After all my reading I was set on getting a Jayco 23B and have been watching for a used one to surface in my area. (2 have recently!)
Then I remembered my son's allergies and wondered if an enclosed trailer would be a better idea.
My concerns include campfire smoke wafting into the tt and breathing it all night long as opposed to just while outside hanging out, also breathing the outdoor air all night long as well. Of course the night air and nighttime sounds were part of the appeal to me, but, I am wondering if they will cause my son to be miserable.
Anyone out here with allergies that can give me any advice?
I guess it depends on your son as allergies are very specific to each individual. I have allergies and love to camp. When they are bad, I just deal with it. At home we keep the windows closed and use the AC to help limit the stuff in the air. I don't know how much different a TT would be than an HTT... I suppose it could be some better, if you kept it closed up and used the AC. I prefer to hear and feel the out of doors when we camp, so we never use the AC camping. If I take a Zyrtec, I am good to go! Are his allergies the type that flare up due to certain pollens, maybe just avoid camping that week or two. Just a thought.
Good luck, and I hope you can figure something out that works for you.
If you decide to give the HTT a go, we give the 23B high marks!!!
2007 Jayco 23B
2000 E150 Ford Club Wagon 5.4 w/ tow pkg
Equalizer hitch, Prodigy P3 brake controller
Buddy 125 Scooter-FUN!
1997 Coleman Sunridge- Served us well for 11 years!
My wife is asthmatic and suffers from year-round allergies to grasses, trees, weeds, molds, dust mites, etc. We have a 23B and have camped out fifteen nights since picking it up this past June. The last trip was over the last weekend in October and it was cold (in the thirties one night). We had a campfire two of the four nights and I don't recall her complaining about the smoke once we settled in the camper. She did mention that sitting around the campfire and breathing the smoke there seemed to bother her. The cold air bothered her more than anything inside the bed - I too woke up with a scratchy throat after the first night, but then it seemed to get better each night.
We've also camped in pretty warm weather and had to use the A/C - as long as it wasn;t blowing directly on her, my wife had no camplaints. I think she prefers camping in cooler weather and in the later months of the year when the pollen is not as prevalent.
At home we rarely if ever have our windows open; only when it rains and the pollen is pretty mich knocked out of the air. My wife loves the camper and has been able to manage both her asthma and allergies fairly well. Still, I agree that your doctor ought to provide some guidance, though let's face it, they are not God.
Me
My lovely and gracious wife
Maggie, our Yellow Lab
2007 Jayco Jayfeather EXP 23B
2008 Toyota 4Runner V8 Limited AWD
thank you htt to be ? for your reply.
my son takes singulair & zyrtec as well as nasacort. he has an inhaler as well as a nebulizer when necessary.
he is allergic to everything except for cockroaches according to the allergist and is especially allergic to oak trees.
i was curious to know if the smoke from a dying campfire wafting thru the htt at night was bothersome to anyone.
i have seasonal allergies as well, but not to the degree he has, and like you, i would just deal with it.
before we make the investment, i just want to be as close to sure as possible that we are choosing the right trailer for us.
i am going to look at a 23b tomorrow, i am super excited.
skipnchar- maybe i should have been more specific in my original post about his allergies and what we already do for them.
i have seen many of your posts and find them to be super helpful and knowledgeable, but the mommy in me took a step back when i read your reply. i can promise you that his allergy needs have been addressed and readdressed by his regular ped and his allergist. i pride myself on being a good mom and that is partly why i want to make a well informed and thought out decision before making what we consider to be a large purchase. i would be devastated to find out later that the openness of the hybrid contributed to my son's allergies and made camping a miserable experience for him, if just opting for a different type of trailer would have made the difference.
i will however, bring this up the next visit we have and see if she does indeed have an opinion on the matter!
LEMII- thank you!! your wife is exactly the type of person i was needing an opinion from. same types of allergies and year round as well. and even better, you own a 23b! i am so happy to hear that she is able to manage her allergies without too much trouble or misery.
we also keep our windows closed and the a/c on because of allergy concerns that is what made me think that maybe i should consider a hard sided travel trailer as another option.
thank you to all of you for taking the time to reply to my questions, i really appreciate it.
Another thought... I know mold really bothers me, so be sure the canvas was well cared for by the previous owner. When we looked for our used HTT, we walked in some and walked right out as I could sense it immediately. After quite a search, we finally found a good clean unit! Be patient, there are good ones out there! Bring your son with as well, as I would think he would sense it right away as well if something was present.
Mold and tree pollen is a big deal to me. I take weekly allergy shots. We moved to a hard sided trailer and it has made camping less of an alergy issue.
I'm allergic to tree and grass pollens, smoke, and mold. My allergies have never kept me from camping, although back in our tentcamping days I had to be very careful what time of year we camped. While in the htt, I've been much happier. Of course, I take allergy medicine on a daily basis and am particularly careful about taking it while camping. While I find the fresh air flowing through the htt helps, leftover campfire smoke can be problematic, in which case, we just make sure screens and windows are closed and it hasn't been a problem for me yet.
I didn't notice if you're son has ever been around smoky fires, or camping at all for that matter. If he's never been camping I'd suggest you try it with a rental or borrowed unit to see how he reacts before you plunk down the $$$ for a trailer of any sort. Smoke is sometimes an issue when camping, for some it's an integral part of the experience. Being a somewhat under controlled asthmatic, I have yet to have others smoke bother me, but your son could have big problems with it. When my asthma is active I'm flat out miserable, I wouldn't wish that on your son. Maybe you could just sit around a fire in the back yard for a couple hours and see what his reaction is. Don't know if you've seen them or have one, but I carry a small battery operated dilator that's worth the investment. It's about the size of an electric razor.
Bob & Deb
W Ma.
04 GMC 1500 4X4, 5.3L
06 Starcraft 18SB
i can't thank all of you enough for taking the time to reply.
we have a real fireplace (as opposed to gas!) and we have fires at home regularly. i haven't noticed a reaction from that, although i understand the smoke is directed up the chimney.
we have a neighbor with a fire pit. we should join them a few times and see what happens.
i think if i stay on top of giving him his medicine while camping we should be good.
renting is something we have talked about doing and were almost able to do it last weekend, but it didn't work out.
i know i want to start a new adventure with my family with camping, i am convinced they are going to love it.
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