Another RV quesiton: RV or trailer? Pros & cons?

HughMungus · Post by **HughMungus** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 12:54 pm

I've done the RV thing and I'm tired of throwing away money to rent them so I'm thinking about getting a used one.

Then I thought maybe I'd be better off getting a travel trailer. I already have an SUV with a tow hitch so the travel trailer makes more sense (especially since I can park the trailer and still use the truck for trips back to Reno to pick up friends, etc. etc.) and also that gives me a lot more flexibility if I travel anywhere else.

Any opinions on this? Any major downsides to a trailer vs. an RV?

Also, is insurance mandatory on a travel trailer? I'm thinking that saving $ on not having to insure it would be anothe plus...

Post by **AntiM** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 7:13 pm

We have a 8x14 flatbed trailer, our insurance covers it as part of the package on the jeep. We do have to register it and it is taxed as property. It is very easy to use as a base although it isn't what we camp in. As for insurance on a travel trailer, you'll have to ask locally because each state is different; it may already be a rider on your suv. I'd think it wouldn't be much, insurance on our dear departed camper rv was only $77 a year.

YMMV

yeah, I know, I didn't really answer your question at all.

HughMungus · Post by **HughMungus** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 7:36 pm

It's helpful. I was actually thinking about getting a flatbed becuase I might need one of those anyway. On second thought, however, the reason I want a travel trailer is because we have a long drive and would like to be able to stop and snooze on the way there and back...

Thanks!

AntiM wrote:We have a 8x14 flatbed trailer, our insurance covers it as part of the package on the jeep. We do have to register it and it is taxed as property. It is very easy to use as a base although it isn't what we camp in. As for insurance on a travel trailer, you'll have to ask locally because each state is different; it may already be a rider on your suv. I'd think it wouldn't be much, insurance on our dear departed camper rv was only $77 a year.

YMMV

yeah, I know, I didn't really answer your question at all.

Mister Jellyfish Mister · Post by **Mister Jellyfish Mister** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 8:12 pm

DallasPlaya wrote:I've done the RV thing and I'm tired of throwing away money to rent them so I'm thinking about getting a used one.

Then I thought maybe I'd be better off getting a travel trailer. I already have an SUV with a tow hitch so the travel trailer makes more sense (especially since I can park the trailer and still use the truck for trips back to Reno to pick up friends, etc. etc.) and also that gives me a lot more flexibility if I travel anywhere else.

Any opinions on this? Any major downsides to a trailer vs. an RV?

Also, is insurance mandatory on a travel trailer? I'm thinking that saving $ on not having to insure it would be anothe plus...

It's a great idea and you should do it. One less engine to worry about. I'm on my second one which is probably too big for my SUV. Be sure and check your tow ratings first and make sure you figure for extra water and load for your art stuff.

Tiahaar · Post by **Tiahaar** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 10:44 pm

I'll second (or third or whatever) the used trailer over the used RV if you already have a good dependable tow vehicle. After living out of two different travel trailers cross-country for several years I can vouch for their bang for the buck.

Do put serious effort into having a good hookup for the lights/electric brakes on the trailer. Get a good brake controller for the tow vehicle. And my favorite soapbox...get good tires and grease the wheel bearings.

headquarters · Post by **headquarters** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 1:49 am

Tiahaar wrote:I'll second (or third or whatever) the used trailer over the used RV if you already have a good dependable tow vehicle. After living out of two different travel trailers cross-country for several years I can vouch for their bang for the buck.

Do put serious effort into having a good hookup for the lights/electric brakes on the trailer. Get a good brake controller for the tow vehicle. And my favorite soapbox...get good tires and grease the wheel bearings.

sounds like a man who has learned from experience

Post by **AntiM** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 5:14 am

And do a safety check before you roll. One dirty connector and you have no lights on the trailer.

