Kind of Fishing Related - RVs

[NCL]

I have been thinking about selling my Jumping Jack Tent trailer and upgrading to a self contained travel trailer. The only problem is I don't know the first thing about travel trailers so I thought I would ask on here. What is a good brand? Is there anything I should be cautious about? I am so green I am not even sure of what questions to ask. So I guess those of you that have bought travel trailer to use on fishing trips, what would you do different? Thank you

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I see quite a few friends buying these new light weight hard side travel trailers.

Most seem to be around 18 to 21 feet long.

Dan Blanton has a big 28 foot travel trailer he uses at the Delta but he just bought a smaller light weight 17' one for going off on fishing trips.

http://www.danblanton.com/viewarchive.php?id=190255&archivefile=/arch201405.php


My friend John Hogg just bought a new 19 foot Fun Finder light weight travel trailer too.

https://rockymountainrv.com/rv/f-189fds-fun-finder-cruiser-2014/

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[Dan Blanton]

I see quite a few friends buying these new light weight hard side travel trailers.

Most seem to be around 18 to 21 feet long.

Dan Blanton has a big 28 foot travel trailer he uses at the Delta but he just bought a smaller light weight 17' one for going off on fishing trips.

http://www.danblanton.com/viewarchive.php?id=190255&archivefile=/arch201405.php


My friend John Hogg just bought a new 19 foot Fun Finder light weight travel trailer too.

https://rockymountainrv.com/rv/f-189fds-fun-finder-cruiser-2014/

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Hey Bill, Cindy and I have made two trips since purchasing our 17-foot White Water Classic, the latest to Lake Almanor, staying at the Northshore Camp grounds. So far we love the trailer. It's fully loaded and everything is working brilliantly. When towing, I hardly know the trailer is behind the Tahoe. Here's a link to a report on the Almanor trip. www.danblanton.com/viewarchive.php?id=191206&archivefile=/arch201407.php

[kylgrn]

I've been eyeing one of these guys http://www.forestriverinc.com/TravelTrailers/rpod/

[Dan Blanton]

I have been thinking about selling my Jumping Jack Tent trailer and upgrading to a self contained travel trailer. The only problem is I don't know the first thing about travel trailers so I thought I would ask on here. What is a good brand? Is there anything I should be cautious about? I am so green I am not even sure of what questions to ask. So I guess those of you that have bought travel trailer to use on fishing trips, what would you do different? Thank you

NCL,

Please feel free to e-mail me at danblanton@danblanton.com if you wish more information on the trailer my wife and I recently purchased. It is really laid out nice and is of the highest quality. See my post below under Bill's post. Layout and floor plan is very important with a small trailer and the 173 White Water is laid out as good as it gets.

Good luck,

Dan

[NCL]

Dan,

Thank you. That is a nice looking trailer. Could you explain why the floor plan is important?

Kylgrn

That R-Pod looks like a nice deal.

I need to do more research. I am thinking as has been mentioned that something in the 17 to 18 foot range would be perfect. I am just looking for something that I can stay in for a few days and have a little security.

[Kneedeep]

We're also looking for another trailer.
Preferably a lightweight with slide-out and a bed that allows easy access so one person doesn't have to climb over the other one to get out of bed!

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Most of these smaller ~16' - 20' light weight travel trailers are designed to be towed with a V6 powered vehicle like a mid-size SUV.

For somewhere around $20,000 new these trailers are very practical for most of us.

There are dozen of makers of these now so I would try to go to a major RV show so you could see lots of them.

I think the floor plan is extremely important but the new comer won't see the subtle differences right away.

Having a slide out is a big deal too.........

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[Rockman]

95239524I did not know if you needed a trailer for "family" fishing trips, but if its just you and the wife a pop-up truck camper is very versatile. My camper with a lower profile allows me to go to places that conventional truck campers and trailer will never see and it allows me to camp in more peaceful area's. I can also tow my boat or my trailer with a pram and additional camping gear in the back. Fully self-contained w/ solar to charge the batterys make it a great versatile rig. It also has north/south sleeping so you don't have to crawl over your spouse. That being said, you still have to "climb" down from the bed if nature calls in the night. Even though I can cram 2 adults and 3 or 4 kids in it, that would be to much. Perfect for 1 or 2. Just an option. Many people have liked my rig when I fish and ask about it, so I'm just throwing out an option that it great for 1 or 2 people who may still want to tow a boat to the lake. Takes about 1-2 minuets to put it up or take it down. My next one will not have a indoor shower which makes the length shorter and allow me to go with a shortbed truck making the rig even smaller and more manuverable in tight off-road places.

