Thinking of buying new hybrid what are your thoughts?

[Camper214]

Hi everyone new here and me and the wife are thinking of buying a new hybrid travel trailer and have some questions.First of all we had a coachman Clipper we purchased last year a 17bh.To make a long story short it got totaled when we got rear ended.So we would like to purchase another trailer but keep in the same size but roomier inside.So we are looking at hybrids now and was wondering if there were any draw backs beside the beds being canvass and with the the extra doors being on the front and back?I know the kids aren’t to happy with not having dedicated beds because they both want one of the beds that folds out.lol.But they are a lot more roomier inside the a small bh.Also when the kids get older and if we ever decided to sell would a hybrid be more desirable then a bh?

[SoundGuy]

Ralph Cramden wrote:
What you'll find visiting boards is most naysayers never have owned one and the ones that did owned one for one season or less.

Hmmmm, see a pattern here? Many if not most hybrid owners move on sooner rather than later to some other form of hard side trailer for one simply reason - hybrids suck. :W Put it another way - you can put lipstick on a pig but at the end of the day it's still a pig. 😛

[mgirardo]

We owned a 2006 Rockwood Roo 233 Hybrid TT, we bought in 2005 and used it for 4 years. We went from a Pop-up to the Hybrid, so it was a big upgrade. We loved our Hybrid. We used it in state parks, commercial campgrounds and parking lot camping. You will hear more in the Hybrid than you will in a hard side TT, but I don't think it is a real big difference.

We found we could keep the cool air from the A/C in the camper better by closing the privacy curtains on each bed. We didn't use the beds if we weren't sleeping, so it wasn't a big deal. The coldest we ever camped with it was down to 28 - 30 degrees. The Roo came with heated mattresses which made a big difference in staying warm while sleeping.

Even with 3 beds, it was quicker to setup than our Pop-up. After a few years the front bed started to leak. The seals looked good, but apparently they weren't doing the job. We had to replace the luan on the front bunk.

We really enjoyed the Hybrid, but we are outdoorsy. When we camped, we were outside and used the TT for sleeping, meals and to escape bad weather. Our kids were young when we bought it, 4 & 2, so we had plenty of room. Now that they are in their mid-teens, it would probably be too small for long term camping, which is how we camp now.

-Michael

[Ralph_Cramden]

We're on our 3rd hybrid and would not have anything other.

People blow the noise transmission out of perspective. Most conventional TT's are not exactly soundproof either. I can sit at night and tell you what the people in the 5er or TT 5 sites away are watching on TV. If you visit pack em in parks with your neighbors awning scraping your rig then that's what you get.

Hybrids lend themselves to camping, where you're outside 90% of the time in a place with lots of room. If you are going to "RV" on concrete slabs with 10' between the sites then perhaps a hybrid is not the best choice.

We've camped in ours in all kinds of weather conditions, and temps down into the single digits. Not a problem as there are many ways to deal with all of it. We have seldom used the onboard furnace with any. They take an extra few minutes setting up is all, but to us the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. If we want to sit in a tin can, crammed between others,we can do that at home.

What you'll find visiting boards is most naysayers never have owned one and the ones that did owned one for one season or less. Go visit popupportal, as that's the board where you'll find more on hybrids from lots of longtime hybrid owners, than anywbere.

[dougk53]

We had a hybrid for about 4 years when they first came out. Some of the disadvantages have easy work arounds. Pop Up Gizmos, 2 lightweight queen sleeping bags zipped together, space heater all make them more comfortable. It was a part of our journey through our life Rving that left us with many great memories of time spent with our kids and grandkids. We traveled from Maine to Florida and have some really great memories that I wouldn't trade. All the shortcomings were there but didn't seem as such because of the great times we had with it.
That being said we are on our 4th TT since and at our age would not go back but we are glad to have had this experience and the memories.
They provide an alternative for those who don't want to tow a large trailer or don't have enough vehicle to tow much more.
We have absolutely no regrets having owned one and still think fondly of our time owning one. Good luck.

Doug

[rbpru]

They save weight, some can be used with the beds up if you drop dinette or couch bed. To some extent they are like a PUP but more like a TT. And, they can be shorter.

One of our requirements for a TT was a bed you can exit without crawling over your spouse in the middle of the night.

Rent one and see if you like it.

[SoundGuy]

After popup camping for several years we decided it was finally time to move up to a hard side trailer. I wanted a travel trailer, my wife wanted a hybrid - so we bought an RVision TrailCruiser C21RBH hybrid. :R It was a great design, with just one hybrid bed at the front of the trailer but Jack 'n Jill bunk beds at the rear for our boys, meaning only one tent end to get wet, to allow in noise, only one bed with a crease in the middle I fell into all the time. :M We traveled quite a bit in just the first year with that trailer but I sure couldn't wait to get rid of it, for so many reasons. In theory a hybrid is a great idea - more space in a smaller package - but in practice it was IMO the worst of both worlds and I was so happy when we traded it for a triple bunk bed travel trailer. :B We've since moved on to a shorter couple's travel trailer but I wouldn't ever remotely consider moving back to a hybrid. 😞

[NMDriver]

AS mentioned hot and cold weather is a challenge, if your Hybred has canvas fold outs like ours did. In the cold or high heat we had to sleep in the van to actually get any sleep. You could leave the sides in and run the heater or AC, but then you might as well have a small hard side.

I notice there are now hard side Hybreds that essentially seem to have slides instead of the canvas we had. Maybe those are better at maintaining a reasonable temperature.

[real4u2c]

Just my 2cents, We had a brand new Rockwood roo 233s in 2012, lightweight, perfect for space , three fold downs, kids loved it. Took some mods so it would hold cool air after running the a/c or the heat. The a/c we had on it just couldn't keep it cool enough for our taste. You will hear everything, roads, interstate, people talking, absolutely no privacy as for sound. Absolutely not knocking Rockwood, the 2nd TT we had was the best TT in my opinion, it too was made by Rockwood. Rockwood makes damned fantastic TT's. The hybrid just sucked

[Lwiddis]

“and hotter and colder than a trailer”
“best in favorable weather“
“They can take on some water when folded up”

These would cause me to say “no.”

[ppine]

I have had several RVs and now have a hybrid. They are hotter and colder than a trailer. They do not stop sound if near a highway or a crowded campground. They can take on some water when folded up especially if the front is slanted for less wind resistance. Those are the main issues.

They are light and easy to pull. They have plenty of room and are not that hard to set up. I use mine like a transformer. I have a sheet of plywood that slides out for a nap or solo trip. One or both ends can be folded out. I have several different tables for the large U shaped dinette.

They are not for eveyone and best in favorable weather. I would not buy a new one unless you have had one before. When my wife starts working less, I will go back to a TT.

[2oldman]

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