"Camper" or "Travel Trailer"...how do you categorize your TM?

[RockyMtnRay]

Over the past couple of years, I've seen a lot of folks here make reference to their "campers" when referring to their TMs...and then it turns out that many have never "camped" in anything but a full-service RV Park, complete with all the sundries and amenities of a full-fledged resort.

And then there are some folks like me...who only refer to their TM as a "camper" when the tongue is firmly in lodged in the cheek. This despite using it almost exclusively in primitive Forest Service campgrounds that are devoid of almost all amenities except (at most) a pit toilet and a source of potable water. Many's the time I've camped where I've had to tote my water from an old-fashioned pump-handle well and, if I wanted an evening campfire, a wood gathering trip through the surrounding forest was necessary. IOW, pretty much the type of campgrounds where the pioneers in their Conestoga wagons would have felt right at home. :)

Yet, to me, my 2720SL with it's full bath, full kitchen, queen bed, hot/cold running water, furnace (with programmable digital thermostat!), and especially a comfy front living room is a lot closer to being a "travel trailer" than a "camper". I'm confident that if I didn't take the tongue-in-cheek approach to calling my TM a "camper", my Colorado friends with their popup tent trailers...or those who actually camp with just a tent...would laugh me right out of the state. Perhaps if I had one of the front bed models (e.g. 2619) with their closer resemblance to a traditional popup camping trailer, I could get away with calling it a "camper".....nah, my friends would still be laughing their heads off. ;)

So, out of curiousity, how do you all categorize your TMs? Be sure to mention which model it is and what kind of "campground" (primitive or full-service/all hookups RV Park) you normally use it in.

[B_and_D]

We don't call it our "camper" because we had a cabover camper and this is much different. The "camper" will always be our cabover camper.

We didn't call it our "trailer" at first, we called it our "TrailManor", because we had a full-sized trailer before and to us the "trailer" will always be our little old Aloha.

However, we have started using the reference "trailer" more and more when we talk about our TM (one less syllable!).

We bought our TM last fall, and didn't really get much of a chance to go out much while the weather was still warm, so spent our fall/winter/spring trips in full-hookup parks where we could have lights and heat and electricity to our hearts' content. However, when we took our "big" vacation this summer, we went to a campground with nothing but water and pit toilets. And yes, it sure was nice to have the shower and hot water, etc. after having stayed at this campground many times before without. It was the same good old feeling of camping, but much better! We all had a great time and really enjoyed having our TrailManor to "camp" in.

[fcatwo]

Our "THING" is tandem bicycle riding and we use the TM to facilitate that. We call the TM a "hard side pop-up" (usually have to explain it's like a HI-Low) and stay in commercial campgrounds 95% of the time. Like B&D, I've always thought "camper" meant a truck camper but that's probably because it's what they were called where I grew up.

We towed a 27' Alpenlite 5th-wheel for several years before the tandem and TM took our lives over and dry camped in National Parks to hike the local trails. We've also done a few loaded bicycle camping trips which we call "self contained bicycle touring" (as opposed to "credit card bicycle touring" with clothing but no camping gear and "supported bicycle touring" where someone transports all our stuff whether camping or staying in motels). Although not lately, we've also done some "backpacking" which I assume is a universally used term. Where I usually get in trouble is my habit of calling anything with wheels that you sleep in an RV. I'm often informed that RV means "MOTORHOME".

Frank- 2002 TM2619 pulled by 2002 Honda Odyssey.

[Windbreaker]

To me, RV and Camper are interchangable. Where you choose to use it is up to you. The only folks I've heard that try to make a point of RV being a larger (read costlier) Class A are those who forked over 1/2 a mill to buy one to impress others. I've camped next to many Class As that belonged to folks who just wanted the extra "niceities" and weren't uppity about it at all. To them an RV is a camper. A travel trailer is any trailer designed to sleep in. Don't see much use in soft sided trailers, be they pop up or slideout, that is still tent camping to me. You still have to dry things out and put up with wind noise.

2720 camping where ever we can. We do try to hit full hookups at least once every three days, or for staying for longer than a week in one place.

[camperboy]

For use it is simply the trailer. Our old pop-up was simple the pop-up. My Aunt & Uncle who just got a new AirStream insist on it being called a Travel Trailer. Heaven forbid that you might call it a Camper since they don't Camp, they Travel. Different strokes...

We have a old M-26, same as a 3023. We frequent full hook-up sites but I prefer primitive. Difference between the DW and I. :)

Camperboy.

[Civil_War_Buff]

We call ours a Travel Trailer. When we make reservations I say a 27ft. travel trailer, it is much less confusing for us or them. If you say pop-up, they assume that you don't require a sewer hook-up. Another reason that that I call it a travel trailer is that there are no "pop-ups" out there that cost anywhere near what I paid for my trailer. My BIL still calls my TrailManor a tent trailer, but for him....old habits die hard!!

