Not trying to toss you sideways but maybe you would be interested in something between a TT and a PUP like, a TrailManor, Hi/Lo, Chalet or Aliner. Our TrailManor is 2800lb dry, sleeps 6, Full bath with hard walls, 30 gal grey, marine toilet with 3" dump, AC, heat, stove/oven, 3 way fridge etc; but it folds down to car height though it is made of hard walls. Tows great with our 4Runner.
I have thought of the hi-lo style camper,and the Trail Manor. I have a neighbor that has an older Trailmanor,and while it seems pretty well built I wasn't impressed by the overall quality of it. Maybe it was just because it is an older one that maybe they didn't take super good care of. I really like the idea of a pop-up,and the small size/weight while travelling,and the fact that I can park it in my tent-style shelter in the back yard. We went to look at a 2004 Starcraft Centennial yesterday,and it semmed very nice,and way better built than I remember any other Starcraft I have looked at in the past(travel trailers,and Hybrids).
The problem is my wife is hung up on getting a travel trailer with bunk beds,and a queen size bed. I really am against a larger camper like we had,but I bet she wins out on this one. She says she is fine with a pop-up,but I know in here heart she is going to hate it,and we will be getting rid of it for a TT,so maybe I should jsut get the TT even though it isn't what I want/need. My kids don't care at all,and as a matter of fact they seemed to love the pop-ups we have looked at so far.
The thought of some 23'-25' monster trailer in my yard again,and behind my van does nothing for me,but the reality is that is what is most likely to happen.
We have spoken with a seller in NY that has what appears to be a nice 2006 Fleetwood Niagara for sale under $10k,but it is many hours away,and it is tough to see in pics what sort of shape it really is in. They bought it new in 2007 as a left over 06 model,so it isn't too old,and the price seems right,but I need someone on Long Island to look at it for me to give me a better idea of the condtion before I drive out there.
Anyway the search goes on,and I am not thrilled about a TT again.
Hi Chris - I hear you about not wanting to deal with towing and storing a full size travel trailer. We had a 27 ft TT with a queen bed and bunks. It was nice and convenient while in camp mode but towing and storing was not. We then went to a popup, found that we didn't like the popup but liked the low profile tow so we did get a Hi-Lo which for us we really like.
It's hard when the both of you have different opinions. There are TTs that are small and make for easy tow and storage however finding them with a queen bed plus bunks would probably be impossible.
I almost bought a TT recently but the deal fell through. My mom and step dad like the PUP better, girlfriends son likes the PUP better, girlfriend likes the TT better for only 3 reasons, bigger refrigerator, hardwalled enclosed bathroom with separate tub, toilet, and sink, and being there's no setup or breakdown. She doesn't like how TTs are limited in sleeping areas compared to the PUP. Now I'm back with the PUP, she feels if I go with a TT, it needs to have more sleeping areas excluding weight limited bunks.
I am at a toss. I like them equally. I liked having a freezer and a larger toilet area, and being able to "RV" without the need for a campground. I was also doing a lot of thinking about the negatives when I would get the TT. Those being, a lot more money to pull it, hard towing, knowing I'd be limited when needing to turn around or use small gas stations, finding out that I'd have to drop the WDH spring bars for sharp turns when backing in driveway or campsite, the additional maintenance needed with waste holding tanks and a lot more caulked seams. The limited sleeping areas also bothered me as I use a CPAP (Sleep Apnea Breathing Machine) machine and there were no places to put in near the TT's bed.
I'm almost releaved to be back to the PUP. Less, lower payments, and garageable at any home.
Just my take, however, if another good deal came up, I may take a TT still. I just like the idea of RVing without Campgrounds and leaving the camper hitched while at the campground. The bigger appliances still appeal to me also. Each has it's negatives and positives.
I had my Jayco in the shop the other day, which gave me an opportunity to look around at the latest offerings. Even though I have criticized hybrids in the past, I looked at a 21 ft. Starcraft hybrid that was awesome.
If I could not store a TT (or hybrid or whatever) at my house and also have a great TV I would stick with the the PUP.
Storage,and towing of a TT,or HTT is not an issue,as we have 1.5 acres of land,and I own a 3/4 ton full-sized van. The thing is I never really liked towing the 23' HTT we had,and I sure as heck hated the monster sized roof with all it leaks that arose over the years,and the lousy way it was put together. I sure hope I can convince the DW that a pop-up makes sense this time. I know it is a step down in many ways,but in some it is a step up.
Well we went to look at a 2005 Starcraft Centennial 3606 yesterday evening. We found it on Craigslist,and it was about 1.5 hours away from us. We really liked it,and it seemes very well kept. The layout was nicer than the 3602 we looked at last week,and the asking price is lower as well. The seller seemed very honest,and showed us how it folded down,and such. The only known issues were a small dent on the left side rear at the corner seam from the seller backing it into something,and the cold water had no pressure when he turned on any of the fixtures. He said the cold water was fine during their Labor day trip,and he would figure out why it wasn't working before we potentially bought it. The canvas seemed to be in great shape,and so was the underside of the flooring. The roof was in great shape,and the owner has a nice 4 position bike rack mounted on the roof that can even hold a kayak,or canoe as well.
The one thing I was bit worried about was the seller told us that he would get up on the roof,and pressure was it after each trip,and even demonstarted this by climbing on the roof,and walking around a bit. The roof didn't seem to be deflecting too much under his weight,but is this smart to be walking on teh roof? I did on my HTT,but that is different than a Pup I would think. Am I worrying about nothing? Is $8500 too high for a 2005 Centennial 3606? Any input would be appreciated.
I have climbed up on the roof of mine to do some maintenance work on the A/C. I would not do it again, especially after having seen some manufacturing fabrication videos.
I could tell I was stressing the roof on my hands and knees. I can point to the dimple in the roof where one knee put too much weight on it. I will not do so again without pulling down plywood to distribute my weight better.
As for the pricing, it sounds like they put the price right in between the high and low from www.nadaguides.com. Not knowing the options, I picked the "usuals" and came up with a price of $7600 to $9200, depending on condition.
Let us know how it works out.
Myself, The Boss, and two wanna-be Bosses
2006 Jayco 1007 There are 10 types of people in the world: Those who can count in binary, and those who can't.
We loved our pup for many years and made great memories in it. It really comes down to how you like to camp and what meets your families needs. We are spoiled and love our full bathroom, big slide out and lots of kitchen counter space. What really got old was the set up, making those crazy bed ends, as we hate sleeping bags, packing food inside large plastic storage boxes, dragging huge coolers everywhere, always having to buy ice, and more. Its just so much more work. One other biggie is the price of these things. Some are up to $20,000. FOR A TENT on wheels. How can anyone justify that! I would never go back...
JJ & Sandie
Li'l Jack, Pickles & Bunny the chihuahuas...Chewy, poodle 6/15/95-7/4/08 We will always love you Chooch.
2003 Chevy 2500HD,LT,CC,SB,4x4,Duramax/Allison
2007 Starcraft Homestead 262RKS
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