Author Topic: Camping trailers  (Read 10412 times)

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Offline CG6468

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Re: Camping trailers
« Reply #25 on: February 07, 2012, 08:36:34 PM »

Your'e lucky. The PO of ours (1988 Starcraft) had so much crap in it, (nice to have but you'll see), that it broke the axle. I was able to fix that but now the sink assembly has fallen apart, the "closet" fell apart (took it out, it sucked anyway) and one of the leveling jacks is.....................jacked up.   :argh:

Geez. Sounds like some kind of lemon.
Illinois, south of the gun controllers in Chi town

Offline RobJohnson

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Re: Camping trailers
« Reply #26 on: February 11, 2012, 12:59:09 AM »
Zeit...there's a dealer in Chichester called Camping World of NH.  Know anything about it?

Man, you look at the new (and I mean NEW--never rented, never taken off the lot) 2011 models, and they are seriously cutting prices to get rid of them.  Like 30-50 percent off the 2011 list prices.

I like the looks of this one--simple, not too expensive, and probably small enough to be hauled with the Jeep:



There are several out there with aluminum frames that are easy pulls at the empty dry weight. I would also suggest a transmission cooler if you do not already have one.

I've been around RVs most of my life, my parents spent five years traveling full time until my dad passed while waxing their diesel pusher..

I have a pretty nice Fleetwood 5th wheel, I am going to sell it this year. I lived in it for a while when I first moved to NV..It has four slide outs. I bought it from an electrician that had dogs and most hotels in Las Vegas  are not pet friendly,so he lived close to job sites in the RV. He lost over 50% after a year..It books for 36k but I will sell it for much less, I have the title.

This is close to mine: Pics Mine is a few extra feet and has an extra slide out and custom furnature.

Offline Wineslob

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Re: Camping trailers
« Reply #27 on: February 13, 2012, 02:06:28 PM »
Geez. Sounds like some kind of lemon.


Not really. When the axle broke there was no more "suspension" (the wheels were stopped by the frame) so every bump in the road jarred the crap out of the trailer. The axle broke when I was deer hunting. I had to drive 4.5 hours back home (12 miles of dirt road just to get to paved). No way to fix it in the woods.
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Offline obumazombie

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Re: Camping trailers
« Reply #28 on: February 13, 2012, 04:18:25 PM »
Not here. Just minimum maintence (greased wheel bearings [not necessary now; I installed those sealed boat trailer axle buddy caps) and some light oiling of moving parts.
Let's not carry on about our sex lives.
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Offline CG6468

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Re: Camping trailers
« Reply #29 on: February 13, 2012, 04:31:19 PM »
Let's not carry on about our sex lives.

Sometimes those bearing buddies come in handy!
Illinois, south of the gun controllers in Chi town

Offline cmypay

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Re: Camping trailers
« Reply #30 on: February 13, 2012, 04:40:00 PM »
We bought a MH back in 1997. It was ok for a while but we ran into problems with needing a vehicle while traveling. We sold that in 2000. In '05 we bought a 5th wheel and LOVE it. We lived in it for 6 weeks during our last transfer and our 3 kids didn't kill each other.  We are planning to upgrade in the not too distant future. We have found one that has a second bathroom in the back for the kids.

Offline CG6468

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Re: Camping trailers
« Reply #31 on: February 13, 2012, 04:52:10 PM »
That's WAY too much trailer for us. I'd also have to buy a truck big enough to haul it around.
Illinois, south of the gun controllers in Chi town

Offline rich_t

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Re: Camping trailers
« Reply #32 on: February 13, 2012, 05:13:46 PM »
That's WAY too much trailer for us. I'd also have to buy a truck big enough to haul it around.

No no no....

Get one of these http://generalrv.interactrv.netdna-cdn.com/src/rv.ashx?bg=LightGray&width=100&img=/images/inventory/115687_2.jpg

And tow your Prius behind it.
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Offline cmypay

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Re: Camping trailers
« Reply #33 on: February 13, 2012, 05:50:11 PM »
That's WAY too much trailer for us. I'd also have to buy a truck big enough to haul it around.

With the vehicle you have, I'd go with an aluma-lite. They've come a long way in the last few years. Lots of nice amenities and very light. We're working with a friend to find one to pull with his Jeep. Prices are really good right now too.

