Who owns a camper?

[BigVal]

Girlfriend and I are shopping around for a camper because she's sick of tents. I'm not crazy about it but she deserves it lol so what kinda pros and cons things to look for etc? She wants a bunk room model I know that 

[grampy]

I've owned three campers. The last a 33ft Mallard. Are you goung to travel around with it? Or set up on a seasonal site? If traveling, don't max out the tow capacity of your tow vehicle. If buying used, always check the flooring for soft spots, due to roof leaks. Camping with a travel trailer can be really fun!

[DirtTime]

We have been 'debating' this for years. I want something I can drive and just park in the site and level it up. The wife wants a tow camper ( trailer ) so we don't have to worry about engine/tranny issues ( the problem with this is, neither of us can back up a trailer to save our lives ). 

If you can work on the mechanics yourself, I say go with a drivable RV. If not, trailer.

Size is on what you will be comfortable with.

As for a bunk room? Never heard that before for a camper. 

[wolc123]

My wife also does not like tents.  A truck camper works ok for us.   The pros are: 1) Can tow a boat with it.  2) Can take the camper off and use the truck for other stuff.  3) No registration/inspection required.  4) No wheel bearings or tires.   Cons: not much room inside - good for one or two people, three works, but four is too crowded.   When the whole family goes, I usually get to stay in a tent while the wife and two girls stay in the camper.   What I like best about ours is that the queen sized bed up top is very roomy and comfortable, and the propane heater with fan and thermostat keeps it real nice inside when it is cold outside.   My old one had a propane heater but no fan or thermostat.  I used it a lot for hunting before I was married and it was always a little too hot or a little too cold inside.  My wife also likes the bathroom with portapotty in the new one.   

Edited June 15, 2018 by wolc123

[Lawdwaz]

Pics of these campers would be great..........xtra points for "in use" pics.

[Gencountyzeek]

We had a 25ft nitro xlr toy hauler that had a queen bed up front. In the back u had the dinner table with a couch on either side that would fold together to make a queen sized bed. Above that was a queen sized bed, both were on a rail system that with the push of a button would raise too the ceiling so we could park 2 quads side by side. Had kitchen area and bathroom. Great little camper. Traded that in on a 32ft grand design imagine. It has two bunks in the back, larger bathroom, fold out couch, dinning area, large kitchen area lots of storage. Good sized bedroom for us with more storage. This is for a family of 4. Probably overkill for just the two of you. The toy hauler would be a good fit.

[Bionic]

I want to build my own camper from a small 6x12 cargo trailer.

Just throwing out another idea.  

[Moho81]

With my limited experience of campers and tent camping having a camper is the way to go just for the simplicity of packing. I don’t mind the tent and don’t think the camper is that much more comfortable but it’s worth the convenience. A lot of stuff stays in the camper and you mostly have to pack clothes and sleeping stuff.

It all depends on how much you want to spend. There are so many different types out there that I’m sure you can find something that works for you.

When looking look for soft spots in the floor or water marks on the roof or sides that will be a big indicator of damage. Also look for wear and tear if it looks beat up chances are it was not taken care of and will have some issues. Look for a lot of storage space as well as a little circulation space. Not sure if you have kids or will have kids but 2 adults and 2 kids becomes a dance in a smaller camper.

Personally we are looking at what they call a hybrid model. Mix between a pop up and a full camper. They are smaller for towing, weight and storage but they have canvas fold outs front and rear for the beds. They are also cheaper than most same sized hard shell campers. But of course the canvas adds maintenance. We want to keep it simple and not have a house on wheels. Just a nice place to sleep and get out of bad weather if there is any.


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[Adkhunter1590]

We have been 'debating' this for years. I want something I can drive and just park in the site and level it up. The wife wants a tow camper ( trailer ) so we don't have to worry about engine/tranny issues ( the problem with this is, neither of us can back up a trailer to save our lives ).  If you can work on the mechanics yourself, I say go with a drivable RV. If not, trailer.

Size is on what you will be comfortable with.

