# Recommend me a camper trailer!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-camper-trailer/939686>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [April 9, 2021, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-camper-trailer/939686 "2021-04-09T16:09:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 12\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\
**Post date:** [April 9, 2021, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-camper-trailer/939686/1 "2021-04-09T16:09:30Z")

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Ok, we’re in the market for a camper, and it’ll be our first. So far, it doesn’t look like the thing that we want exists, but I’m hopeful that I’m missing it and someone can recommend something to look into.

Requirements:  
Total loaded weight \< 5000 lbs  
Sleeping for 4, 2 adults, 2 kids (ideally 2 bunks for the kids)

Very important, but not actual dealbreakers  
Outdoor kitchen. We want to be camping in a rigid tent that requires no setup, not living inside.  
Interior height of 6’ or more. I’m 5’11" and I would like to be able to stand.  
Interior bathroom/shower (can be small)

Other than that, smaller is better, and less expensive is better. I can’t find anything like this so far. There are teardrops that have the rear exterior kitchen, but they don’t have enough height inside. Anything big enough to stand in and with bunks has the kitchen inside.

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**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\
**Post date:** [April 9, 2021, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-camper-trailer/939686/2 "2021-04-09T22:07:17Z")

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Try renting various types first.

For your first purchase buy a cheap used one.

RVs are notorious for being something people spend a great deal of money on–and then end up not using.

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**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\
**Post date:** [April 9, 2021, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-camper-trailer/939686/3 "2021-04-09T22:40:49Z")

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Look up the Winnebago Minnie Drop 190BH. It sleeps 4, with bunk bed, has an outdoor galley, and is 6’5" inside. They have nice features, and the quality seems good.

We have one a different floorplan, and it works great. Light, easy to tow and set up.

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**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\
**Post date:** [April 9, 2021, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-camper-trailer/939686/4 "2021-04-09T22:45:24Z")

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This does not meet with all your requirements, but we got a used pop-up tent trailer for a song and used it for a few years when the kids were younger. High points:

- Cheap. $900 from a friend so low-risk investment. Sold it for double that!
- Lightweight - able to be pulled just fine by our Honda Odyssey minivan.
- Small enuf to be stored in our garage, as opposed to paying someone to store it.
- Slept 4 or 5: one kid/one adult in each end bed. When the kids got bigger one kid would go to the folding bed where the table was.
- Indoor kitchen, but was more like just a camp stove and small sink. We still cooked mostly outside on a portable stove. It had electric and water hookup, but we never used that.

Overall it was perfect for us at the time (Yosemite, Yellowstone, Sierras, CA coast), but eventually we grew out of it, and someone was sleeping outside (by choice), and everyone but me was sort-of done with camping. I know that there are various pop-ups that have shower/toilet inside, but we always scoffed at the idea of a toilet in such a small space - you’d be able to hear EVERYTHING someone was doing in there. There may be some hard-sided pop-ups now - I recall seeing one that is sort-of like an A-frame. Anyway, my 2 cents.

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**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\
**Post date:** [April 9, 2021, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-camper-trailer/939686/5 "2021-04-09T23:08:30Z")

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Have a lookmat the Nucamp Tab 400:

> **[TAB 400 Teardrop Campers – The Largest Teardrop Camper](https://nucamprv.com/tab400-camper/)**
>
> If you love the unique shape of teardrop campers but need a little more space, look no further than our TAB 400 teardrop campers.

More spendy but pretty nice is the Airstream Basecamp:

> **[Basecamp | Travel Trailers | Airstream](https://www.airstream.com/travel-trailers/basecamp/)**
>
> Basecamp® was made for those who want to see the world. Built for adventure and tough enough to go anywhere your wanderlust takes you.

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**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\
**Post date:** [April 9, 2021, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-camper-trailer/939686/6 "2021-04-09T23:19:58Z")

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Along the pop up idea [this is the pop up trailer](https://www.jumpingjacktrailers.com/check-out-our--tent-trailer-6x17) we’re looking at getting though probably a smaller version. I like being able to load up snowmobiles or quads on my trailer and then having a tent available once I unload them.

They are tall enough that I can stand comfortably and we can load up several men for a fishing trip weekend. It’s also reasonably priced if more than a normal pop up tent.

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**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\
**Post date:** [April 9, 2021, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-camper-trailer/939686/7 "2021-04-09T23:35:40Z")

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> [@PastTense](#):
>
> Try renting various types first.
> 
> For your first purchase buy a cheap used one.

This is good advice, and we are planning to rent some this summer and try them out.

Thanks to everyone else for suggestions too.

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**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2021, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-camper-trailer/939686/8 "2021-04-10T11:31:58Z")

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Other than the outdoor kitchen (you could always just get a Coleman stove and cook on a picnic table), you requirements don’t seem unusual. The issue is is that COVID has caused a surge in demand for RVs so they are harder to find or at least harder to get a deal on.

Brian

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**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2021, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-camper-trailer/939686/9 "2021-04-10T17:47:22Z")

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[https://safaricondo.com/en/caravanes-alto/](https://safaricondo.com/en/caravanes-alto/) This is what we are considering.

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**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2021, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-camper-trailer/939686/10 "2021-04-10T18:22:45Z")

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> [@N9IWP](#):
>
> Other than the outdoor kitchen (you could always just get a Coleman stove and cook on a picnic table), you requirements don’t seem unusual.

Yeah, but it’s nice to have the water and the dishes and things right there too. We have two young kids so trying to minimize work to do anything and minimize trips in and out (they track dirt everywhere).

There are lots of RVs that have an indoor kitchen, but since space is at such a premium, I’d rather not waste interior space on a kitchen we don’t want to use and then also not have the sink and things outside where we want to use them. There are a lot of things we can make work, but we’re hoping for an optimal setup for us.

> [@swampspruce](#):
>
> [Alto – Lightweight Travel Trailers | Safari Condo](https://safaricondo.com/en/caravanes-alto/) This is what we are considering.

That looks sweet but is probably out of our budget.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2021, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-camper-trailer/939686/11 "2021-04-10T18:39:35Z")

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> [@snowthx](#):
>
> we always scoffed at the idea of a toilet in such a small space - you’d be able to hear EVERYTHING someone was doing in there.

Yeah, I don’t think we’d use it often, but with a 4 year old and a 2 year old, it’s _real_ nice to not have to get up and trudge down to the campground toilet in the middle of the night when they say they have to pee.

But we can always get [something like this](https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Toilet-Camping-Porta-Potty/dp/B06XGN67XS/ref=sr_1_26?dchild=1&keywords=Rv+toilet&qid=1618079897&s=automotive&sr=1-26) and shove it in a cupboard.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2021, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-camper-trailer/939686/12 "2021-04-10T22:35:16Z")

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I couldn’t get onto the US site but you’re looking at roughly $30k new depending on how you kit it out. Look around and you can likely find used for a bit less. Or finance it for 10 years at negligible interest.

> **[RV Review: Safari Condo Alto R1713 Travel Trailer](https://www.rvtravel.com/rv-review-safari-condo-alto-r1713-travel-trailer/)**
>
> By Tony Barthel What can I tow with my Subaru? Many people wonder this – here in Northern California where every third vehicle is a Subaru of some sort.