Offline zeitgeist

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Re: Camping trailers
« Reply #34 on: February 13, 2012, 07:36:36 PM »
As I mentioned I picked up a nice '97 30' Cat 250HP Diesel pusher and will tow a G6 for the first time this year.  Put the tow plate and wiring on last fall now I need to get a good proportional brake set up.  If I had thought about things more I would probably have opted not to have the moveable pedals in the G6, it is complicating my choice.   The G6 has an adjustable brake and accelerator pedel as an option but that limits me when it comes to installing a toad brake system. I will have to go removeable brake or disable the movable feature which means m/zeit will kill me 'cause she is vertically challenged and loves the feature.

I look at the whole camper thing as towing the trailer versus towing the car with the exception that you can't really back up a MH and toad.

< watch this space for coming distractions >

Offline EagleKeeper

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Re: Camping trailers
« Reply #35 on: February 16, 2012, 11:44:55 AM »
Nope, got a pop-up tent trailer. The saying for boats "a hole in the water into which you throw money" applies here too.

Yeah, the best days in my life were the days I bought a boat(s) and the days that I sold them.
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Offline CG6468

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Re: Camping trailers
« Reply #36 on: February 16, 2012, 09:44:01 PM »
My wife and I went to the Chicago (Rosewood, IL) RV show today. I already liked, and she really liked the Rockwood A128S Premier Hardside A-Frame camper.

So we got it, brand new and for a reduced show price over $4000 off dealer price, depending on where you shop. Just waiting for delivery now, probably about 4/1/2012.

I'll also have them install the trailer brake controller (it requires going under the dashboard for an electric hookup and   running the wires to the back of the truck), and a battery. They're throwing in the cost of all that and for filling the 2 cylinders of LP.
Illinois, south of the gun controllers in Chi town

Offline Chris_

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Re: Camping trailers
« Reply #37 on: February 16, 2012, 09:47:53 PM »
Wow!  Sweet!

Enjoy. :)
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Offline Chris_

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Re: Camping trailers
« Reply #38 on: February 16, 2012, 09:49:04 PM »
What is your tow vehicle?  The trailer brake controller should only require splicing into (or adding on to) the existing wiring harness.

I rented a U-Haul for a Ford Ranger and it came with a plug-in wiring harness for the trailer.
If you want to worship an orange pile of garbage with a reckless disregard for everything, get on down to Arbys & try our loaded curly fries.

Offline CG6468

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Re: Camping trailers
« Reply #39 on: February 16, 2012, 09:52:33 PM »
What is your tow vehicle?  The trailer brake controller should only require splicing into (or adding on to) the existing wiring harness.

I rented a U-Haul for a Ford Ranger and it came with a plug-in wiring harness for the trailer.

2007 Honda Ridgeline. About 22 MPG towing on the highway. It has a specific connector for the brake controller wiring.

The guy I spoke with has done several of these vehicles; he's their electric wiring and connections installer. I'll have him do it according to Honda specs. Besides, it's for free!
Illinois, south of the gun controllers in Chi town

Offline CG6468

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Re: Camping trailers
« Reply #40 on: February 16, 2012, 09:56:15 PM »
Here is a video of setup and takedown. My wife had NO problems doing this. It's a snap; both procedures take about 30 seconds.

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZnS0sPnU7o[/youtube]
Illinois, south of the gun controllers in Chi town

Offline vesta111

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Re: Camping trailers
« Reply #41 on: February 17, 2012, 08:56:30 AM »
Here is a video of setup and takedown. My wife had NO problems doing this. It's a snap; both procedures take about 30 seconds.

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZnS0sPnU7o[/youtube]

First I do not recommend a pop up canvass top camper unless you intend to stay in camping parks.  Critters and-- Gasp --bears have no problem with getting into a camper with a cloth top.    Actually bears can get into most anything they want, cars, trucks and metal campers, but at least you have a warning with them. 

My Camper was fun and golden, full kitchen and bathroom, small hot water tank, I believe 8 gallons and the refrig could run on propane.  Tandom wheels, in an emergency we could have lived in it as long as the Honey Waggon came every week or so.

Camping in anything other then a cabin was new to me in the 1960's, the Kids bought used school buses and outfitted them with bathrooms, kitchens and seating and sleeping areas that were unique for the time.

International Harvesters were the choice buses to get, got to figure they ran for 3- 4 hours a day, 5 days a week or less, 9 months of the year, picking up and off loading kids from school, seldom went over 45 mph and had constant maintenance. 

