Getting a camper to use on long weekend trips to CO

1,804 Views | 18 Replies | Last: 2 yr ago by The Grinder (99)
2girlsdad
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We usually drive to CO once a year (except for last year). Now that my wife's best friend moved up there, and she has two little girls that my 2.5 year old was good friends with, we'll probably drive up once in February and an other in August.

Since we have a 2.5 and 2 month old, I see our International trips (we did that a lot before the girls), on the backburner for a few more years.

So, I was thinking of getting a camper to pull with my 2012 5.7L 4X4 Tundra, and with my 25 days of vacation I get per year, piggy back on holiday weekends or just take Th/Fr off and start driving to CO on Wed after work (from Conroe). I figure we can be packed up ahead of time and so I just get home around 5:45 PM, and hopefully hit the road by 7 PM. I can then drive and make it to the Amarillo area (I truly missed my calling to be a trucker with the 20+ hour road trips I've done many times before), pull over in the camper to get a few hour nap, and by Thur. noon-1PM be in Alamosa, CO (our favorite stopping/coffee shop).

We've also done more trail walks in the Sam Houston Forest area and would like to start camping (I didn't get to experience that as a kid so want the girls to have that opportunity). We could hit up all those spots in the hill country as well of course.

Sooooo, does anyone else do this? This wouldn't be a cost saving venture, as hotels are cheaper, but I feel I have enough time off to justify these trips to CO and a used purchase (wife is stay at home). Plus we'd have a free place to stay in CO so we wouldn't have to spend the whole time in a camper.
AgRyan04
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We've driven our trailer to Colorado several times.....love it!

I'm going to give you a bunch of cons, not because I want to dissuade you from taking a trailer to Colorado, but because I want you to have the right expectations.

I don't know what your trailer driving experience is, but there is what is referred to as "trailer time". Take whatever your GPS is telling you and tack on 30%-40%. If it says 6 hours, it's going to take you 8 hours. Its not like jumping in your truck and just hauling 80 mph down the highway. Your trailer tires aren't rated for that speed and
cars are going to whip around you and cut you off and you're going to have to break more because you need to keep more room between you and the car in front of you to because yif there is a situation where you have to hit your brake, you're stopping A LOT more weight....the roads are a lot more narrow with a trailer so you have less leeway for drifting in your lane....you will have to take any mountain passes really slowly.....you're going to have to stop for gas more often....and find a gas station that can accommodate you navigating a trailer in and out of.

Basically, you have to be focused a lot more which makes it a more stressful drive that is more physically taxing on you. The best comparison I can give you is like when you're trying to drive through a really heavy rain storm and you can barely see the lanes and you're sitting on the edge of your seat having to really focus to stay in your lane....but doing it with your wife and kids in the truck and several thousand more pounds of weight attached to your back side.

That shot from Houston to Amarillo leaving at 7pm is going to be a long haul. If you have the time, I wouldn't be as ambitious.

I don't know about Amarillo specifically, but there are a couple west Texas cities/counties that have ordinances that don't allow pullover rests in an RV outside of an RV campsite. I cant remember where we were, but just something to be aware of. Also, most A/Cs won't run without being connected to power so that August trip could be a hot nap.

Driving at night is also something we have done, but cautiously. In general, if you have a problem the response time is going to be slow - at night, I expect it to be next day.....especially in the middle of no where. Blowouts on RVs can often cause big damage to the trailer itself.

I hope you decide to use it for more than just those two annual trips - we love traveling the country in ours.
HollywoodBQ
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AG
AgRyan04 said:

I don't know what your trailer driving experience is, but there is what is referred to as "trailer time". Take whatever your GPS is telling you and tack on 30%-40%. If it says 6 hours, it's going to take you 8 hours. Its not like jumping in your truck and just hauling 80 mph down the highway. Your trailer tires aren't rated for that speed and cars are going to whip around you and cut you off and you're going to have to break more because you need to keep more room between you and the car in front of you to because yif there is a situation where you have to hit your brake, you're stopping A LOT more weight....the roads are a lot more narrow with a trailer so you have less leeway for drifting in your lane....you will have to take any mountain passes really slowly.....you're going to have to stop for gas more often....and find a gas station that can accommodate you navigating a trailer in and out of.

