Regret buying a Hybrid?

[jlgail4309]

My wife and I looked at the hybrids liked the idea. Then I reached into the tent side from the out side. Didn't seem bear safe or safe for my kids from drunks at the parks. I Like a wall between my girls and the outside world. But better than a popup.

[bikendan]

we've had our 23SS for over 6 years now and still love it!!
no leaks and very few issues.

but as others said, hybrids aren't for everyone. your problem is that you like the tent ends and Momma doesn't. better to make Momma happy.

because all the floorspace and sleeping space in a smaller package end up not mattering, if you don't love the idea of sleeping under canvas!
if you love that, then the few negatives of the canvas ends will not matter. we do love sleeping under canvas and still feel that our hybrid is the perfect trailer for us, even after 6+ years.

too many buy hybrids attracted by other things, instead of really considering dealing with the canvas.
temp control can be achieved by using PUGs or the generic solar blanket versions and Reflectix in the windows.
but setting the ends up in the rain or putting them away wet, only to have to open them up to dry, when you get home and that noisy neighbor in the next site, will drive many to selling their year-old hybrid.

[tclcyl]

We had a Popup last year and were considering moving to a new one. We went to a camper show and found the hybrids. We found one we really liked and were considering it when we found the Shamrock 25RS hybrid. It gives you lots of room with hard sides on the slides. In my opinion it is the best of both worlds! We purchased it in February and have been camping in it at least 15 nights not counting camp driveway! I do not regret it at all! We spent more money, but I love being able to walk out, load up and pull out. It has been a great upgrade for us and we love ours.

[acadianbob]

Like most things, there are pluses and minuses, and personal preferences and needs. Here's what our analysis was.

Hybrid Pluses: Lighter, often more floor space, more like real camping, less tow vehicle required (on average)
Hardside Pluses: Quieter, more secure (people, bears), easier to heat/cool, no worries about putting things away wet, less likely to leak,

We ultimately went hardsided because we boondock in the national forests. Bears etc can be a real issue. And I like the quiet.

[chiro]

I had a hybrid and it was the worst 4 months I have had owning a rv. Beds were uncomfortable, etc.....! I think a full hard side is a much beter. Just my opinion!

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by tclcyl

We went to a camper show and found the hybrids. We found one we really liked and were considering it when we found the Shamrock 25RS hybrid.

the 25RS is not a Hybrid. a hybrid TT has to have canvas ends, like a popup does.
your trailer is an Expandable but has no canvas, therefore is not a hybrid, combining a popup with a travel trailer.

rear hard-sided bed slide TT's are no different than regular TT's except the slideout is on the rear instead of the slide.
Forest River finally had the sense to move them to the regular TT section, instead of the Hybrid section on their website.

[newtsx3]

We started with tents, which were ok, moved to a PUP, which we loved, and currently are starting our 3rd summer with our hybrid (Roo 21SS), which we love even more. We have not had any major issues with our Roo. We do a little bit of weekend camping at state parks, and the hybrid is very easy and quick to setup, so it is not a hassle for short trips. We also do a 2 1/2 - 3 week trip to the mountains every summer. (Leaving next week for this year's trip!) Our favorite CG has a creek adjacent to it and there is nothing like being able to hear it through the canvas at nap or bed time. The sound of rain on the canvas is also quite relaxing, if it is not a torrential storm! We have not had any problems with the canvas leaking, even in heavy rainfall. We always have a vent open, thanks to MaxxAir covers, so we have also never had condensation problems. Yes, it does get cold in the bunk ends at night in the mountains, even with PUGs, but there are easy ways to fight that battle. We rarely use the furnace due to battery conservation, and it does little to nothing to heat the bunk ends anyways. I have 12 volt bunk warmers (like truck drivers use in their cabs) that I pre-heat the beds with briefly before bedtime. It uses very little power. That seems to keep the DW happy because she goes to sleep warm. Personally I like it cold, so I am in heaven. The few times we have been camping in hot weather it is hard to keep cool in the bunk ends, even with the AC running, but it has not been completely unbearable yet. We have stopped overnight at a KOA a few times in route to our destination, and you can hear your neighbor's every move through the canvas; however, this was not camping, it was just a place to sleep along the way. The places we like to camp have ample space between sites. Personally I would never camp anywhere where my neighbors were within spitting distant, so this noise issue is not a real problem, just a temporary inconvenience at the most on those rare occasions that we find ourselves in close quarters.

