Tent Trailer Advice

[SandraC]

Hi All ~ we are considering buying a tent trailer and I don't know where to start looking. What advice can you give me? Thanks, Sandra

 

[KDawnLily]

We just purchased a tent trailer in July. I can sympathize with not knowing where to start.
We decided to check on line at auto trader and such to have an idea of ho wmuch used vs. new trailers were going for. We figured that for the cost of a great hard top tent trailer (upwards from 8, 000 new) if we didn't like it it would be a lot of money to try something out.
So we went previously owned hard top hunting.

Try to decide how many people you need to sleep. How much your vehicle towing max weight is and what kind of options you want (fridge, stove, sink) and of course how much you want to budget.
Another way is possibly try epinions for some reviews...

http://www.epinions.com/auto-Recrea...ll-Tent_Trailer

Or some different manufacturers sites like STARCRAFT, BONAIR, COLEMAN or COACHMAN.
We ended up finding a great used Bonair that looks like brand new for just about 1/4 of the price of a new one.
We have used it once this year and this coming week (tomorrow) we will be heading out again.
Good luck and have fun tent trailer hunting.

 

[tigercat]

Those were good things to ask yourself. Once you have decided how many people, towing capabilities ect the next thing is to look at the inside. We have one and have had it for 6 yrs. now. The new ones have 3 slide outs a big plus (our's only has the 2 beds that slide out) Watch having to climb over table to get into a bed. We rented one and to get to the bed you had to use the table bench and if someone used it for a bed you had to climb over them, NOT a good idea at all. Look for storage..LOTS of storage inside or out. Some of them have a storage compartment on the outside. Stove to go inside and out although we always keep ours out. Heater and 3 way fridge (propane, electric or battery operated). I am trying to think of other things we looked for but can't remember. The only other thing was that we looked at a slightly bigger trailer and my dh said no it wouldn't be worth it. I argued but it didn't work. Now he really regrets not buying the slightly bigger one. Also, he put in a few extra's in our trailer. The little step they put in so you can get into the bed is now larger and a storage cabinet to boot. My sink can be pumped or I can use one button to get water while I hold it down or a switch that puts the water on until I turn it off. pm me if you want more Sandra
tigercat

 

[SandraC]

Thanks ~ I haven't got a clue what to spend on a tent trailer either. I looked at 6 used trailers today. I eliminated 3 right off the bat. The one that I liked the best was a 1995 Jayco 1270 (12 footer) it appeared to be in lovely condition, with exceptional of the fridge door. It cost $6900 but the dealer said I could offer about $1500 less to the buyer (it's on consignment at the dealership). The other two that I liked were newer (1999 and 2002) they each cost about $9000. We looked at new campers about 4 or 5 years ago and new small one went for about $5000. I am getting a little overwhelmed.

Do you winter camp?

Do you use the trailer often?

Where do you camp?

THANKS! S

 

[tigercat]

We try to go from 2 to 4 weeks a year. My dh only gets 2 to 4 weeks a year so that's pretty good for us. We usually camp up North---an hour north west of Sault Ste. Marie. We usually go the end of May the first of June or/and after Labour day in Sept. We miss the crowds. One time in May when we were camping it snowed on us but it was only for about a day and a half. The tarp really isn't ment for the winter, although we have camped in pretty cold weather.
tigercat

 

[cdnmickeylover]

Can't give you any advice on tent trailers as we've only camped in tents but did want to say that you'll have a great time. Our favourite is Algonquin Park. We usually canoe in and then camp for the weekend but I know that there are camping sites for tent trailers as well.

Camping is a great way to see the sights and relax as well. We haven't had a chance to go camping this summer and I really miss it. We usually camp the long weekend in May and have gotten rained on but no snow although I have camped in April in a tent when there was snow on the ground -- that's as close as I'm ever going to get to camping in a tent in the winter.

The night time stars are not to be missed.

 

[Shakey]

Check out PopUp Explorer for a great forum on Pop Up Trailers...

http://www.coastexplorer.com/popupexplorer/

We did quite a bit of tent camping and moved up to a PopUp in 2000. We went with Jayco due to the pricing and options available.

My website has some info on our PopUp and trip reports for the past couple of years..including our 2001 Trip to Fort Wilderness.

http://www3.sympatico.ca/dbadour/shakey.html

 

[bev r.]

Sandra:

You may want to consider renting a tent trailer for a week or weekend to see how you like it. first. It may be worth it if you find out you really don't like this kind of camping. I don't know what your previous camping experiences have been.

As previously mentioned, check out and compare the costs of new vs used. When we bought our trailer in 1998, the difference in cost between buying a new trailers versus one that was less than 5 years old was marginal.

Also consider that with a used trailer, that warrenties may not carry forward. This is true with the Coleman trailers, in that the warrenty is valid for only the original purchaser. This is especially important if you are buying a Coleman trailer that was built in the late 1990's. There is a known problem with the one piece roofs on these trailers with the potential of the roof warping under extreme weather conditions. This happened to our trailer, but it was covered under the warrenty and we had the roof replaced.

