Trailer Questions

[SilverBullet]

Okay guys, my wife and I are trying to get more camping gear set up to tow behind out 4Runner. I am intrested in a tent trailer, but the expidition trailers seem cool too for where we want to go. I have a question...

What would you recomend for family trips? I larger tent trailer with lift (modified) and larger tires to handle the dirt roads or an adventure trailer made for anything? I notice most adventure trailers are just equipment/kitchen haulers, but I really want the bunk to be included.

A little background about us, we have 2 kids, both small now, so we are planning for years to come. We love to camp and be outdoors with the possibility of future toys (quads) added to the family. I have seen the "Jumping Jack" trailers and they seem nice, but never seen one in real life. My wife likes the conforts of tent trailers, adn we both have tent camped in the past a lot, but too many nights in cold, lumpy desert or wet soil ruined our love for that. (Ask Rexsname about a certain February in 2007 in Johnson Valley... miserable cold). Anyway, your thoughts are appreciated, I love seeing what you guys do here on this forum, I really need Saturday's off... :safari-rig:

 

[Rexsname]

Sleeping on the ground when it was 8 degrees was not a great way to enjoy a nights sleep! I wouldn't mind a trailer myself but I'm a bit more spoiled now than I used to be. I've been looking around and trying to find somthing with a toilet and a shower. Not a trailer to take on an extended overland type trip, but rather a more comfortable home base to return to after a day of wheeling. Think AllPro weekend or AZRocks maybe even a long weekend in Moab.

REX

 

[goodtimes]

I have spent a night or two in a Jumping Jack. They are pretty darn nice. Lots of room inside, standing height, well constructed, set up is a breeze....I just wouldn't want to drag one down difficult or tight trails. For general exploring the back roads, not so much of a problem. Headed for the Rubicon? Leave the Jumping Jack at home.

 

[spressomon]

Okay guys, my wife and I are trying to get more camping gear set up to tow behind out 4Runner. I am intrested in a tent trailer, but the expidition trailers seem cool too for where we want to go. I have a question...

What would you recomend for family trips? I larger tent trailer with lift (modified) and larger tires to handle the dirt roads or an adventure trailer made for anything? I notice most adventure trailers are just equipment/kitchen haulers, but I really want the bunk to be included.

A little background about us, we have 2 kids, both small now, so we are planning for years to come. We love to camp and be outdoors with the possibility of future toys (quads) added to the family. I have seen the "Jumping Jack" trailers and they seem nice, but never seen one in real life. My wife likes the conforts of tent trailers, adn we both have tent camped in the past a lot, but too many nights in cold, lumpy desert or wet soil ruined our love for that. (Ask Rexsname about a certain February in 2007 in Johnson Valley... miserable cold). Anyway, your thoughts are appreciated, I love seeing what you guys do here on this forum, I really need Saturday's off... :safari-rig:

Kamparoo...

http://www.kamparoo.com/

 

[Cruiser]

I looked at the jumping jack trailers and for the $ I'd keep looking. The biggest issue is the quad or dirt bike in my case would be over the tent. And on rough roads there is always some fuel spillage,, the canvas would get damaged to easily with bike drool. I would have to modify the cargo area and for that $ I really dont want to have to. The kamparoo seems much nicer. Also the little guy wide with a front rack but it cant go far off road unless you really have it beefed up..
Steve

 

[highlandercj-7]

Of course it depends on what kind of $$ you are looking to spend. I want a nicely equipted pop-up since I got 3 kids to contend with this is what I'm looking at, The Fleetwood Evolution E-3:
http://www.fleetwoodcampingtrailers.com/model.aspx?sid=3&sn=Evolution&mid=10&mn=E3

or this, The Aliner Ease with the Offroad Package:

http://www.aliner.com/design/products_detail.php?prodid=1

Either way optioned out you can expect 12-16k. But both would be comfortable with the wife and kids. Both of these are built with in 1 hr of me. The place I work has 3 rental Aliners and I rent one all the time, the problem is they don't have the Ease model and the std one is tight with 5 people. I love how easy the Aliner is to set up though.

 

[Grim Reaper]

In the late 60's and early 70's there were some VERY light pop up campers that were being sold at Sears and Monkey Wards. It was very plain inside with no cabinets but thats how it managed to only weigh 350-400 lb. Slept 4 fine.

