Beginning to think about the REAL DARK SIDE

[NightOwl]

well, we may soon join those who have moved over to a TT.  Billy's back problems are really restricting his future camping plans and the TrailManor is really more camper than I need when I go camping alone--so we're probably going to sell it in the spring.  

I've been seriously considering replacing my beloved TM with a small popup, but Al thinks I'd  actually be better off with a very small, lightweight  upright pull-behind TT  I've never really considered one before, but the more I think about it, the better the idea seems.  (Dont let it go to your head, Young Twin :J)     Clearly, a woman camping alone is better off with something simple as well as  something hardsided for security purposes.  (I  am not interested in an A-Liner or Chalet; nice as they are, they are too claustrophobic for me.)

I've been looking into Casitas or Scamps.  Do you-all know what they are?  They are shaped like a baby airstream, only made out of fibreglass.  My brother had one years ago--it was tiny, 13 feet long but very cleverly laid out and well-made and they loved it--I was very impressed with it.  Mostly it would be just me using it so my needs for space and features  would be very simple.

Both Scamp and Casita have 13 and 16 foot long models which are lightweight, not expensive,  and could easily be towed by my Aerostar.

And both companies have neat websites--have any of you ever seen one or do you know someone who has had one?

I'm just in the  early thinking stages about this  and would appreciate hearing  any ideas  or information you might share about other  brands and models which might be of interest for  someone with my requirements  who is  considering a small TT.  (And in my case, the smaller and simpler, the better.)

[MommaMia]

the TrailManor is really more camper than I need when I go camping alone--so we're probably going to sell it in the spring.  

TrailManor huh?  (Ears perked up).... rushing off to check out the amenities it offers....maybe a TrailManor in my future? hmmmm... now I'm thinking.  Think I can get the DH to sell his 67 Caddy for some extra $?

Seriously, don't fret if you do make that fateful trip, Elisa!  Sometimes we all try to stay so steadfast to our plans for the future that we sometimes forget that the future isn't set in stone and too much planning ahead can be for naught!

 You probably always thought you'd be taking the simple path.  You love nature and simple pleasures so straying to the Dark Side probably seemed like something you wouldn't consider.  But it's totally understandable that that path seems to make more sense.  For you, it's because you often go the road alone and having to do all the set up yourself seems like a lot.  Also, the comforts that can be had in a TT from a weary back far outweigh the airy feel of a pop up.

I, myself have thought about a hybrid more and more.  Seems like since I like to take the kids out on my own, a hybrid would make set up so much easier than a pop up.   If I had 1 kiddlet with me it wouldn't be that rough, but taking 3 under the age of 8.  It makes for one cranky mom when it's 95 deg out and I'm setting up by myself, trying to beat the T-storm rolling in faster than I can set up!

My dad still has the little TT he had when I was a kid. Don't know what kind it is, never thought to look.  But it's a sweet little gem.  It's all of 12 feet long, including the hitch!  Such a cutie!  Has a stove with oven, a tiny sink (too small in my opinion but he always washes outside) and ice box.  There is a closet that is and always has been just a closet but I always though what a perfect little powder room it would be.  Plenty of room to do the toilet shower combo thing.  The dinette folds down to a full and there is an overhead storage that flips down to a bunk for a lightweight kid.  Even when we got too big for it, Dad would flip it open just to use as a big open shelf while camping.  He'd roll up his sleeping bag ( we always use sleeping bags... never sheets!  It wouldn't be camping if we didn't use bags!)and tuck it on the bunk with his bag of clothes and other stuff.  

I alway thought that if I were to get something just for me, one of those little Teardrop campers would be just what i'd want!  Alll shiny aluminum with pretty birch woodworking inside.  Very retro and way cute!!

[HersheyGirl]

I have a girlfriend that bought a used Scamp less than a year ago, she camps alone,( her companion passed away) and LOVES her Scamp.  She also takes it cross country to visit her Mother.  She says that it is so easy to tow and easy to get set up.  She has the 16 ft Scamp.  I think for someone who would be camping alone or has some difficulties setting up a popup, a TT is the way to go.  At least you would be out camping.  Maybe it is just me, but a TT is not looking so much like the dark side anymore! :eyecrazy:  Go for it.

[NightOwl]

Thanks, MM and HG, for the encouraging words!  They are EXACTLY what I needed to hear!:#   I also had an e-mail from Al about another company reminding me that he had sent me their link before.  It's called Shadow Cruiser and they make very nice stuff similar to the Scamp and Casita, although a bit heavier  and not quite so aerodynamic because it is stick-built rather than molded.

I have to admit that a TT looks less and less "sinful" to me all the time , especially since  we have several  members here who have TTs and admit it in public--I wont feel the least bit guilty when I switch next spring or summer just as long as I can stay here with my old friends.

