TT -- is it really an upgrade?

[Toedtoes]

I started with a 20ft or so TT. It was old and falling apart (literally - I'd have things fall off while on the road). It got me through 3 years while I rediscovered camping and figured out what I really wanted.

I traded it in for my clipper. I have found that the clipper is my perfect RV for the way I have been camping. It is small enough at 21ft to get to all my favorite campgrounds. I can park it in parking lots easily. It has all the storage I need, fits me and the dogs and the bird great. The layout is perfect for us.

With retirement in a few years, I have started looking at doing more traveling. I want to visit urban areas and the clipper doesn't really work for that: it's 43 years old, it can't tow a car, and it can't fit in underground parking lots, etc. So, I started looking at small trailers that can fit a bird cage without taking up the dinette space and can be towed by the Durango.

The FnR has the most space for the size. It is easily towed by the Durango, is in great shape and is extremely well built and hard-sided. I can drop it at a campground and drive the Durango into urban centers easily. It only holds enough water for a max of 4 days, which is just enough for traveling from town to town.

I would say that the clipper was an upgrade from the TT. I don't think the FnR is as I had to give up storage (interior and exterior) for the compactness and I can't stop in a construction zone and use the toilet (being stuck at a construction red light for an hour makes you REALLY appreciate toilet access). But they serve different purposes.

 

[GreyFox]

Different strokes for different folks. I'm retired but no way, no how am I ever going to "full time" in anything, ever. More likely our travel is going to involve jumping on a plane and heading to the other side of the world, not endless towing to the many places we've already been. We've done the usual progression from tents, to popups, to a hybrid, to travel trailers - all served their purpose at the time but we're now going back to the simplicity of a popup. We don't camp as much as we used to, don't long distance travel with a camper as we used to, mostly this is just for occasional weekend camping with friends - FAR better than sleeping on the ground in a tent but without the expense & complications of a travel trailer or 5th or MH or whatever. Only if I thought my wife & I might again do some more long distance travel camping would I consider something like an A-frame camper which I can still treat like a popup in terms of towing & storage but one that would offer greater amenities like a built in cassette toilet and without the fuss of having to deal with tenting. That however would require a significantly greater investment than buying a mint condition used popup for a relatively small cash payment, as we've done recently, which we're then not "obligated" to use but rather will use as the occasion may arise, the rest of the time it won't be a burden sitting on our driveway depreciating 1000s of $ each year as did our travel trailers. To each his / her own, there is no one "right" answer for everyone.

 

[tombiasi]

And here I thought the natural upgrade path from a PUP was to a backpack. It's more mobile, opens up many more possible campsites, has less setup time and less maintenance.

If nature didn't apply her crafts to me I would be doing that now.

 

[tombiasi]

I tend to bristle at the notion that a TT is an upgrade from a pup. They are entirely different products, with an entirely different experience! Is wine an upgrade from beer? Are hamburgers an upgrade from hotdogs? The cost of a nice new pup is comparable to that of a TT, so if it's not price that's driving this notion that pups are somehow inferior, what is it?

"bristle" is a nice word. I find it very presumptuous when someone asks that.

 

[Halford]

I thought you would be doing "full-time" doing some stuff when you retire. Like staying home full time with wife . Cleaning full time at home. or Camping full time!

 

[Troy Dalton]

I tend to bristle at the notion that a TT is an upgrade from a pup. They are entirely different products, with an entirely different experience! Is wine an upgrade from beer? Are hamburgers an upgrade from hotdogs? The cost of a nice new pup is comparable to that of a TT, so if it's not price that's driving this notion that pups are somehow inferior, what is it?

When I first read this, I couldn't agree more. Then I went and bought a TT and realized that for me it's not a wine/beer or hamburger/hotdog comparison. I think it is more subtle than that. It's more like Red Robin versus McDonalds. I actually really like McDonalds cheeseburgers, but given the choice between Micky D's and a Blue Ribbon burger from Red Robin...well...I'll take the RR burger every time. I enjoy both, but the RR burger leaves me with a more enjoyable dinning experience and far less regret.

I apply the same logic to the TT upgrade discussion. I love camping and I'd happily hump twenty-six miles just to over night under a tarp. Been there, done that, got the tee-shirt. However, it's not something my family is happy to do, hence the purchase of the pup. Initially, we tent camped from the car, migrated to a pup and recently purchased a TT. To me, the TT simply enhances the pup experience, because it provides my family with the additional creature comforts that they already enjoy.

I look at it this way. I don't particularly enjoy trudging four hundred yards through a pouring rain, in forty degree weather, just to go relieve myself in an unheated outhouse. The TT allows me to do my business, without all the fuss. Maybe that means I'm soft...so be it, but I appreciate the fact that I live during a time when air conditioning and indoor plumbing are the norm.

