Seeking opinions on a vehicle setup for very long road trip

Owlseye, I have these guys on my list. I like the 6'6" interior height. Is the shower reasonably tall as well? Sometimes the shower pan takes away too much height. Which model do you have? Have you had it in below freezing or fairly hot? Curious about the insulation factor.

mortsgah wrote:Owlseye, I have these guys on my list. I like the 6'6" interior height. Is the shower reasonably tall as well? Sometimes the shower pan takes away too much height. Which model do you have? Have you had it in below freezing or fairly hot? Curious about the insulation factor.

I have been in scorching weather... Teddy Roosevelt was in the mid nineties and high humidity, and I have been in relatively cool (37 degrees F). I have not used the camper in sub-zero conditions. I winterize the camper each year (I live in Minnesota), and thus fill the plumbing with a weak antifreeze. This needs to be flushed before use. I do not know if the plumbing will be damaged if it is used in sub freezing temps for prolonged periods of time. Regarding temperature... the AC works well as does the "Cool Breeze" fan, and the heater keeps things plenty warm. 

I own the R178 model where the kitchen is a slide out. We have a queen bed and a convertible couch/table. This is the model my wife liked. The bathroom and shower are integrated as a single unit. Interior storage is poor, but there is a lot of exterior storage. We chose this model because it has a small footprint. If you need a big bathroom and more interior storage take a look at the 180. This has a smaller couch/table, but it has a proper bathroom. Were I to do it again, I'd get the rPod 179. The kitchen is large in this model and this allows for good storage of food and clothes inside the trailer.... I am currently adding a shelf above my bed in order to increase storage in my trailer. Having a place to put clothes and extra food is really important if you find yourself on the road for an extended period of time.... 

for the record... I really like my trailer and the options that were available. The camper has taken a lot of bumps as we have taken it to the Badlands, Custer State Park, Teddy Roosevelt, everywhere Minnesota, and the destinations I described in my earlier post. Having the space for two dogs and the option to unhitch and use a proper vehicle to explore was key to our decision to go with an rPod rather than a conversion van. If I did not have dogs, I'd probably go with a VW-sized van... but dogs take up space and when they get wet you want to be able to isolate them a bit more than is possible in a van.

cheers,
bruce

I have been doing 2 - two to three months trips per year for the last 17 years.  Here are some considerations.

At first I used a 4x4 pickup with a small camper.  The mobility was good - have driven all over Alaska, Canada and Western U.S. including up the Dalton Highway and back roads of places like Borrego and Death Valley.  Drawbacks:  It was small, and got smaller the longer the trip or worse the weather.  I think a van would have the same issue.  I didn't like having to pack up camp every morning for sunrise, same for sunset, or for even a run to the grocery store or laundry mat.   I like hiking, and didn't like having all my stuff at a trailhead where crime seems more problematic as compared to campgrounds.  I also found accessing the more difficult areas was also difficult and slow going.  Rocking back and forth thanks to the extra weight made for slow going.

For the last 10 years we have used a 4x4 pickup and 5th wheel.  A trailer / SUV would work as well.  So now we can pick a spot with a comfortable campground in places like Moab, Springdale or Grand Canyon and typically stay for a month before moving.  I now have true 4x4 access the backcountry, and even have room for backpacks and mountain bikes which opens up more options.  It is kind of like having a house in the location, and heading out from there.  It is more cost effective compared to some of the high end vans, and you end up with a vehicle that is useful when not traveling.  I have been very happy with this setup, but as you have discovered, every choice has tradeoffs.

Thanks to all who responded. Some of you gave me wonderfully detailed information that was incredibly helpful. At this point I am likely going to go with a Tahoe (so I can use it as my every day vehicle when not traveling). A pickup, while a much better towing vehicle, just isn't my cup of tea for everyday. I am still searching (used if I can find it) a trailer that is in the 19-22 foot range having a permanent bed, slide out (either kitchen or couch), interior height of at least 6'5" (prefer taller) and either already insulated for use in cold weather or capable of being made winter capable. And of course light enough that a properly powered and geared Tahoe can drag it up mountain passes and BLM/Forest roads.

Thanks again for all the great experienced based input.

This has been/is such an awesome thread. Thanks for starting it!!!

