Campers / Trailers (NF)

[Governator]

So my wife and I have always talked about getting a tent trailer, though I've always felt I needed an suv or truck to tow one I have seen some very small ones that look towable for a car. Anyway, we think having a tent trailer would allow us to do simple weekend vacations throughout the summers and it would hopefully bring some good memories for us and our son (We also have a little dog). The benefits to having one are pretty nice in our eyes, quick to setup, more comfortable, little dining area, play cards if it's raining, cook inside, leave the dog indoors if needed, etc.

 

I've camped out in one a few times with my neighbours growing up and had a blast but I really don't know what to look for when buying. Do different brands offer better quality, more durable, etc? I definitely want something small, maybe 12-14'. I've seen used ones online that are seem very expensive considering they are 20-25 years old and are selling for 1200-3000. I think you can get brand new for 5-6K.

 

From those who own them, do you find you get a lot of use out of them? What do you look for in them when buying and what are the pros vs cons? I've also seen hard sided folding trailers that look awesome but are obviously very expensive.

 

 

Something like this looks ideal to me:

 

Edited January 21, 2010 by Governator

[DRIFTER_016]

I'm also looking to buy holefully in the spring.

You are correct about the price of used trailers, they hold their value quite well.

I'm looking at the trailers made by Rockwood as they seem to be well built and have lots of options and creature comforts.

I have a buddy that has one of those A frame hard pop ups and again you are right about cost as they are as expensive as a small hard side trailer. I saw a 2010 model for sale in Edmonton at just over $15K.

Most of the pop ups I have seen used that are 10 years old or less start at about $4500.

I haven't looked into new pricing but I believe they start at about $10K and go up to about $17K.

Keep looking at craigs list and kijiji as there are some times decent deals to be had.

[danbouck]

I bought a Jayco in the fall for $500 It is 30 years old and absolutely mint. The only problem now is that I need to buy a 12' - 14' aluminum to bring with us camping now. We love it, it will get a lot of use especially with the 2 young ones who have troubles sleeping in tents.

[NAC]

your timing for buying one brand new is very good because most places have really good sales on last years models.

We bought an '07 Fleetwood Yuma - sleeps 4 comfortably or 2 adults 4 kids.

Came with propane powered fridge, stove and furnace so no need for hydro unless you want other luxuries.

For $7200+tx, it included the installation of a trailer brake for the car and insurance too. We financed it and they give decent rates. It was an'07 purchased in April '08.

I hauled it with a Mazda CX-7 for the first two years with no issues at all.

 

I'd say go new if you can.

[Jds63]

We did the tenting thing as a family for years until we got fed up of dealing with torrential rains in a tent.

 

So we did our research and bought a Coleman tent trailer "Seapine" model.. best money I ever spent. We toured all over Central Ontario to most Provincial Parks as a family.

 

Excellent quality , we used it for several years and just sold it 2 months ago for half of what i bought it for. So I think for what i spent we got our moneys worth ... now the kids are in a different phase of their lives so less time spent camping.

 

I wouldn't think twice about buying new ... if you take care of it ... you should have no problem selling it. BTW Coleman's really hold their value better. My friend will be selling his this spring ... I know there are people waiting to get alook at it when the weather warms up.

[rob v]

When our kids were growing up we bought one too. We did the tent thing for a couple of years but the benefits you talk about with a trailer are 100% - and you're not sleeping/laying on the ground. When the weather gets cranky staying in a trailer - esp with kids - is much much better than in a tent.

 

We bought used and got a lot of use out of it. The problem we had with ours eventually were the cables necessary to crank it up went (broke) and at the time the kids were getting older so we never did fix them.

 

But if you enjoy the outdoors - this is a great way to go.

[bow slayer]

I have a 2000 Rockwood Premier we bought brand new and have used it every year since with no major problems. I have replaced the tires, and now the door needs some work.(minor) The furnance ,fridge,lights,stove all work just like new. The only down fall with tent trailers are you must pack them down dry or risk mold and rot,and that can problem if pack down day is raining.Always set up and dry out. Clean the outside material every year. I have also removed both tent ends and cleaned the inside material when it showed a little mildew.

Couple other things to consider when buying is, ours has real coil mattresses alot more comfortable than the foam mattresses and if you have the option go with one with a add-a-room,these things are great for storing stuff out of the rain,cooking outdoors and keeping the inside of the trailer cleaner with a place to remove shoes that is dry.We have nevered cooked in ours and are non smokers so the inside is odour free and looks new,it will probably last another 10 years easy. Good luck with your descision,I would recommend Rockwood.

