TT or Hybrid

[bikolee]

From those of you that have looked at both,  I need some input.  I like the idea of the hybrid, but I  wouldn't mind getting away from the canvas.  All input is welcome.

[campingcop]

Just traded my pop up for a hybrid but due to the cold weather haven't used it yet.  The one thing I liked about it even with out the slide out is the inside room,with both beds folding out it gives you more inside room as you don't take up room for a bed room JMHO.

[sure2rain]

My choice would be a TT if merely for the fact that most have a full thickness mattress which would be a step-up from PU's. The in-laws have a TT and we usually go camping togther. Spending time in their TT, I would go with it.

[Wayfarer]

We moved from a PU to Hybrid.  While we enjoy the hybrid and it definitely has many advantages over the PU, it still has to be set up bed-wise and regardless of what others say it  takes about as much effort, maybe more, than setting up the beds in the Coleman Utah we traded in.  As campingcop and many others have pointed out, however, being able to get in/out and using inside while beds are still folded up is definitely a plus.  Doubt we'll ever buy another RV as the years are catching up with us, but if we did and  if we had the money and if  we had the TV to handle the weight we would skip the hybrid and the canvas and go with a TT requiring less setup.
 
 Not knocking the hybrids, mind you, just stating the facts and "what if's".

[brainpause]

Sort of reiterating what Harvey said, but:

I really like the hybrids, especially space-wise. Here's why: Let's say you have decided the largest trailer you can pull is 23-25 feet long. A hybrid will give you more "floor space" because the beds aren't included in that length. A TT, however, has much of its floor space taken by beds.

I just can't get away from canvas (yet), either. Holly and I sorta like the "treehouse/clubhouse" feel of the beds in a popup/hybrid. Guess we are just kids.

Larry

[dee106]

well we have both! the hybrid and the tt, they both have there good points and bad, the bad thing about the hybrid is it is like the popup has canvas so if it rains, your setting up or put down. your going to get wet! and when you get home you have to dry it out. the other bad thing is the bed don't come in king size so you still have to climb over your partner to get out of bed. Thats the biggy for us! i go to bed earlier but get up earlier, so he has to climb in over me, or i have to climb out over him!  the travel trailer is great, but heavy to haul, and if you want the same amount of room in the tt as in the hybrid you have get a very large one! since the bed takes up one third of the living space. all the rest are the same. your best bet is getting something like loaded camera got a hard wing hybrid, the best of both worlds, i think those come with king size beds so you can sleep the other way!

[garym053]

After much agonizing over this very question, even posting a poll in the poll forum asking for peoples votes, I "think" we've decided to keep the pop-up for "real" camping trips, but purchase a Class A (New or used) next Spring.
In order to tow a TT big enough to want to spend 30 to 60 days at a time in, I'd have to get a new tow vehicle. With decent tow vehicles running in the $30 to 40K range and then $15 to 20k on top of that for a TT, I'm almost at an entry level Class A or a fairly decent used Class A.
Of course, these decisions may all change over the course of the next 12 to 15 months!!!

[Gone-Camping]

Well, if you can tow a full hard side, then you're already one step ahead of the game!
 
Here's my take on for all it's worth. The only thing I ever wanted was a PU. After three of them, my needs started to change and I bought the Hybrid. Though I really do love the trailer, I'm also thinking like you are, and looking to get away from the canvas. Not that I mind sleeping under canvas, but would like to get away from the issues of canvas...like wet stowage, front opening seals leaking, canvas tearing, ripping, or mildew concerns.
 
So I'm looking now at Hardsides. It wont happen until next year at the earliest, but I'm once again looking. The current Hybrid will have 2 full seasons on it before I trade it in (at a minumum).
 
Reason I post all this, is if you really have some convictions about canvas, then you'd do yourself justice to just skip the Hybrid and move on to the hard side. The other option would be hard sided Hybrids like Caravan, Outback etc... I've looked hard at them, and the Caravan has some VERY NICE features that I wish my TC had!!! Items like extra wide entry door, full size Tub and large bathroom, outside stove etc...

[garym053]

I agree with Cliff on the canvas, but I also had another thought! Keep the pop-up and make a deal on the TT separately! The reason I say this is that several people who had trade ins, didn't receive as much for their trade ins as I did for going in and buying without a trade!
If you like the type of camping a PU affords, keep it and then make them make a deal to sell you a TT outright. Use the PU for those places that are ideal for PU camping, and use the TT for any other camping.
One of our favorite places to camp is Hermit Island in Maine. They don't allow TT, Hybrids, or even large PU's. Rather than sacrifice my PU for a net of about $250.00 or less, (What they will allow for the trade as opposed to what they will knock off for no trade!) it's worth it to me to keep the PU, use it where and when I like and use the MH, 5er, TT or Hybrid where it makes better sense.
Sorry to post twice on this, but meant to put that in the first post and lost my train (or untrained) thought as I typed!

