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Have you considered a Trailmanor? A few years ago we were considering a very light weight FT set-up, being used to our tiny Aliner. They have good styrofoam insulation for as light as they are and the models with a king bed have a huge 42 cf storage area underneath.

 

On the down side they feel rather flimsy when you walk around in them, due to their light weight. Their bathroom is a little spartan too. But this is a two edged sword as their light weight is just what you are looking for. Even their biggest models are l within your weight limits. Combined with their small frontal area and low CG they will be a dream to tow - similar to your Chalet. BTW we looked at the big Chalets too, especially the 1935 and 1937 models but they are super expensive - even more than a big Trailmanor.

 

Good luck with your minimalist lifestyle. You might want to visit this forum to get some ideas and see how others are facing the same challenges that await you. http://www.cheaprvliving.com/forums/index.php

 

Chip

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In a smaller unit, the thing I would miss would be a comfortable place to sit. Sometimes you are inside for long hours when it's raining and blowing and it doesn't stay dry under the awning. Not that comfortable to sit on a bed all the time. Having a sofa or a couple of recliners really makes it more like home.

Pat DeJong

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Have you considered a Trailmanor?

 

Chip

We decided that since we are going to be moving a lot we do not want to have to put anything up and down over and over. We also don't want sides because we do not want to be way out somewhere and have a slider problem. We want the trip to be as carefree and easy as possible and are willing to give up some things to have that. We will be taking a tent but instead of our great 360 degree 9 man Coleman Prairie we are going to get a Coleman Instant tent. We had a Coleman Instant screen room before and loved it. We even used it in Colorado summers to house the tomato and herb pots.

 

I believe the Trailmanor folds but then expands up, correct?

 

Christine / Colorado

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In a smaller unit, the thing I would miss would be a comfortable place to sit. Sometimes you are inside for long hours when it's raining and blowing and it doesn't stay dry under the awning. Not that comfortable to sit on a bed all the time. Having a sofa or a couple of recliners really makes it more like home.

I am Queen Of Comfort.

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I am Queen Of Comfort.

LOL. I really am.

 

When I was about 25 almost everyone in the campground came by my campsite because they had heard about this girl in a little Honda and couldn't believe what she brought to the campground and fit in that little Honda. Even a folding redwood park bench.

 

I already have two rollup covered memory foam twin size pads for our REI Comfort Cots. They can be put anywhere and fold up out of the way with sewn in tie straps. The reason we did not get the KZ 19 foot toy hauler was because we went back 3 times checking on different things. On the third trip I brought those pads and we could not get comfortable. Plus, we just did not feel comfortable sitting in it. And we realized we did not have a separate seating area. We are on year two of looking at trailers. Next year is when it is going to get critical or else we have to stay home longer.

 

The cold factor is the hardest part. We have limited choices for that but others have done it or so I have read. Motorhomes are awesome. And warm. And some even multi-level. We aren't looking for a permanent home. We should have gotten a larger vehicle but you guys have heard that hundreds of times. It is what it is so we are making it fun. Kind of the Tiny House of the RV world category. Having had a 1983 Chalet for years we know what small space living limitations can be so we are going into this with eyes wide open. We can quit at any time provided we can drive from the point we are at to where we need to get to and that depends always on snow and weather.

 

You all are so helpful and I hope to get to meet a lot of you out there.

 

Christine / Colorado

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Speaking of that - anyone here have any recommendations for hookup sites that would not be one trailer on top of the other? Or will they all be like that? If they are on top of each other I think I'll figure out how to boondock in the winter after all.

There are a lot of different options for living, just as there are for living in a house. Some of us find that we want the convenience of full hookups but in more remote areas and we do that by acting as resident RV volunteers for a park or wildlife refuge where they are campground hosts or some type of work for two or three days per week, in return for a site and utilities. The "work" is usually things we enjoy doing, or which allow us to learn new things and have new experiences.

 

I often remind people here that the only limit to what sort of things one can do when living in their RV is their own imagination. If you don't see someone here living a lifestyle that fits you, create a new one!

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

            images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqFswi_bvvojaMvanTWAI

 

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Hi Kirk. I should have been more specific. I was talking Quartzsite in the winter hookups. From the photos I've seen it looks like these are all next to each other so I was hoping the experienced RVers who do Quartzsite hookups would know if they are all like that. I imagine the very best spots get booked over and over. Do you know of some good winter campground parks to be in?

 

Christine / Colorado

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We always boondock in the desert at Quartzsite. As you said, the RV parks are like parking lots. You might look into nearby Brenda.