I do not know why school districts auctioned off their buses at 10 years old for new ones, only that the College kids got them for around $2,000 each or less and did some very innovated things with them.

  Up until the 1990's these buses could be kept in good condition by any kid in highschool Automotive class, no computer stuff, only problem I found was on my  bus 1979, in a down pour it would stall out and I had to get out and dry off the distributor cap, replace it and go on my way.

These old work horses are still in demand by those that want to get their hands dirty and create their own one of a kind camper and if times get wild a place to live in an emergency.

The new campers are not what the Preppers are going for unless they have someplace to park them year round.  They know in an all out panic the last thing they would do is to try to haul a camper on the roads full of insane terrified people.

Camping is fun and a break from the normal routine, however it is much like buying a time share where one pays an arm and a leg for one or two weeks away from home.   

I checked into it and for $8,000 to buy an old used  camper, the upkeep taxes and fee to camp, I can take my family every year for 4 years on a cruse ship at discount prices to places we have never been before. 

Lots of things to think about before one invests in a camper, how many weeks of the year will one use it, where will one store it in off season, will the family want to go into the boondocks with strangers camping 5 feet away from you ?

A big investment and one that does not appreciate in time, One can head out to the Grand Canyon for a couple weeks each year, or spend the money to take the kids to see the Mayan Temples, kids can allways see America and the geology's of what has happend in millions of years,  but few get to see or wonder about Human history that cannot be explained.

Just crazy me, I did the camping and found it interesting, but I would have rather been for my family and myself in a place we would never again get to see at it was when we saw it.

BTW Hubby hates camping, the bugs in the food, the drunks next door, the fear of the wild critters, he was no fun at all in the woods.    I should have taken him to New Orleans to see some really wild life.





 

Offline Rugnuts

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Re: Camping trailers
« Reply #42 on: February 17, 2012, 09:26:43 AM »
for the first time, a lengthly vesta post ruined a thread for me  :thatsright:

Offline Chris_

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Re: Camping trailers
« Reply #43 on: February 17, 2012, 09:32:14 AM »
for the first time, a lengthly vesta post ruined a thread for me  :thatsright:
noob. :popcorn:
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Offline Rugnuts

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Re: Camping trailers
« Reply #44 on: February 17, 2012, 09:38:58 AM »

Offline NHSparky

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Re: Camping trailers
« Reply #45 on: February 17, 2012, 10:22:23 AM »
for the first time, a lengthly vesta post ruined a thread for me  :thatsright:

Just your first time?  Stick around a little longer, she'll ruin a lot more for ya.
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Offline Wineslob

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Re: Camping trailers
« Reply #46 on: February 17, 2012, 12:22:20 PM »
Quote
BTW Hubby hates camping, the bugs in the food, the drunks next door, the fear of the wild critters, he was no fun at all in the woods.



Next time, don't camp next to me.
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Offline CG6468

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Re: Camping trailers
« Reply #47 on: February 17, 2012, 01:02:36 PM »



Next time, don't camp next to me.

About 20 years ago we had problems with a Boy Scout troop camped right next to us. We were sponsors and chaperones for a Girl Scout troop. They were loud and the counselors were drunk.

Well, it rained like hell, they pulled out running over some of their tent poles, and we woke up and had campfires the next morning.  :rofl:
Illinois, south of the gun controllers in Chi town

Offline zeitgeist

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Re: Camping trailers
« Reply #48 on: February 17, 2012, 01:54:17 PM »
About 20 years ago we had problems with a Boy Scout troop camped right next to us. We were sponsors and chaperones for a Girl Scout troop. They were loud and the counselors were drunk.

Well, it rained like hell, they pulled out running over some of their tent poles, and we woke up and had campfires the next morning.  :rofl:

In 1976 we were relatively new to camping and ended up camped next to a group of rowdy drunks on a Saturday night.  Sunday moning bright and early I made a pot of coffee and a nice pan of bacon being careful not to avoid making noise.  Of course there is nothing like the smell of fresh coffee and bacon first thing in the morning when you have a bit of a snout full and really want to sleep.  And after the first strained gag it was all over.  Kind of like chumming fish. :cheersmate:   When you go to bed at 1:30 to 2:30, breakfast at 5:30 is not what you want to smell.
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Offline CG6468

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Re: Camping trailers
« Reply #49 on: February 17, 2012, 03:48:00 PM »
Here's what we're towing around now, without the A/C.

Illinois, south of the gun controllers in Chi town