Question about RV's from all of you camping experts.

[lovethemouse]

We are thinking of buying some sort of camper and was reading some info on another site. Just wondering what the heck is a hybrid? How do they compare to a pop-up in size and price? Also can we tow anything with a plymouth voyager mini-van? Thanks for any advice. I don't want to make a mistake with our first purchase.

 

[Disney Campers]

Very good thing to research the purchase before actually buying, so many buy and find out they do not have the proper tow vehicle. A hybrid is a hard sided trailer that has pop out bunk ends simular to a pop up.

If you plan to keep the mini van then you should stick to the pop up type of camper, The dodge caravan is not the most ideal tow vehicle for a hardsided trailer. If you had a GM mini van then a hardsided camper would not be a problem to tow. you might want to visit www.irv2.com and check out the boards.

Good luck on your endeavor, its a great way to travel

 

[tim5055]

As Scott has already indicated, the hybrid had hard sides, which also brings a large frontal area when towing. This area creates drag which makes towing even harder.

Scott is also correct in advising to do your homework prior to making a purchase. Trust me, if you ask an RV dealer he will tell you you can tow anything with your minivan. They want to make a sale.

I have a couple of web pages which may help:

Towing and Hitch Information

Purchasing a Used Pop-Up-Camper

In addition to iRV2, other pop up sites have loads of information on both pop ups and hybrids; they include:

Pop Up Times

Popup Explorer

Popup Portal

Pop Up Trailer Camping (an MSN group)

RV.Net Forums

My favorite is Pop Up Times, but it has converted to a pay site. You can still get a free trial to check the site out.


You may want to check out a pop up camping club in your area and see if they can both provide information as well as recomendation on dealerships in your area. Check out my Pop Up Camping Club Links web page to see if one is in your area.

 

[Whosemom]

Hi, we just bought an older pop-up that is heavier than the new ones, and the dealer told us they thought towing it with our Dodge Grand Caravan was a bad idea - even though we have the bigger motor. But that camper is a heavy monster. Still, I don't think it could weigh more than anything hard sided. Some of the new pop-ups are pretty cool, potties, showers and everything. Good hunting!!

Micki

 

[lovethemouse]

Thanks for the great info. Someone told me that we could possibly pull one of the new ultra lite's but since we are probably going to be buying a used camper it looks like we will stick with a pop-up. Thanks for your help!

 

[LostBoyinVA]

First find out what your Vehicle is rated to tow. Check your owners manual, tow ratings should be listed in it. Does it have the factory installed tow package? A factory installed tow package on a mini-van will almost double its tow rating. Without a factory installed tow package on a mini-van you are limited to some of the smallest pop-up with loaded weights under 1500-2000lbs. With a tow package you can sometimes goes as high as 3500lbs.

A hybrid camper is a Harded Sided Travel trailer that instead of having beds on the inside has bunks that are similar to a Popups that are coverd with canvas and fold down from the front and back. They make for a lot of trailer in a much smaller package. A min-van with a factory installed tow package, might be able to tow the smallest of these with lenghts of 17 and 19ft and total packed weights in the 3000-3500lbs range. I say might, because the front wheel drive and Uni-body construction of most of today's mini-Vans make them poor tow vehicles even when towing just a pop-up. I towed a 1500lbs '88 starcraft for 2 years with a Ford Windstar with no tow package. It was doable, but I much preferred towing it with my Mercury Moutaineer.

The best thing to do when looking for a new camper is to hit some camper shows. Unfortunatley they are generally in January, Febuary and March and are now over. Buying at a show may or may not be your best bet(Show prices are NOT always the cheapest price you can get, I know this for a fact from just purchasing a new TT. Ask me and I'll go into details), but for variety of campers on one place nothing beats a camper show.


Also do check out some of the forums listed above. I'll second Pop-UP times as being a great site pre-subscription. I have shifted my focus to Travel Trailer info so I'm not sure which is the best non-pay site any more. Also RV.NET and IRV2.com are great sites for Travel Trailer and Hybrid info, and more limited pop-up info. There is a Yahoo site that is dedicated to Hybrids, but I don't have the address with me at work. I'll try to remember to post it when I get home tonight.

 

[funhouse8]

Please don't try to tow with your mini-van. we were told no problem and had to ride with the heat on many times. We also had trouble going up hills. We now have a convertion van and it makes our trips so much more comfortable.

 

[ftwildernessguy]

We towed our first pop up with a Voyager. The trailer was VERY small and we were able to do it, but not without difficulty. We now have a KIWI 21C hybrid and tow it with a Ford Explorer Sport Trac. There are smaller hybrids available, but I would not consider towing with anything smaller than an SUV. Too much weight and too much wind resistance. We do like our hybrid, though, and like the security of hard sides with the open feeling of the bunks. Also, it allows us to use it folded up while staying overnight on the way down and back, but opens quickly and easily when we hit FW. Total time for set up (including hook ups and leveling) is under 15 minutes. With a voyager, I would stick with a small pop up.

 

[BrightScouter]

I will go along with what everyone else is advising. The pop should be ok if it is fairly light since there will be virtually no frontal area hitting the wind. But i wouldn't try anything like a hybrid. We pulled a 21' ultra lite for two years with an AWD Astro. The model, engine/drivetrain, towing package gave it a 5000 lb towing capacity. The trailer was SUPPOSED to weigh 1830 dry. It was a little over 2000. When adding the batter, propane and basics, it was about 2200. Fully loaded it went just over 3000. The engine could tow it without too much trouble. The Smokey mountains slowed us to 55, but it wasn't too bad. I can't imagine it with anything less than what we used. And our Astro was an extended length with a longer wheelbase. That wheelbase really matters when a semi passes you. That's one of the few problems I see with the SUVs. They usually have the engive and drivetrains, but have a shorter wheelbase than our Astro. So they sometimes even have sway problems in windy conditions.

Good Luck

 

[BrightScouter]

I will go along with what everyone else is advising. The pop should be ok if it is fairly light since there will be virtually no frontal area hitting the wind. But i wouldn't try anything like a hybrid. We pulled a 21' ultra lite for two years with an AWD Astro. The model, engine/drivetrain, towing package gave it a 5000 lb towing capacity. The trailer was SUPPOSED to weigh 1830 dry. It was a little over 2000. When adding the batter, propane and basics, it was about 2200. Fully loaded it went just over 3000. The engine could tow it without too much trouble. The Smokey mountains slowed us to 55, but it wasn't too bad. I can't imagine it with anything less than what we used. And our Astro was an extended length with a longer wheelbase. That wheelbase really matters when a semi passes you. That's one of the few problems I see with the SUVs. They usually have the engive and drivetrains, but have a shorter wheelbase than our Astro. So they sometimes even have sway problems in windy conditions.

Good Luck