 

Also, it seems you're adament about not having a slide. However, there really isn't an overall problem with them. Sure, you may hear of someone who did have an issue but you're only hearing about the ones that did, not the many thousands who haven't. We used slides in the 16 years of full-timing on two different RVs and never had a problem. If you find a RV for you don't eliminate it because of a slide.

Full-timed for 16 Years
Traveled 8 yr in a 2004 Newmar Dutch Star 40' Motorhome
and 8 yr in a 33' Travel Supreme 5th Wheel

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Commercial RV parks are all pretty close together, as they must be in order to maximize return on the property. Larger sites also always mean higher costs because that also means fewer customers and so they have to make the required revenue from fewer people. I'd suspect that the majority of RV parks have somewhere between 15' and 25' between the RVs. Some also have RVs alternating in directions with shared hookup pedestals between each pair and those will have only about 10' between on the hookup side and 20' or more on the entry door side.

 

One of the reasons that so many of us like the Corps of Engineers parks is the spacing of the RV sites. But they can do this since they don't pay property taxes and such the way that commercial parks must. Some state parks are close, while others are not.

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

            images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqFswi_bvvojaMvanTWAI

 

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We always boondock in the desert at Quartzsite. As you said, the RV parks are like parking lots. You might look into nearby Brenda.

 

Also, it seems you're adament about not having a slide. However, there really isn't an overall problem with them. Sure, you may hear of someone who did have an issue but you're only hearing about the ones that did, not the many thousands who haven't. We used slides in the 16 years of full-timing on two different RVs and never had a problem. If you find a RV for you don't eliminate it because of a slide.

Thanks. I will keep that in mind. A lot of it depends on the cargo carrying capacity because it is low in these. And they add extra weight. The R-pods were great but it isn't a good fit for our Xterra which requires a smaller surface area.

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We decided that since we are going to be moving a lot we do not want to have to put anything up and down over and over. We also don't want sides because we do not want to be way out somewhere and have a slider problem. We want the trip to be as carefree and easy as possible and are willing to give up some things to have that. We will be taking a tent but instead of our great 360 degree 9 man Coleman Prairie we are going to get a Coleman Instant tent. We had a Coleman Instant screen room before and loved it. We even used it in Colorado summers to house the tomato and herb pots.

 

I believe the Trailmanor folds but then expands up, correct?

 

Christine / Colorado

 

Here's a video of the complete set-up of a Trailmanor:

 

I like this model:

 

It's not as quick and easy as the 30 second set-up of my Aliner, but still much easier than setting up a tent or screen room - under 2 minutes.

 

As far as reliability goes, Trailmanor claims their campers have never failed to open. Since they expand both front and rear they do not have a slide on the side like the old Hi-Lo's do. But they are about half the weight of a Hi-Lo, which are too heavy for your planned TV. Remember you can't just go by weight, when deciding if your tow vehicle is adequate or not. The frontal area of a tall travel trailer creates a lot of drag, (which kills your MPG too) overtaxing many automatic transmissions on a TV that could otherwise handle the weight. In my opinion this affects durability and reliability much more than a slide might.

 

Here's the specs of their biggest models. http://www.camperoutlet.com/Hidden/TrailManor3124Specifications/tabid/27520/Default.aspx

 

Basically you get to tow a low profile 24ft trailer, much like other pop-ups like a ChaletXL, that expands to 31ft livable ft. Their heaviest model, the 3124ks, only weighs 3185 lbs! They come with either a recirculating toilet (like airplanes use) or a cassette toilet like my Aliner uses. I love my cassette toilet as it is very easy and clean to dump - much easier than a traditional RV toilet, though the tank is smaller, needing more frequent dumps (mine holds about a week's worth of waste for 2 people). A recirculating toilet holds more, but I just don't like the concept. On the down side, the fridge/freezer is small, just a little bigger than my Aliner's fridge.

 

Chip

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My wife and I and two cats were full time in a truck camper ... without slides ... for two years. There was plenty of room for 4 seasons of clothing and hobby gear and all sorts of extras we never used. Traveling small and light has lots and lots of advantages. Travel is easy and low cost. You can stay virtually anywhere, although there are a lot of places I would not consider, including Quartzite. Why sit in an ugly desert area with nothing around except other RVs? Instead I spent my winters in places like Mojave Preserve, Death Valley, and even short stays at slab city. Southern Utah warms pretty quick and I spent most of March in Zion and the surrounding areas.