[dee106]

lol,thats what we did! we have the hybrid for travel, and we got the TT for the seasonal site we got, so when we want to get away but don't want to tow, we have the site to use, and when we want to have friends over to the site we have the hybrid for them to use if they don't have a pu, hy, or tent!

the class a-c's are nice, but you have to tow a car behind, if you want to go into town!

[campingboaters]

I think deciding between a travel trailer and a hybrid also comes down to how many people camp with you on a regular basis.  
 
Those who have kids, I think, would lean toward the hybrid because of the extra room and bed.  At least that's my thinking.  We have two kids and having the extra bed (besides the couch and dinette) will come in handy when the kids get older and want to bring friends.  
 
IF it were just DH and I, I'd opt for a smaller travel trailer with seperate bedroom since there is less to set up.  I wouldn't want something so small that we would HAVE to convert the dinnette to sleep every night.  We don't spend all that much time inside so it wouldn't have to be all that large though.  Only thing, unless it's an option, I've only ever seen REALLY short full size beds in the travel trailers we looked at during RV shows.  That would certainly be an issue for my husband and I.  We can't sleep comfortable together in anything smaller than a queen.
 
Anyway, we upgraded from a 10 foot Coleman Santa Fe to our 19 foot Trail Cruiser and I don't see us changing anytime in the future.  I'm really happy with the layout we have and we have just enough amenities to take a bit of the "roughing-it" out of camping.  My family of four fits very nicely with a little room to spare for those future friends of our children or my parents (when they come along).
 
Hope this helps.

[wmkrahling]

I, like most everyone loves their PU.  My vote is the TT. But that is for me.  We have four kids, and outside of what we have, I have only seen TT that will sleep 8 without major reconfiguring everything ever night.  I am getting point that we are living on borrowed time.  I think in a couple years the kids are going to be too big for all of us in the PU.  I am looking to someday get an Aruba or Outback that has bunks in the back, and a queen sized slide out front.  But that will require a new TV.  We are making plans for that in our next vehicle purchase.  The old green machine will have to last a couple more years to make that happen.  114,000 and counting.

The advantage to a hybrid is the TV.  You can still pull at good sized hybrid without getting a semi to haul it.  

My suggestion is to rent both and see how you like either one.  Before I drop some serious cash for a new trailer, I am going to spend a weekend in it.

[dee106]

starcraft homestead settler sleeps 10, 27 ft long, gwv 4636 lbs tongue wgt. 624lbs
 
keystone- hornet also has one 24rs it's 25.5 long

[topcat7736]

We have our little Taos popup & the new to us Sunline TT (which we can't tow).

Because of my work scedule, it's difficult for us to go far away. We bought the TT & put it on a very large permanent site, next to a stream and will be using it as a summer home.

In many of the places we go, TT's & hybrids wouldn't fit anyway. So, we kept the popup for trips to those places (and our tent for places the popup can't go)! We can store the popup and all our camping stuff (in a shed) on the permanent site with the TT so it all works out for us.

Popups are great from the late Spring through the Fall. But, I don't like all the setting up & taking down normally, let alone when it rains....and it rains every time we go out.  I love all their windows & their ease of towing. The main drawbacks are bathroom facilities, moving around space and heating & cooling.

Hybrids allow towing with smaller vehicles, but are as big as TT's. Once past the towing problem, they are a lot of work to setup & take down. Bath facilities, move around space and heating & cooling problems in the popup are eliminated.

TT's are like the hybrids but, with solid sides, require much less setup & take down times. Ours runs the water heater and fridge/freezer on LP/12v or 120v electric with automatic switchover from 120v electric to the LP. The furnace is 12v/LP and the AC is 120v. Big water tanks allow extended stays for the two of us.

Class C's eliminate the tow vehicle but have limited internal space. Crawling into the bed over the cab just isn't for me. Setup's & take downs are easier than with the TT's, but you must either constantly setup & take down when you go someplace or tow along a car.

Class A's are bigger Class C's....much bigger. These are probably intended for people who RV full time, traveling around the country. They're not for weekend excursions. Plus, just where would you store it during the week? They're gas hogs & like the Class C, you'd probably need to tow a car behind it. Forget the NJ State Parks with any of them. But, they have tons of storage for everything the little lady needs to carry.

The true camper probably owns a tent, popup, hybrid, TT, Class B, Class C and Class A, allowing for any type of camping. Heck, buy a really big six flatbed rig & take them all along with you.....plus tow a car behind the last one in case you want to go somewhere.  

[champ521]

We looked at the hybrids but the ceilings are too low. If you are about 6'4" or taller, for get about it. You'll be banging your head all the time.