Travel Trailer or Another Timeshare

[Timeshare Von]

LOVE conversion vans. Family had one in 77 and we pulled a pop up camper. I just recently traded in my '93 conversion on a pickup truck. Try to find Explorer conversion, there are a lot of dealerships that have the right staff to deal with this specific vendor kit. It's an issue when you have an electrical problem that normal mechanics don't generally deal with. I researched the matter greatly some years back when I bought the '93 chevy.

Great idea! As a single gal I bought my first one and did a lot of travel up and down the east coast in it. Later married, my first hubby and I bought another one . . . with a few more bells/whistles. At the time of our divorce, we sold it since neither really thought they'd use it for camping and gas prices were starting to go up. Oh how I've wished I still had that thing . . . well not *that* one as it would be over 20 years old now.

I do love the convenience of traveling and sleeping in the same vehicle.

 

[Elan]

An awning and folding table and chairs to expand one's 'living space' makes a lot of difference.

Jim

Absolutely true. I consider our little pop-up almost exclusively as a sleeping spot with a fridge and running hot water. We're outside most of the time. We keep a nice 10x10 canopy stored in the trailer's storage box, and we can hang out under there if it rains or if it's excessively sunny.

But, hey, the whole point is being outside adventuring anyway, right? If one wants to stay inside and watch TV, they can just stay home.

 

[Passepartout]

I do love the convenience of traveling and sleeping in the same vehicle.

Waaaay back when, I was fresh home from the service, poor as church mice, I insulated/paneled a VW van. Built a bed in it & sink & some storage. 40 horsepower and a brick to put on the gas pedal for cruise control.My wife at the time and I went all over the West with it. There were a group of us in pretty similar circumstances that ran together. Those were some wonderful times. Thanks for triggering that memory.

Jim

 

[vacationhopeful]

.....
But, hey, the whole point is being outside adventuring anyway, right? If one wants to stay inside and watch TV, they can just stay home.

I lived in a platform tent for 2 summers. First summer, the ONLY shower was the one at the lake to rinse off the cedar slug after swimming (cold water ONLY). 7 weeks each summer. Unless you count the afternoon thunder shower to RAISE the humidity level to 100% in 95 degree weather. Both summers were HOT or REALLY HOT.

This camp had NO electric except in the dining hall. No electric of ANY kind in the area. The former cotton army cot sole purpose in life was so you did NOT sleep on the raise wooden planks above the dirt. The latrines were wooden stalls with a bench over a stinking pit. There was a general dining hall where I was the dishwasher the 2nd summer. Yes, that water had to be 140 degrees when I was washing the dishes & pots (county health department).

As for watching TV ... the business manager and the handyman rigged up an extension code for myself & my 2 tent mates to watch the moon landing & activity each night. As the camp director wanted NO TVs in camp - anywheres, we had to run an extension cord over 100 feet into the woods.

The 5 of us were sitting in the woods with a 12" B&W TV on a tree stump watching the First Landing on the Moon in the July 1969.

 

[DaveNV]

Out of curiosity which trailers are you looking at? I've not been researching for very long and am interested in what else is out there.

I haven't done enough research yet to have specifics about much. I do like the looks of the Lance trailers. I think the 16 foot one you mention is a good fit I'll likely try to see in person. Like Jim mentioned, it's nice having a fixed bed, rather than having to dismantle the bed to make into a dinette every day. This is especially handy if you ever have a sleeping partner along for the ride.

You mentioned Escape trailers from Canada. I've seen them, like them, and have been inside a 19 foot model. (I followed a couple towing one into a sporting goods parking lot so I could ask them about theirs. They were kind enough to let me go inside. It was impressive.) They are great, in my opinion, because they're a sealed fibreglass body - no rust, and no leaks. Casita and Scamp trailers are similar, but hard to find anymore. Escape is a good new alternative to those, and is available in various sizes.

The one comment I have about the Escapes is they are easily adapted to your needs, and the owners of the company are very responsive to that. Since they manufacture to order, you could get a trailer that exactly suits your needs, including things like solar and off-grid use. Features you want to add can be put in during the build out, so it gets done right. If I were going to go that route, I'd definitely do what it takes to look more closely at the Escape trailers. It may be the perfect answer to your needs.

