Camper trailer

[kfarm]

OK wife says it time to get a new camper to go places. I have a 15 year old 25' bumper pull now but its really not road safe so I'm looking at a new one. Think I still want a bumper pull but how much trouble are the slides. Looks like its a leak waiting to happen. I have a 2011 super duty so I got the truck. Also not wanting a real big one cause I'm not doing this all the time. I think it will be a deer camp like the last one. Anybody got something to recommend?

[smoked turkey]

kfarm So many options and many of them are personal preference. I can tell you that a good friend of mine who camps a lot uses a bumper hook up because he likes having the bedroom area on the same level as the rest of the RV. He also likes the idea of the slides because he and his wife likes the extra room. They go for a month at a time to the lake and have made friends that camp when they do. So they visit a lot and eat with their friends a lot. They need the room. On the other hand I don't use my 5th wheel (converted to gooseneck) a lot. It is just the wife and I. We don't take the grandkids like we used to now that they have grown into other interests, friends, activities, etc. We are a little different than my friend in that when we go we just like it to be the two of us. We don't need or require a slide out so our little 26' 5th wheel is smaller, shorter, and more light weight than most units you see. We have had the big multi-slide units that were tall, long, roomy and heavy. We just no longer need that. For us simpler is better. I think you need to check them out and you and the wife decide what you both want in an RV. Don't buy something that will please someone else. It is your unit and you should get what you like and want. On the subject of slides I don't think you need to worry about leaks and other problems with the newer units of today. You do need to do some minor maintenance on them to keep the rubber gaskets supple and make sure you clean the leaves and branches from the top before you put it in for hauling. Other than that they are pretty nice if you need the room. I haven't answered your question but I hope I have given you something to think about.

[runfiverun]

the slides on the new ones actually work pretty smoothly and easily.
and yeah they'll leak at some point.

[Bullshop Junior]

Wanna sell the old camper? I'm looking for one just to use the frame as a project.

[No_1]

The 5th wheel pulls much better than a bumper hitch model and with no sway-away attachements to deal with it is a no brainer for me. I currently have a 35' 5th wheel with 1 1/2 baths, 2 bedrooms and 1 slide. It was built in 1988, it is big and it is heavy. I got it because with 3 daughters, 2 dogs and a wife we needed the room. The daughters are grown and no longer camp with us so I am selling the trailer and truck (which is an International 1600 series). The wife still enjoys music festivals and the occasional camping so I will rent a driver whenever we camp from now on. The cost will be about the same considering upkeep and insurance and I will have to do nothing but fill the tank, turn the key and go......

[MT Gianni]

If you spend some time visiting with a Highway Patrolman they will tell you accidents with pullers are much more frequent with bumper pulls than 5th wheels. The 5th wheel type are a lot more stable in cross winds and uneven surfaces.

[kfarm]

All very good points. I like the idea of the 5th wheel I can remember when I first got my last trailer I had a F250 gas 2wd, man I hated to have a big truck go by now it's not as bad with the 4wd. Next time I get to town I'm going to look at both, I just don't like how high the 5th wheels are in front pushing all that air. As for slides the extra room would be nice but its just two of us with the lab, the Shepard will stay home. We had the house redone and stayed in the camper for a month and was it ever crowded, its a wonder we got through that and it was in the back yard what would we have done on the road. JR. the camper I have is still plenty good enough for deer camp just would not want to get it out on the road for a long trip. I'd want more far it than just a frame. Thanks so much for the info, I'll look at a 5th wheel as well as a slide option. Carroll

[firefly1957]

I went with a motor home Class "C" it is now 15 years old and i have only had to do some transmission work still road worthy and dependable. Not sure if it is the same for trailers but on a motor home they say sliders are 1700 pounds each for the mechanism just a thought for you.
What ever you decide enjoy it.

[WILCO]

This is how I'd roll if I were to buy one:

[terry]

I bought a 2012 Voltage toy hauler by Dutchmen. will never do that again. customer service is non existent and have had nothing but problems since new. a long story, but turns out the unit is over 2000 lbs heavier than the tag on the frame stated. doesn't leave much hauling power for toys. a lot of the problems stem from the weight problem, and the manufacturer is being very slow about doing anything. can't recommend anything by Dutchmen.

[kfarm]

Yes see me now at deer camp. I like that, a lot. Just hate to know how much that cost. But it does go along with my spending thousands to save hundreds for reloading.

[gkainz]

I've had a tent, truck camper, bumper pull, Class C and now a small 5th wheel. Each had its pros and cons, which has convinced me that there is no one perfect RV. A guy needs one of each! :)

[mold maker]

I too started with a tent in the 60s. Then I built a truck camper, and later a 12' pull behind. As the family grew older an 18" pull behind served for about 15 years. Hugo did it in and I replaced it with a 24' pulled by a suburban.
As said above they each have a ton of pros and cons, but its all a personal preference. Depends a lot on how many use it, how long a trip, how old you are, how many people involved, and what kind of camping you prefer.
My advice is to rent a couple, for a weekend. Make typical trips, and make your own decision. No one unit will be the best for everything.
At 72, I no longer camp, but I still enjoy seeing what's new and popular.

[bear67]

I have owned them all--pop ups, bumper pulls, Mini motor home, and pull a 34' fifth wheel right now and each has their + and -s. I have tent camped all my life and still do especially on river trips, but age has made the RV more attractive. Other than a motor home, a fifth wheel is easier to pull and set up camp than the bumper pulls I have owned and I like the room inside. We travel several months a year and enjoy the extra room that slides offer.

Two years back we were in the Western US and decided that the grandkids did not travel with us and we were storing stuff in the bunkhouse and we made a list of what we wanted and found a 5er that fit almost 100% of that list. It is a rear living with large slide as we enjoy meeting friends and attending Dutch oven events all over the US and we can entertain, play cards and other group activities when the weather is too bad to be outside. It is an aluminum frame and structure and cost no more to pull than our last 31' tow a long. The bed is on a slide in the neck and we have a 8' closet across the front and a built in chest so clothes for a long trip are no problem. We keep "travel" clothes in the unit and just wash and return them when we get home. My 3/4 ton diesel is also my everyday driver and I have the BW hitch where I can remove the fifth wheel and drop in a gooseneck ball and pull my farm and construction trailers. I have a one ton haul truck for those, but this comes in handy quite often.

Buy what you think you and your wife will enjoy and do just that--enjoy. We are planning on leaving the first of next week for 3-4 weeks in the Dakotas and Canada. Will visit friends along the way and travel with no schedule--just doing what we want as we go.

[kfarm]

Just got back home. Wife found just what SHE wanted. Ended up with a bumper pull lightweight North Trail 29'. Aluminum frame and some kind of fiberglass sides. Its a 4 seasons type with heated tanks and all that stuff. Much better built than my last one. With writing a $17k check and them taking my old one I only owe 6k more. The only thing was no door to bed room but that's all I could find wrong. Wife happy I'm happy and thanks to all who replied. Now I can take a nap.....

My first camper was a cab over pickup box strapped to a 16 foot flatbed trailer, I thought it was so cool I could be at deer camp in my own home. Then I had 4 other guys sleeping in it with me. Then graduated to a 17' single axel, with a ports potty shower on the back. That was really up town. My how thing change as we get older.