Basically, you have to be focused a lot more which makes it a more stressful drive that is more physically taxing on you. The best comparison I can give you is like when you're trying to drive through a really heavy rain storm and you can barely see the lanes and you're sitting on the edge of your seat having to really focus to stay in your lane....but doing it with your wife and kids in the truck and several thousand more pounds of weight attached to your back side.

<snip>

Driving at night is also something we have done, but cautiously.
Great advice!

Not a travel trailer but, last week I towed a U-Haul 6x12 from League City to Los Angeles behind my Jeep Wrangler (4-dr model). About 1600 miles one-way.

You highlighted a lot of the challenges I experienced with long-haul trailering.
  • The slower speeds resulting in significantly longer travel times.
  • Travelling at night there were A LOT more "trucks" on the road
  • Difficulty passing slower vehicles
  • Getting blown off the road by big trucks
  • Difficulty parking
  • In these COVID times, difficulty going to a restaurant where you have to find 4 spaces to park your rig and then eat on the hood of your vehicle. I realise that one will go away eventually.
  • 11 mpg trailering instead of 18 mpg solo
Probably one of the biggest things that most people wouldn't expect is the physical fatigue level from constantly having to watch the trailer and keep the thing on the road. And looking much further down the road to anticipate stops in traffic.

Probably belongs on the Automotive Board but it's relevant here.
Caladan
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HollywoodBQ said:


Probably one of the biggest things that most people wouldn't expect is the physical fatigue level from constantly having to watch the trailer and keep the thing on the road. And looking much further down the road to anticipate stops in traffic.
Very true, and not talked about much at all on most forums. We had a fairly large trailer a number of years ago, and I experienced the same thing you are talking about. Now we have a small travel trailer that has the same general footprint as our Silverado and is equipped with a WD hitch, so towing it is not fatiguing at all.

OP - if you do get a travel trailer, make sure you have good tires. Unfortunately, most trailers come with cheap tires made in China, and that are commonly referred to as "China-bombs" since they explode so frequently. Get American-made trailer tires that are rated to 89 miles an hour, and you can do pretty much anything you want, provided you aren't dumb enough to go 90 or above while towing a trailer. If you don't want to replace your Chicom tires, you will most likely at some point be forced into the decision while you are traveling. Not a great time to replace, when you are forced to make the decision while waiting on the shoulder of an interstate in the middle of a hot afternoon.

C
drumboy
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AG
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Prophet00
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AG
We were going to buy a travel trailer this last year to camp around TX, but we've been doing more and more camping up in CO that we decided to just use Outdoorsy and rent one near our spot. It's been great. One guy we use around Durango brings it on site and sets it up, the. He comes behind us to do all the breakdown and dumping.

I'd like to buy one eventually, but it sure is convenient to road trip without the towing. If you want recommendations, happy to help.
dcbowers
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AG
Prophet00 said:

We were going to buy a travel trailer this last year to camp around TX, but we've been doing more and more camping up in CO that we decided to just use Outdoorsy and rent one near our spot. It's been great. One guy we use around Durango brings it on site and sets it up, the. He comes behind us to do all the breakdown and dumping.

I'd like to buy one eventually, but it sure is convenient to road trip without the towing. If you want recommendations, happy to help.


Tell me more about Outdoorsy.com. Is it like AirBNB except that it is for campers?
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2girlsdad
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Thanks, this is a lot of good information! I did fail to appreciate the increased time in the trip as well as more times white knuckling it (so maybe take Wednesday off as well and leave Tuesday after work).

I had heard you can't just stop anywhere to sleep, but I could plan the trip around rest areas or Wal-Marts/counties that allow overnight sleeping.

I would also look not only into getting better tires for the trailer, and snow tires for the winter, but getting a set of highway tires for my truck (the current 35's kill my gas mileage) and also snow tires/chains.