 

If you are going to full time and take advantage of a small sized camper, I highly recommend getting a decent battery bank and a solar system. You can avoid the need for hookups and RV camps. I even have a cassette toilet which gives me a lot more freedom. I can empty the tank in any outhouse or flush toilet.

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My wife and I and two cats were full time in a truck camper ... without slides ... for two years. There was plenty of room for 4 seasons of clothing and hobby gear and all sorts of extras we never used. Traveling small and light has lots and lots of advantages. Travel is easy and low cost. You can stay virtually anywhere, although there are a lot of places I would not consider, including Quartzite. Why sit in an ugly desert area with nothing around except other RVs? Instead I spent my winters in places like Mojave Preserve, Death Valley, and even short stays at slab city. Southern Utah warms pretty quick and I spent most of March in Zion and the surrounding areas.If you are going to full time and take advantage of a small sized camper, I highly recommend getting a decent battery bank and a solar system. You can avoid the need for hookups and RV camps. I even have a cassette toilet which gives me a lot more freedom. I can empty the tank in any outhouse or flush toilet.

This has become an interesting thread. I used to be a backpacker and so glad for it because it made clear to me how less stuff is more mobility. I think it comes down to need vs. want. My 16' TT is everything I need (traveling with pets) as long as I can spend most of the day outside, a definite want, so that will determine my travel locations, starting with AZ and moving up to southern UT before heading back to Maine in spring to attend to the S&B, which I may let go of if snowbirding lives up to my expectations!

16' Taylor Coach TT/Silverado tow vehicle

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Another winter option similar to The Q, is Yuma. You can find many, many lots with RV hook ups for two (Sometimes up to four.) RV's. This gives you more space, and once a month, you can go Howl At The Moon with fellow nomads!!! (It's a regular monthly get together with some fun loving people, out in the Foothill areas of Yuma.

 

While you have not talked about budget, I'm wondering if that nice new vehicle could be a toad? Small can be beautiful in good weather. Small can be very restrictive in times of bad weather:)! If it can be a toad, then perhaps a Class C, smaller Class A, would be a compromise on more space, but still not too large to go where you want to go... $.02.

 

Either way you go, have a blast, travel safe,

Smitty

Be safe, have fun,

Smitty

04 CC Allure "RooII" - Our "E" ride for life!

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A great many years ago I drove towards Yuma in the winter. As I reached the outshirts I encountered the RV/mobile home parks. These had 8' cinder block fences with RVs jammed in about as close as possible. Even many years ago, the advertised cost was $30/night. I would not want to stay in such a place even one night.

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...... I think it comes down to need vs. want. ....

Maybe need vs want explains it. To me it is a matter of lifestyle choices. I stay in an RV mostly because I want to travel and see beautiful and majestic scenery. I rarely stay in one area more than a few days. Typically I spend most of my time in areas that would not even accommodate a large RV. I also avoid the cost of, for me, unnecessary hookups. Others want to travel with the comforts of home.... microwave, endless showers, big flat screen TV, living room with oversized recliners, and even a laundry.

 

My visits to Yellowstone help clarify the differences. The big rigs that need hookups must make reservations months in advance and most need to find RV parks outside of Yellowstone. A popular location is 50 miles up river towards Livingston. When they visit some place like the Lamar Valley in north Yellowstone, they drive their toads, carry sandwiches and need to use the disgusting outhouses. I drive my truck camper, pull off the highway, watch the bison and cook a decent lunch. I can use my own rest room facilities and take a nap on the Queen sized foam mattress. I have all my possessions with me. I don't need to regret forgetting to bring the big telephoto lens. Most of the RVers are hungry and worn out and they leave in the early afternoon for their 1-2 hour return trip. I would typically cook dinner, stay for sunset and have a short ride back to the campground and ranger talk.

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Christine's Response - Great Replies. Here's what I reply:

 

If anything, this topic shows the wide variety of choices each of us makes and how different we all are. I am especially grateful to hear from the small Rvers who have successfully been happy with this smaller lifestyle. I totally understand the laundry, couches and TVs others can see from across the room, and the security of heated pipes and thicker insulation. Above all – a bigger bath, what I wouldn't give for a bigger bath. Both are awesome ways to live.

 

The Trail Manor is an awesome trailer but I really do not want to assemble a house and take it down every time we move. I also have limitations. I no longer call them disabilities because I've gone from housebound to I can walk Costco without crying before I reach the other side. But the only way I stay active is to realize I am not 24. A big draw of the K-Z 19 foot toy hauler was a ramp that I could wheel my folding red wagon with my CampChef stove/oven/grill down to the picnic table closer to the river. Unfortunately, storage is adequate for much shorter trips and it lacks a separate table which is not the bed.

