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Any GTAM'ers have a tiny/micro camper?
- Thread starter PrivatePilot
- Start date
I gave the canvas a silicone spray every spring and inspected the overall unit for any issues and frankly, there was very little. Replacing a tail light or something.
The only reason I sold it was due to the split from my first marriage.
Some beginner mistakes was wanting a fridge, sink and stove. The fridge is too small for any real use and there are great coolers with better capacity and you can plug them in if camping at an electric site.
All food prep and cooking is done outside unless the weather is garbage.
I highly recommend having an awning that stores in a casing. Many have a bag. Aluminum is better and more durable during travel and off season elements.
Helps with shade and meal prep shelter, eating etc.
We cook 95% on the open fire and Coleman stove for the rest. Rarely use the trailer stove itself. And most will move from inside to outside but, a Coleman stove is portable beyond the trailer itself. Picnic table etc.
Pop ups have room for your gear. Fishing rods, pie irons, fire wood, tripod grill for open fire cooking, tools like a hatchet, hammer etc.
Plus the supplies, plates, cutlery, chairs
, sleeping blankets, cards and games, washer toss, matt or outdoor carpet etc.
Blue tooth speaker is portable and handy.
The only thing I get a little worried about security wise is the bikes but, everything else we try to keep cheap and replaceable and maybe that’s helped as no one has seen the value in taking our crap.
We also have dogs. Not that they would fend off anyone before licking them to death but, folks are aware of them being on site.
Yes, we take them when heading off the camp grounds but, never had a problem in the 20 years or so of camping all then provincial parks in Ontario.
We do choose sites with washrooms near by. The portapotty might seem like a good idea but, Momma doesn’t like using it in the middle of the night if someone can “hear” what is happening. Even during the day, she still remains shy so, we don’t seem to need the luxury. Personal preference. Some may insist or camp where facilities aren’t available. Especially with the Covid factor.
Guys get the use of the great outdoors. It’s only recycled Coors light anyways.
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The only reason I sold it was due to the split from my first marriage.
Some beginner mistakes was wanting a fridge, sink and stove. The fridge is too small for any real use and there are great coolers with better capacity and you can plug them in if camping at an electric site.
All food prep and cooking is done outside unless the weather is garbage.
I highly recommend having an awning that stores in a casing. Many have a bag. Aluminum is better and more durable during travel and off season elements.
Helps with shade and meal prep shelter, eating etc.
We cook 95% on the open fire and Coleman stove for the rest. Rarely use the trailer stove itself. And most will move from inside to outside but, a Coleman stove is portable beyond the trailer itself. Picnic table etc.
Pop ups have room for your gear. Fishing rods, pie irons, fire wood, tripod grill for open fire cooking, tools like a hatchet, hammer etc.
Plus the supplies, plates, cutlery, chairs
, sleeping blankets, cards and games, washer toss, matt or outdoor carpet etc.
Blue tooth speaker is portable and handy.
The only thing I get a little worried about security wise is the bikes but, everything else we try to keep cheap and replaceable and maybe that’s helped as no one has seen the value in taking our crap.
We also have dogs. Not that they would fend off anyone before licking them to death but, folks are aware of them being on site.
Yes, we take them when heading off the camp grounds but, never had a problem in the 20 years or so of camping all then provincial parks in Ontario.
We do choose sites with washrooms near by. The portapotty might seem like a good idea but, Momma doesn’t like using it in the middle of the night if someone can “hear” what is happening. Even during the day, she still remains shy so, we don’t seem to need the luxury. Personal preference. Some may insist or camp where facilities aren’t available. Especially with the Covid factor.
Guys get the use of the great outdoors. It’s only recycled Coors light anyways.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Its not just the mattresses….it’s *everything*. Take a deep dive online at how most RV’s are constructed behind the shiny bits you actually see and you’ll be aghast. They are *not* built to last and we really started to notice it on our old Keystone 5th wheel when we surpassed 50,000km of towing on it. Most RV’s probably don’t move 10,000km in their entire lives and manufacturers build knowing that.
As for the tent trailer thing, it was never for us for a multitude of reasons:
1/ Water as was mentioned. And if it rains and you’re breaking camp when it’s wet you have to open things up quickly once you get back home to allow them to dry out for several days. If your parking spot is in your driveway that’s one thing, however if your parking spot is at an RV storage yard somewhere else, that’s quite another.
2/ Noise. Anybody who’s ever spent a night in a tent camping within earshot of other noisy campers, well, you know….
3/ Depending on where you travel soft sided accommodation is not allowable in many areas, particularly out West. Because bears. Even hybrid (mostly hard sided but with flop-downs) are not allowed.
4/ They can be crazy heavy.
And lastly, the big one for us…
5/ They need to be folded up to be usable. Making a roadside stop at a park or somewhere while on the road and need to use the bathroom or fix a sandwich? You can’t just pop the door and walk in to do your thing. Both those things are biggies for us given we tend to nomad travel around versus being traditional “go to one place and stay 2-7 nights” type campers.
I realize others do things differently but that’s just us. They certainly wouldn’t work for our needs for several of the above reasons.
