Looking for a small camper (16') to use for a vacation/hunting base camp when out of state.

Never owned a camper before. What should I be on the lookout for?

-Dustin

16' would not be a camper, but a travel trailer.

I'd look for an older, used one in good condition.

Self contained? How many people?
16' is pretty small if you plan to spend much time in it. For hunting, when you need a range of gear, storage is a major factor.
There are several main factors to consider: storage, water capacity (both fresh and waste), and counter space. It's a real pain trying to cook with 1 sq foot of counter space.

At times it would be 2 adults and two small children. Other times just one or two adults. I think about the $$ we have spent on hotels and renting homes at times when we go out west and we could have bought a camper by now.

The more I look, 18' might be ok. I equate bigger to a bigger PITA.

Look at floor plans. For some reason, trailers with rear doors seem to be more crowded inside. A mid or front door gives more options.
18 or even 20' will give you a lot more options. It will also have more water storage which you'll need with Mama and the kids along. A couple guys hunting can go a long time with just 10 gal of water but adding a wife and kids will quadruple that. There are ways to save a lot of water flushing the toilet rather than just holding it open.

Not necessarily.
Some folks are better served by staying in motels imo. Not everyone is camper material.

18' is going to still be minimal. If you run into bad weather, being that close is going to get old, quickly.

Not much difference between 16' and the 18' & 20' travel trailers except more beds, more storage, and room to stretch out which are all good things.

You might find a 16' single axle trailer and be OK with it, but you'll appreciate a double axle 18' or 20' a lot more.

Really, the only item that costs more on the larger two are tires as you will have four tires plus a spare on the 18" & 20' models.

You'll find that most 18'& 20' have dual propane tanks and 16' mostly have single tanks unless the previous owner upgraded. That will come in real handy when the weather turns snotty or you're out for a week or more.

Ed

18'-20' is about right and can easily be towed behind a 1/2-ton pickup. Had an 18' Airstream that was about perfect.

A tandem axle will ride a lot smoother on rough roads. Pulling a single axle on a washboard road will empty the cupboards and drawers besides jarring the thing apart.

I have a grey wolf 22BH (bunk house). The 'box' is 22' but the trailer from bumper to hitch nose is 25'11". I have towed it across the country and up and down the Rockies with a 2005 Chevy with the 5.3. It did OK with that setup but I now have a diesel truck. If I wasn't towing 5,000 miles per year I would have kept the 1/2 ton. A newer 1/2 ton with more power would likely handle it fine.

I camp with 4 in the trailer just fine. Any smaller and it would likely be an issue. I have a camper shell on the truck when I go on extended trips and that really helps with gear storage. The trailer is no big deal to tow, and gets into most of the tight spots just fine. I have 2 batteries and 2 propane tanks, and dual axels. I have lost a tire and wouldn't want to think about how that would have gone on a single axel trailer. Be sure to look at fresh and gray water tank sizes if you plan on doing an extended amount of dry camping.

When I think "camper" I visualize a truck mounted camper. then there are travel trailers you pull. What are we talking about here?

Travel Trailer.

If I was buying, I would look for a pre-owned Airstream

Unless you do a lot of camping, a trailer won't save you any money over a motel. Its the convenience that makes the difference. All of your stuff is right there and you have cooking facilities. To us, it's WELL worth the hassle and expense to have home hanging behind the truck.

Not to be an arse, but buying a camper to save money, well, that doesn't fit with my experience as a camper owner of many years.

The Golden Rule of campers/trailers is exactly the same as for tents: if it claims to "sleep six" it only LIVES one - two at most. And that's in good weather.

Look for twin propane tanks and twin batteries since you won't have hookups. A solar panel to keep the batteries charged would be very smart. Think twice about an installed toilet. They take up valuable room, offer almost no privacy, and smell. Better to have a privy tent with a stool-type toilet you can set up away from the camper. And bury the contents when you leave. Waste tanks are nasty to empty and clean out.

Staying in a motel is not camping. The reason to have a travel trailer is to enjoy the outdoor experience and to be right near the fishing or whatever.

Regarding the suggestion to have a trailer with no toilet, but to crap outdoors, WTF is wrong with you? If your RV toilet smells bad, fix the damned thing! This is a non-issue.

My father in law did service work for Play-Mor trailers for over 25 years. The best advice he gave me on buying a used trailer was to look very closely at the roof and seams and if there were any signs of water intrusion, don't walk away, RUN.

I fully agree. Taking a kid outside to pee at 3am isn't nearly as fun as it sounds. Also, many guys will need to do some improvising to get the wife to go. A self contained camper goes a long way toward that.

Smell? I installed one of these vent fans: Ventline VP-543 12V Smoke Van Roof Air Vent. It moves a lot of air and will clear out a bathroom quickly. I wired mine through a simple bathroom fan timer so I can set it and forget it.

