So - this spring we traded in the popup for the shamrock 23WS hybrid camper. I will say, back when we bought the popup (a 2010 Rockwood highwall 277) we had really wanted a hybrid but had to settle for the popup due to weight limits with our tow vehicle. Now, we really did like our popup, it had so many bells, it had air conditioning, hard sided bathroom with flush toilet, outside kitchen slide out, inside stove/oven, microwave, and lot of counter space but I never really wanted a popup...... just never liked having to lift the roof and the set up.
Then we got a better tow vehicle. It still took us 4 years after getting the new TV, but we kept going to the RV shows, looked at the hybrids but came away thinking we still liked our popup. None of the hybrids had the counter space and the outside kitchen like our popup had though the IKSS came real close.
Then the 23WS came out with that wardrobe slide and private back room. And the bathroom with the corner shower - ooh la la, a women's dream come true. We had the camper home shortly after.....
Our first outing was Mother's Day weekend - local state park and it was a cool rainy weekend. Everything worked perfectly, we were warm, dry and comfy. The hybrid is faster to set up than the popup was
We put on the popup gizmos (PUGs) and fixed the dinette so our bikes can travel there. We have put 1734 miles on the new camper in 11 trips covering 35 nights. We have been to Niagara Falls, to central Virginia (Lake Anna), PA state parks, the beach at Chincoteague and back to NY in the Finger Lakes area.
Needless to say, we are having a great time.
Thinking back, when we tented - we only went out one week a year to the to the beach, 9 years of the beach. We love the beach and still go for our week, but the last 6 years since getting the popup (and now the hybrid) my sister and I have taken our daughters all over the country. We have been to Yellowstone, Mount Rushmore, the Badlands, Grand Teton, Niagara Falls, and Myrtle Beach. We have been white water rafting, kayaking, canoeing, and hiking. We have seen bison, elk, wild turkeys, antelope, and big horn sheep. We have gone to gardens, museums, and historical sites. We have taken the time to see the sunset and gone out late at night to see meteor showers.
I hope our daughters hold these memories as dearly as I do.