We've never used ours as a base for camping, but it does make a bang-up kitchen area. Also makes a good impromtu shade area and an excellent base to attach art projects.

safetythird · Post by **safetythird** » Mon Jan 31, 2005 9:31 am

I had a similar predicament last year. We eventually went the used RV route because we don't have a big truck to pull a trailer. A couple other things that played into the decision were

1) The total length of a tow vehicle and trailer can far exceed the length of an rv.

2) We would not be able to tow an additional trailer (let's say containing an art car or something) behind a travel trailer. I've seen a boat being towed behind a travel trailer. Scary looking indeed and illegal in my area.

3) The used travel trailers we looked at did not have a generator. (I think newer ones due nowadays).

4) We can park an rv on the street while unattached trailers are usually illegal.

It is a tough call but for us the expense of having to buy a tow vehicle cinched it. Since you already have one just consider the points I mentioned above and see what works for you. There's plenty of pro's for going the trailer route.

S3

safetythird · Post by **safetythird** » Mon Jan 31, 2005 9:37 am

Oh damn, I forgot to mention that the longer the RV the smaller the trailer you'll be allowed to tow. If you plan on towing a trailer with an rv pick a shorter rv. Most rv's under 30' with a big block should be fine for towing a trailer. Those 34' rv's are just about to capacity unloaded. Check weights and make sure you don't go over.

S3

HughMungus · Post by **HughMungus** » Tue Feb 01, 2005 8:12 pm

Art stuff? I thought it was just a big party??? :P

Mister Jellyfish Mister wrote:It's a great idea and you should do it. One less engine to worry about. I'm on my second one which is probably too big for my SUV. Be sure and check your tow ratings first and make sure you figure for extra water and load for your art stuff.

HughMungus · Post by **HughMungus** » Tue Feb 01, 2005 8:14 pm

Tiahaar wrote:I'll second (or third or whatever) the used trailer over the used RV if you already have a good dependable tow vehicle. After living out of two different travel trailers cross-country for several years I can vouch for their bang for the buck.

Do put serious effort into having a good hookup for the lights/electric brakes on the trailer. Get a good brake controller for the tow vehicle. And my favorite soapbox...get good tires and grease the wheel bearings.

Thanks Tia. Definitely safety conscoius. At first I was looking at a 24 or 26 footer but I don't want to tow that much weight so now I'm looking at the shorter ones.

The other consideration (in case anyone else ever has this question) is leg room. The RV KILLED me because there is very little leg room (I'm 6'6"). Yeah, I know a trailer will be short inside for me, but, I won't be spending much time in it.

HughMungus · Post by **HughMungus** » Tue Feb 01, 2005 8:19 pm

Thanks S3. Good points.

Regarding generators, how are the ones in the newer trailers installed/hooked up? I *have* a generator but it's loud as hell (and I don't want to drive my neighbors crazy) whereas the generators I've had on my rental RV's seemed much quieter. Is that just because they're inside or is are they actually quieter generators? Would I be able to put the generator inside somewhere (like in some kind of storage compartment accessible from the outside that I've seen on RV's)? Or am I going to have to bite the bullet and do the generator enclosure thing (outside the trailer)? I'll definitely need a generator for the drill press.

safetythird wrote:I had a similar predicament last year. We eventually went the used RV route because we don't have a big truck to pull a trailer. A couple other things that played into the decision were

1) The total length of a tow vehicle and trailer can far exceed the length of an rv.

2) We would not be able to tow an additional trailer (let's say containing an art car or something) behind a travel trailer. I've seen a boat being towed behind a travel trailer. Scary looking indeed and illegal in my area.

3) The used travel trailers we looked at did not have a generator. (I think newer ones due nowadays).

4) We can park an rv on the street while unattached trailers are usually illegal.

It is a tough call but for us the expense of having to buy a tow vehicle cinched it. Since you already have one just consider the points I mentioned above and see what works for you. There's plenty of pro's for going the trailer route.

