Self Contained Camping Trailer Recommendations Sought

J

J. MacDonald

Joined
Jun 8, 2000
Messages
3,140
I'm in the early stages of looking for a camping trailer and am looking for some recommendations. My wife and I used to camp a lot but a lot of our gear needs replacing and we're both in our 40s now and are tired of sleeping on the ground sio it's time to look for a trailer. Besides, having a trailer means much less prep time for a quick weekend getaway and they seem to have worked out well as temporary housing after the 94 earthquake for those that had them.

Since our son is grown and moved to Hawaii there's only two of us so our requirements are that it comfortably accomodate four adults so that we have the capacity to take a couple friends along. I will be towing this trailer with a 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited and have no intention of upgrading to a Surburban or bigger truck to tow it with so size is of some concern. My Jeep's got the high output 4.7L V8 and factory tow package with a Dana 44 limited slip rear end with 373 gears, so pulling power shouldn't be an issue, but I am concerned about going too big and not having good control on windy mountain roads.

A lot of the places we'd be going can be pretty warm in the summer so air conditioning and a generator are a must. I don't have a clue as to the other things to consider like holding tank size, water reserve, type of referigation, etc.

Price is also a consideration and I'll probably look long and hard at the secondary market so I'd like to know what holds up well. I hate to buy something twice, so I'd like to get it right the first time. But if there's a compelling reason for buying new like a great warranty of some great new features, I'm not opposed to considering buying new.

What do you folks think?

John
 
I have an old 13' Casita and am going to get the 17' one of these days. All fiberglass and light and durable...Ken
 
I hear Kit Carson may be thinking of selling his mobile home for the right price.:D


(sorry, couldnt resist)
 

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First and foremost, what is the tow rating on your vehicle? After you have determined that then it will be easier to look for one that your vehicle can handle. When you have finally decided what you want you should have sway bars attached as well as the hitch regardless of the size you choose. Trust me they help. Air conditioning; two thoughts here. The smaller trailers typically have the roof air without duct work, the larger ones have the ducted air conditioning. What this means to you is if you have the non - ducted then the unit will run until you get up to turn it off as it is not connected to a thermostat. From experience you either get cold or you are hot. Holding tanks, they are pretty much standard. Black and grey are 20 gallons and if memory serves me correct the fresh water is 40 gallons. 4 adults; the smaller units do not have a bedroom per say. Usually the dinette folds down to sleep and the couch pulls out to make a small bed. Neither of which will hold two adults each depending on the size. Some do have a small bed in the rear. When you look they will tell you that it will sleep 6 people. Well, the 6 people better be pretty small. Queen bed, they are not an actual queen size bed. I strongly recomend that when you look at them actually lay on the bed, pull out the couch and drop the dinette and lay on them. Step into the shower to make sure you fit especially head room and sit on the tolilet. May not seem like a big deal but trust me it will later on. Most travel trailers do not come with a generator so that is something that you will have to purchase seperately and take with you. Aluminum sided are lighter in weight then the fiberglass sided however, they dent easily. Keep in mind that travel trailers depreciate rapidly so if you buy new, make sure that it will work for you before you purchase it. Weight, make sure that when looking at the weight you keep in mind all the stuff you will bring with you and the water is about 8 pounds per gallon. All this stuff will add up very quickly and does have an impact. One positive, when you get to where you are going you can unhook and have a vehicle to use. Good luck with your purchase.
 
Parfive,

Thanks, that's the kind of info I was looking for. My Jeep is rated to tow 6500 lbs.. Can these sway bars be added to a factory hitch?

I already figured these things depreciate pretty quickly so I'm mostly looking for a slightly used one so someone else can take the first big hit.

John
 
After years (okay decades) of sleeping on the ground we finally went the pop-up camper route. It does take some extra time to setup and no bathroom but it suits us. For us it's less confined feeling as a towable with lots of windows and netting. Ours has a roof mounted AC we use in the summer or at the beach. The compressor will cycle some but like parfive pointed out it's not real precise. The wifey and kids usually have a blanket handy as it can get chilly at 3am but I'm digging it. We normally stay at State Parks or private campgrounds with bathhouses, 30/50 amp power and running water. Ours (Coleman SunValley) has two good-sized beds at each end, plenty of room for two adults. We use a F-150 (v-6) to tow and it will snatch it right along, no problem. The subject of a larger towable does come-up but we kinda like our pop-up and don't have the storage room for anything larger.
Stay Safe,
Clyde
 
Make sure to get one that has electric brakes and get the controller installed. It's not so bad getting one rolling , but the stopping can get scarey. We have a 24' Dutchman and it's all the camper we need. We had a tiny little 1967 bluebird, kinda miss it now when the old 1/2 ton truck is grunting up the hills.
 
Take a look at the Jayco Jay Feather LGT Travel Trailers. The 27P and 29Y models have a great floorplan, with a queen bed up front and a double bed in the back next to the head. There is also a dinette a sofa and a nice sized kitchen with a Gross Vehicle Weight of 6500 lbs. for the 29Y and probably 500 lbs. less for the 27P. I have been researching travel trailers for years now, in hopes to get one used in a couple years. The Jayco's seem to be the best value in the mid-class trailers when looking at all of the factors associated with trailers. Here's a webpage with some good info. and good links to some review sites: http://www.dcu.org/streetwise/boat-rv/rv-rel.html
 
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