Anyone done a cross-country drive, roughing it?

[jambo101]

The thought of driving some huge pickup truck towing a 35+foot camping trailer in the rear doesnt sound like where i want to go,however the idea of driving the tow vehicle once the trailer has been set up is not entirely off the list i just dont like towing,but if i have to tow i'd be more inclined to get a C and tow a Smart car. Or maybe a B+ might be the answer not too big.
http://www.startrackstrucks.com/free...driverside.jpg

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jambo101 ... if i have to tow i'd be more inclined to get a C and tow a Smart car.

Smart Car? Naaahhh.

Here's what you need:

[Rambler]

Winnebago has a new for 2010 Class A based on the Sprinter chassis with a small V6 diesel Mercedes engine. Pretty cool looking, but unsure if it would be able to handle a toad. Its a bit on the pricey side for the size (25ft). But it looks like it would be pretty easy to manuever in tight spots.

2010 Winnebago Via

R

[REWahoo]

The Winnebago models built on the Sprinter chassis are a nice size and offer very good fuel economy (for an RV). However, past models have suffered from being very near their maximum weight carrying capacity once you fill the tanks with water and fuel. Load yourself and your traveling companion on board along with some food and clothing and you were over the maximum rated weight limit - and few folks realize this.

Hope they've solved the problem. No way to tell without the actual weight (GVW) of the RV, and the website only gives the weight rating (GVWR).

[jambo101]

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo Smart Car? Naaahhh. Here's what you need:

That sure looks like a perfect setup especially since i've owned a Miata for the last 7yrs . The budget is $25,000 for a used Rv so the Sprinter based units are out of my price range.

[NW-Bound]

I am still looking at RVs, though we will not be able to take off for some indefinite time. In terms of cost and suitability to our travel style as I am currently envisioning it, I am leaning towards a small travel trailer of less than 20ft towable by our existing SUV. It is like the set up that Brewer has. Even buying a new one, we should be able to hit the road after spending perhaps $14K for a model I have in mind.

However, in surfing the Web I have found some apparently smoking deals on larger motor homes (MH). I have seen small class A MHs of less than 35ft, only 5 to 6 year old and driven 20,000 miles or less, going for US$25K-$35K. Granted, these are smaller no-frill models, and with a gas engine and not diesel, but I think they still cost around $100K new. Slightly used, they cost about the same as a new car!

All MHs depreciate terribly, but the gas ones seem to suffer higher losses than the diesels, yet were driven less. My theory is that the low gas mileage (5-8 MPG?), the high cost of gas in the recent years (>$3/gallon last year), and the poor economy keep the owners from enjoying them and force the liquidation. Or are there some other reasons, like these may be lemons?

[brewer12345]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NW-Bound I am still looking at RVs, though we will not be able to take off for some indefinite time. In terms of cost and suitability to our travel style as I am currently envisioning it, I am leaning towards a small travel trailer of less than 20ft towable by our existing SUV. It is like the set up that Brewer has. Even buying a new one, we should be able to hit the road after spending perhaps $14K for a model I have in mind. However, in surfing the Web I have found some apparently smoking deals on larger motor homes (MH). I have seen small class A MHs of less than 35ft, only 5 to 6 year old and driven 20,000 miles or less, going for US$25K-$35K. Granted, these are smaller no-frill models, and with a gas engine and not diesel, but I think they still cost around $100K new. Slightly used, they cost about the same as a new car! All MHs depreciate terribly, but the gas ones seem to suffer higher losses than the diesels, yet were driven less. My theory is that the low gas mileage (5-8 MPG?), the high cost of gas in the recent years (>$3/gallon last year), and the poor economy keep the owners from enjoying them and force the liquidation. Or are there some other reasons, like these may be lemons?

I think that a lot of this is just a poor resale market driven by a combination of people who really need to sell to raise cash and more units getting dumped on the market by reposessing lenders. Higher gas costs clearly do not help, either.

As for the temptation of the deal, its not a deal for you if it doesn't fit your needs. If a trailer is what you need, a class A won't be a great idea even at a tempting price.

