Off topic, camper help

[Trevor Shipman]

We love to go to a lake that is about 2.5 hours away. My brother (who I co-own) the boat with now has 2 little girls. So camping is no longer a viable option so we are looking at campers.

What we want:
2 dedicated beds (i.e. Don't have to turn the table into a bed for the adults). Hopefully one day I'll find the woman of my dreams so we'd like 2 queens or something for 2 people to share size

We will be downing with a 1/2t truck so needs to be towable

We found a PERFECT unit but it's 27ft. We can tow it but wonder if it's too big to kind of being a pain to get in and out of camp grounds? Any thoughts on this being too long?

Whic brings us to a hybrid camper. Anyone have one? Is it hard to keep cool during the day since you have the 2 tent ends?

I think the ideal size would be 23' with 1 slide for the extra space

Any experience or suggestions would be great

Would like to get something that I can pay cash for 8k or less but could do 10 if it was PERFECT.

We're in Charlotte, Nc

Thanks!

 

[jcyamaharider]

I do not own a camper but have rented a few from time to time, these things are heavy but 27 foot shouldn't be that bad. I pulled a 21ft toy hauler loaded down with toys so the weight should have been about the same, around 6,000 pounds. 27 foot in the camper world isn't that big. I know people with 35-40+ footers. Hybrids I heard all you have to make sure of is if it rains that you have to make sure everything is dry before you put the sleeping parts away for a long time. We have some campers in the group here so I am sure they will chime in with some more personal experience.

 

[haknslash]

I know you're looking for a camper but we just saw these at St. Andrews park in Florida. http://fancycamps.com and we thought they were pretty cool! I'm more of a primitive camping fan but my wife and daughter would love that fancy tent with A/C and comfort of home.

As a child we had several travel trailer campers and one motor home. Lots of great memories but it's also a lot of work setting them up and putting them away. And then there's the black water septic you have to deal with .

Make sure you have a decent rear end ratio with your truck and don't go by just what your towing capacity rating is. If you have highway gears it's not going to be that fun, especially when the trailer and truck is loaded with stuff.

 

[Cory]

We had a hybrid in Texas with tent ends. The air conditioner was able to keep up with it just fine. It got a little cool in spring/fall, but I like to sleep with it cold. We had ducted heat so it wasn't too bad.

 

[Mainah]

I have a 2015 passport 3320bh. 37 foot ultralite with bunk room (king bunk on bottom in bunk room), 3 slides, queen front bedroom, island kitchen, and outdoor kitchen, and jack knife leather couch. Dry weight is 6600 lbs!

My father sold his hybrid when he saw mine. Tented ends are a big downside. Ultralites will cost more but will last with aluminum framing and fiberglass exterior. You do lose a little ceiling height and some r value but that is even worse with a hybrid.

With that budget you may be able to find a used ultra lite especailly if you can wait until the end of the season. Look for models with br in them signifying bunk room as it sounds like that is what you need.

Good luck.

 

[Trevor Shipman]

@Mainah you hit the nail on the head. We def think the bunkhouse is a great option. We thought this would be a good fit

http://americanrv.com/rv-detail/2016-keystone-springdale-summerland-2720bh

I laid in the bunk and it was wide enough but not long enough. Hah, already planned our first mod to remove the cabinet at the foot of the bed, to extend. Also make the top bunk remove able since we probably wouldn't need it that much but is a nice to have.

The brother is concerned about the size of the unit though. Getting in and out of camp sites, being nimble etc, so he's wanting something in the 23' area, which brings me back to the hybrid. Does anyonr think that 27' limits you at all?

I'd like to buy my 2nd trailer first. So we'll see.

 

[justason]

We had a Cabana hybrid trailer for years, the pop-out was on the hitch end only 2200 model I thnk. The AC was a center roof mount and had a fair amount of white noise. Which when it came time for the kids to sleep was actually a good thing. The duct-ed systems would be attractive otherwise.

The A/C and heat worked well in support of the camper...BUT in winter the condensation would form on the inside of the tented portion, and ICE COLD water would drip on you ! it sucked horribly! we use to keep a small portion of the tent unzipped to help vent the heat, but was not ideal. the tented bed was over a couch area, having to step over a bed to get to the "master suite" would not be an option. Having to button it up so you can tow it to a waste station mid week could be a chore...that can be managed.

Tow weight: Be sure to check the specs on the weight of the camper: Some manufacturers base the weight on the raw camper and wont include fridge, AC, microwave and such.. If your vehicle is a gas powered 1/2 ton, with a towing capacity of say 8,000 lbs....The sales guy will sell you a 8,000 lb trailer....I would not recommend it ! My former dodge was rated for 7,500 and it was working to pull a 4,000lb trailer at 8mpg !! cha-ching.

I was happy overall with the hybrid, the cost and weight works out well. Took us a while to find the floorplan we wanted but carried our family for 5 years of camping about 75% of the weekends....then the yamaha 212x entered our lives and we never looked back. Paid about $11K for it, sold it for $6500 I believe.

 

[Mainah]

@Trevor Shipman 30ft or less will get into most sites easy enough. Just don't let a salesman take your wife into a brand new decked out island kitchen model while you are in the used model that is in your preset budget

 

[justason]

My crystal ball see's you in a new truck this time next year...happy pre- congratulations....

 

[Trevor Shipman]

My crystal ball see's you in a new truck this time next year...happy pre- congratulations....

Hahha, the spending never stops!!!