I'm sure that all manufacturers have their known defects, like cars.

Just as aside, it took us a year before we purchased our trailer.
We love our trailer, and have been to the California Redwoods/Oregon Coast on the west to as far as Minnesota/Lake Superior on the east. We go to Jasper and Banff as often as we can. It as a rather econimical way to see the country.

The kids just love to camp as much as they love going to Disneyworld. Camping helps to keep things in perspective.

Good luck in your search. I hope something I've said here will help you.

 

[HARP]

I WOULD GO TO THESE TWO SITES LOTS OF GREAT INFORMATION.

WWW.POPUPEXPLORER.COM
WWW.I2RV.COM

 

[DSNY FN]

9000 for a tent trailer boy you should come to London they start at around 3500 and go up from there and they are jayco trailers we have atleast 3 shops around the London area if you want numbers for the places let us know and we will get them for you and pass them along. We had a Bonair and kept it for 4 years just to let you know it was only ever put up 3 times and never once did we actually use it.

 

[Shakey]

We purchased our 2000 Jayco 10SG from Hiemstra Trailers in London, it was about $1000 cheaper than the local dealers in the Windsor area.

 

[FayeW]

We bought a 2001 Camplite by Damon in Oct, and we are thrilled with it! We had been planning on buying a pop-up for quite awhile, actually bought an SUV in 2000 so we could buy a trailer the next year and ended up buying a house in the meantime, and couldn't afford the trailer for another 2 years. We also rented a Coleman before buying, we wanted to see if we would enjoy the trailer without going to a huge investment. I woud highly recommend doing that. What it taught us was that we needed a size larger than the one we rented (Taos, it only had an icebox and we wanted a fridge). We also were particular about the layout of the interior, our ONE criteria was that we wanted at least a small entry/exit area from each bed without having to step over a couch. We are also a family of four, but as the kids get bigger there will come a time when they won't sleep in the same bed, and we will have to open the couch area, etc and we didn't want to be climbing over some one to get to bed. Our unit has five pull out drawers for storage ( I keep plastic dishes, utensils, dish towels, etc permanently stored) plus four large storage areas for bbq, sleeping bags, extra towels/pillows etc. We also got one with the third tip out for the dining area, and it makes a huge difference for comfort. In my opinion, the items you should consider are in/out stove feature, storage, functionality/layout and if it will suit your family as they grow, bring friends along, etc. I wouldn't spend money on the cassette toilet/shower etc, I would just make sure there is storage space for a porta potty!

 

[TimNDansMom]

Hi Sandra, we owned a 1975 12' box Jayco, that slept 8, back in the early 90's. It was in terrific condition, had canvess sides and the canvess was just like new. It had a sink, furnace, 3 way fridge, two tables and an stand-up storage cabinet. We kept it for 3 years at a local campgrounds about a 1/2 drive from where I live. I enjoyed going up to it in the summer with the kids. It was too big for our car at the time, to tow it anywhere so eventually we sold it to Dh's sister-in-law's brother and his family. Although it has needed maintenance, that trailer is still going strong and has been all over Canada and the US, including WDW! They just love that trailer!

Sometimes I think about getting another, smaller one that is easier to tow. But I used to do a lot of camping back then, in fact grew up camping, and now I am spoiled by staying in hotels!

 

[SandraC]

Okay! I am about to take the plunge into buying a trailer! We looked at several new and used trailers and have been scanning the internet and RV Trader magazines. We have talked to everyone we know who owns a trailer too.

We found two trailers we really like. One is a 2003 Jayco 10 feet long with some nice options. The other is a 2003 12 foot Jayco with different but equally as nice options. Both are $8995, they have been marked down from $10000-$11000. I am hoping to move the price closer to $7500 ~ still once tax and frieght is added the price will be $9000ish. $7500 is basically one Disney trip. I am comfortable paying about $7500 and I think the dealer is willing to come down on the price. What do you think? Should I take the plunge? Thanks! Sandra

 

[SandraC]

Hi all ~ I am thinking about heading London-way to look at trailers. Thing is, they are selling fast and I don't have the time I need to drive to London. I have to visit my sick Dad this weekend in North Bay and we have tons of Sick Kids appt's for dd this and next week! YIKES! I'm going to need this tent trailer soon! S

 

[Shakey]

There are quite a few Trailer Dealers along the 400 between Orillia and Toronto. I don't recall the name of it, but there was a good sized dealer next to the Factory Outlet near the Alliston exit.

 

[SandraC]

Hi all ~ we are trailer owners! DD has her biggy Sick Kids appt on Thursday morning, we were out early so we went to London to see a trailer we were interested in. We told the dealer that we would think about it. We thought about it and called back Friday and bought it. We pick it up this Thursday and test her out on the weekend! Thanks for your help all! Much appreciated! S

 

[KDawnLily]

Congratulations! Now all you have to do is plan that trip to Fort WIlderness Campgrounds too!
It's costs just about as much to camp anywhere in Ontario as it does to camp there in Value Season.
Enjoy your Camping and remember.. Take lots and lots of Pics!