Which model to upgrade to?

[xjcrawler]

Looking to upgrade from our 2000 Coleman Taos. Wanting a PU with easy usable shower (prefer with hardside shower) and toilet and sleep 6. What models do you suggest my wife and I look at? Do not want to go any bigger than we have to. Thanks.

[Shepherd]

Looking to upgrade from our 2000 Coleman Taos. Wanting a PU with easy usable shower (prefer with hardside shower) and toilet and sleep 6. What models do you suggest my wife and I look at? Do not want to go any bigger than we have to. Thanks.

We love our 05 Fleetwood Niagara.  It has the hardside shower/toilet (we only use it for nighttime bathroom breaks).  It can sleep four adults on the bunk ends and two small kids on the dinette or a combination somewhere in between.  It is a highside so is big, but I haven't had any problems towing or backing it yet.  In fact, I think it backs better being longer than the little trailers I've towed.

[xjcrawler]

How much does it weigh on average when loaded and headed out to camp?

[Shepherd]

How much does it weigh on average when loaded and headed out to camp?

I can only give you the specs from the website.  It is 3190 lbs unloaded.  We probably add around 300 to 500 lbs max to it.  We don't have a/c, but we do have the second outside grill, chocks, two propane tanks, two batts, bedding, pots/pans, silverware.  I also keep the 30 amp extension cord and drinking & gray water hoses in it.  The food, bal leveler, and other heavy stuff we keep in the tow vehicle.  I don't tow it with water in the tank, etc.  If my calculations are wrong on the extra weight we carry (no self weigh scales I know of near) some more experienced pup-er will hopefully correct me.  It is big, but with sway control it hasn't been a problem and I've hauled it around in some of Colorado's crazy high winds.

[xjcrawler]

Thanks for the great info. My wife really likes the looks of the layout. :-()

[Shepherd]

Thanks for the great info. My wife really likes the looks of the layout. :-()

With the slide out dinette, it is amazingly spacious in there.  My wife comes from a motorhome family and she picked it out.  I call it the "motorhome with a tent on top."  The hardside bath does block a little of the interior view from end to end, but on the other hand, one of my twins loves to prop his pillow against it to read at night.

[glenster]

We love our niagara.. lots of room, easy to tow, we towed it with a v6 4-runner with no problems but with the tundra its like its not even back there the full hookup option is really nice also.. good luck in your search

[leefamfun]

Looking to upgrade from our 2000 Coleman Taos. Wanting a PU with easy usable shower (prefer with hardside shower) and toilet and sleep 6. What models do you suggest my wife and I look at? Do not want to go any bigger than we have to. Thanks.

We have a 07 Arcadia.It's the same as the Niagara,but,instead of a microwave,the lounge wraps around.We have slept 4 adults and 4 kids.We did a week of dry camping last year.Before heading out,we stopped at a stone supply and weighed the trailer only.Fully loaded was 3625.We tow with a Jeep Liberty. The jeep pulls it nicely.We have the Equalizer Hitch and brake controller.We live in Northern Utah,so,we deal with a lot of big hills.We really love our trailer!

[PattieAM]

I've got an 06 Niagara which I love.  Residential style china commode, hardwalled shower - very nice features.  I will ballpark the weight at about 4,000 lbs. - although it's listed as slightly less.

It tows well behind both my Ram 1500 pickup and/or Durango, easy to back into campsite and set up.  The glide-out dinette is a very nice feature, with nice views, and the additional floor space is appreciated.

The 3-burner range (one burner is high output) also features a nice oven.  The newer models have larger 3-way refrigerators (mine is a 3.7 C/F, but I've seen them listed recently at the 4.1 C/F size), with a little freezer compartment which will freeze ice cubes overnight and keep frozen stuff frozen - such as ice cream!  It may seem petty, but, I like having the twin-bowl sink - wash in one bowl, rinse in another.  

A forgotten plus .... much more counterspace between sink and range than many other models offer!

[xjcrawler]

Thanks for the replies. What years was this layout available? And is there anything you don't like? Thanks again for all the help.

[PattieAM]

Forgot to add that I have an Add-a-Room for my 06 Fleetwood Niagara - great 7x14 weatherproof area for kids, dogs, storage, just sitting out.  I've lowered the privacy panels and inflated an air mattress for additional sleeping accommodations and those who slept there liked it!

[Tim5055]

Thanks for the replies. What years was this layout available? And is there anything you don't like? Thanks again for all the help.

In 2004 what is now the high wall Niagara was called the "Hemlock".  from 2005 on it was the Niagara.

Depending on the year you may have a cassette toilet or later it changed to a china toilet with a black water tank.  On the gray water side earlier models started with two gray water drains and converted to one gray water drain which then converted to the combined black/gray drain available now.

What I think is the number one dealer (price and service) is Peco Campers on the east side of Atlanta.

Good luck in your search

[CC777]

04 Hemlock here....now known as the Niagara.

It has the same layout as the Niagara.  Mine has a cassette toilet and hardside shower.  There is no black watertank on his one.  You can see the layout in my webshots.

We LOVE this trailer.  All the room of a TT...we are VERY comfortable.  DD and I love the hardside bathroom.  It doubles as a changing area.  I bought some of those plastic over the door hooks and use them to hang towels or clothing on hangers....keeps the pup looking tidy.  

Lots of storage and counter space too!  Some friends of ours who last year bought a TT are seriously considering going with a HW  pup after seeing our Hemlock.

[shott]

We also have been looking to upgrade...with the same wants/needs as you. The one that is on the top of our list right now is a Rockwood HW 276. Hard wall shower, lots of storage, and electric lift.

[K_and_I]

We made the upgrade to the Rockwood HW 276 this Spring. The floorplan is quite similar to the Niagara. We love the hardwall toilet/shower, the larger 'fridge, the double bowl sink, slide out dinette, king/queen beds and all. We picked the Rockwood simply because the Rockwood dealer was having a sale and did several thousand dollars better than the Fleetwood dealer would. We were camping a weekend ago with our 2 married children (6 adults) and two grandchildren. Two of the adults chose to sleep in their tent, but the camper would have accomodated them. We had all 8 of us inside during several hours of thunderstorm, and it worked well. If you make the move, you'll love all of the room.
FWIW, we weighed the camper the first trip out. Gross weight loaded was 3400#; tongue weight was 400#.