When i first started getting back into family camping, i had an 8x8 pop-up and four young kids, and a doberman. It rained the first two trips and that was enough of that for me. I bought a 28ft tow off the bumper, Had it to NS a couple times and really enjoyed how simple it made things.
I’m curious what will happen to the camper market once COVID is more under control. Will people dump them en masse when international travel becomes acceptable again? Or will they realize they can have their fun here too? Or both?
I had a truck camper by Suncamper that had a pop-up component. A couple of feet of fabric which allowed you to stand in it, but it didn't have the huge drag that a full height camper had. We did Alaska and the perimeter of the lower 48 back in '83. The nice thing about it is you could pop the back bit, and go in, without having to do a complete set-up.
Can't seem to load the pic, but here's a URL for an image. https://external-preview.redd.it/da...bp&s=a189a36320a93ff3f0fe665afe3a0f4be88db51c
I didn't read the 11 pages of this thread to see if it was already posted, but figured i'd pass on a forum that has a lot of good info for the tiny travel trailer world.
Good info on fitting out our cargo trailers for motorcycles too.
Good info on fitting out our cargo trailers for motorcycles too.
I am guessing mass dump at low prices I plan on selling our trailer soon to see if I can get covid pricing
And I plan on holding out to start buying when the prices take an inevitable dump.
Yeah, this. the quality control on RVs is very, very low. Considering the price of some of these trailers, what goes into them and how they're made is just garbage, and it doesn't take long for these things to show up.
Which is why the Intech is so pricy... it's hard to explain to people why I paid so much and got (apparently) so little, but the quality is in the stuff you don't see.
I think it's going to be different depending on the trailer. I think entry level stuff will drop in price a bit because people who are new to it may decide it's not for them, but I think the higher level stuff isn't going to budge so much on price.
From a supply standpoint, this market doesn't seem to be that volatile (on price). I mean, RV dealerships are willing to sit on inventory for years without moving it. If the market was that succeptable to demand fluctuations, they'd be a lot more willing to deal when times are slow.
Also from a supply standpoint, my understanding is that manufacturing was pretty much at an all time high before COVID. Adding production capacity to increase supply doesn't seem to be in the cards, therefore demand isn't reduced by increasing supply.
All this to say, from my POV anyway, I don't see prices coming down dramatically. I think there will be more supply available on the used, entry level market, but remember that these are luxury purchase made during a time of crisis by people that can afford them. That means that they may not be under so much financial pressure to sell; they may wait and see and just hold on to the camper "just in case" because they can; similar in some ways to the motorcycle market. They also may not understand / accept the depreciation on their rigs, and this will affect their ability to unload the camper. For sale at the "right" price, which nobody in their right minds is going to pay.
TL/DR: I'm not an economist.
I do believe the used inventory will be there once people realize it's not for them. I am interested to see if the prices end up where they should be or if owners are going to overvalue them and hold on to them for a while....
No different than motorcycles or any other toys...
You'll have the group that accepts reality, and the group that 'knows what I have' and there's no changing that mindset.
The upside is many people will be paying for off-site storage. Having a continuous stream of bills pouring in helps to motivate people to move on. If they can leave it in their driveway so they don't see dollars leaving, they are more inclined to keep it forever.
Shippsy still has the hitch, got a notice yesterday morning (24 hours after it was delivered to them) that my submitted paperwork had been refused (which was odd, since I'd never submitted anything at all yet) but when I logged onto the website it said it was waiting for me to file the paperwork. So I submitted everything. Their system is very vague about what's happening...shows "sorted" now but still sitting in NY.
Hoping it makes the transit overnight or tomorrow. I guess then it needs to go to "Payment due" status, I pay, and then it goes to "Ready for pickup" status - not sure how quick each of those steps but I'm starting to lose faith that I'll be getting it before the end of the week - the process with Shippsy is slower than I anticipated, I would have expected it to be a 2-3 day tops thing.
Hoping it makes the transit overnight or tomorrow. I guess then it needs to go to "Payment due" status, I pay, and then it goes to "Ready for pickup" status - not sure how quick each of those steps but I'm starting to lose faith that I'll be getting it before the end of the week - the process with Shippsy is slower than I anticipated, I would have expected it to be a 2-3 day tops thing.
I think some new to camping folks may get discouraged at the lack of sites and dates available and the cost to camp in the first place. It’s not cheap. They may get discouraged and sell their camper and go the air bnb route.
Will that create more inventory in the used market? Meh, what do I know!
Couch predictions.
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Will that create more inventory in the used market? Meh, what do I know!
Couch predictions.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
I'm with PP, I'd rather be nowhere than somewhere. The problem is at some locations and/or at some times, you can't find nowhere. Those times are where the memories are made. I was in Daytona beach for speed week in a pickup and they apparently ban boondocking anywhere (including the walmart parking lot) that week. I ended up in the driveway of a nice lady that worked at the sub shop where I bought dinner. She left a note on the truck that the house was open and there were blankets on the couch and cold beer in the fridge. Super nice gesture but I slept in the truck as planned. Another time near daytona, it took me 45 minutes to find a nice swamp to park in where I wouldn't be bothered. Fine for me, not so fun if you had a hungry family.
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