Who demounts their demountable?

[hidn45]

If this post would be better in another category, please feel free to move it. Searches found the question, but no answers.

In working through our "retirement habitat" options, one of the big downsides of a carrier-mounted camper is having to pack & stow everything to run into town for tacos. The Little Woman favors a trailer for this very reason, but she's not the one who will have to drive the rig [much]. For the record, we're looking at a box in the +/-16 foot range (making a trailer potentially 20 feet long or so). Yes, a tray-mounted 16 ft camper is going to require a fairly large, or at least long, vehicle, but at least it won't have a hinge in the middle. To flesh things out a bit more, we are planning to spend 3 to 5 months a year avoiding the snow belt. This will hopefully be a mix of campgrounds, boondocking, family's driveways, etc.

Our question is - do any of you with demountable campers take them off while out & about so you can use your vehicle?

Thanks-
Randy

 

[billiebob]

Totally smaller scale. Different reasons too.

I built a Square Box, demountable to "slide" into my utility trailer. 5 years later I built a trailer frame to carry that Square Box because there are no advantages. Time, stress, planning made it easier to just build a dedicated unit. The "demountable" component is costly, heavy, time consuming plus the cost of building it yourself and getting it right first time is incredibly expensive...... lets just say if you need to ask for advice..... if he plan is not fully formulated in yer mind....... the budget will be blown out of the water exponentially.

For me, 2 people, find a buy on the 2 door unicorn pickup no one wants, get it for half the price of the long wheelbase quad cab everyone does want..... and buy the perfect trailer and go camping.

Or a short wheel base truck..... maybe a JT or 2 door Bronco..... towing a 16' Escape Trailer or ????? will do it all PLUS, when you drop the trailer you can do MOAB or the RUBICON or park at the Opera House for Cirque de Soleil or go see the Penguins play...



Keep the unit SHORT. Keep the trailer SHORT.
You will not build the "retirement" unit for fewer $$$$ than you can buy it.
Buy it and go travel. You can unhitch/couple a trailer in under a minute with ZERO stress.

PS, if you shop well and buy smart, you can sell it fast if your needs, style changes.
If you build, you need talent and insight to build what someone else might want.

*****

But I must say, demountables are less about freeing the unit to go buy beer and more about demounting it for 10 months and mounting it for 2 months. Get an e-bike for the tacos run. AND that e-bike will weigh less than the "demountable" components AND be ready to go instantly AND "park" at the front door of the Taco Stand.

Then there is the value of saying "My wife had the brilliant idea of a trailer, Bronco, 2 e-bikes...... and here we are." .......

 

[billiebob]

but she's not the one who will have to drive the rig

now that is just not very manly...... I agree towing is a new skill most lack..... but that creates the market for towing'driving courses....... !!!!
find the course and enroll both You and "the Wife" ...... and if she shows better promise well you be the spotter
So much potential to a fabulous fun retirement.

 

[dependencies]

Stopping somewhere for more than a couple of days then I drop camper off to run about with truck yes,
for a shorter stop it isn't worth the bother no

 

[Alloy]

Something we've been going back and forth on.

A box on a truck makes getting places (then coming back) easier but a trailer can be dropped allot more places than a box. Right now the wheels on one side of our trailer are off (hyd. leveling) the ground.

We've been here for 6 days but I didn't hike 2 of the trails I wanted to due to drive (10mpg fuel) to get there. I could have taken the enduro bike but I don't want to leave it at a trail head for 6-8 hours. The truck was great at getting 1/3 cord of firewood though.

A box on a truck can always tow a trailer or even a small 4x4.

 

[Peter_n_Margaret]

Our first 4WD rig was this slide-on.

It almost never came off.
If it is not too long, it does not have to, so the trip to the shops allows you to pack the groceries directly into the fridge.
At home it never came off either. That way it was always ready for that week-end trip away at short notice.
It was my daily driver.
Eventually, after several years, I fixed it "permanently" to the tray. That reclassified the vehicle from being a truck to being a motorhome and registration and insurance was instantly cheaper.
Designing from the ground up as a fixed body means water and other heavy stuff is all below the floor,not above it, so better stability and more living space is an obvious and instant result.
Second vehicle had no pretence of ever being removable.
The result is lighter and lower and more user friendly in every way.
I would never again consider a slide-on.
And towing is not an option (unless it is a boat). It is simply too restrictive of where you can go to. Besides, by the time the towers un-hitch and get sorted, we are into our second beer.

Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

 

[hidn45]

Thanks all, I appreciate the responses & the information. Some points have been brought up that we hadn't even considered. Peter, you did hit on one of my main issues with travel trailers - they won't always go where we want to go. Just out of curiosity, may I ask when your OKA motorhome was built, & if there is any more info on its construction anywhere? Would love to be considering something similar, but I would have plenty of room, because I'd be travelling alone...

billiebob - yeah, we'd like to see the Pen's have more than a few more games before their season is over....

