Downsizing. To Do or Not To Do

[Lurch1234]

We intended on taking a 2 year round the country trip with a 30' toy hauler, but as the trip got closer we were concerned about off road and Forest Service campground lengths. Therefore we bought a 2018 MiniLite 2304KS. The box is 21' and the overall is 24'. We started the trip with a 2004 F350 diesel, but when that engine gave up halfway through the 33,000 mile trip, we flew home and bought a new 2019 F150 3.5 Ecoboost with a 10-speed. It tows great and so much smoother than the F350 with a 4-speed. Anyway, with all the different camping spots in 46 states, all the Canadian provinces and to the tip of the baja, the smaller trailer was so much easier to maneuver. We have the queen Murphy bed configuration, but have never put the bed up, just left it down for two years. Our only issue was that if I stayed up at night and sat at the dinette, the curtain that closed off the bed let a bit of light through when my wife was sleeping. The next size up has a wall that seperates the bedroom, but added 3' to the length.

[Sarahcat]

We started last year with an ePro14fk off the showroom floor. We spent a year putting in improved bath components, a detachable veranda room, stainless backsplash in the galley, a generator carrier in the back, replaced all the interior lighting and added dimmers, AppleTV, new stereo speakers and subwoofer, increased storage space, making use of every usable spot, but we use a WDH on this 2300 lb rig. If we were to downside, I guess we’d be in a tent. We’re all about comfort in a compact size.

[gorgeguy]

Have a 25' older Jayco for hunting and a 37' DP for other travel. We definitely go with the Jayco where the DP would not think of going. The bumper pull is very comfortable but unless we will be in a small space, having the bedroom, bathroom and kitchen available while driving sure is nice.

[chriscowles]

Originally Posted by larry2c

This looks like a nice layout! Does the murphy bed allow you to have a good mattress (like many we upgraded our OEM mattress to a REAL memory foam mattress but they are thick - 8" - and heavy)?

If the Surveyor mattress is like the true Queen mattress on our Mini-Lite Murphy bed, it's very uncomfortable. We replaced it with an 8" Zinus "GreenTea" (whatever that means) mattress and are very happy.

We originally replaced it with a 10" Zinus but that was too tall for the Murphy bed mechanism. It kept getting caught on the headboard. We could open it and close it but had to wrestle with it every time.

I took the cover off the OEM mattress to salvage the heating element. That mattress is nothing more than a single piece of hard foam. It's no wonder that it was uncomfortable. I'd rather they spend money on a multi-layer foam mattress and skip the heater.

On the subject of Murphy bed, we like ours. The extra space it provides and the couch that's available when closed is nice. That story may change, though, as we age. I don't know if we'll have one 10 years from now. The convenience of a walk-around bed may outweigh other features.

[Chfgraegl]

We had an R-Pod for about four years and we upgraded to. 2109 Forest River Mini- Lite. The East to West bed was a big factor. It is a pain in the ..... in the middle of the night at my age I’m up and down a lot at night. We love the Mini Lite. The R- pod was good but just a little too small for us also

[Papadave]

For sixty years I’ve camped in everything from a jungle hammock to a motorhome. Anybody remember the falcon travel wagon from the 1960s? Currently I’m happiest with my wolf pup 16 FQ. If I had it to do over I might go even a little smaller in order to get a window air conditioner that would run off of my 2200 W sportsman propane generator. I have upgraded to lithium ion batteries and an engle refrigerator with the suwafuji compressor. And solar panels of course. No worries about being off the grid with all the comforts of home. 24’ head to tail with the drop down rear rack, bIcycle rack and kayak.

[Vickilynn121]

Tent to pop up to 5 th wheel back to pop up. We still tent once a year. I love my wolf pup. Can set up on just about any site. Can use our everyday truck to pull it and it forces me to pack smarter. As for the crawl over bed .... well I'll let you figure that one out. Oh we are downsizing probably living in the trailer while we wait for our new house to be finished.

[kszac]

We just downsized from a 5th wheel for the exact reasons as you did. We had certain criteria that we knew we wanted. They were a walk around bed, couch/recliner AND dining table, a slide, and a tall pantry for brooms/vacuum. We wanted to make sure we would be comfortable with extended stays and possible bad weather. We bought a new last year model 22 RB Vibe. We love the large living area and bathroom. The dinette is wider than normal and we’ve had adult couples sleep on it a few times with no complaints. We also have been camping at National Forest campgrounds with no electricity. One thing we are very upset about is we don’t have is a 3 way fridge. Most new campers come with 2 way fridges now. Forget using it on battery. These fridges even reduce your battery while you are driving, your battery is already partially used when you arrive at your site. We use a couple good coolers instead on those trips. Good luck with your search.

[DouglasReid]

Originally Posted by mike.t

You better walk around a smaller one, you thinks this is OK, no it ain't, go to small,(down to 20') you will not be happy. JMHO

DW and I love our camper, 35' 5er. We had a smaller one and after the upgrade we will never go back down.

If we can't get into someplace we can camp nearby and make day trips into the boonies. It suits us at our age. Just my .02

[RedLdr1]

Originally Posted by chriscowles

I took the cover off the OEM mattress to salvage the heating element. That mattress is nothing more than a single piece of hard foam. It's no wonder that it was uncomfortable. I'd rather they spend money on a multi-layer foam mattress and skip the heater.

For the 2020.5, and the 2020, models there is no mention of a mattress heater in the brochure. The last time we had a mattress heater was in a Flagstaff A-Frame...it needed it!.

The factory mattress in our our R-Pod RP-180 was junk. Very little foam and cheap springs. We went to our local Original Mattress Factory and had a custom mattress made for it. The OEM mattress stayed with our RV dealer. The downside was we had to move that mattress to access the water heater when winterizing. That was a PITA...