[k_and_p_camping]

I usually say we camp in a trailer! We do a lot of primitive camping, like Ray does, in National Parks and National Forests. We also stay in private campgrounds when we are travelling or visiting a city. This last trip (just got home on Saturday) we stayed in full-hookup sites some of the time, but we spent 5 days in the National Forest. Water was down the road a hundred feet or so (central spigot) and the outhouse was really an outhouse. Obviously no electricity, which is why the stars were incredible! I have to admit that I really enjoyed the shower in the TM every couple of days, even though hauling the water in and the gray water out is a bit of a chore. BTW: The toilet lasted the entire 5 days with our family of 4 by using it just at night. We used a very quiet Honda generator to recharge the batteries when needed.

When we're out, we usually live mostly outside which is why I say we're camping, not travelling. I almost always cook outside, we eat outside, and about half the time we even wash dishes outside. We come inside to sleep and play cards in the evening.

Pam

[Brightsu]

I'll call it whatever makes the tax people happy, the taxes on my 95 TM3326 was $250.00 and it took forever for them to determine what it was, any ideas before I pay taxes on my 2004, I'm in SC and its tagged as a camper, any way to get a tax break guys.

Pam

[Windbreaker]

Move to Texas, no personal taxes, no income taxes. Just sales and real estate. Tags were like $50.

[mjlaupp]

FYI :new_smili

The NADA guide lists the TrailManor as a "Travel Trailer".

The key factor is that the TrailManor is "Self Contained". It has all of the items installed that are needed for living:

Water Supply
Septic storage
Heat
Electric
Cooking facilities
Washing facilities
Sleeping facilities
Therefore it can be used as a second home.

MJL:)

[G-V_Driver]

Interesting that this thread was already started, since it is one of the intended subjects for my most recent trip report (drafted but not posted). In our tent (prior to 1972) there was no question. Our first pop-up Skamper (1972-1976) still felt like camping, but wonderful because we didn't have to sleep on the ground or worry about rain. And we could pack lots of stuff on the floor inside. Great memories, including a 7-week trip from KC to Oregon, Washington and Canada with kids and my parents (for 2 of the weeks.)

After a 22 year hiatus we got the Coleman pop-up(s) for grandkid camping. Much nicer with air, hot water and furnace (but no inside shower or loo) so we were still dependent on camp-ground facilities. It still felt like camping, but at a much higher comfort level. Water and electric hookups were nice to have, but we could get along nicely without either. Just dump the porta-pot (night-time use only) on the way out and we were happy campers. Well, not all of us were really happy. DW did not like the headlines about Bear reports in the local papers in Colorado and New Mexico, and any device with tenting became problematic with respect to her perceived level of safety.

The TM has changed the game in several ways. No tenting has eliminated DW's bear concerns and resolved the issue of admissibility to some campgrounds in bear-prone areas. Our 3124KS has only one extra bed (the sofa) so we have limited the number of kids/grandkids. For the first time ever, I read Woodalls to see if the campgrounds have cable (Olympics) and now will gladly accept a sewer hookup which has never before been an issue. Not necessary, just easier.

So as I started making notes for the report, I started thinking about the Camper/RV transition. I don't know if we've crossed the line, but we're close. And even after reading all the comments about what to call it and how to describe it, I'm still not sure what it is. I've decided it doesn't matter what I call it, the rates in the campground are determined by the number of amenities. I know it's 28' long when it's set up and the Suburban is another 20'. I need about 3' clearance to open the top-hinged rear door of the 'Burb (unless I turn around and park nose-in.) Campground operators seem to be space-conscious individuals, so I have learned to use some care and finesse when discussing/negotiating site size. Each conversation is different.

As an aside, I gave four tours to interested onlookers during our trip, including one camp-ground operator in a small Texas town who came over to check us in (office was closed) and said "my wife just watched you set up and was amazed at how big this trailer is when you were done. We've never seen one before."

Wayne

[ccc6588]

We call ours a Travel Trailer. When we make reservations I say a 27ft. travel trailer, it is much less confusing for us or them. If you say pop-up, they assume that you don't require a sewer hook-up. Another reason that that I call it a travel trailer is that there are no "pop-ups" out there that cost anywhere near what I paid for my trailer. My BIL still calls my TrailManor a tent trailer, but for him....old habits die hard!!

This is very good advice. Call it a travel trailer when making reservations or are on-site. If you tell them it pops up, they will think it is a pop up and try to give you a smaller sized site for the same price.

[tucsoncarol]

What we have (3326K) is called different things by different members of my family. My brother has a Coleman pop-up, and he refers to ours as a trailer. My sister has a 27' Hi-Lo and refers to both of ours as RVs. We used to refer to it as the TM, but often recall a travel vehicle used by a British sci-fi character. Dr. Who traveled through space and time in a Tardis. Outside it looked like a British call box, inside it was a full sized space ship. We now call our unit the Tardis so regularly that we forget the reference is a little esoteric. More than once we've mentioned the Tardis and had someone respond "I thought it was a Trailmanor".

The main reason we got this unit is so that we can go the RV resort route when we want, but still travel to the boonies that we love. My sis only inhabits RV resorts, and fully believes we MUST not take our unit into the wild. I don't know why. My brother only goes onto the BLM/forest service land that we grew up loving, and eagerly invites us along.

We believe so strongly in the quality of the TM that we will take it anywhere there is a road.