Oh sure, freezing your butt off sitting on a five gallon bucket at three in the morning is an experience you won't soon forget. It's also not necessarily one I'd like to repeat with any regularity. So, not having to do that is most assuredly an upgrade. Having said that, it really is all about personal preference. Using the term upgrade to describe going from a pup to a TT isn't an indictment of anyone who owns a pup and they shouldn't be offended. Pup owners are a hearty bunch and I'm proud to say that I've done my fair share of pup camping, but I've upgra...err...moved on to a new, somewhat improved, experience.

I'm sure I'll occasionally get all melancholy and hearken back to the good ole days in the pup...much the same way I look back on the days when I had abs and my hair wasn't grey.

 

[penny]

Love this thread! just keeps getting better and better. My dad took all four of us camping in a tent, and scorned "candy camping". he was a brave man and instilled in us an abiding love and respect for the beauties of nature and the outdoor adventure. Sometimes mom stayed home for some R&R, but helped us pack up to go, and cleaned up the considerable mess when we got home. Many a summer our entire summer vacation....Friday night to the following Sunday night....was spent camping in the woods without anything but a tent, sleeping bags and air mattresses and white gas lantern. Our camp kitchen consisting of old coleman stove, frying pan, coffee pot and chuck box. ice chest too.

Anyway, we were running wild in the woods, and too tired to mind the messy tent, muddy shoes and too young and carefree to do anything but gather fire wood and love it.

Now, my own kids have kids of their own. the legacy has been passed down, all but our daughter love camping trips. all have "evolved" from young couples backpacking to young middle age with teens and pre-teens.

We still go on family camping trips, my parents are gone, but kids pack up campers and we meet somewhere in the middle of 3 states to enjoy camping together. One family has a trailer that is more like a cabin on wheels, one family has a falling apart pop up. (they are shopping for a truck and TT that will work for a family of 6!)

upgrade, downgrade, neither term really applies.

our oldest son and his son plan to take a few tenting trips close to home. They are the ones with the biggest trailer. their family camping trips involve camping in the woods, near lakes and meeting friends at campsites. In northern NM, they have tons of beautiful places to spend the weekend within a couple of hours. they also enjoy traveling and staying near attractions that are interesting to young people growing up. One summer they camped across the country, planning the places each person wanted to see, and where to stop. Kids are very involve, and at 16 their daughter is as exited about family trips as anyone else in the family.

I really love our new travel trailer. It meets all our needs better than anything we have had, and we have had a lot of camping units of all kinds. I'm glad there is something that works for everybody.

 

[jerbear]

I tend to bristle at the notion that a TT is an upgrade from a pup. They are entirely different products, with an entirely different experience! Is wine an upgrade from beer? Are hamburgers an upgrade from hotdogs? The cost of a nice new pup is comparable to that of a TT, so if it's not price that's driving this notion that pups are somehow inferior, what is it?

Hi Paulin B. In our case my wife cant stand the pup canvas moving when its windy ,she says she cant sleep. For me it's the opposite , a little sway and it puts me to sleep . She wants a travel trailer for this reason .I would like one too but try pricing even the used ones . When your a senior and take medicine ,there's not much money to work with for a travel trailer .

 

[Sabman]

So this issue hits close to home in my family. My wife and I started in a Time Out trailer we towed behind my motorcycle. It was 3 feet by 5 feet stowed and opened to 16 feet by 5 feet. Had a queen size bed with a little table. It kept the bugs out and we were dry. Our son was born and we used it for a couple more years and sold it. My wife (she camped with girlfriends by hiking into the mountains with just what they could carry) wanted a TT, I wanted a PUC. I was shocked she wanted a PUC. We found a one owner used 2007 Fleetwood Niagra hi-wall PUC we ultimately bought. It can sleep up to 8. It has everything but AC. I'm not sure my wife is digging the PUC. With a 5 yr old running around, I have to set up/ take down by myself. The logistics with the ownership of a PUC has just taken a little of the fun out of camping. We just sleep in it, otherwise we are out and about exploring and enjoying the outdoors. I do all my own maintenance (in fact my whiffle tree just self-destructed as I prepared to open it up for the season forcing us to cancel out first trip in early June) I see a TT as a way of mitigating some setup "headaches" and alleviating the air out/ dry out procedures of the "canvas" in our PUC. I love the PUC but at this point my family and I are looking at something easier to set up. Not looking to upgrade to a TT, just something more in tune with our family situation.

 

[GreyFox]

I do all my own maintenance (in fact my whiffle tree just self-destructed as I prepared to open it up for the season forcing us to cancel out first trip in early June) I see a TT as a way of mitigating some setup "headaches" and alleviating the air out/ dry out procedures of the "canvas" in our PUC.

Don't worry, a travel trailer will introduce it's own long list of headaches!

