Kind of Fishing Related - RVs

[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.

http://www.sierrarvsales.com/utahrvd...spx#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...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.



Gayle modeling the exterior...



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



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.