Thoughts on this RV travel trailer?

[Chris]

https://cheyennecampingcenter.com/i...agstaff-sports-enthusiast-228se-pop-up-camper

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Yep, that would do the trick. Enough room for all the kids. Small, but we won’t be spending much time in it other than sleeping. Lighter weight, easy to tow and maneuver.

I should probably go find one to check out but finding anything in Wyoming is damn near impossible

 

[Wildman]

Yep, that would do the trick. Enough room for all the kids. Small, but we won’t be spending much time in it other than sleeping. Lighter weight, easy to tow and maneuver.

I should probably go find one to check out but finding anything in Wyoming is damn near impossible

Get on RV Trader & RVT and start looking for the closest one that fits your needs and go look at it... Going to be easier to park in the winter and cover too.
And is a good start into the RV world to see how much you'll use it.

I admit I fucked up... I should have just built another Redneck Toy Hauler & been done with it.

 

[Zorba]

And your knowledge is how OLD? There has been improvements in things over the years...

Square corners are just sub-optimal, regardless of how you look at it - the "box" wants to flex there, and it will leak eventually since there's also a seam there. I'm sure some are better than others like anything else, but I wouldn't own one.

@Chris Pop-ups are - or at least used to be - obscenely expensive for what they are. Almost bought one once, they can be very nice.

 

[DaveC]

Check with a fine toothed comb as others have said. Windows, roof and any other place water can enter will need to be resealed every few years. Check for soft spots in walls and ceiling as tell tale signs.

Also, everything loosens up as they're towed from vibrations. That adds wear and tear and has to be managed over time.

Tires need to be replaced every 6ish years... at least in AZ. They'll dry rot long before the tread goes, and when they blow, they cause a lot of damage.. speaking from experience.

Last, I'm not up to speed on your truck's specs, but the 'half ton towable' concept is iffy at best. Good rule of thumb is you don't want to tow more than 80% of the truck's max capacity, so make sure you take water and gear into consideration, not just the dry weight of the camper.

They can be great family toys; we had a toy hauler for 17 years and used the heck out of it, but it takes a lot to keep them in good shape, in both work and money.

Pop up is a great starter to see how you like it and if you want to put up with the upkeep and effort.

 

[rasband]

Make sure your intended usage aligns well with pop-ups vs hard sided, in case that has any bearing on what you're considering. I am a fan of pop-ups, but I know that at least some national parks require hard sided campers due to wildlife concerns (people are usually kind of sloppy with campers, especially with the kitchen built in).

 

[Harold&Cat]

I suppose the type of camper would depend on the intended use . If planning on short camping trips in the Backcountry then the pop-up would be ideal and depending on size it could be pulled be a TJ . Longer road trips a bigger travel trailer will be more comfortable .

I've had a large self contained slide in truck camper , travel trailers from 30 to 40 feet , one fifth wheel and four different motorhomes ranging from 30 to 38 feet . We currently travel in a 1993 30 foot diesel pusher pulling our Jeep on a 20 foot car hauler . The smaller pop-up will allow a feller to get to more off road areas and it's still comfortable in a campground or RV Park . All campers require repairs and maintenance . The best built travel travel trailer and most trouble free that I've owned was a 1969 Avion . We now have a camping setup with a tent for the Jeep for trail camping.

For the camping trips I believe ya'll would enjoy the pop-up. For longer trips you might consider renting cabins or lodges . While young , you and the kids will just enjoy getting out there and the pop-up will give you lots of options .

 

[Harold&Cat]

Whatever you buy , inspect the roof for any rotten wood . It gets costly if there has been a leak and rotted the roof or walls . Sometimes it's not obvious , so you have to get up there and walk around feeling for soft spots . This applies to the floor also .

 

[BlueC]

Yep, that’s my biggest fear. Another money pit

Rent. Rent. Rent.

Unless you can dedicate and spend months on the road, a camper will just sit and cost you money. Actually, I think the statistic is that RV/camper owners use it an average of 2 weeks per year. It still cost time and money the other 50 weeks of the year.

 

[IPerkWVU]

@BlueC beat me to it, there are rental sites where you can rent easily these days, make sure it’s a hobby you and the family enjoy

Outdoorsy.com and Rvshare.com is peer-to-peer

 

[BlueC]

Outdoorsy.com and Rvshare.com is peer-to-peer

Have you ever used either of those?