 

[scooter98tj]

Well as a lot of others the wifey and I have progressed from Tent to PUP to TT and thought we would throw out our 2 cents worth of feelings. We searched long and hard setting a reasonable budget for our needs. After almost pulling the trigger on quite a few campers, we ended up with a unit we both have absolutely fallen in love with and is a perfect mix for all the things we love about getting outdoors and camping. We ended up with a small TT (Rockwood Geo Pro 12SRK) camper that has all the amenities we wanted and came in @ half of our budget. We kept the camper small so storing it is not a problem, towing is a dream, no major rubber roof worries or maintenance due to a one piece hardside roof panel and as a bonus there is never any spot to small. So far with a smaller camper we have spent more time outside enjoying what nature has to offer. We also decided on no bathroom which = equals no black tank to deal with which was a major factor for us. As much as we love the PUP another major factor was the ease of setup with the TT, no more cranking the PUP and worrying about broken cables or canvas. With our TT we don't even have to unhook from our tow vehicle to have a nice quick setup and sleep, basically open the door and jump in bed. Another big factor for us is a more secure feeling in a hardside camper knowing that weather/surroundings really don't affect us as much, granted we do loose a bit of that true outdoor feel but is worth the trade-off for us. I guess you could say "Less Is More" which has proven to be a great life lesson that we live by day to day.

So meet Bob (named after our salesman...lol) our 2019 Rockwood Geo Pro 12SRK

 

[stacey short]

When we were at Dreher Island SP, SC we met this nice family from Charlotte. They had this huge TT with all the amenities. They had just upgraded from a PUC, you could tell since it took them 20 minutes to back it into their spot. It only took them an hour after getting setup to come over and talk to us. First thing they said, "we made a mistake, should have never upgraded!" They said there was no connection to nature and they missed the canvas smell. They spent all this money on a camping mansion and spent all their time outside. I did the upgrade from tent to PUC, I have this strong feeling I am done with upgrading (except for mods).

 

[stacey short]

I use to tent camp and December 2018 purchase a used pup 1990 jayco. I wanted to dress it up but I have a lot of maintenance work to do with it first. Trying to get my husband to help me with some of the stuff is hard. March I purchased a TT to stay at the beach. It like 5 miles from the beach which is fine. I leave it on the lot which is $31.00 per month and my insurance is $47.00 per month. $217.00 TT payment. We love the beach. It cost $50 per day if you are spending the night. That's what we paid for the tent. My pop up cost $800. We plan to use it to travel. I felt at the time we are trying to save money on hotel cost. Laquinta Inn charge me $800 for 4 days pet friendly. It wasn't oceanfront 1/2 mile from the beach. My tent set up had everything more like glamping for 5 days $225. I spend my first week in my TT and I loved it. It does feel like a cabin but we stayed out side most of the time under the gazebo and awning. However, we are still working on our pup. I like the idea of having a TT in one spot and using the pup for Georgia and Florida and NC Mountain trips. I guess I'm hoping to save on maintenance doing it this way. I'm brand new to both TT and pup. I love our camping experience so far. My husband got tired of loading the roof of the car with stuff for tent camping and said we need something different. We got the pup, then he said he isn't going camping in the winter so we got the TT. I normally take 3 weeks vacation time separate times of the year 3-4 mini trips like 3 days. I'm just trying to make family memories. What would you do differently?

 

[Orchid]

March I purchased a TT to stay at the beach. It like 5 miles from the beach which is fine. I leave it on the lot which is $31.00 per month and my insurance is $47.00 per month. $217.00 TT payment. We love the beach. It cost $50 per day if you are spending the night. That's what we paid for the tent.

The lot only costs $31 a month? At the beach??? Are you talking about a storage place and then you have to move it to the campsite?

Most of our camping is at the beach, and we use the pop up. Florida state parks as they are inexpensive, and we can get away with most tent sites in the pup, but still have hook ups.

 

[stacey short]

The lot only costs $31 a month? At the beach??? Are you talking about a storage place and then you have to move it to the campsite?

Most of our camping is at the beach, and we use the pop up. Florida state parks as they are inexpensive, and we can get away with most tent sites in the pup, but still have hook ups.

The storage fee and camping resort is the same place so yes

 

[stacey short]

The lot only costs $31 a month? At the beach??? Are you talking about a storage place and then you have to move it to the campsite?

Most of our camping is at the beach, and we use the pop up. Florida state parks as they are inexpensive, and we can get away with most tent sites in the pup, but still have hook ups.

 

[stacey short]

I'm 5 miles away from the beach but we still call it the beach area. It's not on the beach

 

[stacey short]

Do the Florida parks have swimming pools? We love the beaches but dont swim in the water because of alligators, snakes, and rip currents. Lol we have became scary cats over the years. We put our feet in the water stand by the edge and watch family play.

 

[stacey short]

We where already use to the sharks Lol

 

[Orchid]

Do the Florida parks have swimming pools?

None that I know of. The only one that might is Topsail, on the panhandle, because it used to be a private park.

We don't swim in the ocean, just wade. We do swim in the gulf.