The reason I want to do this is I grew up without a dad, and my mom was a nurse who worked straight nights, so we didn't get to experience a lot of these adventures. My mom tried as best she could, and we did have fun trips (albeit in some little 2 door Nissan), but I want to give my girls those opportunities.

We aren't ready to pull the trigger yet, and the 4Runner is the mode of transportation to CO these days (which is a beast in the snow!), but perhaps when the youngest is ~2.5 like the oldest currently, that'll be a good time.
Prophet00
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AG
Yep, it's pretty much AirBnB for travel trailers/RVs/Jeeps. Most hosts are very flexible, offering options like setup and breakdown, delivery/pick up, stocking items, etc.

You'll want to look for higher rated folks, and then choose according to your needs. We used a couple different people and always had good experiences, but we've settled on Kodak Rentals (kodiakrentals.com), and haven't looked back. Great people and always work with you to get you set up for your trip.

It ends up being cheaper than a hotel, and right now we aren't traveling enough to justify buying one.
Teslag
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AG
Get ready for a blowhard to tell you that you will need an F350 with a turbodiesel to pull a 1,500 pop up or it isn't safe.

You can tow a LOT of trailer with that Tundra 5.7. Easily something around 32' total length and up to 6,500 pounds dry weight.
AgRyan04
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Absolutley go for it....like I said, we have LOVED driving around the country with our kids in ours.

We have a rule that devices are allowed during the drive but not at the destinations - it's the best quality time we get with the family as a whole....we're all disconnected and present without the distractions of this crazy world we're dealing with.

My words of caution were just to help set expectations. I would hate for someone to not know what they're getting into and then not like it for that reason.

Another way you could do something similar is to cabin camp. A high percentage of private campgrounds have cabin rentals (we're noticing this is a growing trend).....KOA probably has the largest footprint nationally. We've done long trips like that on a couple of occasions where pulling the trailer wasn't logistically the best way to do it.
AgRyan04
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Absolutley, but there are definitley two sides to that coin....we see A LOT of trailers out on the roads being towed by something that has no business being hitched up.

The way I think about it is that if they're getting pushed around on the highway by the trailer, or can't stop the weight safely, they're putting my family in as much risk as a drunk driver is.

There is a bunch of "what can I tow?" type info on the web, but the best resource (in layman's terms) I've come across on this topic is this video by KYD:

Yesterday
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AG
A 32' trailer on a half ton will not be pleasant to tow no matter the weight. That's a lot of sail behind that truck. I towed a 26' TT through west Texas in 30 mph cross winds in my F250 and I was getting uncomfortable.

This isn't to say it can't be done but it will not be relaxing. In most situations my F250 diesel allowed me to set the cruise control with one hand on the wheel.

We just did Big Bend for spring break in our 36' 5th wheel and had it in cruise control most of the trip. Stay below 25' and 6000 pounds and youll be comfortable making those Colorado passes and west Texas winds.

Now for the fun stuff. Sleeping under the stars. Camping in state parks for $20/night. Sleeping in your own bed. Cooking your own breakfast. Campfires. Roasting marshmallows. Hiking. Backpacking etc. we've made so many memories with our kiddos the past year.

My only advice if you're gonna be towing 10+ hour trips is to get a light trailer for your truck. Weekend warrior stuff close to home is one thing but Colorado trips into the passes is quite another.
Teslag
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AG
I've towed 32' travel trailers with a half town all over. It's not an issue with the right setup. That starts with a good, not cheap, weight distribution hitch and away system. Half ton trunks are much more capable than even ten years ago.

Some of you would lose your mind if you saw the sheer number of 20 plus foot travel trailers being towed in Europe by sedans like the BMW 3 series wagons.
Yesterday
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AG
Salute The Marines said:

I've towed 32' travel trailers with a half town all over. It's not an issue with the right setup. That starts with a good, not cheap, weight distribution hitch and away system. Half ton trunks are much more capable than even ten years ago.

Some of you would lose your mind if you saw the sheer number of 20 plus foot travel trailers being towed in Europe by sedans like the BMW 3 series wagons.


