Looking At The Dark Side Again!

[whitestar505]

Hi Folks,
 
    Well, I am thinking about it again, but always come up with the same question. Which one is the best trailer for my needs ? With my current TV I could pull up to a 24/25 footer, but do I need or want all that. I would like to buy one just once. With me the grass always seem greener on the other side. Being at the rally last week, I began to wonder again about buying a Hybrid again. With only my wife and I and the two dogs of course do I need a large trailer? I am also thinking thst this will be less work? Am I thinking right on that?
 
 Your input has always been great in the pass. I hope you have some more good ideas this time?

[campingboaters]

When we bought our hybrid, I shopped and shopped and shopped some more.  I wanted it to be the last camper I bought for a very long time.  Here it is, two years later and already, I'm thinking about what features/options I would want in my next hybrid camper.   One thing is for sure -- I would want another hybrid camper.  If you are always thinking the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, you too might THINK this will be your last camper for a while, but I'm guessing you'll get lured with the newest features/options in a few years.
 
 Overall, a hybrid camper is easier than a pop up because 1) you can load and un-load everything in little chunks of time when you have the time; 2)you can put all of your food in the built in USABLE refrigerator and freezer ahead of time and leave the refrigerator on during your ride (no coolers!); 3) setup time is less once you get the camper backed in and level and 4) everything has it's place in a hybrid camper instead of piled on the floor in a pop-up -- waiting to be set in place when you set up camp.
 
 I've typed threads in the recent past (http://www.arveeclub.com/showthread.php?t=52231) on things I would want in my next hybrid which might help you in your search for the ultimate camper.  Some things might not matter to you now or you might just not be thinking about certain things until you've owned a hybrid -- which is my case, completely.  Of course we have two kids, which makes our situation different, since dogs don't require quite the amount of stuff that kids require!
 
 Good luck in your search and feel free to ask more questions!

[whitestar505]

campingboaters,
 
    Great write ups! Now the 50 million dollar question, what is the brand you have now and which one would buy next week?
 
   I agree with all you wrote. But remember I have been a Coleman person longer than I can remember. Which Hybrid is the top of the line, and not by $ amt. I am sur you have studied it already.
 
   Once again, great input.

[dee106]

whitestar, when you were at the rally did you stop by my hybrid? site 154, we have the large hybrid from star craft, 21sso, we have more space then the roo at the same length. (cheryl) we have double the cabinet space, our slide is deeper, our couch is a bit longer and opens to a bed., and our table seats four adults, we have a deeper tub, and more out side storage. If was fun walking around and seeing the other hybrids there, and comparing, you choose on what your needs are! we have two queen size beds also. and roomy bathroom!

I also have a 32 foot hardside, the only thing better on the hard side is the folding of the beds! remember that the beds are on the inside on a hard side so it take up more of your floor space, and are heavier. and you only have one real bed were the hybrid you have two!

[campingboaters]

whitestar505,
 I owned a Coleman Pop-up before buying the hybrid, so I know where you are coming from. I chose the hybrid that I did (see my signature below) because it was made by the inventor of the hybrid camper -- Trail-Lite, so I felt it was the best at that time. It was also THE lightest, especially at the tongue. I also chose the hybrid I did because the floor plan met all of our needs.
 Now, it would be a tough choice as I believe most of the manufacturers have come a LONG way. I'm leaning toward a 23 foot model with the slide for the sofa and a u-shaped dinette. The Coyote by KZ ( http://www.kz-rv.com/coyote/coyote_index.php ) meets most of my needs, but then again, I like the Rockwood and Shamrock 23 foot campers with the same layouts. The bottom line for me will be the beds -- how big they are, how they fold and how the canvas attaches to the bed ends. For me, it's now ALL about faster setup and break down time.
 
 My only real problem is finding a dealer I like in my area for the camper I like. I LOVE my current dealer that sold us our pop-up and our hybrid. The salesman was wonderful and the service department was TOP notch. The problem is, I don't know that I'll buy another Trail-lite product because they currently do not have the features I want. Maybe I'll wait a year or two and see what happens.
 
 Oh, and I think you should take a look at sactocamper's new website.  He breaks down the advantages and disadvantages of pop-ups and hybrids!
 http://sactocampers.tripod.com/id10.html
 
  Hope this helps!

