RV Rentals?

[Original Wally]

I second this. I pull my 13 foot UHaul camper with an Escape. - no need to own a huge honking truck.

Travelover... I only excluded the U-Haul from my list as they are no longer being made. GREAT trailer, though. Have you been to FiberglassRV.com? Great resource for the fiberglass community.

 

[REWahoo]

Have you been to FiberglassRV.com? Great resource for the fiberglass community.

+1

FiberglassRV.com is also owned by Andy R, the guy who owns this forum.

 

[travelover]

Travelover... I only excluded the U-Haul from my list as they are no longer being made. GREAT trailer, though.

The beauty of FG campers is that they don't fall apart after a few years when they leak. So buying a used one is much more practical than, say, a stick built model.

Have you been to FiberglassRV.com? Great resource for the fiberglass community.

Yes, frequent poster there.

 

[brewer12345]

For anyone considering a purchase, ONE minimalist approach is the Fiberglass route... Look at Scamp Trailers (Minn), Casita Trailers (Texas) or Escape Trailers (B.C., Canada). Lightweight, & all the features of the big boys, just in a smaller package. We got the Scamp 19' "fifth wheel" and LOVE it.

We have a FunFinder X160, which is the smallest bunkhouse model I have ever seen. When the 4 of us plus 2 dogs pile out of it in the morning at the campground, the retired couples in 40' Class A moho's look at us like the clowns getting out of the little car at the circus.

Even so, I long for a week -long backpacking trip in one of the dedicated wilderness areas in Colorado's national forests.

 

[travelover]

We have a FunFinder X160, which is the smallest bunkhouse model I have ever seen. When the 4 of us plus 2 dogs pile out of it in the morning at the campground, the retired couples in 40' Class A moho's look at us like the clowns getting out of the little car at the circus............

We get a similar reaction with the small fiberglass trailer. I guess it is just another facet of LBYM, to recognize that you can camp in something smaller than an apartment.

 

[NW-Bound]

I like small RVs myself. I can see myself in something smaller than my current class C, and definitely not a big A or a 5th wheel. I prefer a motorized coach over a travel trailer, however. I could have bought a shorty class C of 22' or 23' and would still be happy. It still would not have the mobility of a B, but man, these smaller Cs are relatively so cheap.

 

[CoolChange]

I like small RVs myself. I can see myself in something smaller than my current class C, and definitely not a big A or a 5th wheel. I prefer a motorized coach over a travel trailer, however. I could have bought a shorty class C of 22' or 23' and would still be happy. It still would not have the mobility of a B, but man, these smaller Cs are relatively so cheap.

This kind of short C is how I have dipped my toe in the water of RVing.

Buying used (and quite old) was cheaper than renting something three times; I have used it more than three times. So, mental accounting says that I have more than broken even.

Bonus: Much less packing and unpacking than with a rental since most stuff just stays in there.

It is quite old and looks awful from the outside; but, the inside is almost pristine. And, all of the major systems work fine with relatively low mileage for its age.

Now, I just need to [-]find [/-]make the time to use it more.

 

[jayc]

When the 4 of us plus 2 dogs pile out of it in the morning at the campground, the retired couples in 40' Class A moho's look at us like the clowns getting out of the little car at the circus

I just went tent camping and in the site next to us was a large RV with outside 60'' flat screen. We wondered if their travel story started with "We went camping..........". Very broad concept that is a function of your disposable income.

We actually take hikes through the campground to marvel at the various stetups. Between the 5th wheels, RVs, and pull trailers I must have counted 45-50 different models/brands out of the 200 sites. I guess the demand is/was still there to support all of these diiferent models.

 

[brewer12345]

I just went tent camping and in the site next to us was a large RV with outside 60'' flat screen. We wondered if their travel story started with "We went camping..........". Very broad concept that is a function of your disposable income.

We actually take hikes through the campground to marvel at the various stetups. Between the 5th wheels, RVs, and pull trailers I must have counted 45-50 different models/brands out of the 200 sites. I guess the demand is/was still there to support all of these diiferent models.

I never understand when we go to a campground in a beautiful place and as I walk along the row of parked RVs all I see is the flickering blue light of large TV screens.

 

[NW-Bound]

When RV'ing, we rarely got bored enough or had time to watch TV, nor even the DVDs that I brought along just in case. I usually brought along a satellite dish on a tripod, but rarely set that up. I did that a few times, mainly to get some news and a stock market update, as there was no Internet connection or even cell phone coverage where we were.

I have to admit that without some kind of electronic link to the outside world, I often wonder if the world is falling apart outside of where we are, and we miss it. The satellite TV dish is for that reason.

 

[NC 57]

RV

We retired early to enjoy RV travel. DW had never experienced an RV. We learned that several KOA campgrounds have Airstream travel trailers for rent on location (no towing). We rented one for a few days and she liked it.

When purchasing we looked at all options except pop-ups. Class A,B,C motorhomes, 5th wheels, and traditional travel trailers. After reading some of the maintenance issues with motorhomes, and preferring something smaller than the 5th wheels with slides, we elected truck and trailer. The next steps was new versus used, brand, size/floorplan.

All RV's depreciate and many of the "box" type RV's have a lifespan of 10 years or less due to leaks and cheap construction. After reading Airforums.com, a very active Airstream online forum, for over a year we decided to buy a 5-6 year old well maintained Airstream. We found one on eBay that had been used only 5 times. So far we are pleased. We avoided the steep early depreciation. Airstreams are built to last and there is a strong resale market. Many 50 year old Airstreams are still on the road. We've met several Airstreamers who buy the older units, fix them up, use them a while, then sell and start again. Like all RV's they can leak if not maintained.

After a little more than a year of ownership we love the lifestyle. We attend rallies organized on Airforums. We also joined WBCCI, the national Airstream club and go camping occasionally with the local chapter. Of course many trips are on our own. Airforums.com provides a great source for support and research when problems develop. After some initial repair work (seams and new tires) we've had a relatively trouble free experience.

If you are considering buying an RV spend a few weeks reading some of the brand forums as well as the forums on RV.net. Consider renting a unit for a few days to determine if you can live in the small space.

 

[brewer12345]

We bought a traditional travel trailer knowing that lifespan is probably 10 years, as long as we maintain it. I looked at used airstreams, but they are very heavy for their size, so that was out for us.

 

[BOBOT]

Who makes those little tear-drop campers? Saw one a few yrs ago but didn't retain any info. Something like that is probably all I want, especially with my limited tow capacity.

 

[NC 57]

Check out Casita Casita Travel Trailers - America's Favorite Lightweight Travel Trailers | Lightweight, Aerodynamic, Durable, Easy-to-Tow, High-Fuel Efficiency

They make small fiberglass trailers that are lightweight and have a reputation for quality. Plus there is an active club with a forum: The Casita Club - Casita Travel Trailer Website and Forums

For true teardrops, check out: So-Cal Teardrops - Home

 

[travelover]

Who makes those little tear-drop campers? Saw one a few yrs ago but didn't retain any info. Something like that is probably all I want, especially with my limited tow capacity.

There are a number of manufacturers - just Google tear drop trailer. The down side of these is that you can't stand up in them. You can get a fiberglass trailer that weighs a little over 1000# empty and about 1300 - 1500# loaded to camp.

 

[BOBOT]

Thanks, TL & NC57.