Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Camping Trailer Questions

Jerry, had a question for you earlier in the thread on small motor homes. Would appreciate your read on that, please Sir.

A while back I saw a setup. It was a dually pickup pulling a long camp trailer. On top of the pickup was a 16 to 18' boat...on a trailer. He would haul the boat south for the winter and have a crane lift it off trailer and all. After a winter of camping and boating, he'd have the crane load it back on for the trip home. Obviously he had a special rack built to hold it up there.
Since then, I've found that it's really not an uncommon thing to do. Apparently some large marinas even have cranes set up to do the job.

Ditto.

I'm sitting in an RV park, in a spot we rented for a month, as I write this. If we want to go out and boondock for a few days, we can pull out and the site is still here when we get back. Cost is twelves bucks a day at the monthly rate.
Travelling with a trailer can be rewarding in many respects. When on the road, we look for National Forest, BLM, or National Parks campgrounds where our geezer passes are accepted and give us half price or free camping. We will stay in a KOA or similar, now and then, just to hook up, have WiFi, and dump tanks.
As far as economics are concerned, you can't pull a trailer to save money unless you are staying at a destination for an extended period. What the trailer gives you are convenience and that "home-away-from-home" feeling.
We have a 26 ft. trailer (30 ft overall) with a slide and pull it with a 1 ton truck. It is roomy enough for two people and small enough to get into most spots. When travelling to matches, it works well although sleeping arrangments may be less than satisfactory for my shooting partner (nice guy, good friend, but I won't let him sleep with me) who has to sleep on the couch. For this type of use or if you have kids or grandkids often, a bunkhouse model might be a better choice.
Towing presents some challenges. I never have as many people pull out in front of me as when I am towing. On every trip, there are several times when I have to hit the brakes, hard, to avoid a collision. Some filling stations make it a challenge to get to the pump. Truck stops are a good option when possible.
We have toyed with the idea of buying a lot as a destination but kind of like the ability to vary our destination. It is a bit of a paradox that we own a campground where we lease permanent sites to our campers. GD

I have owned an RV of some sort since I was 17 years old..I worked and lived out of one for years and lived full time in them for many years..I have a pickup camper now because the old Class C(built off the frame) just didn't hold up well on wash boardy roads although perfect for traveling..

1-Yes,nightly RV spaces are spendy at an RV park...Yes,most RV parks have weekly and monthly rates,some with electricity included..I don't use RV parks except for an over nighter to do laundry/get groceries and empty tanks and fill...Mobile home parks are your friend,a lot cheaper then RV spots for monthly rates..Example here:..RV parks here are $395 month plus but the local mobile home parks takes RV's for $225-250 a month...

2-Your own lot works well if that's the only place you want to go..As long as it is considered an RV your free of all that tax and why these tiny homes are so popular for that..Idaho sells RV lots all setup for and RV..Quite popular and inexpensive..

If your going to travel,go small in length..I have had up to a 41 footer,fine if you just travel the hiways and use truck stops for fuel..Easier to get in and out than other stations..My favorite is a small Class C..You can park in a normal spot at Walmart and get around much better than towing a trailer..Had a 35ft Jayco fifth wheel with the front living room and it was nice but a pain to move around and find spots...

Good luck on your new RV..You can't rent in Idaho for the price of RV living..Much cheaper..

johnw, I can’t offer any help on properties or campgrounds, as we rarely use campgrounds. “BUT”, I will say this ......”Do Not Buy New”! Rv’s take a tremendous depreciation hit over the first several years. We’ve RV camped since the mid-70’s, and used 5th wheels since the early ‘90’s, and have learned a little in that time frame. Just a suggestion, buy what you “think” you want, without spending a lot of cash. Then after a few years of learning, you “will” be shopping again for a unit that closer meets your needs/wants.

On the used purchase suggestion. Our present 5th wheel was 8 years old when we bought it from a “motivated seller”. He had invested somewhere upwards of $160 K....we got it for just under $34K. Yes, there were a few small items that needed addressing, 6 new tires, 6 new batteries, and some work on the hydraulic disc brake system ( which I did myself). But, overall we got a hellofa unit for a small % of the original price.

We’ve never bought new, and since 1993 have stayed with one brand, which ceased to exist (along with several quality, high end rv’s) with the market collapse of the late 2000’s. If you go to rvtrader, or RVT for a enormous list of rv’s for sale. There are many quality, high end older units to be had at a good price. Also consider, joining an RV forum or three.....there are literally thousands of participants that are very knowledgeable about rv’s, as quite a few idiots as well!

Good Luck with your new chosen lifestyle! memtb

One thing to bear in mind, with any RV your roof is either leaking or about to leak. You must be diligent with checking your roof and caulking as even a tiny opening is going to leak an it will not be long before your roof is soft. Think about it that thin skin over the rubber roof is sitting out in the sun and weather 365 days a year. Before you buy anything used insist on getting up on the roof and checking it out. Oh yes those crank open vent covers are a leak waiting to happen they become brittle 1-2 years from new invest in covers for them.

A bucket of Cool-Seal and a long handled brush is good, inexpensive roof insurance, and the average RV only takes one afternoon to brush on a coat of sealer.
Jerry

If you have a solid roof (not covered with rubber or vinyl), coat it with EPDM Liquid Roof. It's real rubber. It comes in 2 parts that you mix. It's a quick and easy job and it cures to the same stuff they put on roofs in rolls. It'll cover cracks, screw heads, etc.

Yep, and the self-leveling Dicor sealant is easy to use around vent covers, seams, etc.

Sounds like renting a seasonal home would be more like it then.

Except you can pepare your own meals and not have to eat out. So still cheaper in the long run.

tag

Re: roof leaks and coatings.
IME the grainy coatings that slow water & let it pool by slowing its movement actually cause more water to get in.... I believe that the faster you get it off the top the less likely it is to get inside.
Sometimes sacrificing a level trailer for increased runoff in a heavy rain is worth it...

A negotiating point to use when buying used.