Going Soft - RV Advice Needed

[Deleted member 40728]

However, when I take the ATV it takes up the whole bed so the coolers, generator, dogs, etc have to go inside the camper for the trip. It works but is not ideal, I still think I would have gotten a toy hauler if I could have. (Imagine sliding an antelope under an ATV in a truck bed for a 3 hour drive home vs. putting it inside the camper)

You can easily mount a hitch carrier onto the rear bumper of your TT as long as the bumper is welded solid to the frame. Works good for hauling coolers and other stuff and I’m sure it can handle a antelope.

 

[Deleted member 40728]

I have had a 26 ft toy hauler, 34 ft 5th wheel toy hauler and my current 30 ft TT in the past 5 years. All have made several trips around the country. I really liked my toy haulers but the 5th wheel was definitely heavy due to multiple slide outs and once set up to camp the garage area was pretty useless even with the bunk beds. The was no heat piped into the garage area so winter camping got chilly. Made for a lot of wasted space.

The smaller toy hauler didn’t have a high enough weight capacity to haul cargo so it was gone pretty quickly.

My current setup seems to work best for me as of now. Haul the atv in the truck bed and still have ample space inside the camper. On longer trips cross country some of my hunting buddies stayed in the camper to rest while traveling through the states where it was legal. I have also done it and works pretty good on 30+ hour drives with no stops except fuel. I would never allow my wife or kids to do that though.

To the OP’s original post though I think a class C would be perfect for the exact reason you had mentioned. Being able to travel with your family and them remain comfortable without stopping every hour would be nice. I had looked and considered one myself but couldn’t justify it since my family doesn’t go much further than a couple hours to camp anyways.

 

[LaSportsman]

Kids grow so take that into account.

A pop-up will grow with a kid for a while, easy to tow with what you have, and some have slides and a toilet. We used a popup for years and setup isn't bad. Big downside is rain. Beats a tent but condensation can be an issue and taking down in rain is not only a pain but requires you to dry it out later like a tent.

Fifth wheel tows easier (have one now) but lose the bed. 5er's do have more storage than TT's though.

Couple good forums if you google.

BIG ITEM: Your tow rating on your truck is not your limitation. Your cargo rating and tongue weight is. For quick math, a truck with a 10,000 lb tow raring is probably good for about a 6,500 lb trailer max. Can give more details if you are interested in calculations.

Class C is not set up to tow a vehicle of any weight at all so plan accordingly.

Also, on TT's or 5th Wheels, look at dry weight and GVWR when calculating what you can tow.

Best way to explore is an RV show with many vendors and classes of RV but won't happen anytime soon.

 

[Addicting]

This thread has been helpful. I’m struggling with the same decisions.

 

[David58]

I will admit I have not read the entire thread, but the electrons are free and you can ignore my post...

My wife and I have been campers since childhood. Our kids grew up in primitive camp with our blackpowder activities. Now that the kids are grown, my wife and I are accomplished car campers.

But hunting started to horn in on plans and equipment. In short, we weighed the idea of a new wall tent setup, or a trailer. $$$ more for the trailer, but it won, and I think it was a good decision. We used it for elk camp this year - was great, and we got our elk as a bonus. We bought it in late July, and by the end of elk camp had been in it almost 30 nites. On the other hand, it has been at the dealer for warranty service just about as much as we have had it here at the house.

Right now, prices are stupid high - instead of negotiating, sellers just smile. Low inventory, high demand, full retail. Used is a good deal, because these things really depreciate once they drive off the lot. And if I was Amish, I'd be really pissed that "Amish Craftsmanship" is a selling point.

But for the two of us, our 20' rig has made for good times in the woods, fun time on the river, a great trip to see grandkids, and a good elk hunt. I try to ignore the little things that fail, since once that's all done I'll have a trailer that is the way I like it (I'm replacing and upgrading some things, just for fun if nothing else).