S3

Tiahaar · Post by **Tiahaar** » Tue Feb 01, 2005 10:30 pm

DallasPlaya wrote: Thanks Tia. Definitely safety conscoius. At first I was looking at a 24 or 26 footer but I don't want to tow that much weight so now I'm looking at the shorter ones.

The other consideration (in case anyone else ever has this question) is leg room. The RV KILLED me because there is very little leg room (I'm 6'6"). Yeah, I know a trailer will be short inside for me, but, I won't be spending much time in it.

...are they actually quieter generators?

Hi DP and happy trailer/RV hunting. The biggest electrical pain on my trailers was getting a good ground from the tow vehicle to the trailer brakes/lights. The makers like to ground everything to the frame through screws and just run one pos wire to things but then the screws corrode over time and you get weird effects like the turn signals blinking the clearance lights (finding another path to ground through other lights). A separate ground wire cured this.

Dang but a trailer will probably be tighter on legroom than an RV! Most all have the beds across one end or the other, no room to stretch out. Maybe someone knows which makers have more headroom?

Most RV generators turn at 1800 RPM...most portable contractor 5-12hp models turn at 3600 RPM, that's a lot of what makes them noisier. A trailer with an Onan genset underneath would be pretty nice.

For lots of headroom, legroom, cargo carrying and few frills, its hard to beat an ex-schoolbus recently retired and purchased at sale from some school district. Well maintained and sturdy. Take out the seats and bolt in some furniture of your choosing. Ex-transit/tour busses are bigger thrills. I like busses : )

safetythird · Post by **safetythird** » Thu Feb 03, 2005 9:01 am

Most RV generators turn at 1800 RPM...most portable contractor 5-12hp models turn at 3600 RPM, that's a lot of what makes them noisier. A trailer with an Onan genset underneath would be pretty nice.

Thanks Tiahaar, I wasn't aware of the rpm difference. I was going to suggest that the quality of generator and the mounting of it made the difference. Mine is an Onan model (consider this brand when shopping, they are highly regarded) that is mounted in a side compartment that has sound proofing on the walls and vibration dampers underneath.

It's pretty convenient to push a button from inside the rv to start up the genset. It's also convenient that rv mounted generators run off the main gas tank. This can be good and bad. Good that you don't need to keep filling up a small genset tank. Bad as in you could burn up most of your gas by running the genset 24/7. Not too scary though. Most gensets will shut off when the main tank hits 1/4 full thereby not leaving you stranded.

S3

gregori · Post by **gregori** » Fri Feb 11, 2005 3:32 pm

My solution - Get a cab-over truck camper. That way it's easy to trailer 4 tons of other people's cra.. um... "stuff" out to the Playa.
At least that's what I did last year - here's the pic of us enroute:
http://www.thinkin3d.com/BM04/images/BM ... ori_03.jpg

That camper has been sold, but here's the freebie I just scored:
http://www.thinkin3d.com/camper/TQ1.jpg
http://www.thinkin3d.com/camper/TQ2.jpg
http://www.thinkin3d.com/camper/TQ3.jpg

(And with a freebie, I won't even have to clean it when I get back, I'll just give it away!)

If you don't have a pickup truck, I've seen them mounted on a trailer, and the space under the front and edges used to stow stuff...

Re: Generator - the Onan onboard ones are reasonably quiet, but the Honda EU series is the cat's meow. I was very fortunate last year, as a friend loaned one to me for the week. I could run it *any* time!
It's so quiet you couldn't tell it was running if you weren't within 10 feet of it. (And in the daytime, I had to put my HAND on it to feel for vibration to tell...)
The downside? That generator is about $875 - the best price I found... (After I got back, I wanted to get my own, I was so impressed.)

HughMungus · Post by **HughMungus** » Sat Feb 12, 2005 10:42 am

Just worried about the leg room during the (long) drive. Last year we drove from Reno to the playa and my knees were killing me just from being cramped up that long. I curl into a ball when I sleep so that kinda leg room isn't necessary.