Still,  popups are my first love and I always smile when I see one on the road thinking of the fun we always had in our old Skamper. But reality sets in when I stop and think that I am not getting any younger and that if I have to camp alone, my TM wont  meet my needs much longer.  I know there  is always a trade-off with almost  everything in life--advantages and disadvantages to be considered.  

Yes,  one thing I know I will have to get used to  (besides the lack of space) if I go to a mini-TT, is the lack of that wonderful "open feeling" we all prize so much in our popups--and my TM has lots of space and windows "everywhere" although I can only find 3 little ones when I look at the Scamps and Casitas.  I admit I am spoiled by our big Skamper and the 17 foot box on the TM, and  I still think popups and hybrids make the best use of space and I'd have a hybrid if they werent so heavy.  (You can tell, I still refuse to go to another TV just as long as I can find a little TT my Aerostar can easily tow--the thing gets 22mph on the highway and 16 pulling the TM in the mountains and with gas prices going ever higher, I want to stick with something economical to drive. and tow with)

There are Scamp/Casita  owners  clubs and I've been reading their forums with interest to see how they handle tech problems as well as a site dedicated to molded fiberglass TT's.

[campingboaters]

If I were you, I'd consider a Bantam Flier -- especially if you are concerned about weight and that open/airy feeling you get in your trail manor.  A friend of mine purchased one this year and loves it.  It's a one bed 17' hybrid and she tows it with her v6 Isuzu Rodeo.  It has a couch and a dinette along with a queen sized fold out bed in front -- or you can get a u-shaped dinette. You can sleep turtled up or open the bed for more space.  It also has GREAT storage along the back of the camper -- inside and out. I thought it was a perfect camper for her and might just be perfect for you.  Check them out at http://rvwholesalers.com/design/BantamFlier/BantamFlier.php
 
Don't be afraid to go to the darkside.  It's your love of camping that you need to keep in mind.  Anything that makes it easier for you to camp more often is what's the smart move for you.

[MommaMia]

I admit I am spoiled by our big Skamper and the 17 foot box on the TM,

Ah ha!  So it MIGHT fit in my garage!  Does it have a swing away hitch?

[byrdr1]

Come on over to the darkside.....Its not all that bad, if you can get away and camp.....
9 more workign days and then we are off to RJ'sRanch for the 1st of 3 Halloween weekends they offer.. I cant wait neither can my kids, wife and MIL..
NightOwl the dark side pull is strong.....Once you are here it aint all that bad....

[Gone-Camping]

For this particular board, this could be considered sacreligious... However, buying your first pop-up, is actually taking that first step down the path toward the darkside...just most of them haven't actually figured that out yet....

I know, I've been there!

[Camperroo]

I admit I am a card carrying TT owner!!  :yikes:

Elisa, you have to camp in what best suits your needs, especially when health is involved.  This is why I can't popup camp anymore.  The beds aren't supportive enough for my neck and back and sleeping in the bunk ends with a draft would put me in the hospital for a week at this point!!  Having our TT I have a regular mattress set and there is no draft when it's cold or rainy, the heat stays in the TT and it's warm and comfy and my neck and back are very happy.  Our new to us camper is a 20 footer and is such a cutie, I love the one on our seasonal site, but this one we just got for side trips is awesome, it's spacious inside but yet small enough for me to tow with our Durango.  I don't feel intimidated by it at all.

We are however in our hearts, popup lovers.

[NightOwl]

well, you-all have given me some much needed encouragement and also lots of good stuff to look at.  I am mightily impressed by the Bantam hybrid.  This  hunt will  help the long cold winter evenings to pass, dreaming of some new little turtle shell home soon to be ours--hopefully  by the next full camping season.

It's funny how many of us have either already gone on to something else, or know that we will before long, and yet, we continue to love popups best of all.  there is nothing like them for pure fun or building happy memories with our kids and grandkids.  .

When T and I visited Al and Peggy last week, he commented that the comforts of their Sunliner (is it ever plush and spacious!) tempt them to stay inside it more than they used to and more than they should.  And Al then raised the question "are we really camping now?"  

Well,  yes,  camping in a hardsided TT is certainly not the same as  it was in a popup, but as Rose observed, our health and other limitations have to be taken into account and we have to make our choices based on them.  And  to be lightheartedly philosophic about it:  "some kind of camping is better than no camping at all."

And of  course, I have  been reading with great interest the remarks all of you have made about your TTs and hybrids and have found them fun to read  and full of  useful information

I promise not to feel guilty just as long as I am in the good company of other  hardsided  sinners like my friends here.    :J

[Gone-Camping]

Well Elisa, your post above really kind of points out the one thing that eventually effects all of us, there isn't a single one of us on this board that is getting any younger!!!

 
I recognized this about two years ago, and at the time was recovering from a shattered elbow, broken wrist, and broken rib. The PU (as much as I loved it) was just too much, and it wasn't getting any easier to deal with. The 23' Hybrid has provided so much more amenities for less money than a top of the line PU would have cost, makes the choice easy!
 