[archer379]

me and the wife bought a 90ish viking tent trailer back in the summer paid 2000 for it. Has a 12 ft box and we pull in with a dodge carvan or my truck if we take the little boat. i had planed on building a rack to hold the boat on the trailer but since i bought the crestliner i dont think i want to get back in the little boat. Anyway we love this trailer we have booked hoildays for about 6 weekends with it this summer. When we were buying it however if your looking on kijiji or something similar beperpared to act quick as the first 4 or so i called about ended up being sold by the time i got there and the one i bought had 6 people coming before lunch to see it

[Governator]

Thank you everyone for the replies, valuable info here!!

 

 

When we were buying it however if your looking on kijiji or something similar beperpared to act quick as the first 4 or so i called about ended up being sold by the time i got there and the one i bought had 6 people coming before lunch to see it

 

Wow they do move quick eh? Thanks for the tip.

 

A couple more questions, since they have hard tops with no sun roofs or A/C can a canoe or small boat be secured on top of it while travelling? Or is that too unsafe? Also, are there adapters for a drill to crank open the roof? Are cassette toilets worth the hassle or would that spot be better off used for storage? Sorry for the newby questions.

 

Cheers

[Paully]

Thank you everyone for the replies, valuable info here!!

 

Also, are there adapters for a drill to crank open the roof?

 

Cheers

 

Cranking it by hand is quite simple.... Like drilling one Ice hole .

[archer379]

when we were kids we had one we tied a canoe to ours just put some foam under to protect the roof. as for the toilet in my opinon a john in a tent that at the most is 8 feet from someones bed and tents aren't the best for air flow. One thing i found that i really liked is the cook top stove comes out and clips on the out side of the trailer.

[HTHM]

I agree with archer try to find one with the clip on stove, as well if you have the power to pull it, look for an Apache hardtop/hard side trailer in good condition. We used to have one and it was the best thing since sliced bread!

When looking a trailer over, check the floor from underneath, the wood floors can and do rot, as well if the canvas has any black spots on it - stay away. That is the beginning of mould, to replace the canvas is sometimes more expensive than the cost of the trailer itself.

Good luck with your search!

[DRIFTER_016]

Yeah, I don't think I would get the toilet either.

I would rather have the space for storage.

 

You can definately tie a canoe on top but as said just use one of the foam canoe carriers so as not to damage the roof.

A couple of cam buckle tie downs on each enad and your good to go. They are super fast and work well.

I tied my canoe down on a 4X8 box trailer when moving and had no problems with the tie downs at all along my 5500KM trip.

 

Cam Buckle Tie Downs

[Nanook]

I bought a Rockwood 10' box 'Freedom' 2 yrs ago. It came with a 3 way fridge, propane stove and heater.Other options in the packet included heated mattresses, a portable BBQ that clips on the outside.

IMHO, Rockwood workmanship has deteriorated over the years, but we still like the unit and use it quite a lot. [towed it to PEI last year ]

Hitch weight can be a problem, depending where the sink and stove are located on the chassis. So check the hitch weight for the vehicle you will be using.

Bye the way, our's has a electric winch to raise the roof. At my age that is a Godsend. LOL

With a family of 4 you will find a 8' box way too small.

[bubbles]

Camping is great, camping in a trailer with kids is definately the way to go.

Pop up - they are cheap and light weight, short box, easy to tow. Not great if you have to pack it up in the rain, get home open it up again, then wait for it to dry and pack it up again. 2 buddies have had them and went to a hard top/hard sided for that reason alone. Still loud in them for the kids after dark. Be care ful of the weight too if you are pulling it with a car, neighbour pulled is coleman pop up with a minivan and the van paid the price, you WILL put lots of weight in there before you leave, rule of thumb is to have an extra 1000 lbs capacity.

As for quality, to be honest they are all built like crap, some people think it is better to buy used so they guy before you can fix all the issues. They all have issues, no matter the brand or type.

 

The portable toilets are nice to have when the kids have to go at night, cook over the fire, that's why you are there.

 

I have a 26' and camp all summer, love it.

[Jer]

I've got my parents old Bon Air 800 parked at my place. It's over 30 years old, and although not road worthy right now (hasn't moved for years, definitely would need at least tires and bearings), we use it all summer long for any extra visitors or kids that want to sleep in it. It sets up in a few minutes, comes down even quicker, and the canvis is still in good shape. I had to do some work on one corner of the roof where it leaked a bit after I whacked it with the boat years ago.

 

If you take care of a trailer like that, you'll get years of service and the resale value can be substantial. I don't think I'll ever take mine camping anymore, I would rather take the boat and sleep in a tent, or sell it. It just comes in too damn handy around here.

[bigbuck]

New ones run into the mid 'teens. They are pretty cool. We have a 30' travel trailer that stays in place and we absolutely love it. We looked at the tent trailers and decided to go big. You'll need at least a 12' with a family of 4 to be comfy. The newer models have a heck of a lot of amentities and are worth the extra investment as long as they are in good shape. Payments on a new one are cheaper than you might think. Look around and do your homework. Good luck!