[betty]

I've had a couple of fishing friends who have had Casita's and loved them. Used ones hard to find and sell quickly.

casitatraveltrailers.com

Betty

[Dan Blanton]

Dan,

Thank you. That is a nice looking trailer. Could you explain why the floor plan is important?

Kylgrn

That R-Pod looks like a nice deal.

I need to do more research. I am thinking as has been mentioned that something in the 17 to 18 foot range would be perfect. I am just looking for something that I can stay in for a few days and have a little security.

For us the bed position and size was very important. Your really don't spend that much time in the trailer but you will spend a good deal of time in bed. We wanted a smaller, light, easy-to-tow trailer without a slide that adds considerable weight. We wanted at least a queen-size bed that was located in the rear of the trailer with some room on each side for easy access and make-up. We wanted plenty of storage which we got with the 173 White Water. The kitchen, fridge and bathroom located mid-section and the dining table/spare bed located forward. If you look at the photos you'll get an idea of the layout as I've described it. Some beds are positioned cross-way in the trailer which means someone will have to crawl over the other to get in and out of bed. Anyhow, everyone has their own preferences but this layout I think is about as good as you can get in a small trailer. The AC unit is located over the bed and cools the trailer down very well. We also had a digital "Jack" TV antenna installed (Great tip Bill), which usually gets us several good channels most places we've been. If you e-mail me, I'll send you more details and photos. Hope this helps.

PS: here's a link to a White Water trailer dealer with all the various floor plans. Check out the 2014 173 model - that is the floor plan we have. By the way, the bed pedastal is all storage area accessable by lifting the bed or from a reer storage access door.

www.sierrarvsales.com/utahrvdealer/Riverside-RV/White-Water/Travel-Trailers.aspx#floorplans

[Dan Blanton]

Most of these smaller ~16' - 20' light weight travel trailers are designed to be towed with a V6 powered vehicle like a mid-size SUV.

For somewhere around $20,000 new these trailers are very practical for most of us.

There are dozen of makers of these now so I would try to go to a major RV show so you could see lots of them.

I think the floor plan is extremely important but the new comer won't see the subtle differences right away.

Having a slide out is a big deal too.........

.

Hey Bill, we love the 8-foot slide on our larger trailer since in makes the unit so much more roomy; that said, it also adds considerable weight. We wanted a smaller, ligh-weight, easy-to-tow unit and that meant for us, no slide. With the almost perfect layout we have in the 173 White Water, we really don't need the slide space since we are making short trips, usually not more than a few days in duration. So far, so good.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Thanks Dan,

My wife and I would agree about the bed.......it is very important, especially for us older couples.

http://www.riversidervs.net/MODEL-173--ISLAND-BED.html

[Kneedeep]

I like that one , Bill. Sent the link to the little woman.
Would tow very easily with our new 2014 Ram V6.

[Dan Blanton]

I like that one , Bill. Sent the link to the little woman.
Would tow very easily with our new 2014 Ram V6.

I can hardly tell I'm towing it behind my Tahoe, although I do have a big V-8 engine. With this trailer you don't need a load-leveler although I did install an anti-sway bar to help keep the trailer from swaying from wind pushes by big rigs and other large vehicles passing us, coming or going. It makes a difference. The down side of towing any trailer is that you can't tow a boat; but if you go with a camper-truck unit, you have to de-camp every time you want to drive somewhere. The next option would be a small motor home but those are considerably more money. I have a pram that I can put on top of my Tahoe and for most places - lakes and such - a pram or kick boat (tube) will do. There are always trade-offs, but the 173 fit both our budget and our personal camping RV needs. If you get one, I'm confident you'll like it.