[whitestar505]

dee106,
 
   Yes I did see yours, Of course I did not look inside of it. Had a good time at the rally and glad to meet you. You done a great job. So did tracey. Right now I have been eyeballing the Antigua 195ck sold by Starcraft. What do you think? When I look at the weight for some of these, it is in the range of my Utah when packed. So I think maybe this will not be a TV problem. I would like to keep int in the range of 3500 to 4500 lbs. What is your weight empty?

[calstate360]

dee106,
 
Yes I did see yours, Of course I did not look inside of it. Had a good time at the rally and glad to meet you. You done a great job. So did tracey. Right now I have been eyeballing the Antigua 195ck sold by Starcraft. What do you think? When I look at the weight for some of these, it is in the range of my Utah when packed. So I think maybe this will not be a TV problem. I would like to keep int in the range of 3500 to 4500 lbs. What is your weight empty?

Well I'm not Dee but I will try to help.
Personally I am not fond of the white interior on the Antigua series.
Our 23 foot works fine for us with the dogs and all the camping junk we take with us. Starcraft's are not the lightest weight trailers out there and they have less ground clearance. I broke a handle on a dump valve because of this.
I also don't like the fact that ours does not have a large side window but we spend most of our time outside anyway. I think the Jayco line has a better bathroom as they have a larger tub shower combo and they were lighter in weight when we bought ours.
The nice thing about a hybrid is you can turtle in it when traveling or stop for lunch. Four days after we bought ours we took an extended trip to South Dakota. When we got hungry we just pulled into a rest stop and had lunch. On the trip back home we stayed in Flying J truck stops and just kept the trailer closed. Also the dogs are content to stay in the trailer when we go sight seeing and no one has ever known that they are inside, they are usually surprised that they were even there. But our dogs love to camp and think it is a special treat that they get to lay on the couch which we keep covered.
What it boils down to is the same as purchasing a popup, the features that you want in your trailer, and the quality of construction. As far as it being the last one that you buy? We all say that untill thay come out with some nifty new features that we wish we had in ours. It's like buying a computer, a few months later they have one that it just "perfect" for you.
Buy what you can afford with the features you want and enjoy it. Next year you will see one in a campground somewhere that will make you dream again.
I hope this long winded answer has been of some help.
Sal

[campingcop]

Well here's my $.02 worth.

After going to 2 differnent RV shows the wife picked out the KZ Coyote C20.

The things I liked about the coyote is the canvas is attatched(no bungee cords)
it has the inside cables(no susport poles) just drop the bed down put the shepards pole in place and the bed is set.

Dislikes: small bathroom,no tub,

The C20 weighs 3350 dry.  it has a 32gal gray water holding tank,32 gal.black water holding tank and a 32 fresh water tank.(I travel with all tanks empty)

One thing I noticed at the rally was the ground clearence that the Coyote had as comparied to the Roo.  We were on site 165 and there was a Roo on the next site(sorry can't rember thier name) which seamed to sit a lot lower.

As far as interior space I would like to have the slide out but its me and the wife and 2 dogs so there is plenty of space for us.

As said before you'll have to find what suits you best.

[dee106]

never had a problem clearing the bottom! never hit it, i liked the double queen beds, and the larger cabinets, and the bathroom, the gvw 3400, ours loaded most likey 4200, www.starcraftrv.com has the whole list. Sal we looked at yours, but i didn't like the idea of climbing over the dinnett, dh was on the large size when we bought ours!

[Gone-Camping]

I looked for nearly 2 years, even bought a slightly used PU and camped in it for a year before moving to the Hybrid. I looked at everything that was available here in the area, Rockwood Roo's, Aero Cub's, Starcraft's, Trail-Lite Bantams, Trail Cruiser, Cabana's, Coleman Caravan and Flaggstaff.

When it came right down to it, I was after price first and foremost. That brought it down to the Trail Cruiser from RVWholesalers.com, or a Rockwood Roo from a local dealer. The TC was still a little cheaper, 2' longer, and had more amenities. The Rockwood was about $1500 more, but it was local and didn't have to drive across an entire mountain range to get it.
 
