Motorhome!

[travelover]

Depends on where you live and where you travel. We have a 16' trailer with GVWR of 3300 pounds. In coastal NJ it was very doable to tow it with our minivan. Once we got to Colorado it was extremely clear that the minivan was no longer up to the job. The combination of less power from a naturally aspirated engine at altitude and big, steep inclines to deal with on a regular basis meant it was no longer a minivan-capable job.

I think the small trailer is a great way to do this, especially if your current vehicles can tow it. If not, its more debatable. Perhaps one of your daily drivers could tow an A-liner?

It depends on your expectations. I expect to slow down on mountain grades. With 266 HP and a 6 speed transmission, a Sienna for example, will tow a fiberglass trailer nicely.

 

[bjorn2bwild]

We've never had an RV, but DW and I (okay--mostly "I") are starting to think it might be fun. We're not hard-core campers: we want a place to get clean, stay cool and stay warm. But, I'm cheap, and we're not >sure< that this is for us, so we don't want to drop a lot of cash.
-.

If your partner is the weak link in the endeavor, going too spartan may blow the venture prematurely. A well priced, used, smallish class C has the advantage of being a package deal. If camping is not for you, the turnover cost should be worth the price of the experience.

 

[travelover]

If your partner is the weak link in the endeavor, going too spartan may blow the venture prematurely. A well priced, used, smallish class C has the advantage of being a package deal. If camping is not for you, the turnover cost should be worth the price of the experience.

This is a valid point, if Momma isn't happy, nobody's happy.

That said, a motor home requires the purchase of a unique single purpose vehicle and some kind of storage arrangement. A trailer gives you the flexibility to leave it at the campsite while you drive around the area with double digit fuel economy.

 

[brewer12345]

It depends on your expectations. I expect to slow down on mountain grades. With 266 HP and a 6 speed transmission, a Sienna for example, will tow a fiberglass trailer nicely.

What do the fiberglass jobs weigh?

My experience going up I 70 the first time with the Honda (similar engine/tranny to the Sienna, at least on paper) was that I had my foot on the floor mashing the accelerator down while the van crawled uphill at 35 MPH and the engine temperature gauge rapidly climbed toward the red line. This was with all the tanks drained on the trailer and me the only passenger in the van. Once was enough for me.

Of course if you are not leaving the Midwest, this may all be academic and the minivan may easily do the job with a small trailer.

 

[travelover]

What do the fiberglass jobs weigh?

My experience going up I 70 the first time with the Honda (similar engine/tranny to the Sienna, at least on paper) was that I had my foot on the floor mashing the accelerator down while the van crawled uphill at 35 MPH and the engine temperature gauge rapidly climbed toward the red line. This was with all the tanks drained on the trailer and me the only passenger in the van. Once was enough for me.

Of course if you are not leaving the Midwest, this may all be academic and the minivan may easily do the job with a small trailer.

I'm surprised that you had this problem, as fiberglass campers up to 3500 pounds are towed regularly by minivans with good results. You are right , though, SamClem and I both live in the Midwest and a turbocharged truck would probably be a waste of money for me for the rare mountain towing I do.

 

[brewer12345]

I'm surprised that you had this problem, as fiberglass campers up to 3500 pounds are towed regularly by minivans with good results. You are right , though, SamClem and I both live in the Midwest and a turbocharged truck would probably be a waste of money for me for the rare mountain towing I do.

Like I said, in NJ the van did just fine towing the trailer. Add a mile of altitude and try going up a 7% grade to 8,000+ feet of altitude and you quickly find you are beyond the minivan's limits as a tow vehicle.

 

[samclem]

Another advantage for the Class C is that they are available for rental, that would be a good way to test out some things at low risk. But with insurance, maintenance, storage, etc it would be a pricier and "more hassle" option than a TC or trailer. Well, good to have options.

 

[brewer12345]

sam, we started out renting a class C for a week-long trip a year before we ended up buying a travel trailer. Worth doing because you learn a lot even if you end up wanting something besides a C.

 

[travelover]

Like I said, in NJ the van did just fine towing the trailer. Add a mile of altitude and try going up a 7% grade to 8,000+ feet of altitude and you quickly find you are beyond the minivan's limits as a tow vehicle.