Thanks for the generator advice. I'll do some research on that and trailers in general and let everyone know what I ended-up with.

Tiahaar wrote:Dang but a trailer will probably be tighter on legroom than an RV! Most all have the beds across one end or the other, no room to stretch out. Maybe someone knows which makers have more headroom?

Most RV generators turn at 1800 RPM...most portable contractor 5-12hp models turn at 3600 RPM, that's a lot of what makes them noisier. A trailer with an Onan genset underneath would be pretty nice.

Bob A · Post by **Bob A** » Tue Feb 15, 2005 7:25 pm

I towed a trailer I rebuilt last year from the East Coast. Loved it. Make sure you do the wire thing and wheel check thing as others have suggested. Also don't skimp on the connection between the tow vehicle and camper. I had a sway bar, Steel spring bars that distributed the weight and a hitch that adjusted so the whole thing rode perfectly level. It drove like a dream and I cam out from the East Coast. Oh yea and my tow vehicle was Toyota Sienna. Did no harm to the car springs and all survived.

The only bad thing was the gas mileage got about 10 to the gallon pulling usually get 20 +.

So this year I bought a used RV. Which also gets about 10 to the gallon. I figured for that kind of gas mileage I want the room and the moving party. Now I can have 4 or 5 friends, we can move around talk and start the festivities a few days earlier during the drive out.

Bob A

Renie · Post by **Renie** » Thu Feb 17, 2005 5:57 pm

I've done both a used RV and school bus.
The RV was great, 26ft slept 6, $2700 plus ins. I had to get the wiring checked so that all the lights worked. After BM I sold the RV to a friend who rides dirt bikes for $2000 so I didn't have to clean it. And the insurance was almost 100% refunded. Totally worth it.
This last year I got a school bus for about $1200. Because I removed all but 4 of the seats I didn't need a special licence to drive it. Registered and insured as a truck, ins. refunded when I sold the bus to my camp at the end of the event.
Even though the bus didn't have a bathroom, kitchen, or AC I liked it better because there was just more room and it seemed to stay cooler during the day and warmer at night.

HughMungus · Post by **HughMungus** » Sat Feb 19, 2005 8:53 am

Thanks. I doubt I'd do the school bus thing because we need the kitchen, bathroom, etc. on the road as well as while there.

Now I'm so conflicted. I like the idea of getting a trailer because you can park it and drive your other vehicle wherever (that is, beyond just going to Buring Man). But this week I've been thinking that since our drive is as long as it is that I might be better off getting an RV because that'll be way more comfortable for the drive than having everyone in the truck while driving. Hmmm...maybe the trailer should wait for my future vagabnond life...

Renie wrote:I've done both a used RV and school bus.

HughMungus · Post by **HughMungus** » Sat Feb 19, 2005 9:00 am

Oh, and, now I'm looking at used Class A's, too. Any advice on Class A vs Class C? It seems the gas mileage might be similar... What about licensing and insurance for a Class A?

Tiahaar · Post by **Tiahaar** » Sat Feb 19, 2005 8:46 pm

DallasPlaya wrote:Oh, and, now I'm looking at used Class A's, too. Any advice on Class A vs Class C?

Hey that reminds me, what price range are you looking at anyway?

My folks had a class C for years (for those not into the lingo those are RVs built on a van chassis and cab with a cabover sleeper) when I was a kid, I loved the cabover bunk for sleeping, would be tight for adults.

At least most class C's have a standard Dodge/Chevy/whatever cab and engine setup, some of the older class A's have a funky "homebuilt" look to the driver's area...I don't trust them to be easily serviced engine-wise either, and most have the engine under a cover right up front between the seats. The newer stuff looks more reputable, the rear engine pushers are the de-luxe stuff.

