RV Tips & Tricks

[Timothy]

Fewer non-popups sold? They don't sell many popups around here, or at least I don't see many on the road when I go on vacation. Fifth-wheel trailers seem more common than popups, with regular travel trailers maybe outnumbering them and truck campers combined. Cars pulling popups seem to outnumber motorcycles pulling trailers but that's about all there are fewer of.

Fewer non pop ups sold.  There wasn't anything on the lot today that was anywhere near my max GVWR. 
They just don't stock too many mini-ultra light units.

[Timothy]

Looking at Ford's towing specs on line, I think you are pushing the limits of the 2.0L turbo. 

Keep in mind that as you shop, all weight specs are "dry weight."  This means, no water, no waste, no lp, and none of your crap.  Oh, and empty waste tank as well.

I did find several in the 14' to 20' range that were 2,000#  or under.  But, there are two other items I would look for:  Single axles pull easier than tandems, and aerodynamics matter.  These two items alone can make more difference than what you pack into the camper (added weight).

Yea, 3500 is the MAX with a 350lb tongue weight.  I know that limits me severely but I've found several that are 2200 or less dry which leaves me some wiggle room.  Don't ever plan on towing with a full load of grey or black waste if I can help it.  Most of these little guys have limited waste tanks anyways.  We also don't need a lot of crap to survive.  I don't anticipate carrying more than 1000 lbs of stuff but ya never know..  Ford says it will pull 3500 so I'll try and work with it...

I can pull 4000 with my featherhauler truck so push comes to shove I can use that as well.

[alfsauve]

Miss Kitty and I have batted this idea around about an RV.  The overhead, not just $, but in setup, teardown, maintaining, keeping it stocked, etc.  Just exceeds what we're willing to put into it.

On the other hand, close friends of her's retired last year, sold everything and are doing just that.  Traveling around the country.   They've come back to Marietta, this month to regroup and to replace the tow car. 

Some take to it others, well, Motel 6 will keep a light on for me.

[Big Frank]

Since you have a truck you could buy a heavier trailer instead of looking for something you can pull with a compact car. You would have tons of options in new or used trailers.

My truck only has 270 HP, 15 HP less than a new 4.3L V6, and when I pulled my friend's trailer it was like pulling nothing at all. It's a steel frame cargo trailer with a plywood deck, built over 2 mobile home axles, and it had 4 or 5 ATVs on it. I can't remember now if the little kid size ATV was on it, or just the 4 adult ATVs. None of us can lift the tongue of the empty trailer without someone standing on the back of it. Add maybe 2,500 pounds on the trailer plus whatever the trailer weighs and it's heavy but tows like a dream.

What kind of truck can't handle more than 4,000 pounds.?

[Timothy]

Ford Ranger ‘03 with 3.0L V6.

I’ve had it since it was born.  It’s a dog......and uncomfortable.

[Sponsor]

[DanPatWork]

Depending on how flexible you are you might want to look at the teardrop trailer like the Little Guy, or you could step up to a small fiberglass walk-in like a Scamp, Boler, or Trillium.
I've owned both a Little guy and my current Scamp 16, as well as larger travel trailers.and pop-ups.
I loved the teardrop because it was.super light and easy to tow, but climbing in and out of the door got old and hard on the back. Used fiberglass rvs can be found.in the 2500-5500 price range but will likely need work. Your car will likely be limited to the smallest of these due to weight. For inexpensive and light the pop-up may be your best bet. Just make sure the canvas and lift cables are all in good shape. An alternative is that some rv sales places rent pop-ups too. Guaranteed clean functional camper for a once or twice a.year without the cost of ownership.

[Timothy]

Travel Lite Falcon F-Lite FL-18RB



There’s one just south of me to go inspect.  They appear to be decent quality.

I was intrigued by the Little Guy units but they’re heavy because they’re well made and PRICEY because they’re well made!

[Big Frank]

Of the 3 Travel Lite Falcon F-Lite trailers that one looks the best to me by far. In the other 2 you have to go through the shower to get to the toilet, and it looks like your feet are in the shower when you sit down. And there's no bathroom sink. After you're done in the bathroom you have to wash your hands in the kitchen sink. If the other person is doing dishes you'll just have to wait. The trade-off for the bathroom being twice as big is having a tiny dinette, but it's big enough for 2 people. The floor plan seems a bit odd with door way back behind the axle and the refrigerator where door usually is, but it still looks good.

ETA: I noticed the doors on all 3 of them have the hinges at the front, which is a good thing. My mom's trailer has the hinges at the rear of the main door. If the door opens while you're going down the freeway at 70 MPH it will fly all the way open instead of just opening a crack.

[Timothy]

Just left the RV dealer.

The unit was cheap, I couldn’t stand up without whacking my head (I’m only 6’1”), the shower was puny and already needed work though brand new.  The base sagged under my 260 lbs.

All in all, pretty dissatisfied with the prospects.  Giving up for now.

Looks like tents, cots and sleeping bags.

Maybe I’ll buy a boat so at least I’ll be happy on day one and happier when I sell it...

LOL

[Big Frank]

I usually stay in a tent for 2+ weeks straight every time GM has their 4th of July shutdown. 18 nights from the Friday I leave home until I pack up on a Tuesday morning is typical. One year there was another week to go with those 2, but I came home to do laundry and mow my grass in the middle of the 3+ weeks, then went back again the next day. The plant my friend works at is shutting down for the whole month of July and I plan on spending as much of it camped at his property as possible. When you spend that many nights in a tent, a comfortable bed is very important.

Several years ago I gave up on cots and switched to an air mattress. My cot is 24" wide between the sides of the frame, barely long enough to lay down on, and has a foam mattress 1.5" thick. Actually 2 foam mattress now, because I took one off my other cot. I have one doorway in my house that's 26" wide from jamb to jamb, and there's only 24" between the edge of the open door and the jamb, the same width as my cot. I can only walk straight through if I pull my arms in, and even then my shoulders still just barely scrape by. No wonder my cot feels too small. I'm actually wider than it is.

My air mattress on the other hand is 39" wide, 75" long and 10" thick. I can't sleep on my back or my face, and when I'm on that narrow cot there's not enough room to pull my knees up and sleep on my side comfortably. Rolling over from one side to the other several times a night is also difficult. My air mattress with its 15" extra inches of width is easy to roll over on, and I have much less pain when I wake up. And if you think I should just buy a wider cot, I've slept on them before and they never felt good. They don't give like an air mattress does and cause me pain anywhere there's a lot of pressure, like my hips. Putting an air mattress on a cot doesn't work well for me either. Another benefit of an air mattress is that it won't rub holes in the tent floor like the feet of a cot can.