Looking, but... No Trailers for Neanderthals

[Kampfirekid]

We sold the Jay Flight 32BHDS last spring, and downsized to an F-150. Thought we'd be done camping for a few years, as the kids hit high school, and all would go well. Hmmm. Well. THAT was a farce. Now I'm hog-tied to an F-150 for a few years, and trying to find a lightweight trailer that has an 80" long queen for the DW and my 6'-5" frame, and a way to sleep a 6'-4" son and daughter, just isn't materializing. Couple that with trying to find a light tongue weight, and I'm living the 1/2 ton nightmare I swore I'd never entertain again. But we WEREN'T going to be camping, remember?
The kids complain about being claustrophobic in the small stacked tunnel bunks, and the only other option seems to be recliners in a mom & pop layout trailer. Now that doesn't sound bad, as the kids are in high school, and it would save us trading out of some bunkhouse in a few years when the kids are in college, but it just seems like we are spinning our wheels.
We've never been this frustrated looking at trailers before. It seems nobody builds trailers for tall people, and if we do come across something, it's $40k or more and requires an F-450 dually to accommodate the tongue weight (sarcasm) or a fiver pin.
We are trying to walk in our knees, but navigating the entrance steps are tough.
Are there any options for tall and long kids without sandwiching them between bunks? I've tried it, although I wear a 56 jacket, and I really don't like the MRI feeling in the bunks, either. Is sleeping on dinettes and couches the only other way to skin the cat? I'd love any suggestions. Thanks!

[mordecai81]

Gruu wrote:
Y'all laugh at short people. I'm 5'5" and I have NONE of these problems. NOW who's laughing?

I don't think anyone under 5'6" should be allowed to post. Coincidentally, I'm 5'6 1/2":p.

[Gruu]

Y'all laugh at short people. I'm 5'5" and I have NONE of these problems. NOW who's laughing?

[Kampfirekid]

NYCgrrl wrote:

Kampfirekid wrote:
Toedtoes, we have always glamped. Canvas on a '76 Rockwood pop-up is as close as the kids have ever gotten to roughing it. It's A/C, showers, TV for severe weather (not movies), and the outdoor kitchen. Never cooked inside a trailer in 20 years. I'd take a trailer without a kitchen.
I doubt the DW and I will ever go without bunks. We have no friends that camp, so we need to accommodate our friends that we chose to invite for a weekend.
I think the kids are going to go with and try the stacked double bed bunks. If they can't handle bunks, then they can opt out of camping, or use the couch/dinette and set up/take down each night/morning. The whole thing is that we won't use the trailer over the next five years that much. High school and competitive swimming has us so busy throughout the year on weekends, our weekends of camping have died out. Seems the school now tells us our family time on weekends and holiday weekends are THEIRS, not ours. Sorry to rant. Maybe the mom & pop trailer IS the way to go.

This post is telling you what to do if you read it slowly again:).

Buy the "mom and pop" trailer and on the occasional times you have others with you, set up a sleeping tent for them. You can glamp it up for them (cots or airbeds as opposed to sleeping bags) to your hearts' content. I'm sure they'll enjoy the in house bathroom and kitchen facilities as well as foul weather convenient public space. All will probably enjoy not having to tip toe in the RV when you choose to sleep early and you'll know you have offered as many comforts of home as you've brought with you w/o spending up to 50k on a new TV or RV.

And yes, it's pretty normal for kiddos to become more involved w/ extracurricular activities and their friends once they leave elementary school.

Yep, you are on it. Going to hit a few dealers and a show. Maybe we'll find the solution. MY problem is, I'D like a small fiver for mom & pop... now it's the truck issue. What fun it is!

[NYCgrrl]

Kampfirekid wrote:
Toedtoes, we have always glamped. Canvas on a '76 Rockwood pop-up is as close as the kids have ever gotten to roughing it. It's A/C, showers, TV for severe weather (not movies), and the outdoor kitchen. Never cooked inside a trailer in 20 years. I'd take a trailer without a kitchen.
I doubt the DW and I will ever go without bunks. We have no friends that camp, so we need to accommodate our friends that we chose to invite for a weekend.
I think the kids are going to go with and try the stacked double bed bunks. If they can't handle bunks, then they can opt out of camping, or use the couch/dinette and set up/take down each night/morning. The whole thing is that we won't use the trailer over the next five years that much. High school and competitive swimming has us so busy throughout the year on weekends, our weekends of camping have died out. Seems the school now tells us our family time on weekends and holiday weekends are THEIRS, not ours. Sorry to rant. Maybe the mom & pop trailer IS the way to go.

This post is telling you what to do if you read it slowly again:).

Buy the "mom and pop" trailer and on the occasional times you have others with you, set up a sleeping tent for them. You can glamp it up for them (cots or airbeds as opposed to sleeping bags) to your hearts' content. I'm sure they'll enjoy the in house bathroom and kitchen facilities as well as foul weather convenient public space. All will probably enjoy not having to tip toe in the RV when you choose to sleep early and you'll know you have offered as many comforts of home as you've brought with you w/o spending up to 50k on a new TV or RV.

And yes, it's pretty normal for kiddos to become more involved w/ extracurricular activities and their friends once they leave elementary school.

