Almost sold the hybrid and went to the dark side

eprovenzano · 07-18-2019, 09:33 AM

The wife and I were considering selling the hybrid and purchasing a couples camper. Our camping needs has changed over the past few years... kids are getting older and are getting campers of their own. Most of the time its just momma, me and two dogs. The thought of a bed were we didn't have to crawl over each other was very appealing.

So I bought the camper home, and began cleaning it out... wow we had a lot of "stuff" in there... I guess the more storage you have the more you carry, and ours has a lot of storage...

I fixed a few little issues and put it up for sale. Got an offer I was not crazy about, but still acceptable. Momma and I had been looking but couldn't find a used unit we wanted, so we started looking at new ones... damn they are pricey... especially the ones we liked. We narrowed it down to 4 different campers. When we started to crunch the numbers... reality kicked in... do we really want to go into debt just to get a few different things, when we really do like out current hybrid... the answer is no... we don't.

So I cancelled the sale, and decided to do a few upgrades. One of the things we hated about ours is the steps... they just aren't firm, their flimsy, they squeak no matter what I do to em... Several of the new units had "A Step Above" steps from MoreRyde installed, momma loved em, so I ordered a set. We're also making a few other small changes.... mainly purge some of the stuff we were carrying that we didn't use, and other small changes like I'm going to relocate the drain of the fresh water tank to make draining it easier, add bracing on the rear bumper so a hitch can be added... I'd like to carry firewood, bikes, chairs etc. on the back. I'm going to be making a few small changes within the hybrid, mostly to make my life easier...

So in the end, we really do like our hybrid, it works for us, and we don't feel the need to go into debt to get a newer unit. I'll jet keep making small mods to make sure this one continues to fit our needs.

DaGrinch · 07-18-2019, 09:35 AM

I need your wife to talk to mine!

JayArras · 07-18-2019, 09:49 AM

If you've never owned a hard-sided trailer and the hybrid works for you, then I'd say you made the right decision. After all, how many times do you use it a year and you don't want to have to upgrade your tow vehicle just to pull something different.

That said, we were pop-up campers for years when our kids were young and owned a series of them. Then we came across a small 17' Sunline travel trailer that we could pull with our Dodge Caravan, if you can believe it. We did that for a few years until the fridge went and it was going to be more expensive to repair than the trailer was worth. So we sold it and bought a StarCraft TravelStar hybrid because the Caravan could also pull that. Well, after experiencing the quiet of the TT and not having to deal with canvas, we discovered that we hated the hybrid and usually ended up not popping out the sides and just sleeping on the dinette. That lasted just one season and we went back to a travel trailer. So don't get spoiled. Stick with your hybrid. I just wish they existed during our pop-up days. They're perfect for families with kids!

**bikendan** · 07-18-2019, 02:06 PM

eprovenanzo, we came to that decision about 3 years ago.
We loved our Roo 23SS(we would have bought a 238, had it been around in 2006)and it was a great trailer.
But we thought family and friends would go camping with us, so the hybrid would be perfect for that. Well, I can count on one hand, the number of times that happened.
Also we had retired and our main need for a trailer changed to heading south during the winter. Being gone for 2-3 months and moving from a string of different towns and campgrounds, the hybrid became less suited for that lifestyle.
So grudgingly, we found a killer deal on true "couples" TT(no place to sleep, except for our bed)locally, so we didn't have to make a 4000 mile roundtrip drive, like we did for the Roo. Sold the Roo within a couple of weeks.
We both miss the openness and more light in a hybrid, vs the shoe box feel of the TT. But it is way easier for our new lifestyle.

RACarvalho · 07-18-2019, 02:39 PM

I'm your father Luke!!!

If you like Hybrids you will miss the tent beds!
We did that move back in 2017 and I miss the "sleeping under canvas" feeling...

DW misses the kitchen too (we had a 23IKSS) but everything is a compromise...
Now she has an excuse for not allowing me to crawl over her....

**bikendan** · 07-18-2019, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RACarvalho

I'm your father Luke!!!

If you like Hybrids you will miss the tent beds!
We did that move back in 2017 and I miss the "sleeping under canvas" feeling...

DW misses the kitchen too (we had a 23IKSS) but everything is a compromise...
Now she has an excuse for not allowing me to crawl over her....

Yep, I miss sleeping under canvas but used to backpack a lot.
Kitchen counterspace was the DW's #1 requirement, which is why we bought the 23SS.
Our current rear kitchen TT has more counterspace than the 23SS did, she can walk-around the bed and has a pocket door to the bathroom, at the foot of her side of the bed. So, Happy Wife, Happy Life![emoji6]

RACarvalho · 07-18-2019, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bikendan

.... has a pocket door to the bathroom, at the foot of her side of the bed. So, Happy Wife, Happy Life![emoji6]

We are not retired yet and kids are still with us so we wanted a camper with a room for the kids...
One with that and an island kitchen would be too big so she end up getting that plus a bigger bathroom and wardrobe slide but it is still a compromise....
We used to camp in tents a lot and all this camper thing started with wife complaining that 'the bathroom is too far..."
at the time I told her that this bathroom conversation is a thing of old people and she is still young but she didn't listen anything after "old people" in that phrase so I traded sleeping with the dogs for a truck and a 34ft camper....

Kimber45 · 07-18-2019, 04:43 PM

I wish I had your restraint. every time I think about a new camper I get one. 5 in 10 years.

MuddauberE · 07-19-2019, 07:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kimber45

I wish I had your restraint. every time I think about a new camper I get one. 5 in 10 years.

That’s me with my Tow vehicles right now lol. 3 in three years. Hybrid trailer is from 2013. So doing well on that one.
We love our 233s. It was a great choice moving up from the HW276 pop up. We lived that open all around feeling and allowing air to move through. So the 233s has big windows and three canvas beds. Still using it. I do know the feeling of a quiet more comfortable bedroom in a hard wall but you can’t have both. We are waiting until the kids grow up and move out more than likely

JimChow · 07-19-2019, 05:40 PM

We miss certain things on 233T but the beds isn't one of them. The openness, the counter space we miss. Don't miss the setup and lack of outside storage. We had ours for 11 years.

eprovenzano · 07-25-2019, 08:50 AM

It was a tough decision, but one I'm glad we made... We really enjoy our hybrid, love the layout and the counter space. The only thing momma hates is access to some of the storage. She hates the storage in the dinette. Things go in, and are never to be seen again... We have a small seat in front of the front bed. That too opens and access to the large front storage is through there.. (grill, griddle, etc) again, she hates the access. One of her requirements list for the next camper is NO DINETTE. She prefers to have a couch instead. It's funny, but after I sat down and listed all of my upgrades / mods.. to be honest I was quite surprised... It's funny how we make small mods to make access easier, replace things to make them better than new / improve the design. And now I'm still doing it... I installed a set of Morryde steps... love em. I'm also going to install a set of safety struts on the rear bumper so I can add hitch to use our bike rack. I hate the baggage door locks... I'm going to replace those too...

I guess I keep making small mods to make our camping experience a little better, and maybe keep this unit a little longer.

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