[loose_shoes]

Not a trailer but Marc Wassmann in Grass Valley is making exceptional expedition campers. He is using luxury yacht building techniques and materials in the construction mated with very thoughtful design. They are nothing at all like a typical RV and perhaps the best truck-based camper being made today.

http://xpcamper.com

I've looked at small A-frame trailers like the Chalet and Aliner as they are the perfect size for my needs. However, I've been very discouraged by the quality of construction and materials of most small hard-sided trailers on the market.

If XP ever decides to make a small pop-up trailer I'll be the first to sign up for it!

[NCL]

Thank you all for your wise insights. I like the idea of being able to get into certain areas with the pop up camper but the idea of no permanent camp is both positive and negative but it certainly is an option to consider.

Dan,
You provided some great insights. I sent you an email.

I looked at the RPOD yesterday and the upside the dealer is in Redding so not much travel to look at the models.

My first step is to sell my Jumping Jack tent trailer. Well technically that is not correct, the first step is convincing the Chief Financial Officer AKA wife what a stellar idea it would be to have a trailer.

[Kneedeep]

Ask and you shall receive.............
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=777486138929559&set=o.102579076519095&type=2&theater

[Dinky Jr]

My girlfriend and I just took the maiden voyage (10 days in the Eastern Sierras... trip report to come) last week in our new Scamp camper. It is 13ft long and of the fiberglass eggshell type. It is very similar to the Casita's mentioned above. We were looking for something small and light, and basically narrowed it down to a Scamp, Casita, R-Pod, or T@B. We ended up going with the Scamp because it had the option of not having the bathroom (which we didn't want,) but a full range of customizable options. Ours has a full bed (dinette table folds down and converts,) couch that becomes two bunks, fridge, stove, water pump, hot water heater, and extra storage cabinets, etc... Two of the nights we had 3 full sized adults living/sleeping in it and it didn't seem too crowded. It weighs about 1500lbs without water, and had a tongue weight just under 200 lbs. It pulled very easily behind my 4cyl Subaru Forester. There are also a 16' trailer and a 19' 5th wheel sizes available as well. I'm looking forward to putting in some miles on it as my fishing base of operations.

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Gayle modeling the exterior...

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The rear of the camper where the dinette folds down into a full sized bed. Sink, stove, fridge to the right.

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The front of the camper... couch converts to bunk beds that were surprisingly roomy. I (5'10") easily can lay out flat on them.

[DennisV]

Here's another option to consider. High roof jumbo vans. Ford, Ram, M Benz, and Nissan all have these now.

I just finished a camper build on a Nissan NV 2500 on Sunday. Haven't even used it yet.

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[kylgrn]

@DennisV: These are great, reminds me of this video by native norcal resident Alex Hannold, who just so happens to be one of the best free climbers in the world. Anyways, his van is cool.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CArfaGmYuGM

[k.hanley]

Alex has it going on!
Cheers, Ken

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

We like tents, popup tent trailers, popup campers, cab over campers, travel trailers, motor homes and even cabins.......

Popup campers, motor homes and cab over campers allow you to tow a boat......wonderful.





Maybe the message board group can plan a lake camping trip in October?

....

[Dan Blanton]

We like tents, popup tent trailers, popup campers, cab over campers, travel trailers, motor homes and even cabins.......

Popup campers, motor homes and cab over campers allow you to tow a boat......wonderful.





Maybe the message board group can plan a lake camping trip in October?

....

Bill... have you ever considered running for political office...? :-)

[beachjumper1]

before writing check spend a lot of time simulating using the rig lay on the bed sit in the bathroom get in the shower tie flys at the table while someone cooks, check storage, weight limits, onboard water,blackwater,graywater how long can you dry camp before you have to go dump and refill. how hard/complex to hookup setup level what tires come on it. where will you store it. after 40 years we have a 28' fifthwheel not always perfect but close go shop have fun

[Bitter Dave]

Not a recommendation since I've never rented from here, but take a look at: http://www.danstrailers.com/

I've been thinking of renting the 13' Scamp trailer, but I still need to hook up the wiring harness for my car first.