TrailManor vs RoadTrek

[Susie and Bill]

We are considering getting an RV for the first time. We are looking at RoadTreks and TMs. A RoadTrek is a self-contained "van" with bed, shower, kitchen, etc. The obvious problems are they are small (but easy to drive) and don't allow you to have a separate vehicle to drive when you reach your campground. The disadvantages of a TM are towing, backing up, leveling, set up, etc. when you arrive at your campground, but much more room. We would like to take extended trips - perhaps up to a month at a time and would be going primarily to National Parks.

Any thoughts on pros and cons from you experienced RVers would be very helpful.

Thanks,

Susie and Bill in the Rocky Mountains

[fcatwo]

IMO the best of those two for you depends on how you plan to travel. If you'll be moving almost every day the van would be ideal. If you'll be spending a number of days in one place I think you'll appreciate the benefits of having your TV ready to roll while leaving the TM in place. Even in National Parks you'll normally have to drive to trailheads and other points of interest. Stowing everything in a van so you can drive it gets old. You can of course pull a small "toad" behind many van conversions and that would give you the same versatility as the TM/TV. You'll want to avoid leaving valuables in either, especially at isolated trailheads.

[Windbreaker]

If you could swing it, it seems to me that the best would be both. A base camp and run about.

[MidwestDave]

A couple more considerations are storage and cost of unit. RoadTrek units are not cheep by any means! I don't know if RoadTrek needs to be level, however it seems to me it would need to be somewhat level. I would be interested to compare the various features of each as well. That is my two cents worth :cool:

[Grouse]

Susie & Bill,

I was a tent camper for 20+ years in backpacking tents. My first foray in an RV was in our in-laws 1983 Shasta Class C motor home. Right away you discover that once you get to camp you really need a good reason to leave....there's alot to unhook and sometimes leveing isn't all that easy.

This was really driven home when we borrowed the Shasta for a Kentucky Derby trip. Got to camp and after a half hour of setting up discovered we absolutely had to make a run to the store. Another 20 minutes to disconnect, travel to the store, then another 30 minutes to relevel and set back up. What a bother. Of course, there was an upside, as the "drunks" in our group couldn't take the unit into downtown Louisville. (for you skeptics out there we hadn't started drinking b4 setting up/taking down and setting up again).

This was driven home last year in Pokagon State Park in Indiana. I backed my unit on a sloping campsite using every piece of leveling blocks I had brought with. Ended up with precarious make do engineering marvel that some how didn't break apart & bring our trailer down. Can't imagine disconnecting from that site to run to the store with a Camping van or motor home. Pretty easy to do with a tow vehicle.

Even if you are traveling every day I think you can see that leveling and hooking up over and over again at the same site is probably not that much fun.

Whatever you decide, enjoy camping. Great people, great scenery and memories to last a life time!

al & karyl