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Old 05-24-2018, 06:35 PM   #1
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Motor home or travel trailer

My wife and I are looking to buy a short travel trailer or RV, but I am not sure which would work best for how we would use it. We would like to have something that is convenient for taking across country on vacations and such, preferably without a toad. We tend to like driving to the Keys, and there’s not a lot of room for larger vehicles there. It seems like the Axis or Vegas could be a great fit for this.

However, we also like to camp locally in some primitive areas where the roads are gravel and the campgrounds are dirt with no amenities. In this case, we would be hauling a boat for fishing. Since the boat ramps are dirt, we would most likely need to bring a truck to get the boat in the water, so this seems more in line with having a travel trailer.

We have done it with a travel trailer and 5th wheel in the past. But, we did it with a second truck due to the number of trees in the campgrounds - it would be easy to get in a bind towing the boat behind the camper.

I could get in there with an Axis or Vegas towing the boat, but I would be afraid of getting stuck trying to get the boat in the water. The ramp is not steep at all, but it is dirt, and I think that is an iffy proposition from the start. Cell phone access is non-existent, so if we got stuck, we could be there for hours/days before help came.

I would like to be able to go there without the second truck, but I don’t know if that it’s possible.

We will probably use whatever we buy mostly for traveling, but there will be a few times per year that we will want to get away from all civilization and go fishing in the midst of nowhere.

If this were you, what would you do?

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Old 05-24-2018, 06:52 PM   #2
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Been there and done that...all within the last two years. Both are great and both have their drawbacks. If towing the boat is a must, go with a small Class C on F350 or so chassis. You will sacrifice space but you can do the boat thing. I once saw a motorhome traveling along...pulling a travel trailer. It must have had the "mother-in-law" in it...locked from the outside. I just traded our TT for a huge motorhome. I'll hope someone at the ramp can help me launch the boat it the ramps are too steep in some areas. Boating people and camping people have similar interest. There's always been someone around to help with most anything. Don't buy a motorhome or travel trailer based 100% on boating.
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Old 05-24-2018, 06:59 PM   #3
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Welcome to the Forum!
What would you be towing the trailer with?
I agree with "Gritz": a Class C towing a boat sounds like it's in your ballpark...
More than half of the fun is in the shopping anyway!
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Old 05-24-2018, 07:07 PM   #4
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I would say base your decision on what you will be doing the most and traveling is much nicer in a Motorhome versus trailer. We had a trailer before and it was nice and having the extra vehicle was great. But on those long drives it nice just having amenities right there and if you get tired you just pull over somewhere and you are good to go. You may find that you can’t do some of the primitive camping that you like but if that’s not your primary camping and don’t see that changing I think for the convenience for a weekend or two will not out weigh the convenience when you are traveling long distances
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Old 05-24-2018, 07:27 PM   #5
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The above posts offer a lot of good ideas. I bought our RV specifically so that I could tow our 22' Searay. That said, I have only taken the boat and RV on one trip in three years and I chickened out and paid the ramp service to lunch for me. I did take a year and a half off for cancer so the boat didn't get used. Hope to get it out this year but will probably not take the RV because the AC can't keep up in anything approaching 100 degrees. Just easier to rent a room. Good luck and safe travels.
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Old 05-24-2018, 07:47 PM   #6
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Keep in mind that the Vegas/Axis RV's have four tires at the rear--a lot less likely to get stuck than two tires (duallys).

We've had all 3 (trailer, 5er, and motorhome now) each has its plusses and each has its minuses. Like the others said: base your decision on the most usage.
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Old 05-24-2018, 08:19 PM   #7
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Originally Posted by Bob Denman View Post
Welcome to the Forum!
What would you be towing the trailer with?
I agree with "Gritz": a Class C towing a boat sounds like it's in your ballpark...
More than half of the fun is in the shopping anyway!
99.9% of the hauling would be done with a 2010 Tundra Crewmax 5.7 2wd. Any other towing would be done with a 2000 Ram 2500 4wd.
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Old 05-24-2018, 08:56 PM   #8
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I haven't owned either a class C or the smaller class As, but we've got friends that have both & if buying I'd have to go with the Axis/Vegas or some other small class A. In my opinion the class C the entire front portion, once parked is wasted space, at least in the As the front seats swivel around for extra seating.
If going with the C it would be with the smooth molded top above the cab on the Mercedes chassis, better ride & handling, not the FORD. That's my opinion as I'm not a Ford fan.
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Old 05-24-2018, 11:09 PM   #9
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Originally Posted by Travelin' Texans View Post
I haven't owned either a class C or the smaller class As, but we've got friends that have both & if buying I'd have to go with the Axis/Vegas or some other small class A. In my opinion the class C the entire front portion, once parked is wasted space, at least in the As the front seats swivel around for extra seating.
If going with the C it would be with the smooth molded top above the cab on the Mercedes chassis, better ride & handling, not the FORD. That's my opinion as I'm not a Ford fan.
We completely agree on the front section of the VEGAS/AXIS. That extra room in the front makes the difference between a small class c and the VEGAS, even if they are the same length. Got a 25.2 VEGAS here.
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Old 05-25-2018, 01:27 AM   #10
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Welcome to the forum! If your priority is towing a boat to the Keys, a motor home will save you from driving two rigs. Could you rent a boat in the Keys?

There is a degree of practicality in using the truck(s) you already have and maintain to pull a trailer camper. That said, it is great for your passenger to have access to the head and the refrig while you sail down the road in your motor home.

We have had trailer campers, a 5th wheel, a Class C, and a 33' Class A. Each was a good fit for our situation, travel style and budget at the time, until they weren't. Now our Vegas 25.2 fits us just right. Your results will vary.
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Old 05-25-2018, 01:50 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by avid View Post
99.9% of the hauling would be done with a 2010 Tundra Crewmax 5.7 2wd. Any other towing would be done with a 2000 Ram 2500 4wd.
We have a 2016 Axis 24.1...due to health issues we are considering downsizing to a CamperVan ... our Axis is gently broken in with a bit less than 15k ..with all the upgrades and mods.

We easily, pull a 6x10 trailer behind it.

Send me a message if you might be interested.

Ron and Kay
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