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by kszac

One thing we are very upset about is we don’t have is a 3 way fridge. Most new campers come with 2 way fridges now. Forget using it on battery. These fridges even reduce your battery while you are driving, your battery is already partially used when you arrive at your site. We use a couple good coolers instead on those trips. Good luck with your search.

Actually 3-way fridges are usually only found in folding trailers and truck campers.
Not sure if you understand how 2-way fridges work. You use it on propane while traveling so very little battery power is used. In fact, they use less battery power than a 3-way fridge.
And many new campers are coming with 12v only fridges. It's a move by the RV Industry to get away from the more expensive 2-way absorptionfridges.

[RedLdr1]

I believe all new Surveyor Legend series trailers come with the Norcold 10DC 12VDC only refrigerator standard. The solar package is now a mandatory option due to this change.

Filling in an order form has gotten a lot easier now that almost everything is a mandatory "option". All we could add was the upgraded "Bamboo" floor covering, television, and a storage rack.

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by RedLdr1

I believe all new Surveyor Legend series trailers come with the Norcold 10DC 12VDC only refrigerator standard. The solar package is now a mandatory option due to this change.

Filling in an order form has gotten a lot easier now that almost everything is a mandatory "option". All we could add was the upgraded "Bamboo" floor covering, television, and a storage rack.

They're called "forced" options and are not true options.

[jeffnick]

Originally Posted by Papadave

For sixty years I’ve camped in everything from a jungle hammock to a motorhome. Anybody remember the falcon travel wagon from the 1960s? Currently I’m happiest with my wolf pup 16 FQ. If I had it to do over I might go even a little smaller in order to get a window air conditioner that would run off of my 2200 W sportsman propane generator. I have upgraded to lithium ion batteries and an engle refrigerator with the suwafuji compressor. And solar panels of course. No worries about being off the grid with all the comforts of home. 24’ head to tail with the drop down rear rack, bIcycle rack and kayak.

https://72land-n-sea.blogspot.com/20...generator.html


https://72land-n-sea.blogspot.com/20...13500-air.html

[kszac]

Originally Posted by bikendan

Actually 3-way fridges are usually only found in folding trailers and truck campers.
Not sure if you understand how 2-way fridges work. You use it on propane while traveling so very little battery power is used. In fact, they use less battery power than a 3-way fridge.
And many new campers are coming with 12v only fridges. It's a move by the RV Industry to get away from the more expensive 2-way absorptionfridges.

Perhaps I misled you, I was referring to 2-way (12VDC or electric) my fridge does not work on propane.

[eye95]

Our r-pod came with a 3-way fridge. We have essentially used it as a 2-way, using battery on the road and 120 when hooked up.

I guess the only time we will use propane will be when camped without 120. I should experiment with that before we need it.

I have noticed no appreciable loss of battery after traveling. I don’t measure the battery voltage directly, but all three dots are lit in the camper upon arrival. Of course, we use every trick in the book to minimize need for cooling in the fridge while traveling.

[mharrel]

Originally Posted by oxcamper

Hmmmm, thanks for the insight. Certainly worth the consideration.

I have a 20’ Grey Wolf without a WDH and have never felt I needed one.

[mharrel]

We tow our 20’ TT with a Nissan 2500 van. The van has almost unlimited, protected and easy to get to and storage space. That makes up for the space you lose going to a smaller TT.

[Txfandango]

Many years after selling my pickup camper we had the camping bug again and decided to go with a small bumper pull. We wanted to avoid limits on where we could go and be able to load quickly. We chose the Rockwood Mini Lite 1905 three years ago and have pulled it over 10K miles now with a Jeep Wranger. It is a breeze to pull, park and set up yet has all the amenities for comfort; AC, 2 way fridge, full bath, TV, kitchen, dinette, Queen bed, couch and an outside grill. The Jeep is marginal to pull it in mountains but a lightweight Anderson WDH does a great job keeping this little rig steady. Mostly we use RV parks but have spent several nights off-grid, dry camping. It came with twin 20 lb propane tanks so we don't run dry and can replace them almost anywhere. I added a second battery and we have never run out of power while boondocking. The walk-around queen size murphy bed is great (with a memory foam topper) allowing us comfortable sleeping at night, comfortable seating during the day and the bath is full size. No wet bath for us and no apology for excluding any coach with one. Afternoon lunches, naps and pit stops are easy with no slideout to deal with. I nap on the sofa and Nana naps on the dinette. We chose the 1905 model with a single bunk above the small dinette for the occasional over nights with the Grandkids but we find we use it all the time to hold our gear and keep the floorspace clear. We rarely use the dinette, prefering TV trays and the outside picnic table. We have enough room for food and gear to go for two or more weeks. We will run out of water and B/G tank space well before we run out of provisions. I can't tell you how many times other campers in multi-slide 5ers have asked to check out our little rig and talked to us about downsizing. We love it and intend to keep it until I can retire in a few more years. We will probably upsize a little bit then to a 22 footer just so we don't have to manage the murphy bed every day. It only takes a couple minutes to make and fold up and comes down and ready for bedtime in less than a minute so it's not a big deal, but I wouldn't want to do this every day on a trip a few months long. Other than a few minor issues I had to repair after travels, the trailer has been great. We are truly Happy Campers with it!

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by kszac

Perhaps I misled you, I was referring to 2-way (12VDC or electric) my fridge does not work on propane.

Sounds like you have a 12v ONLY fridge because the term 2-way fridge means propane and 110v AC. They only use 12v for igniting the propane side. So 2-way fridges barely use any 12v battery power.
12v only fridges run off the batteries and plugging into shore power keeps the batteries charged.
12v only fridges are a relatively new thing in the RV Industry because they are less expensive.