Air E Dawg
Georgia Coast
Full Member
Joined: 05/16/2012
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
 Offline
|
northmeck0255 wrote:Airstream. No delamination, light but strong, and a long history of production.
X2!
Love my Airstream!
(Go Dawgs!)
1982 Airstream Limited
Ford Excursion V10 4x4
|
rfryer
Phoenix
Senior Member
Joined: 04/19/2005
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
Speaking from the standpoint of someone who pulls a small, light TT, I think you’ll find the increased maneuverability and ability to access many more spots you can camp with the smaller TT refreshing. If you stay below 25’ you won’t have too many limitations where you can go except for some forest roads and more pristine spots. The lower height of the TT is also another plus in those situations.
Personally, I favor Nash/AF TT’s. They’re well made so they’re not lightweight, but they’re built to go off the pavement, which is where I do most all of my camping. There are so many variables gas mileage is nothing but a guess. My guess would be if you’re pulling 5000-6000# with a ½ ton you’ll be in the area of 10mpg. That’s seems to be common on the forum. I do better, just under 14 overall, but I pull a 3000# loaded TT with an F150 5.4. So I’m pulling slightly less than half my published max TT weight.
|
BruceandKathyWA
Bellingham, WA,USA
Full Member
Joined: 09/18/2004
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
|
We did what a lot of Rvers do. As we got older we went from back packing to car camping with a tent, to a 21' little Toyota motorhome, to a 24' Class C to a 32' Class A. Finally we got tired of the expense and hassle of a big rig and last year we downsized to a 17' Bigfoot trailer. We love it! Molded fiberglass trailers are built well and much less prone to leak. We tow our trailer with a 7 passenger Ford Econoline van with a V8 engine. We like the versatility of the van. The rear seat can convert to a bed if we just want to leave the trailer at home and go for a weekend camping trip. It can carry a lot of our stuff like our bikes and other miscellaneous camping gear in a secure and weather tight environment. With all of the back passenger seats out it can carry a lot of cargo and with all the seats in it can carry a lot of people. Much easier to get things in and out of a van than a pick-up truck, especially once you put a canopy on it. On our last trip which included going over some pretty high mountain passes we got about 12.5 mpg. On some other routes we've done a bit better. If you'd like to know more about molded fiberglass trailers, check out Fiberglassrv.com. Tons of information there and some very active forums.
Bruce and Kathy in Northwest Washington
|
mlts22
Austin, Texas
Senior Member
Joined: 11/15/2010
View Profile
|
After my experience with a 25' trailer, which is decent and I have zero complaints about it, here is what I'd probably do (assuming one wanted to continue using a TT):
1: Airstream. Real metal, no delam or paint fade, easy to find a restoration or rebuilding shop, a very awesome user base, and generally built to last past the PDI. A lot of people buy older Airstreams and pay someone to rebuild from scratch. Only downside -- no slides, except for a limited run. They can get a tad cramped.
2: Nash/Arctic Fox. Built well, although here in my neck of the woods, there are zero places that deal with them, so I'd have to drive to Oregon to get one.
3: Camplite. They are Spartan and also all aluminum, but very durable. A leak means just sealing up the hole, no worries about water damage (unless the water just hit an electric appliance at the right spot.)
4: The fiberglass trailers. Those tend to be a love it or hate it, because you have to get used to a small wet bath and fairly cramped space, but they are a lot more resistant to leaks due to the two piece construction.
5: A rear slide TT. Jayco makes one, as well as other companies. The nice thing about a rear slide is that your rig may be 23-25 feet long, but in effect, you have a 30-footer, provided you don't mind the lack of a walk-around bed.
|
campn4walleye
Central WI
Senior Member
Joined: 08/14/2004
View Profile
Offline
|
sounds like you would like a truck camper. I thought they would be too small, but ours has TONS of storage and we can go anywhere with it. Certainly makes towing the boat easier too...no more tandems and white knuckles. LOADS of info on the TC forum...check out the more "versitile" side.
2011 Adventurer 910FBS,Torklift tie downs,Fastguns & Wobbl-stopprs
2012 Dodge 3500 DRW 6.7L CTD, 4x4, LB,CC,6 speed auto,3.73 axle, General 17" on/off road
2008 Lund 1825 Explorer Sport,115 Merc,9.9 kicker,Torklift Super Hitch,42" Supertruss
USAF ret E-9&E-7
|
|
|
tomman58
Southeast Michigan
Senior Member
Joined: 06/12/2005
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
See my sig. I won't have a 5er because if a fire happens you are dead meat! The thought of falling out a window 5 or 6 foot off the ground at 66 yrs old is a death note period. I cannot understand why these people have not been forced to provide an exit thru the floor!
I also refuse to give up my trucks bed. I have needed it several times at the son's house or daughter to haul stuff. I love the idea of having the golf clubs, fish'n poles and the canoe with us.
I would keep the 2500 and try a good size TT as opposed to dumping everything!
2008 Silverado D/A,CC 4x4 ,3.73,IBC LTZ+
2012 Jayco 322 FKS
2 Trek bikes
Honda EU2000i
It must be time to go, the suns out and I've got a full tank of diesel!
Lifes short enough without bitch'n about it!
|
paulonius
Athens, GA
Full Member
Joined: 10/27/2002
View Profile
Offline
|
Thanks to all who took time to reply. All appreciated. I think we will make the move to something smaller. I think I will clean up the fiver and put it on the market very soon. Time to go do some looking for smaller TTs.
Best to all and again thank you.
2001 Chevy 2500HD and a Rockwood 30' Fiver
ONE INCONTINENT POODLE AND ONE YAPPER POODLE: (And why were we not warned about poodles) Is there a recall on Toy Poodles????
Fully retired and no desire to go back.
|
Burgeogull
Newfoundland Canada
New Member
Joined: 06/06/2012
View Profile
Offline
|
We (the wife and I are empty nesters) have 2009 Ford Ranger with a tow capacity of 5600lbs.Spring of 2011 we bought an older pop-up trailer...loved the time we had in that but we wanted a bathroom.Fall of 2011 we sold it and bought a 17 ft hybrid...like that too but the bathroom was small and still had to deal with the tent ends.Spring of 2012 traded it for a 22.5 foot travel trailer with a dry weight of just 2903lbs and we just love .I think we'll be keeping that for a while.Not too heavy and easily manouverable into most campsites.
|
elkhornsun
Monterey
Senior Member
Joined: 11/29/2011
View Profile
Offline
|
Consider buying a used trailer and saving 50%. Lots of use ones for sale at great prices and many have had very little use and often no use of the appliances. Try searchtempest.com to specify a search of all the craiglist postings within a radius of your house and in the price range you want or even specify a particular make.
For my part with adding a battery and solar panels I would look at access to equipment, the basement storage area and suitability for adding batteries and how to install the panels. No reason not to consider the advantages of being independent of shore power without having to resort to a generator.
Another aspect to consider is slides as they can expand the interior volume of a TT without adding a lot of weight.
|
Burgeogull
Newfoundland Canada
New Member
Joined: 06/06/2012
View Profile
Offline
|
My ranger and TT.To the trailer I have added 1 battery and 40w solar panels.I did not install on the trailer but instead set them up on the ground.For the extral battery I installed another rack on the front with 1 1/2" angle iron.Got no pics of this though.I still have to use generator for coffee make,toaster and the wifes hair dryer though.
|
|
|
