So, to continue with last weeks story.
In August, Stacy finally got the trailer she's been wanting all along.
Yes, while I like the larger, around 28 to 30 foot or so, RVs, Stacy has kept the idea that smaller is better. Smaller can go pretty much anyplace you'd want to camp and our 5th wheel, at 34-feet long, while it can go most places, it can't go 'anyplace' due to the length.
When we got the 5th wheel in July 2017, I was surprised Stacy was willing and even suggested, we go for it trading in our 33-foot travel trailer to get the Jayco.
Again, the "Wildcat Maxx" was a nice travel trailer. It had made several short and two long trips in the almost two years we'd owned it. We lucked out as in an era of the rapid assembly to make the crazy sales numbers the RV industry has been having, the Wildcat was "completed on a Wednesday by happy Amish at the factory" as we didn't have any of the build issues I still read about from the apparent "quantity over quality" assembly practices.
In July this year, we thought we would go see what is available and shop, without committing to buy anything unless a great deal came up. We're still going with the goal of everything paid off in less than 5-years.
While she had always liked the Minnie Winnie from the first time she saw one, she also really liked the Forest River "R-Pod" a small single axle, kinda bean-shaped trailer, very popular and mostly made in Oregon. We learned a lot about them all as we researched what was available and what we started to consider. It went back and forth until we found out that a single axle trailer is just not a good, or as safe, as a dual axle.
I mean, yes, R-Pods and that style are nice, especially as they all have started to move away from the toilet-shower "wet-bath" combo to the much nicer (generally) "dry-bath" with a separate toilet and shower in the bathroom. The R-Pod and it other brand clones that are now available are made for the couple or small family, one or two kids, that might have an SUV or a small to mid-size truck to tow with as the trailers have comparatively light total overall weights to make those light vehicles tow ratings.
We were actually shocked when we read many of the gross vehicle and combined carrying weight ratings of pretty much everything we looked at this time. There was one R-Pod we looked at, a new 2018 that was a nice setup, 6 1/2 feet wide, 19-feet long, until we read that if you filled up the 25-gallon freshwater tank, you could only carry 15 pounds of cargo!! 15 pounds!! To take you to the maximum factory recommended weight.
That would not be anything! Not much food, no clothes, no dishes, no towels or blankets!
That trailer's single axle was so close to maximum with just the weight of the trailer body on its frame with no room for anything else. That was the problem with all of the single axle trailers we looked at. Not just the lighter weight but the fact that almost all had light capacity axles installed on them too.
Then there's the fact that a single axle is just not as stable as a dual axle, it can't be. Dual axles keep the wheel track in line. Dual axles, really help keep things straight when backing too. And two axles means two axles holding up the weight of the trailer or RV.
What all this means for us is safety, as well as a good amount of comfort for one or two people. The Minnie Winnie can carry over 5,000 pounds of trailer and things. At 7 feet wide and 20-feet long there's no way we could overload it!
A regular sized RV, like the Jayco, is 8-feet wide and those 'wide-bodied' RV's are around 8 1/2 to about 9-feet wide. A US standard lane is 12-feet wide so wider isn't always better as it can be dicey in some areas and towns that aren't that 12-feet wide.
So, here is the Minnie Winnie-
Stacy actually was the first to use Minnie Winnie. In September she had a week of meetings in Boise and as one of the reason's for buying the trailer, she took it down and used it for that week. She LOVED it! Her own room, bed, food, and bathroom. So much nicer than another week in a hotel.
It took several weeks to find our Micro Minnie Winnie, including looking at a used model at a closer dealer, that would have cost as much as the new Micro Minnie Winnie did. Stacy found our unit online at a dealer about 4 hours away near Lewiston, Idaho. However, in mid-August, we got a brand new unit, the exact model Stacy had wanted since we first saw them in 2014. She's happy, I'm happy. Stacy and I can now stay at any national park we might want to stay at. The Jayco is excellent for our summer trips with the grandkids as well as when we take long trips for the overall comfort and ability to take our food etc.
As the camping season is done this far north, we'll look forward to next year and finally being able to check out some of the numerous local campgrounds that we couldn't fit in before. A lot of weekends will be spent checking those out!
A bit of a long post and RV education.
Also, as today is the day, Happy Halloween!