Batteries: if you're close to needing new ones, find the nearest Interstate dealer and get 2 of their big 6V golf cart batteries. 2 of these will hold more juice than any 3 12V marine batteries. They're real workhorses. They're tall and need different boxes but those are only about $10 each. These aren't cheap but you won't regret spending it when you're still going strong after a week in the woods.

We are pretty happy with our small Lance. With the pop out there is ample room. Plenty of storage as well.

http://www.lancecamper.com/travel-trailers/1575/

Well, okay. I've never owned a camper with a toilet, but I slept in one that did. Once. Was like having an farmhouse privy inside.

J.J Hack had some sage advice on this earlier and he is spot on.

This^^^

Spend the $10 for the tank chemical, close the door, turn on the fan. I ain't stumbling outside at 32 degrees to take a piss.

I use a porta-potti in my 16' cargo trailer camper that I built long before they became commercially produced. It's very covenient. And, it tucks under the counter out of the way.

I carry both Honda atv's in it. I have had the two in the camper, one in the bed & one on the utility trailer behind the camper. God bless diesels.

For two hunters it has been simply great since 2003.

Most of the older ones used putty tape around the seams, doors, and windows. That stuff has caused a multitude of headaches. They'd just install it using the pressure of the screws to seal it. That didn't work. If it wasn't squeezed tight, it would leak right from the factory. Then, after 5 or 10 years, it would dry out and crack, making bigger leaks.

We just retired our tent after last season. Brother bought an older 17ft that we took this year for the two of us. As others have said gear storage can me an issue. Only real issue was almost freezing up the water one day. When we leave camp we usually leave the furnace on pilot and open any cupboard doors that have waterlines in them. The shower is our boot and gun locker once in camp.

What are you looking to get out of it, comfort wise, for you and the family? Hard side, pop up?

We are somewht minimalist in our wants and needs. Grew our family up between a family cabin with all the amenities and tents. Wife and I backpacked throughtout Colorado when we were younger and back into it in later years still. We finally upgraded from tenta to an off road pop up. Water, tiny refrigerator, furnace, 2 burner stove and an outdoor grill, solar panel for recharging the battery. We go civilized camping about 1 weekend a year, with friends who have an RV. Our fun is off the grid stuff. Me, the wife, 2 labrador retrievers and connect with our grown boys at least one week every year. We bought it slightly used, it had a small chemical toilet that was never used and "pull up shower enclosure". Biggest waste of space, even the wife wanted it taken out. When you are off the grid, the world can be your outhouse! The views outstanding and natural air freshener. It all depends on what you want/ need as far as creature comforts. .

For more primative camping, one of these works great. Forget the bags and just take a folding shovel. The older you get, the better they work.
Don't get a Stansport, though. They're too flimsy. The Rothco is twice as strong and the same price.

I had a 21 footer that was great for wife and I and another couple went with us a few times. We made use of shower and toilet facilities at campgrounds but the main drawback was not having a real bed. We decided we would not buy another one unless it had a real made up bed in the rear.

24' tandem axle is the way to go and only one door.

I have a 22' Artic Fox travel trailer and it has worked well for longer trips dry camping. Larger water tanks,holding tanks, and well insulated. It equipped with heavier running gear and shocks on the axles. Does well on forest service roads.I highly recommend dual axles,blew two tires this last summer and was thankful for the tandem axles.Cheap trailer tires abound, spend a little extra for upgrade. Airstreams are awesome but very costly.

For two adults and two kids. I second looking for a travel trailer with a slide out. I wouldn't buy a new one, they depreciate in value quickly. Looking for a used will save you a bundle. I do see a lot of Forest River models in Colorado but couldn't tell you how they compare to other makes.

Tent trailer. One of the newer ones that sit higher with a small rack on the front that will fit gear or even a quad.

Having had both small and medium sized camp trailers, go with a twenty plus foot. If I was buying again I would get a 25 ft toy hauler. Remember if you camp and hunt in rain drying clothes is important. Most camp trailers have very little area to hang and dry! Plus the moisture gathers inside the trailer. We bring a small tent with a wood stove for hunting trips of a week or more in rainy weather. It might not rain where you live like it can here, but dry clothes are important! Dual axle,two propane tanks and a small generator. I lift my trailers three or four inches, and tuck the sewer drains up in the frame. Allowing access to many hunting spots I couldn't pull the trailer before lifting. One more thing load range E (10 ply) tires, on any camp trailer. My two cents for a hunting trailer!

My trailer originally had drop axles and the sewer drain was always in jeopardy. It didn't cost all that much to switch to straight axles with raised it 4". It makes a huge difference. It did necessitate a 2 step step instead of the original single step, though.

I need to have this done on mine.

I just got back from hunting and tent camping yesterday,and I swore I'd never tent camp again.
Got up this morning and started reading this thread.
This afternoon I bought a 2017 Coachman Viking, 21 ft single axle

I gave up and just built a house on a lake.