 

[Mike Dumigan]

I just recently purchased a 2005 Jayco Jayfeather 23B hybrid. I like the fact I can fold in the beds, makes it easier to store in the driveway with the boat. They have decent AC and heat and the bathroom was a necessity for the wife and grand kids. unloaded weight is only 3700 lbs. Easy tow for my Dodge Ram.

 

[Speedling]

Not fond of the hybrids only because i have had my frustration with canvas and kids before.
Would prefer a 24' with slide which is just inside an f150/1500

 

[ar240owner]

My camper is 31 feet from bumper to ball , the box is 29 feet I never had a prob in campgrounds , and my 1/2 ton truck puls it fine !!

 

[ar240owner]

 

[Wayloncle]

I have a 31'ish keystone Bullet Premiere 32BHDSPR (bunkhouse/double slide/premiere)

My 1/2 ton truck has towed it great, definitely know it's back there but does a great job of towing it. A good brake controller and anti sway control system will make life much less white knucklish.

We looked at all kinds of different types, 5th wheels/toy haulers and such, this camper was the best layout for us, it's great having a bunkhouse so the kids have their own beds and room in the back, the bathroom is spacious with an outside door, so people don't track all through the camper to go to the restroom. And the outdoor kitchen is always used (also keeps traffic out of the inside).

Personally I don't think you will find a travel trailer that will be a pain to get in and out of campgrounds, unless you are getting a park model 40' or something. I've never had trouble getting in or out of a site.
when I was in KS I found a section of the state park campground that you could pay by the month, I left my camper there all summer on a perfect site, plugged in with the AC on, it was great!

 

[PEARCE]

We are campers! Our first camper was a Jayco Jayfeather 23B that was a great camper that we kept for several years. It had a queen size bed in one end and a double at the other with a J-couch as well as a dinette that converted to a bed. If we were leaving the next morning, and rain was in the forecast, we would fold in the ends and sleep inside the camper to save the hassle. The a\c and heat could keep up just fine unless we were in direct sun all day in the summer then the ends would be a little warm. I towed it with a 1\2 ton Ford with the 5.4 and 3.55 rear end. It did ok. My limit was 4 hours away because of the stress put on me because of the worried stress on the truck. We then upgraded the truck to my current rig and no more worries. We then upgraded to a 36' 5th wheel with a bunkhouse in the front over the hitch area and the master in the rear. The kids were getting bigger and couldn't share a bed anymore in the old trailer. We love having all the space, but it can be tight in certain campgrounds. But once we are all setup, doesn't take much, it's great having the larger camper. No problem towing it's 10k+ pounds with the Cummins Rams either. Several trips to Florida as well as a trip through the mountains in Tennessee without breaking a sweat. Good luck with your search. My suggestion is to go to a RV show like we did to figure out what would work for you and then go find a used one.

 

[Trevor Shipman]

Thanks for the advise everyone. I think we've decided on the Forest River Grey Wolf 23DBH

(Ref for pictures only)
http://www.accessrv.com/show-inventory-images.php?id=pKevpw==

Never dealt with a RV purchase before. Are there some tricks these guys always try to get you suckered into? Bogus dealer fees or anything like that?

Headed to Greer, SC to take a look at it on Sunday. Bob Leford's RV. Anyone have experience with them by chance?

Thanks again!

 

[Wayloncle]

25% off the sticker price isn't uncommon for a new one....that was back about 6-7 years ago anyway.

 

[Mainah]

Sweet! Forest River makes a really nice TT for the money. Depends on the dealer. 25% off of MSRP is in the ball park but some dealers seem to list different msrps for the same unit and others put sales prices on. I would find the lowest prices (there will be some substantially lower than others for the same unit) for a new one on rv trader and shoot for that. Keep in mind where you live comes into play. The closer you are to the manufacturer the less you should pay. If you have a few dealers close by don't be afraid to talk it over with the wife loud enough but not overly obvious about it in regards to checking out bobs rv down the street. Shake hands with the salesman on the way out and tell him you will think about it. He will either say hold on right there or call you a few minutes later with his boss. This is after you have already haggled a little. If you will be dry camping at all make them throw in a second battery and bigger batteries as well.

Good luck.

 

[mrmeaniemeateaterman]

My parents bought a Jayco Whitehawk new in 2014. It tows easily with 1/2 ton truck and is well built and looks really classy (not true for all campers). http://www.jayco.com/tools/archive/2014-white-hawk/23mbh/ They shopped for over a year. Went to RV shows, multiple dealers, read all about them on different forums and got what they think they wanted. If you ask my father about it the only thing he will tell you is "Never again will I buy a new camper". After using it for 1 summer, they really wished they would have gotten a slightly bigger camper. Fine with them and my kids, but when me & wife go too (4 adults, 2 kids) it's just too tight. So they went back to dealer they bought it from, about 6 months later, to see about trading it in. The dealer said they would give them HALF of what they had just paid for it. I don't remember exact numbers but think it was about $30K new and dealer offered $15K for trade. So the new camper had lost 50% of value in 6 months. My father, not an emotional man, said he was so mad he almost cried. So now they are pretty much locked into the camper because of the loss of value. They have now learned to love the camper they have. And even now 2 years old, the thing still looks and smells new.

Look on rvtrader or craigslist for used campers that are just 1-2 years old and been used maybe 6 times. I imagine around Charlotte there are a lot of used campers. You can buy 2 or 3 of these used campers for what a new one cost. And realistically you are only going to use it a handful of times each year. Buy a used camper and consider all the money you saved as "free gas" or towards that new truck payment.