IF...any of you are looking at that level however please do look into the bus conversion market, as there are some deals to be had for RV converted transit and interstate coaches in the $10k to 30k range, less for a bare bus even, and let me tell you commercial busses are built to last. No 1x3 studs covered with paneling and aluminum siding by darn. If serious, get a hold of a copy of "Bus Conversions" magazine and browse the classifieds at the back. A sampling can be found at http://www.busconversions.com . If bit by the bus bug please email me for mutual support and 12-step help heheh : )

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Sun Feb 20, 2005 8:50 am

The older large bed over top Vans are in almost every back yard. You could clean one up and put it qn the road @ a rental price. Might retreve your repair and trip cost by selling after BM.

HughMungus · Post by **HughMungus** » Sun Feb 20, 2005 10:07 am

Tiahaar wrote:
DallasPlaya wrote:Oh, and, now I'm looking at used Class A's, too. Any advice on Class A vs Class C?
Hey that reminds me, what price range are you looking at anyway?

Under $5,000, but, I might go higher depending on the vehicle. What would be perfect is something in good mechanical condition where the interior or other appearance details are bringing down the price.

Reallly just need something for 6, maybe 8 people. In fact, I'm not even sure how many people are going and I might end-up doing the fly-in/rent thing if I don't have enough drivers.

I don't think I'd do a bus or a bus conversion. I really don't have the time or inclination to do the upgrades and it would be easier to just get something pre-built with the specs I want (like a Class A or C).

I have considered a van, too. Hm.

Oh well, thanks for the advice. Right now I'm tracking sales on ebay to see what things that I want are selling for. *Almost* bid on a used Class A last night that was cheap (and the leopard print interior design was attractive :D).

HughMungus · Post by **HughMungus** » Wed May 04, 2005 10:59 pm

Update: I got a Class A RV. Thanks to everyone who gave me advice!

Now the hard part begins...

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Thu May 05, 2005 7:06 am

The only hard part I can see Is th gas. I hope you don't have a "Do not resuscitate" medical tag on when filling up.

sputnik · Post by **sputnik** » Thu May 05, 2005 8:03 am

DallasPlaya wrote:Now the hard part begins...

Yeah, making it look like this:

Mister Jellyfish Mister · Post by **Mister Jellyfish Mister** » Thu May 05, 2005 8:03 am

Congrats on your purchase, DallasPlaya. Send us another photo after you decorate!

Yes, Harley, I know how you feel. For her maiden voyage, we took my camp trailer all the way to Zion, Utah. Since I made the mistake of buying one that's too big for my little SUV, I borrowed my father in law's truck to haul it.

When I bitched to him about the long green we blew on gas, he smiled with his cigar on one side of his mouth and said "Yeah, 10 cylindars will do that to ya."

Ouch!

Mister Jellyfish Mister · Post by **Mister Jellyfish Mister** » Thu May 05, 2005 8:06 am

sputnik wrote:
DallasPlaya wrote:Now the hard part begins...
Yeah, making it look like this:

Don't let Kernul Killbuck get his hands on that one, Sputnik.

sputnik · Post by **sputnik** » Thu May 05, 2005 8:09 am

Mister Jellyfish Mister wrote:Don't let Kernul Killbuck get his hands on that one, Sputnik.

It's exactly what you need at the front gate

HughMungus · Post by **HughMungus** » Thu May 05, 2005 10:47 am

Eh. Traveling from Dallas every year, you expect that it's going to cost you one way or another.

The "hard part" will be making sure it's up to snuff for the drive, cleaning, planning and building our camp, practicing our camp, learning about power stuff (deep cycle batteries, generators, etc.). I have a little experience in a lot of that stuff but this year is the first actual camp we're doing. Whee.

unjonharley wrote:The only hard part I can see Is th gas. I hope you don't have a "Do not resuscitate" medical tag on when filling up.

Another RV quesiton: RV or trailer? Pros & cons?

Another RV quesiton: RV or trailer? Pros & cons?

Re: Another RV quesiton: RV or trailer? Pros & cons?

Re: Another RV quesiton: RV or trailer? Pros & cons?

Re: Another RV quesiton: RV or trailer? Pros & cons?