One point to keep in mind - cold weather. Only a subset of trailers are fit for winter use - ours had to be winterized before we went hunting, so we still had to use a latrine and water like we were camping. If you want to be able to use it for late season hunting, you need to shop a model that is fit for winter. And plan on a generator, and back that up with solar panels.

Oh well, I rambled. Easier to have just had you come over, have a beer, and talk it over. I'm sure there's plenty of info on this thread.

 

[Rzrbk]

This was my solution for a camper enabling my hunting and outdoor activities. I doubt there is a perfect solution.

My wife and I have been back and forth on whether to get rid of our off-road pop-up camper (shown below). She wants to go back to tent camping where we were mobile and lightweight. I'm 80% with her, but have memories of several hunting trips where conditions deteriorated to where tent camping became a near-survival situation. My daughter and I did a Nov deer hunt last year in S. NM and we were extremely grateful for the camper when we experienced super windy and cold conditions. Getting kids into hunting has better chances of success if they have good hunts that are relatively comfortable. Several of my past tent hunts would have scared the kids from ever hunting again!

I like that it has great ground clearance and off-road tires along with a front platform and built in ramp to load an ATV or camping equipment. It CAN become a little scary in high winds when the popup starts shaking. I've camped down to 15 degrees on several occasions and stayed comfortable. It has a heater and small shower/bathroom for the wife and kids. It's the basics to get you out there and is only 19 foot folded up, easy to pull and turn around while fitting in a standard sized garage. I like being able to unhook my vehicle and go.

Campers are probably like boats in the saying " a boat is a hole in the water where you throw money". I throw a lot of money at my camper to keep everything maintained and running. So, we purchased a nice 3-season tent (Big Agnes) and decided to keep our small camper. We now do tent camping for quick trips in decent weather but keep the camper for more serious trips. I agree the tent is a better choice for most of our outings, but I don't want to short myself on a quality future hunt.

 

[Straight Arrow]

We have always camped with a pickup camper (and tent if needed for overflow grandkids). We have taken all four grandkids together, each for their "5 year old trip" and in pairs on many trips. The pickup is easy to park about anywhere and can pull over for lunch nap time easily.

 

[SaskHunter]

I got a small 20 ft RV after a bad grizz encounter one night, it scared the crap out of my wife and she vowed to never sleep in a tent in grizz country ever again. She ended up spending the rest of the night in the car, doors locked, while I slept in the tent (thanks babe...).

The RV ended up being great for family trips with two kids, and for my spring bear hunts that are close enough to drive to after work but far enough that I can't come home at night.

 

[mtmiller]

 

[davinski]

Whatever you do, absolutely get one when the kids are little. Before you know it, the weekends are co-opted by sports and other activities. We saw it play out in our home and friends, it's just harder to go family camping when they're in middle and high school. One happy side effect though, it is nice to have a camper to take to some of the away games and save money and not do the bag drag in and out of hotels or friends' houses.

 

[wolfpup]

Repeat of what the others said but no 1 RV fits the bill so I feel you need multiple RV's. Hear me out... I had a pop-up Skamper truck camper. Perfect for 1-2 people and I could tow the ATV or boat. Was a perfect weekender but we sold the single cab pickup and the camper and upgraded after our first camping season with kid #1. We bought a 27.5 foot fifth wheel that we love but also has some drawbacks. They are all made cheaply albeit some are more durable. I double tow here in colorado so I still take my boat or ATV. I take it to areas most won't but I don't mind a few dents and scratches and I am capable to fix most issues and understand that I will have to fix some things by taking it to these places. I wish I had the truck camper back so my 2 kids and I could take a quick overnight trip but we also love the fifth wheel. The fifth was super nice this year as we didn't want to stay in hotels and eat out due to COVID so we stayed at a few full hookup areas and explored but still had home with us. I went with a fifth wheel for double towing capacity (legal in CO). They are making so nice high clearance bumper pull campers now too with the pop out features of a hard side camper. Gives you lots of sleeping area without towing a train. So to sum it up you don't need 1 camper, you need 3!

