How to convince wife???

[Fireman78]

Just wondering if anybody who owns an Adventure Trailer had any problems convincing the wife to get one vrs.....say....a standard trailer or pop-up. We are finally in the market for a "camper", and of course I want a Chaser, she wants a Pop-Up or hardsided camper. How can I seal the deal???

 

[Rockcrawler]

Compromise and get a King Kamper? unk03:

 

[TheGillz]

Ask her if she wants to be stuck in crowded established campgrounds 100 yards from the highway, or if she wants to get into the woods and explore. That is our deal sealer. Plus the fact that you can't get a new Fleetwood for under 11k helps as well. What do you have to pull it with?

 

[ckkone]

Show her pictures of happy families in remote locations camping with their off-road trailers!

 

[Tucson T4R]

For my wife, it was all about sleeping off the ground and having a nice port-a-potty and shower for longer stays.

I may have taken advantage of that and acquired a few more comfort items that weren't on the original list of requirements. :sombrero:

Happy wife:

 

[Bergger]

We had a popup for 6 years and just got rid of it for an AT Chaser. As mentioned above if all you want to do is go to established camp sites then get the pop up style camper. However after 6 years we got sick of doing that. They are crowded for the most part and we found ourselves wanted more privacy. After our last Labor Day trip it took us a few hours to clear camp, in the rain, then once home we had to open up the popup to dry it out and then unpack some more. It is sort of a pain in the butt. After we were done the wife said, "this is too hard and this sucks." I said, "Want to sell it and get an AT?" She said, "sure." The standard campers are nice and have tons of comfy features but the construction on them is really shoddy for what you pay. Compared to an AT the loading and unloading of them is a pain in the butt. The AT is so easy to get into while in the garage and it can really go just about any place. The construction is beyond top notch and the customer service is truely at a level I have NEVER seen anywhere! The AT can go anywhere a popup can and everywhere a popup can not go. If you plan on going anywhere off the beaten path I'd really push for an AT.

 

[spressomon]

Another trailer for your possible consideration is the Kamparoo. We were able to travel in and around Death Valley with friends that have a Kamparoo and I have to admit the tent set-up is very, very nice! And inspite of having leaf springs, smaller tires and a solid axle (and NO shocks) it really towed incredibly well over gravel, washboard, and rough trails too. And I believe it ways around 1,000lbs. or so.

Now if I could get the Kamparoo tent on an AT chassis I'd be done :REOutShootinghunter. If this ever happens I'll sell you my Horizon ;-)

 

[CA-RJ]

We just has this discussion tonight. I've been trying to decide what kind of trailer I want and am looking at an AT trailer or possibly a Fleetwood Cobalt. When I asked my wife what she would want, she said the AT trailer. She said she would rather be "outdoors" and liked the idea of getting off the beaten path. I mentioned the price tag of a loaded Chaser and she seems fine with it.

 

[Fireman78]

Towing is no prob, as I have a Dodge Power Wagon, and I NEVER "pay" to camp. It's just that she seems to have a big problem with the elevated tent. Also- accourding to her I'm always so darn extreme about everything. I guess she seems to think that a "regular" camper would be oh-so-much more comfy. HA! I have just been allocated 12 grand from my bank for a camper. I wonder if the bank will go for it, as it's not a common type trailer?. (Not to mention wifey) I'm tryin, trust me.

 

[ExpoMike]

I highly recommend the Kamparoo. My wife and I have done two trips now, with the last one this past weekend on the Mojave Road. Ours has the Trans-continental kit which has larger tires, shocks, more clearance and a longer drawbar. We loved it and it worked GREAT!

It's nice to go from this

to this in less then a minute

We get it all folded back in less then 5 minutes. It was comfy even when we woke up to unexpected snow the next morning and it has withstood 40mph wind gusts and sustained 25mph winds without any problems.

We are quite happy with this purchase. :victory:

 

[Bergger]

We just has this discussion tonight. I've been trying to decide what kind of trailer I want and am looking at an AT trailer or possibly a Fleetwood Cobalt. When I asked my wife what she would want, she said the AT trailer. She said she would rather be "outdoors" and liked the idea of getting off the beaten path. I mentioned the price tag of a loaded Chaser and she seems fine with it.

That's great news. You will love it. When I had the talk with my wife I assumed she would want the Horizon since it had the awning and kitchen unit. She said that she actually like the looks of the Chaser better and since we have all our own gear we can set up our own kitchen. Now the fun begins for you. What options to get!!

 

[Fireman78]

Anyway to get some interior pics from you? I tried the website but I couldn't get them to enlarge.

 

[ExpoMike]

Hey Fireman78, not sure if you were asking from me but here are a couple shots. Not the best but gives some idea.

Queen size bed, storage underneath

Floor area which we have used to eat in, get dressed and even set up the PETT toliet when it's too cold or windy outside for the privacy tent for the toliet.

Next time we have it out, I'll try to get some better pictures of the inside.

 

[dieselcruiserhead]

The reality is those trailers just do not last, fall apart, and break in a lot of rough road conditions. Kurt Williams and I have removed at least two or three trailers that ahve exploded in even light roguh road conditions because people were taking them (admittedly in older or decrepid condition, and mostly "actual campers") but they are made of the same material and they have the same approach in the build, which is very very light duty.

So my $.02 is see if you can convince her strictly on the heavy duty factor. You can buy a regular trailer but with even light off road use you will be constantly repairing it and some aspects (like the fiberglass or aluminum skin, the corner pieces, adn the chincy fiberboard) will tear and never be repairable...

 

[tdesanto]

I was very lucky

My wife actually funded a good portion of our AT purchase...so no convincing needed.

Actually, I think the convincing started about 3 years ago. It was her first overland trip. I wasn't sure how she'd do without running water, toilet, etc. Back then, all I had was a ground tent and a shovel with a roll of TP. No RTT, no PETT, no privacy shelter, nothing but a great location, great plan, good hiking boots, a couple cameras, and great meals.

I planned the first night way out, all by ourselves. Just the wildlife, the mountains, and us. The second night I planned a stay in a bonafide campground so that she could use a real toilet, running water, etc. It was an unplanned convincer. There we were, stuck in the middle of a campground at Thanksgiving. 100's of people, dogs, screaming kids, tons of cars kicking up dust, wind blowing dust and ashes from nearby fires, radios blaring, etc. You get the idea. Plus, no privacy whatsoever.

Prior to that experience, she had always said that her dream would be to retire early and buy an RV and travel the country. Now she wants no part in that dream. She loves the private outdoors. Just us, a beautiful view, and the wildlife.

So, that's a really long way to get around to a small piece of advice. Would there be an opportunity for you to take her on two different types of trips. One in a state park or campground and one in the outback? Before you make the huge investment, could you rent or borrow one of each type and try them out?

My hope, for you, is that there will be little convincing needed and she'll come to a similar conclusion as you. If that doesn’t work, then the reliability and durability of an AT or KK would also be a good angle.

Regardless, good luck, and I'm glad you're in the financial position to make the leap.

TD