 

[Zorba]

The best built travel travel trailer and most trouble free that I've owned was a 1969 Avion .

I believe it. That's from when they were an Airstream/Silver Streak/Streamliner type trailer.

 

[DaveC]

Rent. Rent. Rent.

Unless you can dedicate and spend months on the road, a camper will just sit and cost you money. Actually, I think the statistic is that RV/camper owners use it an average of 2 weeks per year. It still cost time and money the other 50 weeks of the year.

Great call. After our daughter was through school, out of the house and out on her own, our usage dropped a ton to where it just didn't make sense to hang onto when figuring the combined cost of storage, insurance and upkeep. We sold, figured out how many times we'd need to rent in a year to make it worth owning our own again, and we're still RV-less 3 years later.

 

[Chris]

Okay guys, let’s change the topic then slightly. Anyone got any popup camper recommendations? I think that’s the better option for us and our intended use which will mostly only be camp sites and weekend trips within 2-3 hours from our home.

I’ve checked and most National Parks allow popup campers. A few like Glacier and Yellowstone don’t allow them but only in specific campground sites within the parks.

 

[Zorba]

Okay guys, let’s change the topic then slightly. Anyone got any popup camper recommendations? I think that’s the better option for us and our intended use which will mostly only be camp sites and weekend trips within 2-3 hours from our home.

I’ve checked and most National Parks allow popup campers. A few like Glacier and Yellowstone don’t allow them but only in specific campground sites within the parks.

There are also hard sided pop-ups, and Hi-Lo trailers.

 

[Wildman]

Like Zorba said there are hard side pop-up but just know they are going to be a lot heavier. I think the one I linked for you before or something similar would work better for you. The one I linked was new & on clearance BTW.... While not "close" it was in Iowa so a small road trip....

 

[OkieJoe]

As an owner of an RV park, they are all built about the same nowadays. It’s very much hit and miss in regards to quality. If you decide to look at it, have the owner hook the electricity and water up for you. Test all the systems thoroughly, look for water staining on the ceiling which would indicate a roof leak, look under the RV for water leaks after the water is turned on, and shuffle along the floor feeling for any soft spots. The vast majority of newer RV’s have a particle board subfloor. If it ever gets wet from leaks, the floor will eventually fall apart. If you feel any soft spots in the floor, walk away from it quickly. A soft floor is similar to a rusty frame with our TJ’s. Another consideration is the area that you live. Is it built for four seasons? You’ll definitely have to get good at winterizing the RV, and that outdoor kitchen is a prime area for freezing. I have owned several travel trailers over the years, and it’s honestly cheaper in the long run to just rent a room when traveling. Just my two cents. Good luck!

 

[TimV]

Gonna 2nd the hard sided pop-up trailer.
We purchased an Aliner last year, the smallest made, just for my wife and I. (We have 3 other trailers for the balance of the family, sold the rv though).

Someone suggested that hard sided trailers are heavy. Nyah.
Our Aliner weighs less than 1000lbs. Tows likea dream. Easy off-road. Torsion axle with brakes. Less than 1 minute for basic set up.

Full size ones available with amenities for family. Especially suitable for weekend trips as there isn't a bunch of time lost setting up.

There's my .02

Tim

 

[Zorba]

I have owned several travel trailers over the years, and it’s honestly cheaper in the long run to just rent a room when traveling.

This. Although I love traveling in an RV, it costs $100 just to turn the key on one. RV parks are almost as expensive as a hotel room, and the lovely National/State parks mostly require reservations. If I gotta make reservations, why would I bother with an RV? One of my cars gets 29 MPG highway, the other 36 - the money I save by not driving a 10 MPG behemoth more than pays for hotel rooms.

I got out of RV-ing in Y2K when my wife - who was working a high powered job - didn't like going anymore because she had to cook and clean, not a vacation. I didn't blame her. Now that we're retired, she wants to get back into it. Well, I'm afraid that she KILLED it; I have zero desire now. If we'd kept on with it, I'd probably still be fine owning one. As it is, I don't want the hassle and expense anymore - esp. in Florida where a leaky RV would be a complete drag and the sun would ruin the thing inside a couple of years.

 

[RangerTJ]

For a hard sided pop up, also look at a Trail Manor.

Very neat folding mechanism and owners seem to really like them.

 

[tnjeepguy]

Are the slide outs more leak prone ??

Look as if they would be.