 

[Big Slick]

There should be some good deals on rv trailers in the near future. There were a lot of purchases with all the time folks had on their hands this past summer. I’m sure some will be selling.

 

[ashersdad]

Whatever you do, absolutely get one when the kids are little. Before you know it, the weekends are co-opted by sports and other activities. We saw it play out in our home and friends, it's just harder to go family camping when they're in middle and high school. One happy side effect though, it is nice to have a camper to take to some of the away games and save money and not do the bag drag in and out of hotels or friends' houses.

This is exactly what played out with us. Have a TT that used to get plenty of use in the Spring and Summers. Now that the kids are teenagers it only gets used for hunts in the Fall and then it's only if we're going for more than a few nights. We did a week in Colorado and a week in Southern Oregon this Fall and it is much nicer than tent camping and keeps the wife happy.

 

[WapitiBob]

maybe this will do what you want

AT Overland Equipment

AT Overland is the manufacturer, designer, and retailer of durable equipment for vehicle based expeditions and remote camping based in Prescott, AZ. We also manufacture the AT Habitat, AT Summit, AT Atlas Truck Toppers and the AT Aterra XL Flatbed Truck Camper.

atoverland.com

 

[mtmuley]

Camping sure has changed. mtmuley

 

[JLS]

There should be some good deals on every trailers in the near future. There were a lot of purchases with all the time folks had on their hands this past summer. I’m sure some will be selling.

Maybe. Demand seems to have slowed. It’ll be interesting to see what it does this summer and into the winter.

My travel trailer plan got bumped back a bit due to orthodontist bills.

 

[Big Slick]

Maybe. Demand seems to have slowed. It’ll be interesting to see what it does this summer and into the winter.

My travel trailer plan got bumped back a bit due to orthodontist bills.

We just bought a 2012 31 ft 5th wheel for a great price.

 

[JLS]

We just bought a 2012 31 ft 5th wheel for a great price.

I’m sure there’s a regional aspect as well. Mountain bike prices have moderated quite a bit too. Not fire sale levels, but sane.

 

[jlong17]

Thanks for all the feedback so far fellas! We spent some time today researching and discussing the pros and cons of the different options. We are starting to lean more towards a travel trailer. Do we have any Forest River "Mini Lite" owners on here? They seemed to be A) priced right B) weighted right and C) nice floor plans for a family of 3. Just curious if anyone has experience with them. Thanks!

Oh and @mtmiller that van is priced what I payed for my house!! hahah. Sweet setup though... if your into that sorta thing

 

[Dan O]

I'll give my .02 here. When I was in my 20's a tent worked great. My Dad on the other hand thought it sucked so he got a 11 ft. self contained camper on his 3/4 ton p/u. Worked good but was small inside and you needed a second vehicle to hunt out of (jeep) worked good. Then he went to a 23 foot class C motorhome. Still needed a second vehicle so we used my P/U. The MH was always having issues. Everything worked good at home and then break down once at camp lol. So we teamed up and traded the MH for a 28.5 foot Jayco fifth wheel. I provided to tow vehicle 3/4 ton 4x4 and it worked great just no water when it was below freezing. Had this unit for 25 years. In 2017 my wife and I ordered a 29 foot Jayco fifth wheel spec'd to our wants. It has the cold weather package good down to 0 degree's " no wind". Has 3 slides and has a factory class 3 hitch with wiring for a flat 4 light plug.
One thing you will need is a portable generator to run the a/c or heater depending on the season and microwave which most campers have now.
One thing is a problem with fifth wheels is the angle you encounter when going thru a dip or a approach. The truck box can dig into the camper or the camper can hit the box rail depending on the angels. I learned that early on with the first fifth wheel when the end of the truck box punched a hole in the bottom of the fifth wheel.
There is no perfect camper each has it's plus & minus's. Figure out where your going to want to take it and then figure your wants and needs. Then figure out what support vehicle/ tow vehicle will be needed. Then go buy it and use the heck out of it for many years to come.