Help me decide my next camper

[kaloogle]

I'm looking for some thoughts/suggestions. I have a 7X16 conversion that has worked well for long trips when the entire family goes camping. We are a family of 6, mom, dad, and 4 kids ages 9 to 1. I expect to get lots of years building great memories with it. I don't like towing it for one or two nights when it is just me and one or two kids going for a couple nights. Would also be nice to have something our 12 year old minivan V6 Town and Country can tow into the mountains when we go to KY to visit family and camp on the old family farm. One of the main concerns is weight and then cost (within reason).

My number one choice is a used 2017 Intech Flyer XLT asking $7,500. I called and it is called the Chase now. This one has AL frame and outside skin, roof rack, electrical already installed, and Coleman rooftop AC. It appears to be ready to go.

Or we could do another cargo conversion:
New Patriot cargo trailer from Trailers Plus 5X8 for about $1,900 - rear ramp and side door
Used Continental Cargo 5X8 built in 2000 for $1,400 - rear ramp and side door - about a 3 hour one way drive
Used Haulmark 2006 for $1,100 Barn door on the back. I'd rather have a ramp for a deck, but I can make it work

I thought about building a camper from the ground up, but I'd rather be camping with the family than building something that probably would not hold up as well as the trailers above. I tried / replaced the roof on our Coleman Popup camper - built it way too heavy, within a couple years the new roof had water damage, and the canvas and inside was already really rough. So, anyone interested in a popup camper frame? Still has the floor, lift, and part of the sides...….. I'll probably put it on Craigslist in a couple days. I'm in Wilson NC. On a side not, how much should I ask for the frame and tires?

[NO David!]

Interesting...A few (well ok, several), random thoughts.

-Our 7x16 was designed to be a gear/toy hauler and camp our family of 6. With the kids grown, now it's usually just the two of us and a couple of knuckle-headed medium sized dogs. I've thought of building a different one, or changing our setup, but the advantages of using what we have outweigh the alternatives.


-Towing...It's not so much the overall weight, as it is the wind resistance, (I suspect by now, you've experienced the V-nose doesn't really help in terms of wind resistance and gas mileage). Mine is 3,000LBS loaded. Going down in trailer size and weight isn't going to drastically change tow ability, it's just going to reduce the space inside. I recently switched from my trusty V8 '95 Ford Van to my '02 full sized AWD/4WD Montero, and it has worked better than I thought. Montero is a monocoque chassis, (neither body on frame or unibody like a minivan), very strong.
You can read about that choice here:
https://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/towing-with-a-gen-3-nm-3-5l-montero.198636/#post-2538859

-The big surprise to me was that I discovered it wasn't "overkill" to take the trailer for day trips. Kayaking, mountain biking, it was so much easier to have the gear loaded and ready to go ahead of time, and to have secure storage, private changing room, cooking facilities etc., that I just took the trailer most of the time. 7x16 really isn't that big compared to most toy haulers/campers.

-Minivan towing...Lots of folks pull a popup and get by with it, but by the time you load the family in the minivan, your tow vehicle payload is eaten up by people and stuff, so that there isn't much left to properly handle a trailer, even the Intech Flyer. (Did I already mention that the gas mileage towing with the minivan won't be much different than your truck? ...wind resistance at speed). Bottom line, I'd use a different tow rig.

-Intech Flyer...fwiw, I really like the Intech product, all aluminum, good design, suv towable, but, they fill up fast, and you don't have the headroom you currently enjoy. Asking price not bad, as most of us got into the $ 6K+ territory in a finished basic cargo conversion.

At the end of the day, for us, we decided nothing was really better than what we already had. Since it's a cargo conversion, I can easily change the interior layout to suit us. It's paid for, It's nice to have the extra space for visitors, grown kid and a friend, entertaining camping friends, etc. My trailer often ends up being the mule, I haul kayaks, bikes, firewood, whatever for friends traveling with us that always seem not to have space. I can fit my tow rig and trailer into two parking spaces, I've never gotten into a turning space issue with proper planning. Most of all, it's paid for, and ready to go. I can enjoy lots of trips with the money I would spend on another trailer.

If fuel mileage is a goal, don't chase that dream, just chalk it up to the cost of doing business, and quit worrying about it. I did, and the trips are great now. It was just a state of mind for me. When I switched from the van to the Montero, yep, about the same 10-12 mpg. I did return a bit better when I stayed out of the gas pedal on flat land last trip, but nothing to write home about.

So, consider redoing the interior of your current trailer to suit, keep towing it, or maybe treat yourself to a slightly newer family sized SUV/tow rig instead of the new trailer, and plan your next trip sooner than later.
http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=56125&start=30

[kaloogle]

No David - thanks for the reply. Our current trailer is paid for and I do like the idea of going for more trips with the money we would have used for another trailer. You have given me a lot to think about!

Our goal is to build memories with the kids. We want to give them good learning/fun activities as affordably as possible so we can do more of them.

[NO David!]

Our goal is to build memories with the kids. We want to give them good learning/fun activities as affordably as possible so we can do more of them.

This is what it's all about. I promised I'd never give others advice about kids...well I've done okay mostly, except for the part about, "Time blows by in an instant" don't waste a day waiting and planning, just get out and go, they will be grown and gone before you know it.

Here's a blog by a family in our neck of the woods. You could get ideas from their template, make your own camping/touring goals for your kids. It started with a day outing built around an event that included Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches, and built from there. For folks in the Southeast, it's a great resource for deciding where to go, what to do.
http://pbandjadventures.com/

[redbicycle]

Perhaps a better approach is to put that $7500 into a new tow vehicle. A 12 year old Chrysler min-van is about due for a transmission rebuild if my previous history with them is any guide. I think you will start to miss the space you have if you move into a smaller camping vehicle. A fresher newer tow vehicle may solve your towing problems and your long term planning of replacement of your current daily driver at the same time?

[flboy]

Perhaps a better approach is to put that $7500 into a new tow vehicle. A 12 year old Chrysler min-van is about due for a transmission rebuild if my previous history with them is any guide. I think you will start to miss the space you have if you move into a smaller camping vehicle. A fresher newer tow vehicle may solve your towing problems and your long term planning of replacement of your current daily driver at the same time?

That is what I was thinking..... Maybe a full size Van or Ford Expedition or etc.. to accommodate your family with plenty left over for towing.

[McDave]

Sounds like these guys are on to something here. The trailer you own burns no hay really. And you can remodel it any time to suit your needs. I'm not sure a smaller or lighter trailer would make that much difference to the mini van. You know the van wont last forever so perhaps the focus should be on a better tow vehicle now and give the mini van to the kids when they are ready? Seems like a solid plan.
Good luck whatever you decide.

McDave

[kaloogle]

Thanks for all of the info and ideas.

The more expensive option is definitely out, we got word of a merger at work and we are not going to be making any big splurges. I think we will be OK, but why tempt fate.

My main TV is a Chevy Silverado 1500 and we don't even have a tow hitch on our current minivan. I was thinking of possibly towing the trailer/camper in the mountains with the next van. A conversion van would be nice, but that depends on what the wife wants. The minivan is her daily driver and I get veto rights but that is about it. She also gets veto rights on what my daily driver is. We are hoping to get another year our of our current van before replacing it. Our current van has been good to us, but if anything major goes out it is gone.

I'm a little surprised that a smaller trailer wouldn't be easier to tow, but I'll take everyone's word for it. I don't have a lot of experience towing trailers, but I'm getting there. For now, we are going to use what we have and not buy a 2nd trailer. I'll try some short trips in it so I can get more comfortable towing it.