Squirrel
Active member
I got fed up with tents and never want to camp in one again. A few days after our last tent trip, we bought a motorhome. I regretted it as I drove it home. With seven kids (not camping with ALL of them, but at least several), we need the security and comfort we are used to when traveling in our 2005 Suburban that has a DVD player. I did not feel safe having the kids in the motorhome, even with the seatbelts. The baby seat was impossible to put anywhere except in the front passenger seat, and I don't like having small children in the front. But the worst of it was the fuel consumption. The guy we bought it off said we'd get 17 mpg on propane. I think it's more like 9 or 10 which we'd get on the gas option (it's a 460 engine with a propane conversion).
Anyway, we originally wanted to get a tent trailer, but what we thought was a good deal came up on the motorhome so we bought it. It is a very nice machine, but not suited for our family situation right now, so we're selling it.
We could get a hard-sided trailer, but the light-weight ones cost more than we can afford, and we can't go with a heavier older one with the weight limit we have on a fully loaded Suburban. So we're back to considering a tent trailer, one that sleeps at least six. (Even when we camped in the motorhome, our older teenage daughters brought a little tent and slept outside, so weather permitting that's what they'd do, but it's nice to have a dry space to go if it rains, so we'd need at least enough room to throw a couple of roll-up mats on the floor for them.)
I wonder what the opinions are from people here who own or have owned them.
1. Have you ever had several people camping together in them, particularly young children? (Mine are aged 17, 16, 13, 8, 5, 2, and 17 months, but as I said, we all don't go all together...17 and 16 yr old are at war with each other lately).
2. How are they for early morning sunlight coming in and waking everyone up too soon?
3. Can something be done to make it darker in there - I don't know if shades could be attached, or blackout curtains or something?
4. Is it much of a hassle to set up and take down? Much better than the hassle of setting up/taking down a tent?
5. Can you stow much of your gear in it while it's flattened down for travel?
6. How are they if it starts to get rainy/windy while you're in them?
Thanks,
Squirrel
Anyway, we originally wanted to get a tent trailer, but what we thought was a good deal came up on the motorhome so we bought it. It is a very nice machine, but not suited for our family situation right now, so we're selling it.
We could get a hard-sided trailer, but the light-weight ones cost more than we can afford, and we can't go with a heavier older one with the weight limit we have on a fully loaded Suburban. So we're back to considering a tent trailer, one that sleeps at least six. (Even when we camped in the motorhome, our older teenage daughters brought a little tent and slept outside, so weather permitting that's what they'd do, but it's nice to have a dry space to go if it rains, so we'd need at least enough room to throw a couple of roll-up mats on the floor for them.)
I wonder what the opinions are from people here who own or have owned them.
1. Have you ever had several people camping together in them, particularly young children? (Mine are aged 17, 16, 13, 8, 5, 2, and 17 months, but as I said, we all don't go all together...17 and 16 yr old are at war with each other lately).
2. How are they for early morning sunlight coming in and waking everyone up too soon?
3. Can something be done to make it darker in there - I don't know if shades could be attached, or blackout curtains or something?
4. Is it much of a hassle to set up and take down? Much better than the hassle of setting up/taking down a tent?
5. Can you stow much of your gear in it while it's flattened down for travel?
6. How are they if it starts to get rainy/windy while you're in them?
Thanks,
Squirrel