FWIW, when the current trailer becomes too much of a money pit many years hence, I imagine we will end up with another, slightly larger trailer. There is a bewildeing array of choices in the 18 to 24 foot range and I imagine there will be even more over time as the smaller and lighte trends continues to build.

[brewer12345]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jambo101 The thought of driving some huge pickup truck towing a 35+foot camping trailer in the rear doesnt sound like where i want to go

Me neither. Right now I have a minivan pulling a 16 ft trailer. Eventually it will probably be an SUV pulling a slightly larger trailer, but the current setup works great for 4 people and 2 dogs. Athough I must admit that we get occasional stares at camgrounds from people who have half the population in trailers twice the size. We must look like the clowns coming out of the little car...

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by brewer12345 Athough I must admit that we get occasional stares at camgrounds from people who have half the population in trailers twice the size. We must look like the clowns coming out of the little car...

If they start applauding be sure to pass the hat...

[NW-Bound]

Quote:

Originally Posted by brewer12345 I think that a lot of this is just a poor resale market driven by a combination of people who really need to sell to raise cash and more units getting dumped on the market by reposessing lenders. Higher gas costs clearly do not help, either. As for the temptation of the deal, its not a deal for you if it doesn't fit your needs. If a trailer is what you need, a class A won't be a great idea even at a tempting price.

My point is that these bottom-tier class A MHs seem to depreciate more despite getting used less than their bigger brothers. I wonder why.

About my needs, well, they are flexible and can be met if I pull a small dinghy, which I don't own at the moment. The arrangement only costs more. However, I am thinking that a small travel trailer has its allure; one feels like a kid in the confined space of his treehouse. It should work for our envisioned short trips of up to a couple of months. I have seen blogs of people who even live full-time in one of these smaller ones. The bigger 5th-wheel RVs do not excite me at all, besides I do not have a large truck for a tow vehicle. I'd rather have a small class A if I want more room.

Anyway, in surfing the Web, I have seen a couple full-timing in a big class A towing a class B or a small class C!

[brewer12345]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NW-Bound Anyway, in surfing the Web, I have seen a couple full-timing in a big class A towing a class B or a small class C!

I am always amazed when I see stuff like a Class A towing a Hummer or a diesel pusher lugging a cargo trailer half again its size. You cannot possibly need to drag that much stuff with you...

[Rambler]

Brewer - what kind of gas mileage are you getting pulling the 16 footer with the minivan (Honda Odyssey, right?).

R

[brewer12345]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rambler Brewer - what kind of gas mileage are you getting pulling the 16 footer with the minivan (Honda Odyssey, right?). R

Yep, pull with a 2005 Odyssey. We usually get about 12MPG. I think the trailer is about 3000#, plus we have 2 adults, 2 kids, 2 dogs, and extra spare tire, gear, etc. in the van. IOW, we are not generally travelling light. From what I hear from other owners of the same model trailer (and teh next oen up), similar mileage is to be expected if you are pulling a slightly larger trailer and/or towing with a V8 powered pickup or SUV.

The big deal on mileage (to me) is that you get the full, normal gas mileage once you are roaming around in the area you drop the camper off. On our last trip, it rained cats and dogs for most of the trip, so it was a real boon to be able to take off and do other stuff with the kids and not burn a huge amount of gas (or have to set up again every day when we got back to the site).

[NW-Bound]

I have looked at the TrailManor travel trailers (TT), as owned and mentioned by RIT. They are light, roomy, and aerodynamic when folded for traveling. These are hard-wall designs, not pop-up campers.

The company says it only costs 1 additional gallon to tow their TT a distance of 100 mi. The following link describes a test showing that a Honda Odyssey gets 18MPG towing a 30-ft (when unfolded) TrailManor, but only 9MPG towing a conventional 19-ft TT. The only drawback of these TrailManors is their higher purchase cost. This is perhaps justifiable if one needs the roominess beyond what can be towed with a van or an SUV, and plans long-distance travels. A possible compromise is that instead of buying a new conventional light-weight TT, one can get a used TrailManor for the same purchase price.

TrailManor|Easy Towing|Lighweight Travel Trailer