kfeusse Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 We own a pop up, but it's starting to fall apart and we are considering getting a Hybrid or Expandable camper. (thanks to the people that answered on the other thread....I now have a real name for the kind of camper I wanted). If you own one of these....give me your honest opinion as to how you like it? Was it worth the extra money you spent? How did you find it? I mean, we want to buy used...and it seems like most of the camper stores don't have many of these types of campers. So we are looking at craigslist too. I guess I am looking for more reviews on this type of camper...and the make and model you have too. thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 I've had my eye on a trailmanor. the lightweight towing of a popup - but more substantial and totally hard side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kfeusse Posted July 29, 2014 Author Share Posted July 29, 2014 who makes those?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted July 29, 2014 Share Posted July 29, 2014 Preface: after owning a hybrid (now attempting to sell it ;) ) for several years, we've come to the conclusion that the RV / trailer / hybrid / pop-up lifestyle is just not for us, so bear that in mind, as it does "shade" my thoughts on our experiences. :) We have a 2004 model of this one (221SD TT Wanderer Lite by Thor), which as you can see from the photo and the floorplan, has 3 "fold outs" -- a queen size over the hitch & propane tanks, and a double that folds out on each side. That leaves the entire back end free to be a more spacious bathroom than most. There is actually a tub big enough for 2 small children, or even one small adult. The U-shaped dining area can also be converted into another double, so you could actually sleep 9 (if you put three smaller children into the queen fold-out, and slept 2 people on the doubles. We found it via an ad in the local weekly ads (just before Craigslist took off), and bought from an individual, not a resale lot or an RV place. New, I believe it ran about $12,500; we bought it when it was 2 years old for $8400. Currently, blue book values it between $4000-$5000, but I can't imagine finding someone to buy it for more than $2500 -- the awning needs to be replaced, and a year ago someone stole the propane tanks and the battery off of it in the middle of the night. :( Pros - spacious floorplan, so you don't feel crowded with lots of bodies inside - good amount of cupboard space - decent fridge, stove and microwave sizes - roomy and comfy U-shaped seating area - the fridge/freezer is handy rather than having to use a cooler and iceblocks - having a microwave to use was handy - electric hook-up is almost always included in the site fee, if electricity is available Cons - heavy, heavy, heavy to pull, so VERY slow-going up hills/mountain passes (and we have a 1996 Suburban, last year with the extra-power V8 engine) - expensive on gas -- extra weight (compared to pop-up) makes it suck through gas (our Suburban gets 16-18mpg on the highway; pulling the trailer, we got about 9.5mpg.; going up through a mountain pass with a head wind on one trip dropped that to 6.5mpg… :ohmy: - canvas fold-outs can tear, or allow wind-blown rain in around the cracks - like a pop-up, if you fold it up wet for too long you're dealing with mold - the awning metal mechanism has just never worked right -- VERY hard to extend/roll up again - we live in a very hot area, and the sun has rotted the awning (even though rolled up), and also caused the plastic bathroom ceiling fan to get so brittle it snapped - tall and wide and scary to back up/park -- I do not feel safe doing it, so DH is the only one who can drive and park the thing, so very wearing if you only have 1 possible driver - because it folds down on both sides, you may be excluded from some campsites, or only be able to fold down one side and the front, so keep that in mind for # of people and sleeping arrangements - canvas foldout is like a tent -- does not block sounds from nearby other RVs Final Assessment: We ended up disliking having to dump and clean out the sewer tank, so we ended up just using the campground bathroom and shower (which also had a LOT more hot water and more standing room for bathing) to avoid that work -- so we ultimately could have just tent-camped and gone without the extra weight of a bathroom. :laugh: And then one night we were at 8000' and the temp. dropped to about 20˚, and it was just too cold to sleep in the foldouts, so we put the kids on the floor in sleeping bags and pads, and DH and I slept on the bed area of the converted dining area. A cabin would have been a much better option then. I personally FAR prefer backpacking or campground tent camping for actual camping. I would find an RV/trailer useful for if we were planning a 3-week trip to a single location and could set it up as our "hotel" homebase, and then do day trips from there. JMO: you would want a trailer with actual metal slideouts rather than canvas foldouts if you are going anywhere that is consistently wet or cold or very hot, as the canvas foldouts are NOT great at insulating or keeping out extreme weather. And for a vacation, we really prefer an actual bathroom and shower of a motel room, and using the fridge/microwave to eat in the room while watching cable TV, rather than jammed into a small trailer, running the risk of smoking up the inside by frying bacon or other stovetop food. More restful, more flexible, closer to the vacation sites we want to visit. I also think that unless you are "into" the RV lifestyle, any of these RVs/trailers/hybrids/pop-ups are just very expensive boats-on-wheels that you constantly dump money into, to the point of really not SAVING you money, if that is the goal -- repairs; annual insurance & registration; propane, new tires and batteries every year (sometimes every trip!); extra gas cost; higher campground fees for hook-up and dump station… etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted July 30, 2014 Share Posted July 30, 2014 hmmm… yet again, it appears I have killed a thread with TMI... … or maybe people are just afraid I'll try to sell them our hybrid if they step into this thread... :laugh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JuanitaL Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 hmmm… yet again, it appears I have killed a thread with TMI... … or maybe people are just afraid I'll try to sell them our hybrid if they step into this thread... :laugh: Our hybrid leaked where one of the tents joined the cabin. (So OP, when buying used - make sure you look for water marks around the inside.) The "mattresses" were what I imagine corn-husk stuffed beds must have been like. We ended up throwing those out and using queen sized blow-up mattresses for both beds. We bought space heaters for each end to keep it warm enough to sleep at night. It was great for a week at Disney or a weekend at the beach, and miserable the times we lived in it for extended periods while waiting on military housing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kfeusse Posted July 31, 2014 Author Share Posted July 31, 2014 how is that different that a pop up with a hard roof? I mean the canvas has to stop someplace too...so I would think leaks might be just as likely, yes? We found a used Hybrid that we are going to look at in the next day or two. Sold by owner...but the owner says all is good. So I am hoping so. It's a 2007 Jayco Jayfeather 19H. Being that we are using a 2000 Coleman Fleetwood pop-up camper now..this has to be a step up, right? thanks for all of your opinions...and if you have more, I will be interested in hearing them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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