I believe you, just have not heard that comment before on forums that I frequent.

 

[Hermit]

Neighbors up here traded an old, heavy trailer in on a shiny new light weight one a few years ago. The new one didn't make it through the winter. The roof caved in. It was insured, but I would not want one in a heavy snow load area without protection from snow.

 

[Bamaman]

I'm selling my 31' travel trailer for $6500 less than I paid for it--20 years ago. It's given us good service throughout the years.

When we retired, my wife said all she wanted out of life was a big diamond ring and a new fifth wheel trailer. Well, she got that 2015 model fifth wheel trailer, and it's fantastic. About that diamond ring: Everyone needs to have something to dream about.

We keep our fifth wheel in a membership owned campground in the North Georgia Mountains. We just call'em and they move our trailer on a campsite for us. Unless I take the trailer to Florida for the winter, I doubt it'll ever get 500 miles put on it. But we have 300 campsites, cable tv, a huge party house, 2 swimming pools and a big lake. Our grandson caught a 35 pound catfish out of the lake during Spring Break that we assume will get bigger in his mind as the years go in.

After living in Atlanta, we no longer like big cities with rush hour traffic, and prefer more of the simple life of camping--the RV way.

 

[samclem]

What do the fiberglass jobs weigh?

The manufacturers claim about 2200-2500 lbs dry for a 17 foot unit. Add the usual (water, propane, foot, dishes, etc) and I'd guess we'd be at about 2800 lbs.

One attraction of the RV is being able to take our dog when we travel. Many mid-priced hotels either don't take 'em or charge an exorbitant cleaning fee ($100+) if they do. I understand their reasoning, but it's a hassle. And putting the pooch in a kennel ain't cheap either, and can't be much fun for the dog.

 

[travelover]

The manufacturers claim about 2200-2500 lbs dry for a 17 foot unit. Add the usual (water, propane, foot, dishes, etc) and I'd guess we'd be at about 2800 lbs.

One attraction of the RV is being able to take our dog when we travel. Many mid-priced hotels either don't take 'em or charge an exorbitant cleaning fee ($100+) if they do. I understand their reasoning, but it's a hassle. And putting the pooch in a kennel ain't cheap either, and can't be much fun for the dog.

Here is an excellent resource for answering that question. These are FG campers weighed arriving at a rally, all loaded up for camping.
Trailer Weights in the Real World - Fiberglass RV

I agree on the dog issue - one of the reasons I got the camper was so we could take the pooch along.

 

[brewer12345]

One attraction of the RV is being able to take our dog when we travel. Many mid-priced hotels either don't take 'em or charge an exorbitant cleaning fee ($100+) if they do. I understand their reasoning, but it's a hassle. And putting the pooch in a kennel ain't cheap either, and can't be much fun for the dog.

4 of us and 2 dogs totaling 80 pounds between them are generally in our 16 foot camper. Being able to roll for a trip with an hour's notice and take the dogs along for free is a major attraction of this kind of camping.

 

[samclem]

I can tell you more that you want to know about the small fiberglass campers like Scamp, Casita, etc. The good news is that they hold their value very well. The bad news (in buying used) is that they hold their value very well, especially lately.

Yes, I've noticed that. If we decide that a small trailer is for us, the next decision is whether to get more space for a lower price with a used aluminum trailer, or spend more initially on a used fiberglass egg-style trailer. The "egg" might be easier to sell either in the short or long term.

I get 21 to 22 mpg pulling my 13 footer at 55 to 60 mph with my Escape. A minivan makes a perfect tow vehicle for these light campers.

That's a lot better than I would have guessed. Which engine have you got in the Escape?
I know in the "big picture" gas mileage probably doesn't matter too much. Still, if gas is $4/gal and we travel 400 miles/day, the difference between 21 MPG and 14 MPG (big truck pulling a mid-size trailer) works out to almost $40 per day--more than enough to pay for a full-hookup campsite for the night in most parts of the country.

 

[travelover]

.......... Which engine have you got in the Escape?.........