Dave

 

[Patri]

The Chalet/Aliner goes up and down in about a minute (literally). You're off the ground and there's a nice fridge, heater, stove (and AC, if not dry camping) to keep one comfortable.

Out walking last week, I came upon a Chalet in someone's yard. The proud owner showed me inside. So darn cute, and you can stand. He can open it in 30 seconds, he said, compared to some other model that took a half hour. I am now interested in looking at one if we ever decide to buy into a local permanent campground for weekend getaways. And it should be easy to pull if we get brave.

 

[ace2000]

Now you all have me curious about a Chalet vs. teardrop style... I had no idea those could be set up that quickly until now. Very nice. It would be kind of an interesting choice for me, but here's a couple of links that do a pretty good job of defining the advantages of both. They seem very similar?

Teardrop style
http://www.starling-travel.com/2013/01/26/choosing-the-right-rv-for-you-teardrop-campers/

Chalet style (A frame)
http://www.starling-travel.com/2013/01/30/choosing-the-right-rv-for-you-a-frame-campers/

I'd love to hear any feedback on either or both styles.

 

[ace2000]

By the way, those two links have excellent summaries of other RV styles (located at the bottom of each page).

Teardrop Campers, Tent Trailers, Truck Campers, Bumper Pull Travel Trailers, A-frame Campers, Fifth Wheel Trailers, and Motorhomes are all summarized very nicely.

Interesting reading. Now... back to work... Thanks for allowing me a few moments (or several minutes) to escape!

 

[mtngal]

Now you all have me curious about a Chalet vs. teardrop style... I had no idea those could be set up that quickly until now. Very nice. It would be kind of an interesting choice for me, but here's a couple of links that do a pretty good job of defining the advantages of both. They seem very similar?

Teardrop style
http://www.starling-travel.com/2013/01/26/choosing-the-right-rv-for-you-teardrop-campers/

Chalet style (A frame)
http://www.starling-travel.com/2013/01/30/choosing-the-right-rv-for-you-a-frame-campers/

I'd love to hear any feedback on either or both styles.

From my research so far, it appears that the Chalet and Aliner are very similar and both offer larger boxes. I haven't seen the Chalet, but it has one feature I like the sounds of - a hard sided dormer option. The Aliner (at least at this point) only offers a canvas dormer. The Rockwood/Flagstaff, Jayco and Starcraft all offer only 12' boxes. I've never seen the Rockwood/Flagstaff but I have seen the Jayco and Starcraft. The model that has the wetbath has them at the front and it's very awkward/not usable in my opinion.

Last year when I was just beginning to think about trailers I had a chance to play with an Aliner and had no trouble putting it up and taking it down by myself (I'm a relatively tiny older female). I wouldn't hesitate to buy either one, if I decide that I want to go that way.

I've been interested to see some of the other ideas that have come up - van conversions and tent trailers. I ruled out tent trailers since they have canvas. If I'm going to sleep with canvas I'd rather just throw one of the tents I have in the car and tent camp. I no longer feel safe doing that by myself.

When I was much younger I owned a cargo van that I converted by putting a bed in the back and built a cabinet to hold a cooler and storage. Worked great for both campgrounds and grabbing a couple hours of sleep when I parked at the back of a truck stop and closed the curtains, back in the 1970's.

Now that I'm going to retire I want some creature comforts - a place where I can stand up and a bath room (got very tired of walking a quarter mile to the toilet in the middle of the night). And the van did get pretty small after a while, so an awning is on my "must-have" list, along with a toilet and no canvas. Awnings can be added to the Aliner type trailers, so that doesn't rule them out.

I've thought about doing the motor home type RV, but decided that the advantages didn't outweigh the disadvantages as far as I was concerned. I don't want to have my house with me when I'm wandering around national parks, they are a pain to park (even smaller ones). The van conversions are better, but I'd still rather go to a campground and leave my stuff in the trailer and drive something I'm comfortable driving around. The Grand Cherokee is as big a vehicle as I would want to drive.