My family had one and we pulled it with a VW station wagon. Some frame upgrades and bigger tires. I see them from time to time on Craigslist.com

 

[ExpoMike]

Kamparoo...

http://www.kamparoo.com/

My wife and I just bought a Kamparoo Weekender. We are hoping to get out for our first trip in two weeks. We did pop it up when we first got it and it is so freakin' cool!!!:victory:

We so can't wait to get out!!!!

 

[Funrover]

Not sure what your income is for a camper but I would look into the Fleetwood/Jayco pop ups with the deck on the front or buying an old one and building it how you like! Personally the jumping jack doesn't impress me! It's a cargo trailer with a tent, not only that but if you store dirtbikes/ATV's abouve the fluids will leak in. You have also added the weight to the very top making the COG higher(not that you will be going crazy places with it) I also like the idea of having a kitchen, fridge etc instead of just a tent on wheels! Personaly I have opted to reconstruct my 1971 pop-up for trail use. If you have a family and the family is now young you will want a fw of the extr feautures should it rain and you are stuck inside for awhile, It's also nice to leave all of your gear in the trailer so all you have to do is hook up and leave. IMO go with the Pop up for now!

 

[Whoknows]

We have 2 small kids and purchased an AT Horizon in '06 with a rtt attached. We love it. Only regret is that at the time they did not have a large enough tent for the 4 of us. A Horizon with the Eezi-Awn 2200 model attached would be sweet. I'm looking into it myself.

Some of your decision depends on how you like to camp. We love being in the outdoors when we camp (the only time your inside anything is just like with tent camping -- to sleep), but having the comforts the trailer provides -- nice sleeping surface, kitchen, water, 12v power for lighting and accessories, fridge. It's also very cool to be self-contained and able to venture away from power and water supply while still having it all.

I don't have the personal experience, but it seems that even with the pop-ups there is definitely an "inside". Now that is a big advantage in rainy or cold weather. I don't want to be camping then anyway, though sometimes it is unavoidable.

The other factors: a) the build and material quality of the ATs is outstanding; b) we can take it where we would otherwise be unable to go in nearly any other rig; c) towing an AT is really nice because of the advanced suspension and relatively light weight (some of the highways in West Texas are 80mph and I'd not want to be hauling a standard pop-up then); and d) we can easily store it at our home.

 

[Bergger]

It all depends on what you want to do and where you want to go. My family had a coleman popup for 6 years and it served us very well in the established camp grounds. Recently we found ourselves not enjoying the established campgrounds anymore and we really could not get the trailer into the places we now wanted to go. So the solution was purchasing an Adventure Trailer. If you think you will want to camp off the beaten path I'd get an Adventure Trailer. It can go every place a pop up can go and every place a pop up can not go. The build quality of the AT is awesome. It definitely is a trailer that will last for years. Ours has the 1800 tent on it but with a family of four I'd get the 2200 size as pictured below.

 

[Tucson T4R]

I just got back from an 8 day camp with my King Kamper (US version of the Kimberley Kamper). They are a little on the high end but you sure have all the comforts of home.

An older pic with the just the porch and no walls on:

I love the clamshell design because you don't care what the ground surface is like with the fold out hard floor and raised bed. The Kamparoo is a similar design.

Also stay tuned, it sounds like the AT boys are working on a clamshell design...I would personaly wait to see what they come up with....it's gotta be sweet.

 

[Rezarf <><]

I love that King Kamper, from stop to total setup with the poles and canvas how much time does it take to set up? Looks like an amazing base camp style camping experience, definatly COOL!

 

[Tucson T4R]

I love that King Kamper, from stop to total setup with the poles and canvas how much time does it take to set up? Looks like an amazing base camp style camping experience, definatly COOL!

On short trips, in good weather you just flip it open and your set up in about 15 mins. with the kitchen outside.

Setting up just the open porch takes about 30 mins.

To do the full canvas with all the enclosing walls it takes me about 1.5 hours with two people.

Last week I did it by myself with non stop 40-50 MPH winds and it took me about 4 hours of feeling like sailor on a ship going down in heavy seas. I would prefer not to do that again. :costumed-smiley-007

I even used ratchet straps and my truck as a wind block. I think I used about 20 tie downs to secure it in the high winds. Once set up, I'm sure I experienced some 60 MPH gusts and it held up like a champ with no problems.

 

[Bergger]

That thing looks like something out of M.A.S.H.!! But it's gotta be nice and comfy once set up.