[Kampfirekid]

Toedtoes, we have always glamped. Canvas on a '76 Rockwood pop-up is as close as the kids have ever gotten to roughing it. It's A/C, showers, TV for severe weather (not movies), and the outdoor kitchen. Never cooked inside a trailer in 20 years. I'd take a trailer without a kitchen.
I doubt the DW and I will ever go without bunks. We have no friends that camp, so we need to accommodate our friends that we chose to invite for a weekend.
I think the kids are going to go with and try the stacked double bed bunks. If they can't handle bunks, then they can opt out of camping, or use the couch/dinette and set up/take down each night/morning. The whole thing is that we won't use the trailer over the next five years that much. High school and competitive swimming has us so busy throughout the year on weekends, our weekends of camping have died out. Seems the school now tells us our family time on weekends and holiday weekends are THEIRS, not ours. Sorry to rant. Maybe the mom & pop trailer IS the way to go.

[toedtoes]

OK. No hybrid - I understand not wanting to go that way.

So, one question, what do you mean when you say "camping"? Do you mean the drive out to the forest/wilderness for a fews days/weeks and play? Or do you mean go to RV Parks and sightsee?

If the former, maybe it's time for the kids to go back to tents. They're getting older and will be on their own soon. Buy them each a 2 or 4 person tent and tell them it's time to get used to "roughing it" again. This way they can start to build their own camping gear over the next few years, bring a friend or two with them, do some camping without the parents, etc. And by the time they are living on their own, they will have it all down pat.

In the meantime, you can buy a trailer that will fit you and your wife and not worry about fitting them - this will give you more choices at less cost so you can invest later in the bigger truck and perfect trailer for your "childfree years".

[Kampfirekid]

Ah, yes. The toy hauler. Been all over that, too. That's the way I'd love to go. I could mod the inside, and still pull in a golf cart when the DW and I get grey... gray... errr.
Still thinking the mom & pop will be a small HT fiver behind a Superduty, so not sure I want to pay the up charge for the toy gsuler with the ventilation, tie-downs, gas pump station, etc. we'll never use. That is the closest to having a shell that I could go to town in and make may own trailer. It's still on the table.

[Santa_Fe]

My friends just purchased this unit and are towing it with an F150:

http://cruiserrv.com/mpg-2650rl

King size bed to boot.

Good luck in your search!

[Kampfirekid]

Thanks for the suggestion everyone.
We are not really into canvas. Had a Jayco 26L once. Spent the summer turtling after severe storms every time we went out. Then the opening to dry it out... not really interested. It is a great option, but the one year of storms spooked is out. Funny thing is, we pop-up'd for years, went through one tornado, and survived. Course' that's when we said "hardside time".
Sounds like I just need to get the kids to accept the reality. I am really wanting a Jayco product, and have found several. If there is not an outdoor kitchen under the bottom bunk, they space out the bunks to give more each more headroom. Kids want to camp? Suck it up. It's for sleeping there, not partying. They were spoiloed with the bunk arrangement in the 32BHDS we had.
I have looked st the K-Z 240BHS. The dealer we bought our past Coyote from had one and couldn't sell it. I loved the bunk arrangement and the back large storage door. Day late.
The kids have said they'd welcome a nice comfy recliner or converting a large U-shaped dinette into a bed. We have found a few, but those mom & pop units get heavy fast. I figure the wrights on the truck, and 650# is about all the actual tongue I can afford. That REALLY minimizes our choices.
Ugh! Still glad we sold the 32BHD. Way too heavy and the tongue st 1,400# was outrageous. Still, shoulda kept the truck. We'd have been better off.

[SoundGuy]

Kampfirekid wrote:
Now I'm hog-tied to an F-150 for a few years, and trying to find a lightweight trailer that has an 80" long queen for the DW and my 6'-5" frame, and a way to sleep a 6'-4" son and daughter, just isn't materializing.

I'd love any suggestions.

KZ Spree 240BHS. It's been discontinued for 2017 but it's been in the lineup for years so there's plenty around. Our own 2008 was a non-slide version which became a slide version starting with the 2009 model year. Rear beds run the full width of the trailer so would be plenty long enough for anyone ... and we found the 32" width plenty for even adults. We only needed 2 beds so I removed the smaller middle bed entirely ... should have kept that trailer. 😉

[Jack_Diane_Free]

You could consider a toy hauler with the bed option in where the toys go. Weight might be ok since you would not be taking any toys.

[peoples1234]

Also remember that unless there is a wall preventing a longer mattress, replacing the usually awful factory mattress with one that sleeps decent is a good time to put a full size queen.

You might have to make some modification (installing a larger platform), but it isn't that bad.

Edit: I see bob already posted earlier with the same tip.

[toedtoes]

Jebby14 wrote:
how much do you hate canvas?

X2. I'm thinking a hybrid could work for you all. When the kids don't come along, you have just an inside queen bed - when they do join in, you have 2 flip out beds for them. Would hold you over for the first few years of college also (and then you could be looking at grandma/grandpa units).

[Boband4]

I had the short queen in my trailer. I had enough room at the foot of the bed to extend it. I put in a new piece of plywood and ordered a memeory foam mattress from Amazon. Note that the full queen size mattress was cheaper than the short queen. Prime delivery was free. Less room to walk around the end of the bed but much more comfortable for sleeping.