What set up and where did you tow it?
CanyonAg77
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AG
So, I think the idea of having a camper and camping with the kids is great.

I think the idea of dragging a trailer 2000 miles to use as a hotel room on the road for two nights (or four, if I misread) is Looney Tunes.

Again. maybe I misunderstood, but your OP makes me think you plan to sleep in a WalMart parking lot in Amarillo on the trip up, then stay in your friend's house while you're there.

That would be insane.

And if you plan to sleep in your camper in your friend's yard while there, that's marginally better. But you're going to spend enough on gas to rent a really nice motel room.


As others have mentioned, you're going to travel a lot slower. And you're going to be stopping for gas more often. And it's highly likely you're going to do 100% of the driving, where if you're not pulling a trailer, surely your wife would take 1/3 or more of the driving burden.

Quote:

Get ready for a blowhard to tell you that you will need an F350 with a turbodiesel to pull a 1,500 pop up or it isn't safe.

You can tow a LOT of trailer with that Tundra 5.7. Easily something around 32' total length and up to 6,500 pounds dry weight.

I'm between the extremes. No, you don't need the F350 for a popup. Start talking about anything over 25 feet long and 7500 pounds though, you ought to be looking at a 3/4 ton. Not just for the engine, but for the stability of a beefier suspension.

Also keep in mind wind, hills, and elevation. We have a 10,000 pound fifth wheel, 30 foot long, pretty tall. Our 3/4 ton crew cab with a 8.1 liter gas engine handles the weight like a champ, and can get it up to 65 with no wind and flat terrain, no problem. Can even hit 75mph with a tail wind.

Throw in some wind, hills, or altitude, it starts to struggle and make me wish we had a diesel. Gas mileage in the single digits REALLY makes me wish we had a diesel. But when gas was cheap under Trump, we could buy a lot of gas for what a diesel truck cost.

Regarding altitude, you lose about 3% of horsepower per thousand feet elevation. Which means your 381hp in Conroe, is already down to 340hp in Amarillo, and down to 270hp going over North La Veta Pass.
The Grinder (99)
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AG
We got one several of years ago and upgraded a couple years back. We've loved the family time and have driven out west for two big trips a year each year. We use it in state for several small trips too.

You'll figure out what you can do on your own. I would agree with the other poster though, Conroe to Amarillo is a long haul in a car. I personally have done it a lot (from Conroe myself and loved in Amarillo a few years). I would plan on that being a pretty full day of driving with a camper though and wouldn't start it at night.

The great thing about having a camper is that you can pull over to rest stops and the like and have lunch with your own decent food and not have to eat at what ever is available, use your restroom too. It's really a nice way to travel with a family.

Another great thing is that there are small rv sites all over the place. You can pull in, hook up for the night and get going in the morning for just $20 or so a night. You'll learn that going to bigger towns for this isn't ideal. It's much easier to get your camper in and out of small town traffic and gas stations than cities. For example, we often stop in Vega texas instead of Amarillo to break up a drive to colorado.

My advice is to not drive too much during the night. Wake up early and head out and get to where you're going before it's dark. You don't want to be hooking up in the dark and you don't want to be that guy in one of these small rv campsites pulling on after everyone has gone to bed. It's usually a place where the owner lives so, it's a little frowned upon.

dave99ag
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AG
Following because we're about to add a Jayco TT. It will primarily live out in West Texas, but do plan to use it as an option to go out further west. Good advice here about what your truck can handle and the wind!
montegobay
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We have a 2016 Rpod 180 that we are selling. It's in great shape and would work well with your tow vehicle. Let me know if you are interested.
The Grinder (99)
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AG
We started with an Rpod. That thing always got so much attention at campsites . The great thing about it, is it could don't include small sites, even some that are more for tents.

We just outgrew it.

Probably over shot it when we upgraded to a 29 foot camper. I think for our fam of 4, a 25 foot camper or so would have been the sweet spot. We don't need that mic space to live in, we just do a week or so at a time a couple of times a year and don't like spending much time in there except sleep
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