I've read about them on a trailer forum. They seem to be okay on the road and really help with braking cause your adding another set of brake axles. They're downfall is that the wheel dont turn. They stay straight all the time. Whenever your making tight turnsit grinds the tires off and they're hard to turn. From what I remeber they're about $5k.

 

That thing weighs a TON !!! I'd go through friends pretty quick if I decided to do that.

 

what about ditching it?? some1 would prolly buy that off craigslist.

 

LOL - I believe it. i wasn't considering it, I was just wondering if anyone has ever seen one before.

 

Naah, I actually keep a lot of stuff for my night job under there. At first I didn't like it, but now I actually like having it on there. There are times whenI wish it wasn't there, but most of the time I'm glad it is.

Besides, I've already modified it with my custom pot handle !!

 

lmao where do you work a night job?? i guess philly+locking cover= a pretty good idea!

 

I've seen them advertised, but never on the road. Ya know, of course it works, but I seem to think it's just over the top, just one more item to maintain and store. Sometimes I look at my own camper and wonder why I didn't just try to keep it more simple. I guess that's the beauty of the older airstream models.

 

You got a brass light with a flicker bulb inside the bed cover too? Mood lighting?

 

Mayfair - I've had 2 Coachmens now.. the first was a 1997 20' ultralite TT.. it was made cheaply and leaked within a few years.. it ended up having some dry rot in the floor..I sold it and got a 1998 Mallard 24' TT .. it was made by Fleetwood and was excellent quality.. I traded it for a 2003 Coachmen 26' 5th wheel that so far is proving to be a pretty well made unit.

Aluminum sided units are going to be lighter.. thats really their only advantage over fiberglass.. they get hail damage and dents very easy.. insurance companies hate them..

If a fiberglass unit gets any leaks it can cause "delam" where the fiberglass delaminates from the frame causing bubbles that look bad.. it's not very cost effective to fix it either..

Personally I'll never go back to aluminum siding.. we have too many hail storms here in Kansas.. and my Cummins says "so what if it ways 800 extra pounds.. I'll pull it!"

Another thing to look for is a rubber roof with some kind of pitch or arch to it.. that first CoachmenI bought had a flat sheet metal roof.. and I think that contributed to it leaking...it was also noisier when it rained.

As far as towing a TT vs. 5th wheel.... a well set up equalizer hitch with anti-sway will tow every bit as good as a 5th wheel IMHO.. and with a 5th wheelyou lose the use of your bed for anything sizable while you are towing .. My wife just happened to fall in love with our 5th wheel.. so thats why we have it.. she's da boss.. I gave up kidding myself years ago!

Hope any of this info can help..

good luck,

Greg

 

Hey behindbars,

If you haven't already done so, check out www.Outbackers.com.


Mayfair,

You can also get a toyhauler in the travel trailer style, e.g. bumper pull. There are a huge number of brasnds and configurations out there, all with loyal followers so naming bad ones here would just start a war as big as the Dodge vs Ford vs Chevy battles.
Your best bet is to go to a RV show where you can look over a variety of campers. Definitely choose the smooth sided fiberglass over the aluminum paneled, much easier to maintain.
And definitely consider the Outback line.
Regards, Glenn