Actually, we were just discussing the new "full size" Bronco. I "built" her one on the website, & she rather liked it. She does have a rather weird, un-natural infatuation with the Jeep Gladiator, as well.... I could live with either one - I'm easy.

The issue with her & trailers (& we're talking backing up here) isn't that she CAN'T handle one, just WON'T. She's convinced herself that she's no good at it, & has just refused to do it anymore. She'll drive with a trailer all day, with tractor, truck, car, whatever, as long as she's going forward.


I agree that shorter is better - I would much prefer to be planning for a 10 or 12 foot habitat, but cramming the "must haves" list into the box has caused some stretching... And finding that elusive combination of the features we (she) wants, with a GVWR we can live with, and the build quality that'll last/ survive would be like finding a Vincent Black Shadow in the Pennysaver classifieds....

Thanks again all. I don't know if we're much closer to deciding which direction to take in our quest, but enjoying the discussion in any case. And, to one of your points billiebob - maybe we need to just hunt down a deal on anything at all, & take it out & try it, & go from there. It'll sure beat the tent & camp kitchen we've had up 'til now...

 

[billiebob]

Our first 4WD rig was this slide-on.
View attachment 717775
It almost never came off.
If it is not too long, it does not have to, so the trip to the shops allows you to pack the groceries directly into the fridge.
At home it never came off either. That way it was always ready for that week-end trip away at short notice.
It was my daily driver.
Eventually, after several years, I fixed it "permanently" to the tray. That reclassified the vehicle from being a truck to being a motorhome and registration and insurance was instantly cheaper.
Designing from the ground up as a fixed body means water and other heavy stuff is all below the floor,not above it, so better stability and more living space is an obvious and instant result.
Second vehicle had no pretence of ever being removable.
The result is lighter and lower and more user friendly in every way.
I would never again consider a slide-on.
And towing is not an option (unless it is a boat). It is simply too restrictive of where you can go to. Besides, by the time the towers un-hitch and get sorted, we are into our second beer.
View attachment 717776
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

You have had the coolest vehicles ever, starting with the Mini.... or was it an America ??

 

[Peter_n_Margaret]

may I ask when your OKA motorhome was built, & if there is any more info on its construction anywhere? Would love to be considering something similar, but I would have plenty of room, because I'd be travelling alone...

It was completed in 2005. 17 years ago.
It is 6m overall length, 3.050m high and 2.160m wide. It has every convenience for 2 people. Forward control is important to achieving a high house ratio.
Shower & toilet, lots of solar, central diesel heating and hot water. 280L water and 340L diesel.
We can spend a month totally remote.



As I said, the new build will have no steel and will be quite a bit lighter with more water and fuel capacity.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

 

[billiebob]

It was completed in 2005. 17 years ago.
It is 6m overall length, 3.050m high and 2.160m wide. It has every convenience for 2 people. Forward control is important to achieving a high house ratio.
Shower & toilet, lots of solar, central diesel heating and hot water. 280L water and 340L diesel.
We can spend a month totally remote.
View attachment 717818
View attachment 717819
View attachment 717826View attachment 717827
As I said, the new build will have no steel and will be quite a bit lighter with more water and fuel capacity.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

Lots to like but what sells me is the rear dinette for 2? with a fabulous room to a view.

 

[AbleGuy]

Re Your “The issue with her & trailers (& we're talking backing up here) isn't that she CAN'T handle one, just WON'T. She's convinced herself that she's no good at it, & has just refused to do it anymore. She'll drive with a trailer all day, with tractor, truck, car, whatever, as long as she's going forward.”

Soooo, why don’t you just get one of the new ford trucks with the self parking feature for trailers?

One thing about trailers vs campers on trucks. Think about your ultimate best uses of the combo. If you like to drive in to remote-ish areas to hike, bike, paddle,!climb, etc., a trailer can be better so you’re leaving behind your valuables.

In too many areas these days, the locked, lonely unattended rig left at the distant trailhead unfortunately invites thieves to break into your camper.

 

[Peter_n_Margaret]

Lots to like but what sells me is the rear dinette for 2? with a fabulous room to a view.

The office.

Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

 

[billiebob]

The office.
View attachment 718017
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

I could live there.

 

[IdaSHO]

We unload ours if we plan on being in a spot for longer than a few days.

Though I wouldn't advise it without remote/electric jacks. These make loading/unloading quick and safe.

 

[simple]

Some testing might be in order to wade through the tradeoffs. You could plan a couple trips. Rent a trailer for one and a demountable for the other.
If you decide on a direction, buy a respected brand used at a fair price. If you want to change directions you can easily sell and try something else. If you love it but want something tailored look at a custom build.
It's important to just get out and not spend too much time agonizing about the perfect setup. See how much you like the nomadic lifestyle.