Looking for small camper - Advise

M

Moroney167

New member
Just starting my search. Looking for something just enough for me and the wife (were small people haha) and the occassional trip to bring out two dogs but not always. We started out very into a pop up camper. She grew up with one and fits the bill. Downside is the air out time after trips and if stormed idk how they hold up. Durability is key here I don't want a cheap pop up that will just tear and not take use. I see some for cheap enough I wouldn't want to touch it, others for big money. I have just about all camping gear needed. We have no need to have an internal shower in camper, something outside is perfect enough. Toilet inside sure just for #1's for her really. A sink to least clean dishes from cooking even though if running water near by I'll still just use bucket to keep clean. And have 1 and most have 2 plus beds to sleep comfortable. Small fridge won't hurt but not needed seems most have. I could get use to it. We would use for about a week at a time. Some with and without camp ground hook ups. No TV or any of that needed. A/C Unit sure wouldn't be a terrible idea when I might end up camping down in FL.

Really like the idea of enclosed hard shell type more I think about it. Keeping small will be towing with 4runner or her Tacoma never know. These RPODS are pretty trick. Sort of tear drop style and be nice to store bikes and such inside it for trips.

Open to words from experience. Were clean people and I have no problem with storage space for it and will learn up on best ways to store when not in use.

Thanks!
 
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We are pretty happy with our Starcraft AR-ONE RB14. It's a quailty made unit which more than meets your requirements. Full bath. Weighs about 2500 lbs. pulls and handles quiet well. Coleman makes a simalar trailer which I believe people are quite pleased with as well.
 
Bob22222 said:
We are pretty happy with our Starcraft AR-ONE RB14. It's a quailty made unit which more than meets your requirements. Full bath. Weighs about 2500 lbs. pulls and handles quiet well. Coleman makes a simalar trailer which I believe people are quite pleased with as well.
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Thanks! I'll look that up with similar specs. I see a few that seem so much bigger on comp. Going to take a trip to camper world we have close by and have a look around and get familiar.
 
How much do you want to spend?
Can go from super basic to $60,000 Aussie-made off road camper setups.
 
I just started looking too, and leaning towards the tiger moth trailer. its around $13k so kind of pricey but comes with lots of great features. It doesn't fit your bill for sink/toilet but seems pretty awesome. sleeps two easily. lots of storage inside and out. very light. I did not want a pop up for reasons you've outlined. I want a hard sided one to be off the grid with.

Weight is around 900lbs. 12' long. 6'6" wide. 6'10" high. will fit in a garage easily.

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I think the cricket line has other models with other amenities.
 
The A-Liners are nice for a pop-up camper. I would also suggest looking for a Casita camper. They have a composite shell and some of the stuff you're looking for. Sort of looking for one myself.
 
not to hijack a thread but didn't want to start a new one and could be good info for the OP too

for those who do own a camper. do you use it more than you thought you would or less. do you store in your garage, or a storage unit. do you take it to campsites or dispersed camping. do you insure it. is registering it as expensive as I've heard.

basically, I am trying to decide if the cost of owning one is worth it, or if I would actually use one enough to justify the cost. I have a 2.5 car garage so could easily store one at home, but do I want to give up garage space.
what are everyones pros/cons of owning one
 
How tall is your garage door? My ar-one which sits a bit high cause it the rough road variety is a bit over 9 feet. Most are over 7 feet I think. Unless you go pop up or such.
I've no knowledge of you lot in life but, I wouldn't by one unless I had the extra cars and time. Young (to me) by these things finance a 15k trailer 10% down and wing up with 120 payments of nearly 200 bucks. Plus monthly storage. For something they'll use less than a dozen days a year. That's quite a load for a young family.
Ever think about renting a sprinter or something? See if you like it. Kind of like dating before marriage.
Mine also serves a a "guest" room by the way. And I've plenty of room to store it. It's a notch up from the Westy it and the runner replaced. Mostly because it has a bathroom one thing VW Westies lacked that you can get in some Sprinters. We go camping most to very remote campsite in the nation forest near timber line. About 14 season. But it's a short season here.
 
leftyguns21 said:
do you use it more than you thought you would or less.
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Less than we used to when the kids were living at home. The key to using it a lot is belonging to a group and our group kind of drifted away. When we traveled with the group we used it nearly every month.

do you store in your garage, or a storage unit.
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It sits in the driveway - way too big for my garage. I want my retirement house to have an RV garage or at least an awning. We'll see. We use it for a guest house as well.

do you take it to campsites or dispersed camping.
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Both, although this latest rig is less than ideal for disbursed camping. Too big, too many power goodies. We did a lot of disbursed camping when we had the smaller rigs - it's amazing how little water you end up needing when you have to pump it out by hand. Mostly we take it to campsites with full hookups and visit wineries. :nod:

do you insure it.
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Yes - it's very cheap. The truck insurance covers most of it without extra charge, our homeowners insurance covers theft from it and what's left to insure doesn't cost much.

is registering it as expensive as I've heard.
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Ours is $89/year but it's a state by state thing. YMMV.

basically, I am trying to decide if the cost of owning one is worth it, or if I would actually use one enough to justify the cost.
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Maybe buy a cheap used one and see how you like it? As long as there is no water damage and the fridge doesn't die there is not much to maintaining one, especially a simple rig. I've never bought a new RV and probably never will - they depreciate like crazy.

 
I got a Hybrid a couple years back and I have been very happy with it.

Mine weighs 2400 lbs empty and is easy to tow and set up.

CAMPER_zpsohobk92u.jpg~original
 
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We were thinking about he same thing, yet I was told you can't bring in a 10+ year old trailer/RV in trailer parks. So do all of you trash your rigs after 10 years?? this must be an insurance matter for the parks.
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2007 SE V6 Titanium
 
ran said:
We were thinking about he same thing, yet I was told you can't bring in a 10+ year old trailer/RV in trailer parks. So do all of you trash your rigs after 10 years?? this must be an insurance matter for the parks.
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2007 SE V6 Titanium
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I have seen campers much older than 10 years every place I have ever camped.
 
ran said:
We were thinking about he same thing, yet I was told you can't bring in a 10+ year old trailer/RV in trailer parks. So do all of you trash your rigs after 10 years?? this must be an insurance matter for the parks.
_____________________
2007 SE V6 Titanium
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I think it's to try and keep junky looking rigs out of the park.

The trailer I had before the one I have now was some 15 years old when I sold it but it looked like new. No one ever questioned me when I told them what year it was - and I always told them what they wanted to hear.
 
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