TrailManor Owner's Forum - View Single Post

05-27-2010, 01:47 PM

This thread reminds me of one I did last year. I remember there was a lot of talk about the type of TV (ie: SUV vs PU vs VAN, etc), not necessarily a brand or model. The general concensus was that a PU was the most popular choice. I think a crew cab PU with some type of bed cover was determined to probably be the best setup, but of course this depends on your own personal needs. Four-Wheel drive was determined to be a good feature, but not a "must have" option, and can work against you in some cases.

Some camp only as a retired couple, some camp with 5 young children, 4 dogs, and 2 cats, and a turtle, some camp with motorcycles and 4 wheelers, etc.
My wife and I fall somewhere in between in that we are ALMOST "empty nesters" with one son still at home for a few more years (fingers crossed). We also now have a 3yr old grand-daughter who loves to be outside, so there will be trips with 3-5 people and some with just DW and I. I also plan on buying a canoe.
We have always had vans for our recreational vehicle.
In the past we've had boats, so you needed the van for fishing equipment, trawls, ice chest, etc.
The same goes for tent camping with all the gear required going in the back of the van.
In the last few years, my son has played rugby, so there have been many trips with 4-6 boys and all their gear. (A recent trip to SC had the entire team putting their gear in my van when the rain came, since the few other parents had PU's.)
As for a SUV, I've simply never found a use for one, although if I stumbled across a fairly nice used Yukon XL, I would give it a look.

My general line of thinking is to work with what I have for now (Astro) for the close to home trips with family and friends. As DW and I get closer to retirement and starting heading out on cross-country trips with just her and I, then a new TV will need to be chosen. I've always said that I would go with a full size van, but I am getting tired of the limited access to the engine compartment on vans. Based on the input I've gotten here from that older thread, I'm considering a 4x4 PU with a camper top, but only time will tell.

Generally speaking, no matter what type of TV you go with, it's been pretty much determined that a 5000 lb capacity should be considered MINIMUM.
The rest is up to you and your needs.

05-27-2010, 01:47 PM	#16
ED-n-KEL Guest Posts: n/a	Type of TV This thread reminds me of one I did last year. I remember there was a lot of talk about the type of TV (ie: SUV vs PU vs VAN, etc), not necessarily a brand or model. The general concensus was that a PU was the most popular choice. I think a crew cab PU with some type of bed cover was determined to probably be the best setup, but of course this depends on your own personal needs. Four-Wheel drive was determined to be a good feature, but not a "must have" option, and can work against you in some cases. Some camp only as a retired couple, some camp with 5 young children, 4 dogs, and 2 cats, and a turtle, some camp with motorcycles and 4 wheelers, etc. My wife and I fall somewhere in between in that we are ALMOST "empty nesters" with one son still at home for a few more years (fingers crossed). We also now have a 3yr old grand-daughter who loves to be outside, so there will be trips with 3-5 people and some with just DW and I. I also plan on buying a canoe. We have always had vans for our recreational vehicle. In the past we've had boats, so you needed the van for fishing equipment, trawls, ice chest, etc. The same goes for tent camping with all the gear required going in the back of the van. In the last few years, my son has played rugby, so there have been many trips with 4-6 boys and all their gear. (A recent trip to SC had the entire team putting their gear in my van when the rain came, since the few other parents had PU's.) As for a SUV, I've simply never found a use for one, although if I stumbled across a fairly nice used Yukon XL, I would give it a look. My general line of thinking is to work with what I have for now (Astro) for the close to home trips with family and friends. As DW and I get closer to retirement and starting heading out on cross-country trips with just her and I, then a new TV will need to be chosen. I've always said that I would go with a full size van, but I am getting tired of the limited access to the engine compartment on vans. Based on the input I've gotten here from that older thread, I'm considering a 4x4 PU with a camper top, but only time will tell. Generally speaking, no matter what type of TV you go with, it's been pretty much determined that a 5000 lb capacity should be considered MINIMUM. The rest is up to you and your needs.