32 feet of love!

[ls1mike]

Just got done washing, waxing and cleaning up the trailer. First trip is next weekend. Love going with the family. It is good time together.

Took all day, but it is ready for summer. Trailer is 7400lbs on the scales loaded for 5 days of camping. I have 12 trips planned which will equal about 5000 miles towing! Some are with the wife's family. She is one of 12!
I just upgraded to LED bulbs. Best thing I have done so far!

 

[spasm3]

Nice unit!! I like the awning struts, interesting design. I'm thinking about the led upgrade too. It would be less battery drain it i'm ever without hookups. Mine is only 23ft,hybrid, 31 with the beds out, yours looks huge inside! Siding looks clean and smooth , nice job.

 

[ls1mike]

Thanks!

They fold in with to much wind or heavy rain. We were in a 24 88 Class a for 5 years and 95 24 foot no slide 5th wheel for 4. When we looked in 2012 nothing was put together as well as the 1995, so I got the lightest one with the most room I could find. With the Equalizer WD hitch, long wheel base truck and spread out trailer axles...It tow like a dream, no sway even in heavy wind.

 

[splinter]

Good times to be had there for sure.

I'd imagine your 2500HD pulls 7400lbs without any fuss. Nice!

 

[ls1mike]

The whole setup is under 14600ish combined. Truck is rated for 16000 combined. Payload is about 3000lbs. It does really good. It does slow down a bit on the larger passes. Continental Divide on I 90 headed to Yellowstone, Lookout Pass I 90 head to St. Regis Montana, both over 8000 feet and 4 percent to 9 percent grades. Anywhere else I keep 60 at about 4000 rpm on the passes. Usually 62 MPH at 2200 RPM on the Highway. He doesn't even sweat. I couldn't replace this for what I paid for it. 12,000 bucks almost 5 years ago with 23,000 miles on it. Just rolled...39,000 today.

 

[JHZR2]

Very nice rig! Curious though, is there actually any savings going places by RV given the gas, capital costs, upkeep, rv parking/camping fees, etc. versus staying in a hotel?

We looked at renting an RV a few times and couldn't get the economics to work unless we were sleeping in walmart parking lots, and even then it was questionable...

I love the concept of an RV or an all in one, for adventuring wherever...

 

[spasm3]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Very nice rig! Curious though, is there actually any savings going places by RV given the gas, capital costs, upkeep, rv parking/camping fees, etc. versus staying in a hotel?

We looked at renting an RV a few times and couldn't get the economics to work unless we were sleeping in walmart parking lots, and even then it was questionable...

I love the concept of an RV or an all in one, for adventuring wherever...


No lol its not cheaper at all. Its just your own kitchen and bathroom. Really its not cost effective at all. We just like to do it.
When our son was younger, you don't have to worry about being quiet in a hotel. etc.

Nothing like cooking breakfast in the morning under the awning.

 

[spasm3]

Originally Posted By: ls1mike
With the Equalizer WD hitch, long wheel base truck and spread out trailer axles...It tow like a dream, no sway even in heavy wind.


I run the Equalizer hitch as well, its a fantastic stable hitch, I'm not sure there is one better unless you spend crazy money for a hensley arrow. My trailer is about 5k loaded. I run the equalizer 10k bars, it does not move at all when an 18wheeler goes by.

 

[ls1mike]

Originally Posted By: spasm3
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Very nice rig! Curious though, is there actually any savings going places by RV given the gas, capital costs, upkeep, rv parking/camping fees, etc. versus staying in a hotel?

We looked at renting an RV a few times and couldn't get the economics to work unless we were sleeping in walmart parking lots, and even then it was questionable...

I love the concept of an RV or an all in one, for adventuring wherever...


No lol its not cheaper at all. Its just your own kitchen and bathroom. Really its not cost effective at all. We just like to do it.
When our son was younger, you don't have to worry about being quiet in a hotel. etc.

Nothing like cooking breakfast in the morning under the awning.

Nope. You nailed it Spasm. Love waking up and going for a run it the forest. The kids play outside. No computers, no phones, Just dirt! Have my own bed and my own stuff. A hobby isn't about how cheap it is. It is about how much you get out of it. I am blessed as all my vehicles, including the trailer are paid for. So that is not an extra expense.

Truck is clean too!

 

[ls1mike]

Originally Posted By: spasm3
Originally Posted By: ls1mike
With the Equalizer WD hitch, long wheel base truck and spread out trailer axles...It tow like a dream, no sway even in heavy wind.


I run the Equalizer hitch as well, its a fantastic stable hitch, I'm not sure there is one better unless you spend crazy money for a hensley arrow. My trailer is about 5k loaded. I run the equalizer 10k bars, it does not move at all when an 18wheeler goes by.

1000 lbs bars? I have the 800, my tongue weight is just under 750, but with the 3/4 ton the 1000 lbs bars were too stiff. I really do love the hitch!

 

[ls1mike]

Spasm, duh, you are right 10,000lbs bars vs 8000lbs bars.

10,000 was overkill for me, had too much "spring" in them.

 

[daves87rs]

Even the truck looks good!

 

[3800Series]

It's very nice, but you couldn't pay me to stay in one of those things (with others). We lost our home during Katrina we (a family of 5) stayed in one of those for about 3-4 months.

Still very nice I wanna get one and put it on the pond out on the farm and use it as a little get away.

Iv always been the outdoors type but the weathere here gives us a very short outdoors/camping time frame where it's not to hot in the day or too cold at night.

 

[HTSS_TR]

Nice trailer and truck too.

It may not a cost saving vs hotel, but there is nothing compares with things you can do in your own trailer vs staying in any hotel.

Originally Posted By: 3800Series
It's very nice, but you couldn't pay me to stay in one of those things (with others). We lost our home during Katrina we (a family of 5) stayed in one of those for about 3-4 months.

You should appreciate that you were lucky to be American and live in America, natural disaster happens anywhere in the world. Just think about last week earthquake in Nepal that killed more than 8,000 people, many thousands injured and tens of thousands left homeless.

Those who survived didn't get much helps from their government and virtually now they live outdoor without any kind of shelter, no running water, no food ... Those survived in Nepal now wish they can have a 20 ft trailer for a family of 5 or 6 or more.

Yes, from a comfortable house to a trailer for several months is not a good trade off, but a trailer(without paying rent) is still much better than nothing.

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
It may not a cost saving vs hotel, but there is nothing compares with things you can do in your own trailer vs staying in any hotel.

That's a very good point. There are places where one can camp and would be well advised to avoid any of the local "hotels." And, where the hotels are fabulous, it's usually not a good place to camp.

 

[Merkava_4]

It's all about the smell of camp fires and pine trees. Makes me hungry just thinking about it.

 

[crinkles]

Looks awesome. Wish they sols those trucks down here. How's towing that thing behind? I get nervous towing our 7ft box trailer (but that's with a camry...)

 

[Garak]

I like to camp (well, used to, I haven't done it for years, and miss it) at a camp ground northwest of La Ronge. Now, that's in the boonies, well, sort of. La Ronge has more than enough amenities and is close by. There are fly in fishing camps up in that area too, with no access by road. That's the boonies!

 

[ls1mike]

Originally Posted By: crinkles
Looks awesome. Wish they sols those trucks down here. How's towing that thing behind? I get nervous towing our 7ft box trailer (but that's with a camry...)

It tows nice and easy. I generally don't tow faster then 62mph. I have gone 65 a couple of times to get out of the way of merging traffic. Truck and the trailer weigh almost the same so the truck does not get pushed around.

 

[CT8]

She is nicer than my home.