040412
Explorer
Joined 9 years ago
User Profile
User Widgets
All Activity
Re: TT vs Hybrid purchase
aftermath wrote: I had a tent trailer for 17 years. Our two daughters grew up camping out of this thing and we loved every minute. I took very good care of it and sold it, 17 years later for more than I paid for it. The girls were off to college and although we still camped, the wife and I were looking at retirement and knew that we would be expanding our camping season. Colder and damper along with the desire for a regular shower/toilet led us to a 21' Starcraft hybrid. I never could figure out why they say they are lighter. Our 21 footer weighed easily as much as most other 21 foot trailers. I guess the difference was, when set up it was more like 30 feet. I pulled it easily with my Toyota 4Runner but this one did have the V8 engine. We kept this one for just a few years. As retirement got really close we knew that we were finally going to get to take some long road trips and see some wonderful country we had been waiting to see. One one of our last trips with the hybrid we spent about 10 days moving around, sometimes moving every day. Boy, the set up and take down got really old. We purchased a 25 foot trailer and it has all the bells and whistles. We load the fridge and pantry with food, the closets with clothes and off we go. We can stop anywhere and anytime for lunch or a bathroom break. For traveling, it is the way to go. So....try to figure where you are on the space/time continuum and choose your path. Your tow vehicle will be a factor but I can't say that any of the three I have moved through was any better than the other. The one we have now just fits our needs better at this stage in life. At this point, we are going to skip the hybrid and go right to a small TT. Are you still pulling the 25 trailer with the 4Runner? I am looking at a single axle sonic with a dry weight of #3000, however there is double axle trailer that is #3800 dry. The Toyota and Nissan has similar capacities. Our Pathfinder has a V6, max tow rating of 6000lbs, the V8 model only added 1000lbs to the tow rating. I rented a Forest River Vibe and drove through Yellowstone and the Tetons with no power problems. The issue was with sway control on a single axle trailer. The rental place didn't have a sway control option because of the front V-Frame. I would have gladly paid extra for that. Let's just say it was rather uncomfortable going down I-90 with trucks going past us at 90MPH. Fortunately we weren't on the interstate much and all the roads in Yellowstone had speed limits of 45. Our kids are 9 and 11, so there is certainly a price point to consider. I am not sure I want to spend 20k on a camper, find out the kids are too busy and the camper provides them an expensive "hotel" for friend sleepovers on the weekends. I guess getting them out of the house has it's advantages too. I do like the Sonic SL169VBH. It is small, has a murphy bed and full loaded, is still around 4000 GVW. When the kids are out of house, the rear bunks seem kind of of worthless. A similar mini-lite camper has bunks, but the lower is a combo bed/table - which I didn't like initially, but you make a good point about where we are at in our lives. As you well know, 9 and 11 becomes 19 and 21 at a scary pace. thanks for your input - Matt554Views0likes0CommentsRe: TT vs Hybrid purchase
Ryan01463 wrote: I'm on my second season of towing with my V6 '09 Pathfinder and it has been great. Yeah some steep hills can be a challenge but I slap the shifter over to 3rd gear and it's not a problem until I level back out and put it back to D. Regular Highway driving and backroads have never been an issue in D and it's never had to hunt for gears. My Jayco X19H is around 3600# dry and with our gear we are sitting at roughly 3900-4100# depending on the length of the trip. I use a WDH Hitch with Sway Control and it's been issue free. Thanks Ryan, I will definitely purchase the WDH hitch with sway control regardless of what we purchase. I am looking at a Sonic single axle at about 3000 dry or a dual axle Keystone dry is about 3800. We will be staying within about 300 miles for the next couple of years. I agree with many of the posts claiming the Pathfinder as a marginal tow vehicles. I don't have any intention on driving a TT across the country, nor will be taking it out every weekend during the summer. - Matt554Views0likes0CommentsTT vs Hybrid purchase
I am considering replacing my tent camper at the end of this season. I am considering a hybrid camper verses a smaller TT. The main caveat is my tow vehicle. I drive a 2008 Nissan Pathfinder with tow package. I like not having a vehicle payment right now, so that really limits my choices. I would buy a weight distribution setup regardless of what camper I decide on. - I'd like to keep the weight around 4000lbs. (2 kids, 2 adults, stuff) we are approaching the GCWR. - most of the trips will be less than 300 miles away - larger vehicle is 3-5 years out I like the extra room hybrids have, but we seldom spend that much time in the camper we currently own. Both styles seem to hold value. I suspect that as hybrids age, there is more maintenance involved with the seals and the canvas. The reason for upgrading is the hassle of setting up a tent camper. I just want to be able to load up a fridge and go. I guess I don't want struggle with pulling a 4000lbs trailer, end up having to buy a full sized truck and regretting not buying a larger camper to begin with. Thanks!7.5KViews0likes30Comments
Groups
Travel Trailer Group
Prefer to camp in a travel trailer? You're not alone.Feb 18, 202544,025 Posts