 

I especially am grateful for like-mindedness when it comes to using a cassette toilet, a.k.a. Porta-potty. That's exactly what I loved about it, I could walk over to the outhouse and dump it or even my house toilet when I got home as long as it was done slowly. I once dumped in a gas station. Lysol wipes are a good tool to bring just to make sure you leave things clean and fresh. Having both types is even better because it is so nice when you do have full hookups so both would be great and we will probably go that way. An empty porta-potty is 20 pounds.

 

We do not want a motorhome and a toad. I think once you've whipped around downtown San Francisco towing an Aframe your psyche is tuned to loving the ease. Adding the sideout is the only true change I've considered yet I still prefer to do without and drop the 300 pounds. Do I want 700 CCC or 1000? If I can't bring adequate water and canned goods to stay 10 days I would not be getting what I want no matter how pretty and comfy it is.

 

This trip is about seeing America, including the towns. We do not plan on going to every state we just want to enjoy this. I want to be able to fit into the little sites surrounded by bushes and berries found along the Oregon coast.

 

Another huge factor to the decision is speed and agility. We like camping in the mountains. Summer brings fires and I like faster and smaller when trying to speed down a mountain to safety.

 

I love 7 foot wide and not 8 foot wide. I'm under 5'2” I feel more comfortable on city streets with this width. I like the lower profile – not having to read all those bridge signs even though they were never too low I read them all in case.

 

The backpacker understands. The hiker understands. We want to drive higher on the mountain and further in.

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My visits to Yellowstone help clarify the differences. The big rigs that need hookups must make reservations months in advance and most need to find RV parks outside of Yellowstone. A popular location is 50 miles up river towards Livingston.

 

Another clarification....big rigs don't need hookups, don't need reservations and don't need to stay outside of Yellowstone.

 

We've visited many times with our 40' motorhome. We've stayed in Mammoth, Madison and Glacier Bay camprounds - without reservations. Mammoth doesn't even accept reservations. At the other two we were there in the mornings and easily secured cancellations spots or no-shows. A few other times we've been there in spring or fall and the campgrounds weren't full so again, easily got a site.

 

Since we've been to Yellowstone so often we enjoy touring the countryside outside the entrances so sometimes we stay at national forest campgrounds in those areas and then do 'some' touring of Yellowstone in our Jeep. It's small enough and quiet enough not to disturb the animals and easily goes does one-track paths that a truck couldn't. So yes, every type of RV has limitations.

 

90% of our full-time travel for 16 years was done in public parks without reservations.

Full-timed for 16 Years
Traveled 8 yr in a 2004 Newmar Dutch Star 40' Motorhome
and 8 yr in a 33' Travel Supreme 5th Wheel

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Another clarification....big rigs don't need hookups, don't need reservations and don't need to stay outside of Yellowstone.

 

We've visited many times with our 40' motorhome. We've stayed in Mammoth, Madison and Glacier Bay camprounds - without reservations. Mammoth doesn't even accept reservations. At the other two we were there in the mornings and easily secured cancellations spots or no-shows. A few other times we've been there in spring or fall and the campgrounds weren't full so again, easily got a site.

 

Since we've been to Yellowstone so often we enjoy touring the countryside outside the entrances so sometimes we stay at national forest campgrounds in those areas and then do 'some' touring of Yellowstone in our Jeep. It's small enough and quiet enough not to disturb the animals and easily goes does one-track paths that a truck couldn't. So yes, every type of RV has limitations.

 

90% of our full-time travel for 16 years was done in public parks without reservations.

 

 

X's 2... 40' + can provide choices not available to a smaller rig - at times:)!

 

We too have been to Madison and others Yellowstone campgrounds, without reservations. We always enjoy Gros Ventre in the Teton's.

 

But, I'll admit that their are campgrounds we've seen in National Parks, that we just will not fit... So as always, to sides to every story...

 

My main reason for posting, is to concur that "Being Big" does not block you form "Enjoying Many Great Campgrounds" - and, larger tanks means not always needing to have hook ups:)!

 

Best to all,

Smitty

Be safe, have fun,

Smitty

04 CC Allure "RooII" - Our "E" ride for life!

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Every size is perfect for someone and we often change from time to time and experience something else. The important thing is we are out there.

 

It would also be fun to have a lot of room and someday perhaps I'll go for that.