Mine is the hybrid, so it is a 4 cylinder. Others with a conventional 4 cylinder Escape get about the same highway mileage. My camper is only a 13 footer, but at highway speeds the frontal area dominates, so a 16 or 17 foot trailer would be similar, though I'd want the V6 for a heavier trailer.

As you doubtless know - the more seams the more leaks. If the structure is wood,.... well you know the rest. The biggest complaint about the small trailer is that there is no space around the bed, so midnight trips require you to crawl over your partner.

 

[target2019]

there is no space around the bed, so midnight trips require you to crawl over your partner.

Are there any disadvantages?

 

[RetireAge50]

Good one

 

[samclem]

My camper is only a 13 footer, but at highway speeds the frontal area dominates . . .

The biggest complaint about the small trailer is that there is no space around the bed, so midnight trips require you to crawl over your partner.

I've been thinking about the relationship between these factors, and wonder why an "egg" isn't designed that's a bit narrower and a bit longer to allow the bed to be oriented along the trailer's axis --> reduced frontal area and allow access via the foot of the bed. A queen mattress is 5' wide by 6.5' long. Maybe a 5' to 5.5' wide interior is just too narrow to be practical.

 

[brewer12345]

As you doubtless know - the more seams the more leaks. If the structure is wood,.... well you know the rest. The biggest complaint about the small trailer is that there is no space around the bed, so midnight trips require you to crawl over your partner.

I am starting the 8th season with my conventional build trailer. No serious leaks as of yet but water damage is one of the primary proximate causes of death for trailers. Are there any seams on the fiberglass trailers? Any on the roof? I am hoping to kick the can at least another 5 years, but after that I will be looking hard at a fiberglass trailer.

 

[samclem]

Are there any seams on the fiberglass trailers? Any on the roof?

Folks with direct knowledge will chime in, but from what I've read the main parts (which are only a few in number to begin with) are glassed together during assembly, so the main exterior becomes one solid, seamless structure.
But, there are seams around the openings (vents, windows, door, etc). On this count they still have a bit of an advantage, because they generally have foam rather than loose "wool" fiberglass between the inside and outside walls. With no/little wood in the main structure, there's nothing to rot and with the foam, there's little room for mold to grow if water does get in (compared to loose FG insulation). I'm guessing that there are weep holes down low to let any water out.
From what I've read, the Casita's fiberglass shell goes completely around, while the Scamp's floor has wood on the outside of the "egg", so the Scamp floors bear watching.
All the above is subject to correction by more knowledgeable parties. . .

 

[travelover]

.............
From what I've read, the Casita's fiberglass shell goes completely around, while the Scamp's floor has wood on the outside of the "egg", so the Scamp floors bear watching.
All the above is subject to correction by more knowledgeable parties. . .

You have it right. The Achilles heel of a fiberglass trailer is the wooden floor. If windows / vents are allowed to leak and water to accumulate, the floor rots. Having fiberglass under the floor doesn't help - the floors rot from above, not from road spray.

That said, there are plenty of fiberglass campers from the late 70's still running around. Mine is a 1985 and it looks like new. One can even replace a rotten floor, but it is a big job.

 

[travelover]

I've been thinking about the relationship between these factors, and wonder why an "egg" isn't designed that's a bit narrower and a bit longer to allow the bed to be oriented along the trailer's axis --> reduced frontal area and allow access via the foot of the bed. A queen mattress is 5' wide by 6.5' long. Maybe a 5' to 5.5' wide interior is just too narrow to be practical.

Probably the closest current design to this concept is the Lil Snoozy, but it still has the cross wise bed.

Small Travel Trailer: Camper: Smoakin Concepts Composites

 

[UtahSkier]

I am making plans to join the RV community this fall. My frugal nature will not allow me to buy new. My 6 months of research has me planning to purchase a 10 year old, 45 foot class A by October 1st this year. 10 years old appears to be the sweet spot in the depreciation vs functionality of diesel RVs.
.

Well, so much for planning... A motorhome that met all my criteria showed up and I bought it. Been living in it the last 3 nights as I must be highly available for my consulting project. I still need to drive it from Vegas to Phoenix.

 

[Christine]

Congratulations, UtahSkier! I seem to spend more and more time in mine.