundGuy]

phone man wrote:
I notice my son and wife like to spend a whole lot of time indoors when we go on trips. Maybe with a pop up I can get them out more, save money on monthly storage fees, and go back to "camping". Anyone else ever make this change or entertain the thought. I'd like to hear from you.

We went through the various stages ourselves, did a lot of long distance travel camping when our boys were younger but once they hit high school the writing was on the wall that it would only be a matter of time before my wife and I would be on our own camping. We managed to get a few more years out of it but eventually we decided to sell our triple bunk bed 24' KZ Spree, take a break for awhile, and later see if we wanted to jump back in with a couple's trailer later. Over that next winter I really started getting antsy about having no camper, my wife could care less, so I bought myself a small Coleman Yuma popup and over the following spring got it whipped into shape for camping. I got perhaps 1/2 dozen trips out of that camper when it became obvious this just wasn't the same as what we had become used to when we owned our travel trailer, in fact my wife only went twice, the rest of the time I was solo with my dog so I sold the popup and moved our plans forward to buy a couple's travel trailer. Frankly, I couldn't have been happier to be back in a travel trailer BUT it would have been a lot less costly and probably an even better decision to have just kept our Spree, particularly since now our youngest who is in university has suddenly decided he does like camping after all and will sometimes come along if he can fit it into his schedule, except now that we have a couple's trailer with no bunk beds he has to either sleep on the sofa or in a tent.

As for thinking that moving back to a popup will force others to not "spend so much time inside" think again ... you can't force someone to like something you do or to do something they don't really want to do. Sure, at first they may submit to your wishes but eventually your attempts will backfire and they'll simply decide they're not going at all.

JMO, but I wouldn't be lulled into the illusion that going back to a popup is going to "simplify" you life - in point of fact it may really complicate it. If it's a matter of downsizing from a really large travel trailer downsize to a smaller travel trailer which offers the same amenities but in a smaller package.

[rbpru]

I have a PUP and a TT. When I need a pantry, cloth storage, bathroom and easy set up I take the TT.

When I need minimal clothing, eat out, and have easy access to restrooms; I prefer the simplicity of the PUP. It also provides more of the feeling of camping.

Most often when it is both the DW and I, we take the TT.

[phone_man]

Keep the replies coming! I love to hear other people's experiences. I think my mind may be set on this, but I'm still debating pulling the trigger for sure. Last year I only used my trailer for two trips, maybe 12 days total. This year all I have booked is a 5 day trip to a state park. I sure hope my wife never reads this forum cause I will get in trouble, but lately when we camp she is content on laying in the bed either reading or cuddling an iphone. Instead of a queen size bed she could do the same in a king size pop up bed too, at a much lower price tag LOL. And my son is on the high functioning autism spectrum. He loves to camp and be outside but sometimes the comfort of a couch and the lure of a lcd television and Blu-ray player is too much for him to pass up.

[Hannibal]

We went from a 21' Aljo 18.5 Deluxe to a 26' 5th wheel to a 32' 5th wheel. Then decided to downsize. Went to a 31' 5th wheel. Sigh... Wanted to go back to a small TT. Just ordered a 32' Jayco 28RLS. It's hard to go back small and give up the luxuries we get spoiled with. Wife's got to have her recliner. I like mine too. I sure liked the portability of the little Aljo. Ideal for me would be a Jayco 23RB.

[RoyB]

Maybe just get a POPUP and use both....

I went from TENTS to bigger TENTS to OFF-ROAD POPUP to 5th WHEEL...

Only ran the 5th wheel for a couple of months - Was not for me... So it sits next to my woods here at the house as a get away thing.

Been all over with the OFF-ROAD POPUP.... Wouldn't have it any different haha...

I just need to wake up next to the creekside somewhere more than thowing large amounts of monies into the big trailer and the whole house full of furniture and all the headaches that goes with that...

A RV TRAVELER I am not... Mark me a RV CAMPER

We very seldom get more than 150-300 miles away from Northern Neck VA and stay out for weeks sometime...

Roy Ken