I ruled out the teardrop trailers because you can't stand up in them, they usually have the kitchen outside at the back (so you'd get wet in the rain going to cook dinner). But, like my converted cargo van of the 1970's, they would work well for someone who's more flexible than I have become now. And you can tow them with some cars as well as smaller SUVs.

I've promised myself that I won't make a decision until after the middle of October - there's a big RV show at the Pomona Fairgrounds and I know that I'll be able to see both the Lance and the Aliner there. I'm hoping one of the dealers will bring an R Pod, so I can see all 3 in one place (along with lots of other trailers, too). I don't think any of the fiberglass shell trailers (Casita or Escape are the 2 I would be interested in) will be there, but I wouldn't be surprised if someone has a Scamp. They, like the teardrops, seem to be too small and lack a toilet for my purposes.

 

[DaveNV]

I don't think any of the fiberglass shell trailers (Casita or Escape are the 2 I would be interested in) will be there, but I wouldn't be surprised if someone has a Scamp.

You might contact the Escape trailer folks and find out if they'll be represented at the Fair. When I wrote them to ask a few questions a couple of years ago they were very forthcoming with answers. Also, ask if they have a Representative in your area. They are big on satisfied owners doing the selling for them. http://escapetrailer.com

Also, I think the 17 foot model Plan B would be perfect for you.

Dave

 

[Elan]

Here's my take on the A-frame style trailers:

Advantages: 1)Very light weight. Can be easily pulled with nearly anything, and can be maneuvered by hand if on a hard surface. 2)Foldable. Can be stored in your garage, which can save some storage money and keeps the unit out of the weather. Also, easier to see over/around when pulling and backing. 3) Extremely easy set-up relative to other folding options.

Disadvantages: 1) Small. Because of the A-frame design, they're limited in size. Tight quarters if you have a bunch of folks inside. 2) Limited inside storage space -- see (1).

We have the Chalet Alpine with bunks. Believe it or not, but we can sleep 5 in ours since only one of our kids is adult sized as of now. Having said that, someone almost always wants to sleep in a tent, so we keep a tent in the trailer storage box and typically set it up when we camp. I even enjoy sleeping in the tent.

 

[ace2000]

Here's my take on the A-frame style trailers:

Thanks for the comments! What are your thoughts about having the mini-kitchen inside (A-frames) vs. outside (Teardrops)?

 

[presley]

Do the A frames have toilets?

 

[Elan]

Thanks for the comments! What are your thoughts about having the mini-kitchen inside (A-frames) vs. outside (Teardrops)?

We cook almost exclusively outside. I've used the inside stove maybe once or twice, and that was simply for coffee in the morning. I typically set my cooking gear up near the picnic table on a collapsible table that we keep in the trailer storage box. BTW, the storage box on our trailer is HUGE. And I can't stress how important that is. It's nice to keep the camping stuff stored in the trailer so there's minimal loading/unloading before/after trips. Plus, you don't forget stuff.

I will say this, in general. If you plan on spending much time inside the unit an A-frame isn't for you if you have more than 2 people. We are a family of 5 and we love our little A-frame, but we're outdoor people. When we get back to camp, we sit in our camp chairs, crack a beverage, and enjoy the scenery. For a family our size, I call the Chalet a "tent on wheels", because that's how we use it. But it's infinitely better than tent camping in that we have a clean, raised shelter with a good sized fridge, hot & cold water, a sink, an outdoor shower, and a heater. And a hard-walled, well insulated place to get out of the weather, if needed.

 

[Elan]

Do the A frames have toilets?

Yes, you can get them that way. Ours does not. We didn't have the room, and I didn't want to mess with the logistics of waste disposal. Even if I had the room, I doubt that I'd get the indoor toilet. Either you're at a campground with facilities, or you're remote enough that other options aren't unreasonable.

Edited to add: Obviously, this is a personal choice. But another thing that would factor into my decision is that most indoor toilets also include showers. So more potential issues with additional water/drain connections and steam/condensation.