The stock mattresses are a little uncomfortable, but we use memory foam toppers and sleep very comfortably.

Last year it was raining when we arrived in the mountains, so setup was a bit of an adventure, but no big deal. Had to wait for a lull to unhitch, and then we were able to hang out "turtled" inside for awhile until the next lull. Fastest bed setup I have done so far! Opening up the beds only takes a few minutes, and should be even faster with the newer models that have the canvas permanently attached to the bunk door. I waited until the next day to attach my PUGs. It also rained the night before our departure, so I had to fold up the beds a little wet. If you fold up the bunks properly, the outside of the canvas does not touch the mattress, so you don't really have to worry too much. I just made sure to open them back up right away when we got home to let them finish drying.

We looked at TTs as well, and there were several that we liked a lot. We decided on our Roo specifically for the canvas bunks and tons of floor space for the three of us and our 5 small dogs in an easy to tow, relatively short trailer length.

That is my experience with hybrids for what it is worth. I am sure we will eventually "upgrade", but for now we are happy.

Good luck with your decision!

[Netriggen]

We just migrated from a Starcraft SST Toy hauler to a TT and I have to say I am sleeping much better.
I really liked the Starcraft more flexible camping options.
As we are getting more mature "not older" we found we spend time at the campgrounds rather than dry camping.

Made some mods to the beds for the hybrid sleeping bag mats were a great addition.

[Triguy]

My DW and I had this conversation just this weekend. She loves the tent ends and let me know that a TT or MH is going to be a tough sell .

I like the hybrids, too, and do not regret it. Its just more work on my end with the setup and take down but that is becoming less of an issue now that the kids are old enough to help with the bunk ends.

You've heard a lot of comments for and against them, so I will just list our top pros and cons:

Our main pros for our hybrid (233S):

• Like sleeping under canvas.
• Like the wide-open feel with the tent tends open in moderate weather.
• Spacious living area for the size trailer, which is important with three kids and a dog (soon to be two dogs).
• Relatively short trailer length (< 25')

Our main cons against our hybrid (233S):

• Setup and take-down will always be more time consuming than with a TT.
• Lack of interior storage.

Ours has never leaked (knock on wood).

[tanddc]

We looked at hybrids when moving from our pup. I think it is really a matter of what you want. Do you want that feel of tent camping? Then Hybrids are for you. If you want your outside to stay outside then maybe not. We originally nixed the hybrid idea because of concerns with putting it away wet (our storage was nearly an hour from our house) but the biggest reason I don't regret going to a hard side is the privacy factor. I didn't realize the importance of it until I got a hard side.

[force]

That's a good summary Scott. For what it's worth, I have plenty of storage space in our 23SS. Obviously not apples to apples to your 233S, but IMO storage is an important consideration in any TT decision.

[Triguy]

That's right, Tom. The 23SS that you and Bikendan have has tons of storage space.

The 233S (not so much). It means we use a lot of duffel bags and have to store our stuff in the aisle or on top of the table or couch while traveling. Its a drawback with the 233S.

[Cowracer]

I had a class A winnebago. No finer way to float down the interstates. However, few campgrounds worth going to are on the interstate. On back roads, it would wear you out. It was always a stressful drive. Once set up, its was somewhat comfy, but too snug (no slides). The config of the queen bed and closets didnt allow me to put my arms anywhere when I slept on my side. Never really had a 'good' nights sleep in it, although I had many delightful naps on the couch in the driveway.

Sold it, bought a big coleman PUP with a dinette slide. Loved the open, roomy feeling in it (yes, it felt roomier than than a 30 foot winnie). Also loved the feeling of sleeping in a tent, without the feeling of being beat to death upon waking. Disliked being unable to do anything in it/to it without doing the whole set-up routine, and the utter lack of storage.

Found the Roo and for me, it is the best of both worlds. I can stock the fridge and stow provisions at will. Sleeping under canvas with the breeze and all the sounds of nature is the essence of camping. If i wanted to sleep in an insulated sound-proofed box, I'd go to a Holiday Inn. People complain about the set up time of hybrids, but it only takes about 5 minutes more than a standard camper. Is it really that time consuming to open two latches, drop the bunk, insert the shepards pole and push the hoop up?