 

The thing I did while at home that has helped the most in down sizing was reducing the kitchen. I separated everything into what I think we need and what we don't and boxed what I thought I could do without. Made some changes a couple times and now I find I just love having half the pans I had and everything else. Then asked daughter what she wanted of my left overs and boxed those for her and the rest is waiting for my next garage sale. We don't have a dishwasher so I really enjoy not being able to get so much dirty. Sometimes I have to wash what I need.

 

Christine

Colorado

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If you know what you want, build it yourself. Start with a cargo trailer for $5-10k, put up some insulation and wallboard, install some windows and interior furniture and you're almost there.

 

Want some inspiration? Google "cargo trailer to RV" and look at the pictures. Or look at this Pinterest page

Oh no. Yesterday I sprayed and polished the wax on the Class B, the first wax to grace the new two tone paint job I just that day finished. I started last spring and worked until snow started and started again this spring. Between weather when I could work on it I am finally getting it done. The carpet is awesome, I still have the cab part to do. I still have touch up to do on window sills but it is killing me I am going to be selling it after all the work. I never want to climb another ladder to reach the top. My body says enough. I know how much labor this one took starting from scratch is out for me. A neighbor stopped by and mentioned he was going to tell his brother about it and I wanted to hide it for fear I might not get to drive it all new and shinny. So there is also the getting attached to your work. I would still have weight limitations and I am certain I could not build it as well as an experienced trailer maker for the weight/space I would be limited to.

 

I will be doing some insulation and that kind of stuff on whatever I buy. Maybe some interior decoration. But I am not up to a build. That's the Christine from a few decades back - she would do it.

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We're fulltimers in a 40' motorhome with no slides. I've yet to find a place where we didn't fit. That said, our Foretravel is for sale and when it sells we'll buy a 34' Airstream TT. We've already gotten rid of some of the excess stuff we had with us, and I suspect that there is even more that could go. I can see us eventually moving to an even smaller Airstream someday.

 

To go back to the original post, every RV is going to be a compromise. The ideal RV is 5' x 5' x 2' while going down the road and 20' x 40' x 20' while parked. Not going to happen. People can, and do, fulltime in every type of RV, but most of us tend to get larger, heavier coaches because they tend to be better year-round coaches. We loved our little mpg TT, but there is no way we could have full-timed in it. The bathroom was fine for when someone had to get up in the middle of the night, but too small otherwise. There was no place to really relax, etc. A larger coach provides more room to have defined spaces. We have a definite living area, a definite kitchen/dining area, a defined bath, and a defined bedroom. The living area has seats for six people, eight if we use the driver and navigator seats. When we had a week of steady rain we were comfortable, and when we get the Airstream we'll also be able to be comfortable in a similar situation.

David Lininger, kb0zke
1993 Foretravel U300 40' (sold)
2022 Grand Design Reflection 315RLTS

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We're fulltimers in a 40' motorhome with no slides. I've yet to find a place where we didn't fit. That said, our Foretravel is for sale and when it sells we'll buy a 34' Airstream TT. We've already gotten rid of some of the excess stuff we had with us, and I suspect that there is even more that could go. I can see us eventually moving to an even smaller Airstream someday.

 

To go back to the original post, every RV is going to be a compromise. The ideal RV is 5' x 5' x 2' while going down the road and 20' x 40' x 20' while parked. Not going to happen. People can, and do, fulltime in every type of RV, but most of us tend to get larger, heavier coaches because they tend to be better year-round coaches. We loved our little mpg TT, but there is no way we could have full-timed in it. The bathroom was fine for when someone had to get up in the middle of the night, but too small otherwise. There was no place to really relax, etc. A larger coach provides more room to have defined spaces. We have a definite living area, a definite kitchen/dining area, a defined bath, and a defined bedroom. The living area has seats for six people, eight if we use the driver and navigator seats. When we had a week of steady rain we were comfortable, and when we get the Airstream we'll also be able to be comfortable in a similar situation.

Ha ha - so true.

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My partner and I full time in a Sprinter van with three dogs (85 lbs, 70 lbs and 45 lbs). We love it. What makes it feel bigger on the inside is decor and arrangement. We have distinct areas within the van (sleeping/cooking/living) which helps make it feel a lot less congested. We also have a screen house we set up outside and try to live outside as much as inside. Generally unless we're watching a movie before bedtime or sleeping, we're not inside. We never feel like we need more room. We've even been stuck in there for a full 8 rainy days in a row and we didn't feel cramped.

Traveling with Shadow and his rubber chicken.

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