You bet E.J. Always nice to experience the beneficial side of the internet in action. And not a single cat video to be found! Go Naturescapes!

mortsgah wrote:Thanks to all who responded. Some of you gave me wonderfully detailed information that was incredibly helpful. At this point I am likely going to go with a Tahoe (so I can use it as my every day vehicle when not traveling). A pickup, while a much better towing vehicle, just isn't my cup of tea for everyday. I am still searching (used if I can find it) a trailer that is in the 19-22 foot range having a permanent bed, slide out (either kitchen or couch), interior height of at least 6'5" (prefer taller) and either already insulated for use in cold weather or capable of being made winter capable. And of course light enough that a properly powered and geared Tahoe can drag it up mountain passes and BLM/Forest roads.

Thanks again for all the great experienced based input.

Given your desire to use a trailer in freezing temps, you might find this link interesting: https://www.airstream.com/faq/are-the-a ... er-months/

While the link is about airstreams, I think that is applies to most travel trailers. Winter and freezing temps causes real damage to the plumbing of trailers. You may want to plan your destinations based on weather. I lived in a trailer for three years as a college student in Irvine CA, this was completely possible because the overnight temps never made it below 40 degrees F.

Let us know what you eventually get.
cheers,
bruce

If you are looking at new, there are some websites like RVWholesaledirect.com or RVdirect.com that offer some great pricing.  I haven't used either as a dealer ended up effectively matching their price, but it was helpful with negotiations.  Before buying any model spend some time reading about it on RV.net.  That is a huge forum with info on just about anything you can think of when it comes to RVing.  Reliability and quality varies greatly between models / brands.  If you are new to RVing, that forum is also valuable as you will likely have plenty of questions, issues etc.  For used RV's, it is hard to beat the Arizona market.  Lots of lightly used rvs as people transition into retirement / snowbird lifestyle and realize a rv, or size or style doesn't work.   Have fun!

Ron Niebrugge wrote:Rocking back and forth thanks to the extra weight made for slow going.

Having owned a truck camper for many years, I can second this as the biggest negative for a truck camper on back roads. Describing some rougher back roads as 'slow going' is being kind!

If I was building an RV kit from scratch it would definitely be a 4x4 truck pulling a 5th wheel or trailer ... just like Ron is describing. 

Great thread. The expensive rigs were pure fantasy. The more affordable a blast from the past. We now travel using motels. But, oh, the memories of waking in the middle of nowhere.

I used to travel to Mammoth to ski and parked my van with a bed in their lot. We used thick down sleeping bags and no heat. We awoke to the interior of the van covered in ice from the condensation of our breath. Drip... drip as the day warmed.

I had another thought on this. What has alwasy stopped me from seriously contemplating any of the options discussed are two fold. 1. storage when not in use (easily solvable for a price), 2. utilization - it's tough to justify the tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars on an item that might get utilized maybe a total of 2 months a year when you add up all the trips. So my new thought on this to the originator of the thread, have you considered renting a vehicle that possesses the properties that you need?

E.J. Peiker wrote:I2. utilization - it's tough to justify the tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars on an item that might get utilized maybe a total of 2 months a year when you add up all the trips. 

This is no small deal ... I have a truck camper (original cost of $30K) on my driveway that has seen probably less than 5 nights of use a year for the past several years. Yet is still has basic costs like insurance and minimal maintenance. It's not really worth it for me to try to sell it because resell value on this type of stuff is a joke. 

If I was planning a one time trip, I'd probably look for a rental option of some sort. It might seem expensive, but owning one of these things is a real waste of resources if you're not in there a minimum of 30 days per year every year.

 

E.J. Peiker wrote:I had another thought on this.  What has alwasy stopped me from seriously contemplating any of the options discussed are two fold.  1. storage when not in use (easily solvable for a price), 2. utilization - it's tough to justify the tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars on an item that might get utilized maybe a total of 2 months a year when you add up all the trips.  So my new thought on this to the originator of the thread, have you considered renting a vehicle that possesses the properties that you need?

I have. Last year I rented a standard 23 foot RV for 3 1/2 weeks on a photo trip through the middle of the country. That helped focus the actual use scenario for me. RV was too wide and not agile enough for back roads. No surprise there! I have owned various standard Van's which I converted and found them too cramped. I am planning on renting trailers to zero in on layout. And I have traveled for brief times in others vehicles and found them to not be ideal. Storage is a pain for sure. Neighborhood rules prohibit storage on  my property
. My use will be many weeks a year so if I can find a used trailer I figure costs will be acceptable.
I thought about simply renting for all my trips but find I prefer to customize for my needs so used seems like the least objectionable.