But with all that being said... What is right for me probalby wont be right for you. That's why RV manufactures make so many different configurations. You have a wide variety to choose from, its only natural to think that it may take you 2 or 3 before you find the perfect one. I wish I bought the Roo first. Some people wish they never bought one at all.

tim

[Truth B Towed]

Originally Posted by bikendan

the 25RS is not a Hybrid. a hybrid TT has to have canvas ends, like a popup does.
your trailer is an Expandable but has no canvas, therefore is not a hybrid, combining a popup with a travel trailer.

rear hard-sided bed slide TT's are no different than regular TT's except the slideout is on the rear instead of the slide.
Forest River finally had the sense to move them to the regular TT section, instead of the Hybrid section on their website.

Finally!! somone that truely sees us as we are , problem is that they still keep grouping us together whether on trailer websites sales/forums...we keep forgetting who we are

[Having A Ball]

We bought a 2009 jayco 23j in 2011. Love it, great floor plan , big slide out, plenty of room and comfort.we didn't have an issue keeping cool but one time down in co springs were it was 101 degrees for three days straight! We love the idea of the canvas (never had a leak issue) and being able to open up and it being outdoor like.its tows easily and has a full bathroom. That being said our family is growing and need more room. We now have our hybrid up for sale and bought a 5th wheel.

Good luck👍

[Campingwith2kids2dogs]

We started out with a 21SS ft hybrid Starcraft Antigua. We bought it brand new 2 mo before our 3 yr was dx with cancer. Needless to say, it was in storage or occasionally parked in the backyard for a yr. We were excited to finally use it, but it always seemed too hot or cold or pouring down rain when setting up/taking down. Since it was our 1st camper we loved it, but it didn't have much storage. Upon campground arrival, the 2 kids were always anxious to get their bikes & take off, but we were stuck setting up, making beds, etc. We upgraded to a used 29 BHS (?) Heartland Sundance 5er, then have since upgraded to a bigger bunkhouse (4bunks) with an outside kitchen & TV- Wildcat 312 BH-OK. Of course, our TV over the yrs changed from Toyota 4-runner to a Tundra to a now GMC 2500HD turbo deisel. Bigger camper, lots of storage & space for everyone, including kids friends, when we allow them.

[djmac1964]

Our first camper was a Jayco Kiwi 23B, that we bought used. We camped in it for three or four seasons, on a seasonal site, and loved it! I think it was layed out better than our 27HFS, and had more room in the living area. I have camped in it during deer season, in below freezing weather, with the bunk ends open, and never had an issue heating it, or keeping it cool in the summer. We were at our site almost weekly from Apr to the end of Oct each year, so it got more than it's fair share of use, and we never really had any issues with anything. Set up, and tear down was never really an issue, granted we were already parked and leveled on site most of the time, we still needed to open the bunk ends, and that was a breeze. Would I buy another one.....Yes, if the right deal came along. In fact, I almost did. Was thinking it would be a nice second camper to have when family came to visit us at the campground, but then I started to think about the hassles that would be involved with owning two campers, and backed away.

[skeeterbait8]

No regrets here. We have the Roo 23SS. Have had a few issues but nothing that would make me want to get rid of it. AND we camp a LOT! I hadn't kept up my counts....... as listed below..... but the most so far has been 145 in one year!

AND yes they have all been in the Hybrid. Love having two separate Queen beds. There have been a few issues with small leaks.. but only when it has been in an absolute downpour! I mean BUCKETS! Normal rain.. no issues.

Would I buy another YES! The only issue that would cause me not to would be my health. There is still some work to it letting bed ends down and setting up. That's a given with this type camper. But I absolutely LOVE having the room inside that we do with such a light weight camper.

And I might add that we have camped from March till up in December and no issues with heat/cold.

[bakken]

Just don't go anywhere near grizzly bear country. Some campgrounds won't even allow anything with canvas to camp.
We just came back from Yellowstone, and they were having lots of bear problems.
Otherwise, they do offer a lot of advantages.

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by bakken

Just don't go anywhere near grizzly bear country. Some campgrounds won't even allow anything with canvas to camp.
We just came back from Yellowstone, and they were having lots of bear problems.
Otherwise, they do offer a lot of advantages.

this is stated all the time. but rarely has anyone actually posted the name of the campgrounds that supposedly have this policy. the few that are posted are usually back-country campgrounds that RV's can't get to.

Yellowstone is most often mentioned, regarding such a ban, yet the ONLY campground in YNP that has a permanent ban on soft-sided campers, is Fishing Bridge.
Bridge Bay CG, which is virtually across the road from there, has no such ban. in fact, soft-sided campers are allowed in every other YNP campground, except Fishing Bridge.

now, there might be a temporary ban due to bear activity but that would also ban tent campers.