Trailers, Campers and RVs… | Page 2 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Trailers, Campers and RVs…

Just looking at some of the costs. I'd say pitch a tent in your living room and buy a whack of fake plants..
But seriously, I've looked into this in the past and it always boils down to costs. I do love some of the smaller "camper vans" in the Euro market.
 
Sold this one to my friend last year. We pulled it with the Odyssey. I did get an electric brake controller. Says it sleeps seven. But two of them need to be fairly short to fit on the table. It had 3 way fridge and heater. Propane stove. Could hook up to water. Storage for a portable toilet.
HfOihBzl.jpg
 
So hubby and I drove out to Colorado Springs, about an hour or so south of Denver this past August with his Ram 1500...we spent roughly $1,000 CDN in fuel (surprisingly cheap down there even with the exchange) and about $3,600 in hotels (we left August 1, got there on the 3, stayed until the 11th and were back home around midnight on the 12th)...we've been thinking of getting an RV for many years, however due to Covid, couldn't justify buying one...I'm a very picky person when it comes to hotels so we end up staying at the more expensive ones which is why it worked out to about $300/night after the exchange...with having summers off (and hubby's work allowing him to take up to five weeks off as well), we're thinking of getting one so we can just take off next summer (and subsequent summers as well).

The US is very different when it comes to travelling as someone has already said...there are a TON of places that you can "boondock" for free including national parks, rest areas, truck stops and even Walmarts...obviously you don't want to set up camp for a week in some of these places, however, if it's just for a night's rest while you're on your journey to a destination, then it's not an issue...there are also KOA Camps as well as other RV Parks all over the place that offer serviced/unserviced lots...not to mention the websites/apps that allow you to find a place while driving so you don't even have to preplan your entire route.

Storage is a big factor as someone else here mentioned...either you have space in your driveway (and good neighbours who won't mind) or you need a storage space (which can get expensive)...upkeep is another factor to keep in mind...and, as someone else mentioned, weight is a big one...for a family that size, you need a decent sized camper and although I'm not familiar with the tow limits of an Odyssey (although IIRC you said 3,500 lbs), you'll have a hard time finding something that lightweight that is going to offer you the space you want.

P.S...if anyone is selling or knows of a Grand Design Imagine XLS 22RBE for sale, let me know... :D
 
ifiddles said:
So hubby and I drove out to Colorado Springs, about an hour or so south of Denver this past August with his Ram 1500...we spent roughly $1,000 CDN in fuel (surprisingly cheap down there even with the exchange) and about $3,600 in hotels (we left August 1, got there on the 3, stayed until the 11th and were back home around midnight on the 12th)...we've been thinking of getting an RV for many years, however due to Covid, couldn't justify buying one...I'm a very picky person when it comes to hotels so we end up staying at the more expensive ones which is why it worked out to about $300/night after the exchange...with having summers off (and hubby's work allowing him to take up to five weeks off as well), we're thinking of getting one so we can just take off next summer (and subsequent summers as well).

The US is very different when it comes to travelling as someone has already said...there are a TON of places that you can "boondock" for free including national parks, rest areas, truck stops and even Walmarts...obviously you don't want to set up camp for a week in some of these places, however, if it's just for a night's rest while you're on your journey to a destination, then it's not an issue...there are also KOA Camps as well as other RV Parks all over the place that offer serviced/unserviced lots...not to mention the websites/apps that allow you to find a place while driving so you don't even have to preplan your entire route.

Storage is a big factor as someone else here mentioned...either you have space in your driveway (and good neighbours who won't mind) or you need a storage space (which can get expensive)...upkeep is another factor to keep in mind...and, as someone else mentioned, weight is a big one...for a family that size, you need a decent sized camper and although I'm not familiar with the tow limits of an Odyssey (although IIRC you said 3,500 lbs), you'll have a hard time finding something that lightweight that is going to offer you the space you want.

P.S...if anyone is selling or knows of a Grand Design Imagine XLS 22RBE for sale, let me know... :D
Click to expand...
Selling a pioneer 18ck soon of you want to look at it.

Sent from the future
 
I think what I like about campers vs hotels , you can get some amazing camp spots in places they would never allow a hotel , especially in the US . The 30% exchange rate takes some fun out of that .
My dream retirement vehicle will be a ProRam style extended van with a 5x10 enclosed trailer to carry paddle boards , dirt bike , kayak, bbq .
Friend is a Mercedes’ mechanic , his advice on any new diesel Benz van is run away , far away . Sad that .