As for a bunk room? Never heard that before for a camper. 

 

 

RVs are great, until you want to explore the area and have no way to get around. Unless you tow another car behind it or drive a second vehicle your stuck at your campsite unless your gonna break camp and drive that monster around town to explore or pick up supplies. Unless you get a class A bus, you most likely won’t have a full size residential fridge, which means extended stays will be difficult without restocking the fridge. O and can’t forget that if your towing a car behind it, you can’t back up.

 

This is my old mans setup. We traveled around out west for over a year in this thing. But without towing that Jeep, we wouldn’t of been able to go hardly anywhere.

Unhook Jeep, park RV and go. Spent a few days in Moab rock crawling the Jeep.

[turkeyfeathers]

There’s a camper for “ rent “ on Harris hill just south of wehrle   I want a tricked out Winnebago  and a chauffeur 

[Adkhunter1590]

I grew up camping ALOT with my family. We started with a pop up when I was real young, then on to a travel trailer, when we got heavy into MX racing we had a 30ft enclosed car trailer we built foldable bunks into for traveling the racing circuit. At the end we had a class A diesel pusher which was the ultimate way to travel but your talking $385k for that puppy.
You really have to figure out how many people your expecting to be going with you to size up what kind of trailer you need. If kids or friends will be coming along you definitely want a bunk house. Somewhere in the 26-33ft length range. Next big thing is how much time do you plan on spending inside the camper. If you plan on long trips that could encounter days of crappy weather you’ll probably want a trailer with slide outs to give you more interior space to make things more comfy. You’ll add weight and complexity with slide outs but you’ll gain a lot of space. We had trailers with and without slides and I prefer ones with slide outs regardless of how much time we will spend in it. If your not expecting to much company you could look into a 5th wheel style which generally don’t have bunks, some do but it’s not nearly as common. They are usually setup more for couples and have a bigger “living room” style setup to them in the rear. They are also a lot nicer to pull down the highway on long trips compared to bumper pulls. But you lose the bed of your truck for storing things like firewood and such so there’s pros and cons to 5th wheel vs bumper pull.
Generally the higher you go in price, you get higher quality materials. Stuff like faucets and sinks, fridges and such. I’d suggest going to a RV show and checking out all the campers so you can see the difference in price levels and manufacturers. You can spend a ton of money on these things and there’s unlimited amounts of floor plans. Buying left over models is a good way to save a ton of cash and even buying a couple year old one off Craigslist is a good way to go too. A lot of people buy these things, use them a handful of times and never use them again. So your chances of buying a very gently used one at a true bargain are very high.
If your looking at ones that are getting up there in age you really need to check the roof and floor for leaks and soft spots. Don’t forget to check under the sinks and showers as well. The lower end models use mostly plastic faucets and hardware that are prone to breaks/leaks. Check the axles for upkeep like properly greased bearings and such. Awnings tend to take a beating sometimes so make sure there’s no rips and the frame arms fully operate, otherwise you’ll be spending a decent amount of money repairing them. Unless your pretty handy, I’d stick to something 5 years old or newer to avoid any major problems and repairs.
No matter what one you buy, stuff is gonna break on these things. A lot of times it’s small stupid stuff but be prepared mentally for it. All the crappy bumpy roads send shock waves through everything so stuff is bound to come loose or break at some point or another. My parents $385k class A had stuff break, so the amount of money you spend means very little when it comes to these types of things.
I don’t think anyone asked this yet but what are you planning on using for your tow vehicle? That will basically set the bar for what you can and can’t buy. You don’t want to overload your truck to the point of making it dangerous or illegal. These days the campers are so much lighter than years past which is awesome but you still need to be careful. A good weight distributing hitch and sway bars will cost you some coin but you’ll thank me later when you pull through a good wind storm.

Little long winded there but hopefully I have you some stuff to think about. Like I said I’ve been around campers my entire life so I’ve learned quite a bit. Any questions let me know! Good luck and have fun camping!

