Well The original plan was a medium TT but with gas climbing the upgrade to a V8 is put on hold. We went looking this past weekend at small Hybrids and HighWall PUPs. There is just the 4 of us including 2 girls ages 3 and 5 so we believe either will work. I can only get the wife in a HW (Hard wall potty/shower). After seeing the HW we realized they are practically the same price as a small Hybrid. Two we compared where the Startcraft 3612 and the Hybrid 18RB. So question, Why choose the HW? As far as I can figure...to save gas mileage (Does it save that much???) cause of the frontal area and for storage in the garage. Yeah, we do know the popup give a "more airy" feeling but that really isn't a deciding factor for us.
What else am I missing??
PS...Also saw the Jayco 199.. Nice.
We've had (in order) a TC (4 years), PUP (11 years), HTT (3 years), and now back to a PUP. We went back to the PUP from the hybrid for a variety of reasons. That "airy" feeling you describe was part of it. More importantly, the view out from a PUP is so much better than a hybrid. We camp to be in nature, and being able to see it from inside is important to us. We just felt too boxed in and confined with an HTT.
One reason we originally went for the hybrid was having a "real" potty and shower, along with separate gray and black water tanks. The new highwalls have all of those things now. Sure, the walls in the PUP bathroom are thin, but they are also thin in an HTT -- privacy isn't much in either type.
In answer to your question about gas mileage, the answer is a resounding YES and it is a definite plus for the PUP. Our 4Runner routinely gets 20 MPG tank to tank of mixed driving here in the mountains. With the HTT, we averaged 11 over three years, with some tanks as bad a 9 (uphill into a headwind). With the new PUP, we get 14-15. BTW, the HTT and the new PUP weigh in about the same and are about the same length. With our old PUP, which was about 1000# lighter, we got 17 MPG. The HTT was like a sail behind the vehicle, you could just feel it slowing us down. The PUP is not only lower (about the same height as our vehicle) but is was ~9" narrower, so it tucks in behind the 4Runner. It depends on your tow vehicle as to how much wind resistence is lessened by choosing a PUP.
Because the PUP does tuck in behind the 4Runner, it does tow easier (and it's easier to see around). But the presence of a dual axle on the HTT vs. the single axle on the PUP meant the HTT was easier to back compared to the PUP.
All-in-all, we've been down both paths and have now settled on a PUP as our preferred choice, a choice both Allison and I will stick with for the forseeable future. When we went camping a couple of weeks ago, Allison commented how much better she liked the PUP and was glad we made the move back to one. We routinely take several multiweek camping trips a year and feel comfortable doing so in either type of rig.
Not exactly an answer to your question, but we bought our Trailmanor because it was the largest hard walled folding trailer that would fit in the garage.
When open it is like a TT with bunk ends. When towing it is like a popup.
Wayne in San Jose
TV1:2002 Chevy 1500HD 4wd Crew Cab,Valley Odyssey brake ctlr,McKesh mirrors
TV2:2008 GMC 2500HD long bed 4wd Crew Cab,GMC brake ctlr,GMC mirrors
TT:Trailmanor 2720
Honda 2000
Yamaha WR250R,Polaris Sportsman 700 X2,Polaris Scrambler 500
Thanks for the repiles so far!!! I have no problem with a PUP, just convincing the wife One other thing I was thinking.... More sites available?? And by that I mean smaller ones to get into with PUP.
The reason that my family and I chose a PopUp over a "hardwalled" ClassA RV was the tent factor. Four years ago gas prices were not a factor in the decision.
For us, the same is true regarding a Hybrid. We want a tent, not a TT with tent bunks. When we feel the need to change our RV, we will migrate directly to a ClassA, not a Hybrid.
Some folks actually enjoy the tent-like experience of camping/RVing in a PopUp. The decision for us to own a PopUp had nothing to do with Tow Vehicles, Cost, or Gas Mileage. It's tent camping with the amenities of an RV!
My wife needed the same convincing about the bathroom. That is one of the reasons we upgraded from the E2 to the E4. We were both comfortable using the bathroom and showering in there. Any of the fleetwood models with a bathroom are really nice. We looked at the Avalon and Niagra, but our adventure attitude landed us on the E4. She will have no problems with it.
New TV: 2008 Dodge Ram 3500, 6.7L Cummins, 6 Speed Auto, No mods yet (but they are coming)
2008 Fleetwood Evolution E-4, Reese Round Bar Weight Distributing Hitch
Me and the Wife: Scuba Dive, Mountain Bike, Kayak, Hike
Two Dogs: Mako and Amber
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One other thing I was thinking.... More sites available?? And by that I mean smaller ones to get into with PUP.