Sent from my iPhone using GTAMotorcycle.com
 
I've been camping for most of my life... tents, tent trailers, and travel trailers. Some thoughts, in no particular order:

- The towing limits of the Odyssey will tie your hands greatly - not just the weight, but also surface area of the trailer... Cross-winds & head winds won't be kind to you.

- We're a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 young teens) - we're in a 26' bunkhouse (Jayco SLX 26BHS) - and it's enough space that on rainy days, we're not killing each other... Depending on the size of your kids, you could get away with smaller (I'd not go below 24' with 5-6 people, and that's going to be very friendly). My older daughter is 6' at 13, so bunk size was a big concern for us...

- Facilities can vary greatly one campground to the next; so we run as self-contained as we can (use the shower and washroom in the trailer; vs. campground facilities, etc)...

- The empty/dry weight of a trailer means nothing - by the time you add water, propane, and everything else - figure on the trailer's gross weight being what you're dragging around.

- WDH/SC - Weight distribution and Sway Control are two very important things for a trailer of any size; there's a few different hitch setups that can achieve this; but be sure to under the pros and cons of the setup you go with.

We love our trailer, and are out at least a weekend a month from May to Oct; and a week or two in the summer....
 
Thanks everyone, good points all around. I'm surprised that the 3500lbs of towing is not sufficient for a decent sized trailer.

I actually considered the Maverick but that's only 4000lbs (?) capacity, so not really worth the 'upgrade' from the Odyssey as a tow vehicle. We may look into renting one or two different styles first in order to get a feel and see if it's something for us, as I would not want to blow that type of money to find out 'oh...we all hate this'.

My ideal would be something similar to what @Scuba Steve was doing, but not sure a van like that is enough space for our family when the kids get older/larger. And the one you bought in the US...just a tad over my budget...like ten fold! lol So that's out.

Dad has an E350 that will probably be passed down to me when he retires / passes, but that would need to be a labour of love to convert that thing to a travelling van.

My original thought went to something similar to what @Baggsy posted...as that seems to be a good entry level to dip our toes in.

Regarding space...we've got the driveway size to keep one here for a very long time, so not really much concern there. Unless we end up moving...but don't see that happening in the very near future.
 
mimico_polak said:
Thanks everyone, good points all around. I'm surprised that the 3500lbs of towing is not sufficient for a decent sized trailer.

I actually considered the Maverick but that's only 4000lbs (?) capacity, so not really worth the 'upgrade' from the Odyssey as a tow vehicle. We may look into renting one or two different styles first in order to get a feel and see if it's something for us, as I would not want to blow that type of money to find out 'oh...we all hate this'.

My ideal would be something similar to what @Scuba Steve was doing, but not sure a van like that is enough space for our family when the kids get older/larger. And the one you bought in the US...just a tad over my budget...like ten fold! lol So that's out.

Dad has an E350 that will probably be passed down to me when he retires / passes, but that would need to be a labour of love to convert that thing to a travelling van.
Click to expand...
Your dads van would be awesome. Add a roof tent for the kids. Pop up their tent and they can have their own space. Adults stay in the van. If you want to be fancy you could probably rig up a rear tent to provide covered access between the roof tent and van.
 
mimico_polak said:
Regarding space...we've got the driveway size to keep one here for a very long time, so not really much concern there. Unless we end up moving...but don't see that happening in the very near future.
Click to expand...

Check the bylaws. Out in Clarington you're technically not allowed to store a travel trailer in your driveway due to the size. They don't do anything until one of your neighbors complain though.

I'd be surprised if where you're at was any different
 
48Connor said:
Check the bylaws. Out in Clarington you're technically not allowed to store a travel trailer in your driveway due to the size. They don't do anything until one of your neighbors complain though.

I'd be surprised if where you're at was any different
Click to expand...
Over 30ft (or so) and you're in violation of bylaw. Neighbour found out as someone complained.

Mind you he had 3 of them parked in his driveway. So he made a deal with other neighbours and just put one in each neighbour's driveway instead.

He would buy them crashed / flooded, fix them up, and flip them.