[Robhuntandfish]

grew up camping pretty much all summer.  My Mom and step Dad had a fifth wheel huge camper and were just so into it and my Dad had a camp in Lewis county.  Had fun at all the places for sure but I will never own a camper.  By the time you buy the camper, the vehicle to pull it, pay for a site (which now have become very expensive) , the towing, all the stuff you need, the setup of everything, then winter storage and flushing the lines etc etc.....  just a Pita !  Then you park in a campground that has someone next to you that has 3 dogs 6 kids and 4 coolers of beer ( and they dont share) .   Much rather just pull up to a rented cabin with your food and stuff and have a vehicle to get around in or pull a boat with.  Can rent a camp for a whole week somewhere and actually save money and be comfortable and have a shower etc.   Had lots of good times camping but also lots of rainy days where you couldnt do much and were stuck in a damp camper.  But learned a while back to rent your fun and that making camper payments in Feb sucks! lol  The camp was way better and nowadays renting a camp or house somewhere is just the way to go.  With the vacations rentals available in so many spots the options are endless.  As adkhunter^ said above - "a lot of people buy these things, use them a handful of times and never use them again" - cause they realize its more work and money and less vacation.  

 

Edited June 15, 2018 by Robhuntandfish

[mowin]

The best advice I can give is to really look at the floor plan.  Our first RV was 32’ tt.  We liked it, but quickly realized the floor plan didn't work for us. The toilet and shower we're on one side of the camper, and the sink on the other. Making the bathroom very small. The master was so tight you couldn't walk around the bed. Had to crawl into it.  Basically, after taking a shower, had to boot the kids out so we could get dressed in the living room.  Keep that camper for one yr. 

Basically Invision everyday life inside when looking at a camper. Make sure the floor plan fits your needs. 

After several campers, and no kids at home, we bought a 5th wheel with a rear living floor plan.  No more bunk rooms for us. Daughter asked her mom where she was going to sleep if she wanted to stay, mom pointed to the couch.  Lol

Don't just look at the towing capacity of your truck.  The payload capacity is more important, and likely to fall short before towing capacity.  The hitch weight, the weight of the hitch itself, the occupants of the truck, gear in the back of the truck, all add up quickly.  And the more gear you pack into the camper, the higher the hitch weight.  

[Jeremy K]

www.rvwholesalers.com

 

Do not buy a camper without checking this place out first !! You'll have to put in your phone number most of the times so they text you the price but they will destroy any price on a camper you will find in N.Y. or any rv show price . My parents bought there last 2 campers from them . They are in Ohio but will deliver or you can pick up . 

The wife and I are really looking at the Rockwood roo 21SS ,it' a hybrid with double fold out beds and a single super slide ,colton rv wanted the same price for a 5 year old one as this place was asking for a brandnew one.

[Steve D]

We currently own a pop up which has been a nice step up from tent camping. The disadvantage of a pop up is you have to set it up unpack, and when you leave pack it up, tear it down, and usually when you get home have to set it up again, and unpack/ clean it up etc.  I would like a hard body tow behind that you just pack & un-pack when you leave and come home.

The advantage of a tow behind is you can park it at a site, disconnect, and go sight seeing if you want vs a rv where you either have to drive it everywhere or tow a vehicle behind it.

 Our choice if we take the plunge would be a Forest River Wolfpup  Bunkhouse model. We wouldn't need all the bells and whistles but mama likes to be comfortable and have a potty.

We like the layout because it has plenty of storage, a bed you don't have to set up and tear down and a couple of bunks if you take someone along or want to keep suitcases or hunting gear on them.

There are SO MANY options out there so it is hard to decide but that would be our choice.

Forest River Wolfpup bunkhouse model.

 

Edited June 15, 2018 by Steve D

[Jeremy K]

9 hours ago, Lawdwaz said:

Pics of these campers would be great..........xtra points for "in use" pics.

Only one I can find of my parents set up ,this was the Connor and mayweather fight party.

Edited June 15, 2018 by Jeremy K

[Pav2704]

I purchased a 2017 Heritage Glenn.  It’s 30 feet with three bump outs and has a bunk house for the kids.  We purchased out of state from Ohio Rv Wholesalers and saved considerably on the price.  We probably take it on four to five trips a year and I use it all of hunting season.

[WNYBuckHunter]

I have owned quite a few campers. Currently, we have a 25ft Wilderness, which my girlfriend had when we got together.

Some advice on them, first and foremost, do not let a salesperson talk you into a camper that they say your truck can tow. Make sure for yourself first. So many people are sold trailers that have a dry weight thats at the edge of what their tow vehicle will handle because the sales-douche told them their vehicle could pull it. Look at the GVWR for the trailer and base it off of that. Dry weight is with no tanks filled, no options on the camper, like A/C, etc. As soon as you fill the propane and water tanks and load 1000lbs of crap in there, you are over the capacity of the vehicle. Also pay attention to tongue weight, and dont exceed the payload capacity of your vehicle.

Second, tow with a good quality weight distribution hitch with sway control. I have used a few types, and by far, my Equalizer hitch has been the best. Dont skimp on it, the extra money is well worth it when your trailer isnt wagging back and forth in windy conditions or when you pass a semi.

Next, look at the construction of the camper, particularly the roof. I would never ever recommend a camper with a flat roof. It will leak at some point, and that stuff is not fun to fix, been there, done that. Look for a domed roof with a 1 piece rubber membrane or fiberglass roof. As with most other things, you get what you pay for. Cheap campers do not hold up. These things take a fair amount of abuse being towed all over, loaded and unloaded, and then they sit out in the weather all of the time. The low end models will start breaking alot sooner than better quality trailers.

last, as far as floor plans go, just keep in mind that kids are in and out of them all the time, dragging dirt and crap in with them. If you can get one with a separate outside door to the bathroom, and an outdoor kitchen, I would go with that. Bunk models are nice, but generally speaking, most of them now just have the bunks open to the kitchen or dining area. Unless you are going really big, like 33 feet or more, youll have a really hard time finding a separate bunk room. I would suggest getting something with beds for everyone though. Folding out the couch or converting the table into a bed is doable, but its a pain in the ass on longer trips. The camper we have now is like that, and it sucks to have to wait to cook breakfast or move around the camper until all of the kids are up and around.

[Nomad]

10 hours ago, Bionic said:

I want to build my own camper from a small 6x12 cargo trailer.

Just throwing out another idea.  

I used to belong to a forum dedicated just to these builds, I forget the name .

love camping, lived a week at a time out of a backpack, then tent camped with our kids, parents gave us their 24 foot Sunline ( the fun line ....) we gave it back . We didn’t have a two vehicle and I sure wasn’t going to drop the coin on one just to camp a few times a year . We did use theirs for awhile though .

Today since since I retired we considered getting one again , but Frankly with my Outback getting 33 mpg highway and  Airbnb,and state park cabins we find that much easier all around and cheaper , then the cost of a tow vehicle and trailer , looked at class B’s, no way Jose .

I rented a house in Fla for part of the winter , $85 a night,. And I don’t have to,tow or drive the damn thing .....

To the OP as a kid my family went cross country twice with a pop up, and they were nothing like the ones of today , you’ll do,fine with whatever you pick .

[Bionic]

14 minutes ago, Stay at home Nomad said:

I used to belong to a forum dedicated just to these builds, I forget the name .

love camping, lived a week at a time out of a backpack, then tent camped with our kids, parents gave us their 24 foot Sunline ( the fun line ....) we gave it back . We didn’t have a two vehicle and I sure wasn’t going to drop the coin on one just to camp a few times a year . We did use theirs for awhile though .

Today since since I retired we considered getting one again , but Frankly with my Outback getting 33 mpg highway and  Airbnb,and state park cabins we find that much easier all around and cheaper , then the cost of a tow vehicle and trailer , looked at class B’s, no way Jose .

I rented a house in Fla for part of the winter , $85 a night,. And I don’t have to,tow or drive the damn thing .....

To the OP as a kid my family went cross country twice with a pop up, and they were nothing like the ones of today , you’ll do,fine with whatever you pick .

Teardrops & tiny travel travels forum? I browse once in a blue moon.  

[Bionic]

My dad, and I always camped as well growing up.  We started with a 70s canvas tent then a $200 beatup 1970 starcraft popup.   We fixed it up together as an additional way to spend even more time together.  So we did, and used it for a few years.  We used to go to Mongaup Pond in the Catskills almost every weekend.  We then sold it in 2003, and my dad bought a brand new Coleman Sedonia(i believe that is the spelling).  For some reason my dad could not stand that new popup, so after one season,  he sold it the following spring, and bought a 24 or 25ft sunrise I think the brand was, but not sure anymore.   That was a good camper, and at this point we started leaving it on a site as a seasonal.  We used that trailer until 2009, where he ordered a new 2010 Cougar 5th wheel 27 footer this time with a slide out.  He searched long, and hard, for the floorplan he wanted, and we went to shows, and numerous dealers, for the correct choice.  He still has the 5th wheel today, but for the past 4, or 5 years he has not done the seasonal site setup.  

I agree with tow ratings, and tongue/pin weights, etc.  Even my dads trailer says "1/2 ton towable" he has had a 3/4 ton with 4.10 gears in his past two trucks, with rear airbags, and he thinks its a bit much for the 3/4 ton....so use your own judgement as well.

I tent camp myself with my girlfriend,  and we have a real nice setup, but being I have tent camped for years, and years, I am at some point going to buy a small cargo trailer.  Plan is to stepup to a UTV, so with a cargo trailer, I can convert that into a small toyhauler.  We travel 500 miles up to Northern Maine every summer, so lightweight,  and nimble would be ideal.

Also, if you think there is a possibility of doing the seasonal site setup, sometimes it make more sense money-wise to buy a little weekend camp of your own.  We did this, and taxes on the cabin, and land, are about a third of the seasonal site rate in our area....I am grown up now, so my dad, and I just want to be left alone in the woods to disconnect from the ways of the world.  If you have kids, or plan to, then obviously a family type campground is a good thing for the kids.

Just throwing out a bunch of ideas.  Just think, think, think, before making a decision. 

[BigVal]

Awesome info guys! Really do appreciate it all. For us we have no kids but plenty of friends to stay with us, we have a truck that's capable of towing the majority of campers, and really set on a tow behind. The reason we're doing this now is so that we can travel mostly around the state and close border states together on weekends and for a few week vacations. Storage is not an issue luckily as I have plenty of space in a friend's storage lot. I ducked out of work early and looked at some. One that sticks out is a 32 foot bunk house made by keystone with three slides. Price is decent (don't want to spend a fortune) and the fit seems right. We will be back later together to talk about it and look at some more. 

[grampy]

18 minutes ago, BigVal said:

Awesome info guys! Really do appreciate it all. For us we have no kids but plenty of friends to stay with us, we have a truck that's capable of towing the majority of campers, and really set on a tow behind. The reason we're doing this now is so that we can travel mostly around the state and close border states together on weekends and for a few week vacations. Storage is not an issue luckily as I have plenty of space in a friend's storage lot. I ducked out of work early and looked at some. One that sticks out is a 32 foot bunk house made by keystone with three slides. Price is decent (don't want to spend a fortune) and the fit seems right. We will be back later together to talk about it and look at some more. 

Nice! Come back and let us know what ya got! The Keystone is a very nice camper!

[Nomad]

Good luck BigVal ! Four families from my neighborhood all camped together, we each had two kids . Big fun , the campfires, kickball and softball games , fishing ,hiking , the kids could just take off for the day and play !

Fair Haven sate Park was our favorite , is an hour from Roch . You won’t be disappointed, great beach,pier and fishing .

[Jeremy K]

Staying at my parents new camper this weekend for father's day with archer. The first door is the bunk room ,then the bathroom (can't see) the far door is the master bedroom.