Tad
In August, Stacy finally got the trailer she's been wanting all along.
Yes, while I like the larger, around 28 to 30 foot or so, RVs, Stacy has kept the idea that smaller is better. Smaller can go pretty much anyplace you'd want to camp and our 5th wheel, at 34-feet long, while it can go most places, it can't go 'anyplace' due to the length.
When we got the 5th wheel in July 2017, I was surprised Stacy was willing and even suggested, we go for it trading in our 33-foot travel trailer to get the Jayco.
Again, the "Wildcat Maxx" was a nice travel trailer. It had made several short and two long trips in the almost two years we'd owned it. We lucked out as in an era of the rapid assembly to make the crazy sales numbers the RV industry has been having, the Wildcat was "completed on a Wednesday by happy Amish at the factory" as we didn't have any of the build issues I still read about from the apparent "quantity over quality" assembly practices.
In July this year, we thought we would go see what is available and shop, without committing to buy anything unless a great deal came up. We're still going with the goal of everything paid off in less than 5-years.
While she had always liked the Minnie Winnie from the first time she saw one, she also really liked the Forest River "R-Pod" a small single axle, kinda bean-shaped trailer, very popular and mostly made in Oregon. We learned a lot about them all as we researched what was available and what we started to consider. It went back and forth until we found out that a single axle trailer is just not a good, or as safe, as a dual axle.
I mean, yes, R-Pods and that style are nice, especially as they all have started to move away from the toilet-shower "wet-bath" combo to the much nicer (generally) "dry-bath" with a separate toilet and shower in the bathroom. The R-Pod and it other brand clones that are now available are made for the couple or small family, one or two kids, that might have an SUV or a small to mid-size truck to tow with as the trailers have comparatively light total overall weights to make those light vehicles tow ratings.
We were actually shocked when we read many of the gross vehicle and combined carrying weight ratings of pretty much everything we looked at this time. There was one R-Pod we looked at, a new 2018 that was a nice setup, 6 1/2 feet wide, 19-feet long, until we read that if you filled up the 25-gallon freshwater tank, you could only carry 15 pounds of cargo!! 15 pounds!! To take you to the maximum factory recommended weight.
That would not be anything! Not much food, no clothes, no dishes, no towels or blankets!
That trailer's single axle was so close to maximum with just the weight of the trailer body on its frame with no room for anything else. That was the problem with all of the single axle trailers we looked at. Not just the lighter weight but the fact that almost all had light capacity axles installed on them too.
Then there's the fact that a single axle is just not as stable as a dual axle, it can't be. Dual axles keep the wheel track in line. Dual axles, really help keep things straight when backing too. And two axles means two axles holding up the weight of the trailer or RV.
What all this means for us is safety, as well as a good amount of comfort for one or two people. The Minnie Winnie can carry over 5,000 pounds of trailer and things. At 7 feet wide and 20-feet long there's no way we could overload it!
A regular sized RV, like the Jayco, is 8-feet wide and those 'wide-bodied' RV's are around 8 1/2 to about 9-feet wide. A US standard lane is 12-feet wide so wider isn't always better as it can be dicey in some areas and towns that aren't that 12-feet wide.
So, here is the Minnie Winnie-
Above: Stacy just about to open the bathroom door.
Below: Taking a look at the under sink storage.
Below: Looking from the entry to the front queen sized bed, it actually looks bigger! It is a two-seat dinette but regular RV sized appliances, fridge, stove, microwave.
Above and Below: Both of them at home and one can see the size differences of our rolling homes.
It took several weeks to find our Micro Minnie Winnie, including looking at a used model at a closer dealer, that would have cost as much as the new Micro Minnie Winnie did. Stacy found our unit online at a dealer about 4 hours away near Lewiston, Idaho. However, in mid-August, we got a brand new unit, the exact model Stacy had wanted since we first saw them in 2014. She's happy, I'm happy. Stacy and I can now stay at any national park we might want to stay at. The Jayco is excellent for our summer trips with the grandkids as well as when we take long trips for the overall comfort and ability to take our food etc.
As the camping season is done this far north, we'll look forward to next year and finally being able to check out some of the numerous local campgrounds that we couldn't fit in before. A lot of weekends will be spent checking those out!
A bit of a long post and RV education.
Also, as today is the day, Happy Halloween!
Tad
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