However, the fit & finish of the Trail Cruiser eventually won out, though the Rockwood was a nice trailer, I just didn't see the same quality in it as I did in the TC. Besides, the trip to Ohio to get the TC cost me only $500, so I still saved about $1000.
 
Although I'm struggling with the bills right now, and may even have to sell the TC, I'm still looking at new trailers again. This time, NO CANVAS for me! I'm over it...canvas is too thin, lets through too much light, too much heat in the sun, too much cold in the winter. Same issues as a PU when closing in the rain, ya gotta open it and let it dry out. The next trailer will be fully hard sided I'm afraid, but will need a bigger truck first!!!
 
Oh, if you do get a TT or Hybrid, be prepared to pay the price in fuel consumption, it'll go WAY down!!!

[whitestar505]

campingcop,
 
See you made it home safe. Great!
 
I looked at the KZ Coyote last night and liked it very much ON THE INSIDE ONLY. On the outside, well, It looked like it needed to be dressed. It looked so plain. Also with the high clearance of the trailer almost looks like it is top heavy. Of course the higher it is the more wind and pull on the road. That also leads us to more gas. But if I could get a dresser one I might go with it. When I mean dresser I mean good looks with class and quality materials built-in.
 
I looked at the 16C and the 20C, after looking at them and living in a pop-up for a little over two weeks, the 16C looked just right. The bathroom was a lot smaller then the 20C.
 
I think it will take me awhile to deceide which is the one but, as always I like the input you guys have. It sure helps out alot..
 
Thanks

[whitestar505]

Gone-Camping,

Looked at the Rockwood Roo on the web, they do look nice. Will have to look at one. So far every thing I see on it I like. I may be looking for a very long time myself. I need to go to some RV shows to see all at once. Of course this will make me more confused like always. Price is very importance but is not everything. I will pay for a little better item. Thanks for the input.

[Calstate361]

This is Joan, Sal's (Calstate 360's) wife putting in my 2 cents.  We enjoyed our PU when we used it, but the packing and setup killed us.  We are not small people and it wore us out.  I hated having to get down on my hands and knees to get anything out of the frig.  Besides our PU, also a Starcraft, had the dining area slide out and when it was closed there was absolutely no storage space so everything had to go into the truck.  This was not fun and usually took us 4+ hours to pack and unpack.  BUT, I LOVE OUR STARCRAFT HYBRED!  If I work steadily for about an hour I can have all the food, clothing, and other stuff we take, out of the trailer.  It is also very nice to have cabinets to keep all the pots and pans and other necessities in.  One of the things that I don't like is that there are no drawers.  I would like a row of drawers, like the Kiwi, to put utensils, towels, etc. in instead of having to use baskets everywhere.  We could also use a drawer in the bathroom.  The bathroom is also a bit small and would have liked a larger one, but we purchased what we could afford at the time that met most of our needs.   I didn't think about the drawer problem until after we had the hybred, which is something you might want to consider.  Our couch area bumps out the width of the couch and just that little bit makes a big difference.  We really enjoy it, but like Sal said, there are always new and better ones coming out that you wish you had.
 
Bottom line, get what you can afford and best meets your needs at the time, and one that your TV can handle.   Good Luck!
 
Joan

[SactoCampers]

My favorite part about the hybrid is when I'm done setting up and think to myself, "wait a minute, I know there's got to be more here to do" and there isn't.

 
Biggest thing to consider is that it won't feel as much like camping, visibility outside won't be as good due to all the cabinetry, and you won't have as much natural sunlight, especially when it is overcast.

[Gone-Camping]

Oddly enough, the visibility factor doesn't bother me. With the PU I kept the curtains pulled for privacy most of the time anyway. I just didn't spend enough time inside the trailer so looking out just didn't factor into it. Even in the rain I find I'm still outside most of the time.
 
The windows in the Hybrid are disappointing, but the trade-off is less amenities inside the trailer. I've only got one window on the 'drivers' side of the trailer, but it's a fairly large one, the rest of the wall is taken up by barthroom & shower, wardrobe/closet, and fridge/freezer - all those items are what made this trailer desirable. Oh, and I still spend most my time outside (I'm not an RV'er, I'm a camper!!)