Hybrid question???

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mommyofour

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Joined
May 22, 2009
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I have been looking though the ads for hybrids, and Tent Trailers.  Our old 74 Lionel tent trailer, my husband thought was hard on the back and cold. 

Would the newer tent trailers or Hybrid have more comfortable mattresses?

And are the Hybrids drafty?

I never found our tent trailer drafty but that was something someone said, plus I was also told the Hybrids smell like Canvass and mildew because they close them up wet.  BUt I'm thinking if they were dried correctly or put in the garage to dry if it is raining it wouldnt' be an issue.

Those of you with Hybrids do you like it more or less than a reguar tent trailer?

Sorry I'm such a bug, I really want to make the right decision and do enough research.  ANd articles are ok, but there is nothing like hearing it straight from someone who has one.


Vicky
 
I don't own one, but I spent a lot of time in my buddies 22' hybrid last year.  I never felt that is was drafty or smelly, although the A/C will run pretty much non-stop during a hot day since there is so much heat lost through the canvas. The mattresses were thinner than a regular bed, but the addition of egg crate cured that.  I spent probably two weeks in it overall last year and thought it was a blast.  BTW we had 4 full size guys in that thing so it got a serious work out and it did great.  One guy in each "slide" out and one on the dinette...and it didn't feel too crowded.

I probably would have purchased one if I had a tow vehicle...I ended up with a Class A instead but would have no problem spending time in that Hybrid again.
 
RV mattresses often are not the greatest, but they can be upgraded with foam toppers or "egg crate foam" or replaced with a better grade (if standard bed sized) or a custom made one. You can get 4-6" high density foam and have it covered with fabric for a reasonable price
 
I got a 21' hybrid last year and love it! Ends are not really canvas, more like vinyl. If it's wet when you leave, you have to open it up when you get home to dry out. That's not really a big deal at all.

I use a memory foam topper and it does a pretty good job for us. As far as drafty, not really. The guys are right though, AC runs a lot in 90 degree weather and the furnace is only really good above 40-45 degrees. Below 40 it will run not stop.

I like it a lot because you don't waste living space for bed area. It's a good light weight solution. However, if you camp in extreme temperatures, you may want to consider a fully enclosed unit.
 
Thank you for your responses, we don't really camp in extreme temperatures at all so that wouldn't be an issue.

How labour intensive is folding out the sides?  I know that they all vary but with our old tent trailer folding the sides out was really the easiest part of the whole thing.

We have 4 kids, and while the oldest would probably rather either not camp with us or use his tent I want to have enough space to sit in without tripping over beds.  So to me the hybrid is the best solution.

Thanks
Vicky
 
Not labor intensive at all. Each bed is just like one big hinged opening on each end held closed by two screw downs. I can set up the whole unit including water, electric, awning, etc. in about 30 minutes.

You really should visit a local dealer to get a better picture.

Good luck
 
My friend's Hybrid has the pole support system vs. the cable support system and his was a little more labor intensive, but not bad.  For his, you basically unsnap a bunch of elastic hooks that hold the fabric to the base of each bed, which is actually the wall, fold said fabric in, and push the clamshell shut, locking two clasps once you have it closed.  For three "tent" areas, it took us no more than 10 minutes to set 'em up and take 'em down.  Very quick with a helper...probably a bit longer by yourself.
 
We took our Hybrid, 2007 Jayco Jay Feather EXP 23B, down to Panther Creek two weekends ago and the weather was very warm: mid 90's with high humidity.  The roof AC ran a lot, but the compressor would kick off now and then and the interior was kept very cool; at one point we had condensation running down the exterior of the windows!.  One nice feature of a hybrid is that you don't have to drop both beds if you don't need them; this helps keep the unit cooler during hot weather (and warmer I suppose during colder weather).  Actually you don't have to drop either end bed if you want to sleep on the dinette bed or sleeper sofa (if so equipped).  This comes in handy if you're setting up in the rain or even in the dark; you can wait until morning to open the end beds.

So far we really like our hybrid because it's a little like tent camping, but you have all the amenities of a hard shell camper!  I would recommend one that has a slide, even if it's just for the sofa - like ours.
 
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