Now if I was still a young puppy in my 30's (or even 40's for that matter), then I'd probably be still arguing the point of the PU being best!
 
I've pointed this out before, I'll point it out again....I don't do anything different with my Hybrid that I did when I was in the PU, just a little less work is the only difference! I am not, will never be an "RV'er" !!! I'm a camper!!

[NightOwl]

Well Elisa, your post above really kind of points out the one thing that eventually effects all of us, there isn't a single one of us on this board that is getting any younger!!!

 
I recognized this about two years ago, and at the time was recovering from a shattered elbow, broken wrist, and broken rib. The PU (as much as I loved it) was just too much, and it wasn't getting any easier to deal with. The 23' Hybrid has provided so much more amenities for less money than a top of the line PU would have cost, makes the choice easy!
 
Now if I was still a young puppy in my 30's (or even 40's for that matter), then I'd probably be still arguing the point of the PU being best!
 
I've pointed this out before, I'll point it out again....I don't do anything different with my Hybrid that I did when I was in the PU, just a little less work is the only difference! I am not, will never be an "RV'er" !!! I'm a camper!!

Cliff, I love this post.  It says it all so well! :#  YES!  I dont ever want to be an RVer, just a "camper" and I guess it is all a matter of the heart, isnt it?

I love the idea of a hybrid because it gives you options--you can "turtle" in it or you can swing the canvas out and  pretend you are in your old popup again.  Gee what a great thought!  I am sure going to give them all a careful look as we are getting too old at our house to be  switching CAMPERS every few years!

I wish we'd had the TM when we were young and Billy could still  walk a trout stream for 8 hours (and come back with his limit, demanding that I cook them for him  )  It would have been fun to have when the girls were still home and going camping with us.  But our days of spending time and energy  setting the TM up inside and out  are  gone now and we need a simpler way to do things.  

I dont feel disloyal to popups or camping, thanks to the support I have gotten here and I guess I will never be able to pass one of the things without having my heart beat a little faster.

In fact, on our trip, Toni and I kept watching for them and trying to see a PUT sticker on them  (no luck there) and trying to fiigure out what kind they were--once a popup nut, always a popup nut I guess.

[brainpause]

Don't you lose any sleep about looking at dark sides!!!

Holly and I wanted a bigger popup...then we started looking at hybrids....

then she said, "Well, if you are going to get a big enough truck (diesel), then why don't we just get a fifth wheel?"

So........we look at fifth wheels all the time (and the hybrids). But it will be a while.

Elisa, just get you something you can go camping in!

Larry

[NightOwl]

Ha ha--You guys are SUCH a bad influence on me!  (And I think you for it from the bottom of my heart--and so does Billy.)  I keep thinking how nice it will be for us  to have a camper that doesnt require extra setting-up time..

The past few days especially, I  have been looking  back at the days of the big Skamper popup and  wondering WHY DIDNT IT SEEM LIKE A LOT OF WORK AND WHY DID IT ALL GET SET  UP SO QUICKLY?

The answer came to me in the night: because we had "resident slaves" also known as children.  YDD was 7 and her big sister was 11 when Skamper came to live with us and they loved helping set the thing up (while Daddy scampered off to bring back some trout)  and were too young and innocent to realize there were Child Labor Laws prohibiting what they were expected to do     Poor things, they didnt realize that what they were doing was not just having fun, but "work."

So I think this is one of the reasons (in addition to economics)  people who have popups are younger:  they have kids who can help--sort of a captive labor force.

I am  surfing the web late into the night lately  checking on every imaginable tow-behind kind of TT or hybrid.  And my bookmark list is so long now that it takes me half an hour to get to the latest additions at the end of it

My choices are limited because I HAVE to have something light enough for the 5,000 pound payload on the Aerostar.  And that means, I  wont be getting anything  that weighs much more than about 2,500 or so,  so that the car wont have a nervous breakdown  going over the Smokies.

I am very seriously considering one of the "Eggs"  like the Burro  which has a kingside bed and a small dinette.  They are really funny looking but just the right size for the two of us, or for me if Billy is tied up with work.

[byrdr1]

Check out ForesRiver Springdales..
17D I think it is called. Smallest they have on the website.. weight is right for you and any small truck, SUV..
My MIL looked at this one and put a deposit on it 3 weeks ago.. Now she is just going with us. We told here this might be a big jump for her.
She loves camping and wants to go.. We are putting a hitch on her truck to pull my PU and it is going with us to Myrtle Beach at Thanksgiving for her and our kids to stay in..She doesn't want a PU as it too much trouble for her to set up and go with by herself.
IF any one is interested after Thanksgiving I will sell my poup for less than $4000.00 I just want pay off..
 
 But this Springdale 17D is a nice unit with lot sof room. We saw it and I really liked it.. Priced at 9500.00 plus T&T...go price for a fully self contained unit..
randy