Buy one for 30k, fix for 10-15k, and sell for 80-100k. Plus he just came back from a 2 month trip to BC and across Canada. Then another 2 weeks in Algonquin with his 40-50ft monster.
 
mimico_polak said:
Over 30ft (or so) and you're in violation of bylaw. Neighbour found out as someone complained.

Mind you he had 3 of them parked in his driveway. So he made a deal with other neighbours and just put one in each neighbour's driveway instead.

He would buy them crashed / flooded, fix them up, and flip them.

Buy one for 30k, fix for 10-15k, and sell for 80-100k. Plus he just came back from a 2 month trip to BC and across Canada. Then another 2 weeks in Algonquin with his 40-50ft monster.
Click to expand...
Ah thats not as bad as here. Anything over 18ft long or 8ft tall and you can't park it here, which is basically every travel trailer besides a pop up.
 
48Connor said:
Ah thats not as bad as here. Anything over 18ft long or 8ft tall and you can't park it here, which is basically every travel trailer besides a pop up.
Click to expand...
I don’t remember the actual regulation he quoted to me, but I do recall 30ft. Could be less as he was pretty lit up.

We think we know who ratted on him, it’s the neighbourhood nosy asshat. Same guy that took pics of my deck when we first built it.
 
48Connor said:
Ah thats not as bad as here. Anything over 18ft long or 8ft tall and you can't park it here, which is basically every travel trailer besides a pop up.
Click to expand...
Even pop-ups can contravene in some municipalities. My old house had something along the lines of no storage in driveways. You could have it there while it was being frequently used (frequency undefined) but if you weren't using it in the near future, it had to be moved out of the subdivision. Again, only enforced after complaints even though by-law drove by almost daily.
 
Something my lawyer once told me, "try to get along with your neighbors". Otherwise, one of you will be moving.
 
crankcall said:
I think what I like about campers vs hotels , you can get some amazing camp spots in places they would never allow a hotel , especially in the US . The 30% exchange rate takes some fun out of that .
My dream retirement vehicle will be a ProRam style extended van with a 5x10 enclosed trailer to carry paddle boards , dirt bike , kayak, bbq .
Friend is a Mercedes’ mechanic , his advice on any new diesel Benz van is run away , far away . Sad that .


Sent from my iPhone using GTAMotorcycle.com
Click to expand...
Lol just did this have a enclosed trailer and a winnebago van now

Sent from the future
 
Really depends if your travel plans are mostly to go hang in a city and see the sites or are they to go hang in the woods (or near them). If it is to hang in the city it sucks driving in from the park to the core everyday. If it is to hang in the woods hotels can be few and far between and driving to the woods everyday sucks (but AB&B a cottage....).

I have run the costs and I see little cost advantage either way, so IMO it is about the destination and lifestyle. Hotels for the nights including on the way there and back vs park costs and the extra fuel. If you also need to get a bigger vehicle to tow well that is a cost in both purchase and extra fuel everyday.

Some parks really suck, some hotels really suck, that comes down to planning.
 
We're doing a lot of Pick-Up Truck glamping with the enduros in the bed these days, sleeping in a tent but having all our gear and amenities stowed in the cabin of the truck.

Pros
- this setup can go anywhere without worrying about trailer length, rough roads, etc.
- with a hard tonneau cover, you can pack up the truck and leave it in any commercial parking lot for days or weeks while you explore by bike
- cheap

Cons
- sleeping in a tent instead of a bed under a roof (although we have a kick-ass 4" thick blow-up mattress which is as good as any bed we've slept on)
- cooking over a fire or camp stove instead of a range.
- having a fridge would be nice instead of a cooler. Could put one in the pickup truck, but it's a waste of space and electricity

I briefly looked at getting a moto-van setup with all of the cons above addressed. But the costs don't justify how often we do truck-glamping, which is not often enough. The van would be sitting in the driveway 99.9% of the time, which bothers me a bit. The sleeping/eating setup is just a tiny component of our trips, which are more riding-oriented.

I think for now, the #truckglamping life suits us, but if we were to travel full-time again, a moto-van would be a hell of a way to go.

This is the one we were looking at:

Wilderness-Vans-TransMoto-Van-Conversion-B001.jpg


Wilderness-Vans-TransMoto-Van-Conversion-B004.jpg


Wilderness-Vans-TransMoto-Van-Conversion-B009.jpg
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom