Picking a bunkhouse TT: outside size versus inside

[platbr]

My wife and I are in the process of selling our Class C and want to go back to a Travel Trailer. Our prior TT was an Airstream Bambi 19 (before the Class C) but with only one bed, we outgrew the trailer. Our tow vehicle is a Ford F-150 with the tow package, aux trans cooler, etc, which is rated (fwiw) at 11,100 lbs. We regularly tow our 23' Malibu which is 7,000 including trailer.

In any event, we are looking at bunkhouse trailers for us and two kids. I'm really concerned with quality, and want a TT that will last, not leak, etc., but have a hard time telling which manufacturers are better or worse, and when it's worth spending the extra dollar.

So we are considering a range starting with smaller, e.g., Kodiak Cub 175BH and the Micro Winnie 1700BH. Both have beds for four, which don't require making up or taking down. That's probably the smallest I'd want to go; I like the Kodiak for its simplicity, and the finish seems decent. Both are super light at ~3500 dry weight, and super cheap (~$16-18k).

On the other end of the spectrum is a trailer we shouldn't even have looked at, the Grand Design Imagine 2400BH, which the family loves. Of course, it's huge inside and at 5,500 dry its going to weigh less than our Malibu. But it's a big trailer, and I have some worries about towing such a large trailer with our little F-150. A bit more money, too.

In the middle (unfortunately couldn't see this one this weekend because American RV in Portland was closed four days in a row) is the Livin Lite Camplite 21BH. Seems like good construction, although probably more expensive than the above options.

So how do you decide?!? How do you "test drive" a trailer before buying to see if the size is right for you? Any thoughts on these options and our tow vehicle?

[velvetmonkey408]

The GD2400BH is ~5600# dry with a 1900 cargo. The hitch weight is ~500# which seems light compared to other trailers of that size. I think your F150 would have not problem towing it. It is 30' long which is a negative to me.

[djsamuel]

platbr wrote:

Thanks for this. I've actually followed your very positive posts about the Camplite, and am definitely impressed. I'm a little bummed that we were in Portland last weekend and were unable to look at one, because the dealer was closed 4 days in a row... but oh well. After the Airstream which (love or hate) was good quality, I'm somewhat worried about a trailer falling apart on me. The story about the Lance 2185 falling apart and leaking was rather cautionary, especially given that it was one of my top contenders (and expensive, to boot).

Is there anything you don't love about the Camplite? Anything you'd do differently? My wife doesn't love the storage to the left and right of the queen bed, as it hangs rather low. I'm also a big fan of their "aluminum" interior, which I think looks industrial and great (her, not so much), but it seems there are options. Would love to hear more thoughts on the 21BHS.

The storage areas alongside the queen bed really aren't an issue for us, although on the 2013, only the driver's side of the camper had that storage area. That's the side I sleep on, and have never had an issue. I know in later years they added it to both sides.

The big advantage to the aluminum doors on the cabinets is the fact that they have locking latches with no way for the doors to accidentally be pushed open while traveling. They open by pushing a button and the latch unlatches. It is very similar to aircraft access door latches on the outside of a plane's fuselage.

My biggest complaint with the Camplite would be the initial quality on delivery; similar to other brands. We had a lot of aluminum shavings that should have been cleaned up but weren't. We also had a leak where the self leveling sealant missed a seam on application at the factory. That was easily fixed, and the no-wood construction made it pretty much a non-issue apart from the repair.

The tires were also the typical garbage. I got about 10,000 miles out of them before I noticed a split in one after returning from the Smoky Mountains. I replaced them with the Carlisle Radial Trail tires and they've been great. The only other issue we had was the failure of the air conditioner, the Dometic Penguin II. the A/C tubing split and we lost all of the charge. It was replaced under warranty and the new unit has been fine.

The thing I like the most is how solid the camper is. Even after towing it around the country, nothing has loosened up, all of the doors and cabinets are as solid as the day we bought the unit. That is due to the fact that everything is an integral part of the frame. Here is an old video with Scott Tuttle the founder of LivinLite that shows some of what I am talking about. It may help:

https://youtu.be/yH6hnQYL1Cg

[DinTulsa]

rbpru wrote:
I always default to my standard answer for what size, shape and features should the perfect TT have.

The default answer is, take your best guess then RENT a similar unit for a week or ten days on the road. You will learn a lot very quickly.

No reason to spend the big bucks on something you may not like or enjoy towing.

Good luck

That's solid advice, save yourself some time and heartache. I've always heard that people usually by 3 trailers before they find the one they want. Fortunately my inlaws had a Class c that we used a lot and we rented a large TT with some friends a time or two to know what we wanted.

[DinTulsa]

I would recommend that you keep looking around at different units. I would think your truck can handle something in the 24-27ft range. We have a Open Range Roamer 310bhs with a room in the. Back for the kids. I would highly recommend looking for a TT that has a door to the kids bunk room. It gives them a place to escape, play with their toys and gives you a little bit of peace at times.

[APT]

You should confirm which packages your F-150 has. The 11k tow rated ones are a needle in a haystack. Still, you should be over 7500 pounds. You will likely be limited by the payload if you have the 3.5L Ecoboost. Check your driver's door sticker for max combined weight of occupants and cargo. If you have over 1500 pounds, then you will likely be fine with any trailer under 6k dry.

Towing any high walled RV will be more work for the truck than your boat. It's more about aerodynamics as long as he weights work for you.

[rbpru]

I always default to my standard answer for what size, shape and features should the perfect TT have.

The default answer is, take your best guess then RENT a similar unit for a week or ten days on the road. You will learn a lot very quickly.

No reason to spend the big bucks on something you may not like or enjoy towing.

Good luck

[colliehauler]

For longevity the camplite. I would get the one that best suits your needs. If the Grand Design is the choice it sounds like it would be a good match as well if the weight numbers are ok.

[platbr]

IBcarguy wrote:
You mentioned the Grand Design. They have a reputation of making a high quality rig but I'd be a little worried about the ability of your F150 to tow this size rig.

Fair concern. Are all F-150s created equal? I think I'd not be too concerned with overheating, etc., given the tow rating at 11,100 lbs, but then again, I realize that's a big number for the F-150 even if you add the aux oil cooler, class IV hitch, WD hitch, etc. I will say the F-150 does fine towing our boat, which is 7,000+, and I don't even use WD on the boat.

[IBcarguy]

You mentioned the Grand Design. They have a reputation of making a high quality rig but I'd be a little worried about the ability of your F150 to tow this size rig.

[platbr]

theoldwizard1 wrote:
First, I don't understand the question in your title "outside size versus inside" ? Bigger outside is typically bigger inside. Only you can decide if 3 or 4 more feet is worth the cost.

Sorry, I was referencing the dilemma between bigger meaning more space when you're camping (good) versus more space on the road when you're driving (bad).

djsamuel wrote:
We have the Camplite 21BHS and it's been great over the last 4 years. The all aluminum construction with azdel interior walls has been great. The camper is extremely solid with everything, including the cabinets, constructed as integral welded parts of the frame.

Tows great with our Ram 1500 and easily sleeps 5 if using the dinette as a bed. The two bunks easily handle two adults, and the queen bed is a full size queen.

Camplite 21BHS

Thanks for this. I've actually followed your very positive posts about the Camplite, and am definitely impressed. I'm a little bummed that we were in Portland last weekend and were unable to look at one, because the dealer was closed 4 days in a row... but oh well. After the Airstream which (love or hate) was good quality, I'm somewhat worried about a trailer falling apart on me. The story about the Lance 2185 falling apart and leaking was rather cautionary, especially given that it was one of my top contenders (and expensive, to boot).

Is there anything you don't love about the Camplite? Anything you'd do differently? My wife doesn't love the storage to the left and right of the queen bed, as it hangs rather low. I'm also a big fan of their "aluminum" interior, which I think looks industrial and great (her, not so much), but it seems there are options. Would love to hear more thoughts on the 21BHS.

[icanon]

djsamuel wrote:
We have the Camplite 21BHS and it's been great over the last 4 years. The all aluminum construction with azdel interior walls has been great. The camper is extremely solid with everything, including the cabinets, constructed as integral welded parts of the frame.

Tows great with our Ram 1500 and easily sleeps 5 if using the dinette as a bed. The two bunks easily handle two adults, and the queen bed is a full size queen.

Camplite 21BHS

Not hijack this thread but the Camplite 21BHS is one sweet tt, nice.

[shfd739]

platbr wrote:
My wife and I are in the process of selling our Class C and want to go back to a Travel Trailer. Our prior TT was an Airstream Bambi 19 (before the Class C) but with only one bed, we outgrew the trailer. Our tow vehicle is a Ford F-150 with the tow package, aux trans cooler, etc, which is rated (fwiw) at 11,100 lbs. We regularly tow our 23' Malibu which is 7,000 including trailer.

In any event, we are looking at bunkhouse trailers for us and two kids. I'm really concerned with quality, and want a TT that will last, not leak, etc., but have a hard time telling which manufacturers are better or worse, and when it's worth spending the extra dollar.

So we are considering a range starting with smaller, e.g., Kodiak Cub 175BH and the Micro Winnie 1700BH. Both have beds for four, which don't require making up or taking down. That's probably the smallest I'd want to go; I like the Kodiak for its simplicity, and the finish seems decent. Both are super light at ~3500 dry weight, and super cheap (~$16-18k).

On the other end of the spectrum is a trailer we shouldn't even have looked at, the Grand Design Imagine 2400BH, which the family loves. Of course, it's huge inside and at 5,500 dry its going to weigh less than our Malibu. But it's a big trailer, and I have some worries about towing such a large trailer with our little F-150. A bit more money, too.

In the middle (unfortunately couldn't see this one this weekend because American RV in Portland was closed four days in a row) is the Livin Lite Camplite 21BH. Seems like good construction, although probably more expensive than the above options.

So how do you decide?!? How do you "test drive" a trailer before buying to see if the size is right for you? Any thoughts on these options and our tow vehicle?

Id think your truck would be fine with the Imagine 2400BH or the larger 2800. More important is how much payload is left to handle the tongue weight after the truck is loaded with passengers. That available tongue weight will dictate how heavy of a trailer you can tow.

Check the yellow sticker on the driver door jamb then subtract the weight of the family members and anything else that will be loaded like bikes, firewood etc. That will be how much tongue weight you can handle.

FWIW we have a '17 Shadow Cruiser 240BHS. it's a common floor plan that weve had a for year. Now we regret not going bigger so that we'd have a dedicated sofa to sit on when we're stuck inside for extended periods of time.

[jmtandem]

So how do you decide?!? How do you "test drive" a trailer before buying to see if the size is right for you? Any thoughts on these options and our tow vehicle?

The solution is simple. Get a bigger truck. That opens the whole world for bigger bunk house trailers. The rule of thumb is to find the RV you want first, then get the truck, van or SUV to tow it. After owning an Airstream you will be hard pressed to find any bunkhouse standard box trailer with that kind of Airstream quality. You might be better off looking for a 27-30 foot Airstream for you and the kids.

[djsamuel]

We have the Camplite 21BHS and it's been great over the last 4 years. The all aluminum construction with azdel interior walls has been great. The camper is extremely solid with everything, including the cabinets, constructed as integral welded parts of the frame.

Tows great with our Ram 1500 and easily sleeps 5 if using the dinette as a bed. The two bunks easily handle two adults, and the queen bed is a full size queen.

Camplite 21BHS