What am I looking for? Family of four entry level overlanding camper/trailer

dra2120

Active member
The Forest River stuff I only suggest if your super handy and ok doing your own fixes. Couple of friends bought ForestRiver popups at the beginning of COViD and they aren’t handy type of people. The trailers have spent more time at the dealer getting faulty stuff fixed vs in use or storage.

If your handy and ok fixing stuff then they are ok.
That is my one concern with a lot of those type of pop-up, even though they are "off-road" models, they aren't built to handle anything more than the highway. I think the Opus, Black Series, and Livin Lite would be where I would focus.
 

amccabe

New member
We have an aliner expedition as well. It will sleep 4 but I am not sure the off-road capability. I wouldn't have issue boondocking on some BLM land but any serious offroading I would be nervous with.
 

calicamper

Expedition Leader
Jumping Jack might be too basic or small but I have a similar trailer going on 9 yrs old. Its just a tent on a trailer. I have the original Life time tent trailer. The negatives are not good for desert winds!
 

calicamper

Expedition Leader
We have an aliner expedition as well. It will sleep 4 but I am not sure the off-road capability. I wouldn't have issue boondocking on some BLM land but any serious offroading I would be nervous with.
This one was on my interest list. But cost vs basically being cheap RV quality and the added complexity of the hard side fold outs has it pretty low on the list.

I’m not into the added expense of the Taxa Mantis but feel like its just a better all around solution for my use / need. Can also see it working well after kids fly the coop just wife and I. Which is a factor if I’m dropping 30k on something lol
 

Todd n Natalie

OverCamper
The Forest River stuff I only suggest if your super handy and ok doing your own fixes. Couple of friends bought ForestRiver popups at the beginning of COViD and they aren’t handy type of people. The trailers have spent more time at the dealer getting faulty stuff fixed vs in use or storage.

If your handy and ok fixing stuff then they are ok.
Also a chance to upgrade stuff?

Our first tent trailer was an old Bon Air, the 2nd was Coleman and our hard wall is a Forest River. Build quality was about the same for all. Which to say, not great. But, nothing that has been too bad.

Once you get to your destination, you just have to figure out where the screw that's rolling around on the floor came from, haha

Pics below are our second Tent trailer. Pretty nice as far as a tent trailer goes, cassette toilet, slide out dinette, two king beds, came with an add -a-room and a power lifting roof.

IMG_3027.JPG
IMG_3030.JPG
 

calicamper

Expedition Leader
I’m mainly a CA coastal and Sierras camping. My tent trailer was perfect for those regions. The eye opener was Moab our first Desert trip and typical mild desert winds. Yeah pretty much a fail. We’ll be doing more desert trips and more higher latitude trips not as tent trailer friendly in the future which case something to consider. Also primary reason I’m looking to replace our tent rig. ? Spring break this week for our area. Several friends are in Death Valley, winds have decimated the tent people last few days. Couple of hard side RV folks even reported minor wind damage, lost antenna etc.
 
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I'll second InTech RV's. They are simple, reasonably priced, and you can customize it yourself. The wife and I camped with 3 kids and 2 dogs. We skipped the factory kitchen and my wife bought a good camp chef stove. We also use RTIC coolers instead of the refrigerator. They hold more food and are good for about 3 days.
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Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk
 

calicamper

Expedition Leader
I'll second InTech RV's. They are simple, reasonably priced, and you can customize it yourself. The wife and I camped with 3 kids and 2 dogs. We skipped the factory kitchen and my wife bought a good camp chef stove. We also use RTIC coolers instead of the refrigerator. They hold more food and are good for about 3 days.
d14958c333045ac15a79450ba1c5859a.jpg
1c30c03ba9bdc39ce0014064463b25d7.jpg


Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk
I’ve really looked at the Intechs. I like that you can get all your “junk” inside ie not on display. Lol
The larger Flyer and a kids Bunk o cot was a very serious possibility for us. But not fitting in the garage was a big negative. The tip out bed is also pretty tight for two. We are still in our Subaru OB camping rig, but between, bikes, water for 4 on desert trips, growing kids err heavier kids the OB was hitting bump stops. I had an old Sequoia we used on the long trips. Ended up doing a 2 for 1 swap on the cars. 2019 Expedition Platinum Heavy tow pack. I was worried the mileage loss of the Subaru would suck.. But to my surprise the Expedition did 22mpg trip average last summer on a trip the Subaru did 18.5mpg same trailer and gear.. Really surprised me!!
Trying to figure out the trailer upgrade plan families of 4 basically get screwed by the RV biz they want us all to buy giant Ranch houses on wheels with oak cabinets and entertainment centers..

I think a lightly used Taxa Mantis is likely the route I’m headed. Other Expedition owners report 14-15mpg with those which isn’t too bad considering..
 

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justbecause

perpetually lost
Every family is different but for us we tried everything and the thing that worked out best for our 2 boy/2 girl family was a Sportsmobile van and then moved up to a B+ motorhome. If I had it to do over again I might buy what my friend pulls behind his JLU, it's a GeoPro travel trailer. It is a mass produced travel trailer and will likely rattle apart on washboard eventually but he loves it and it gets him further than most. He has 2 young children and it sleeps 4 comfortably with a full kitchen and bathroom, bunk beds and a nice enough queen up front still rolling on a single axle, lifted on A/T's. I think it's around 20' long.

Anyway, I realize this is probably a more elaborate idea than you were thinking but it's what I would recommend. and it might fit your budget better than these insanely expensive and tiny 'off-road' trailers. My wife and I wheel pretty hard to get further from crowds and love sleeping in an RTT above our Tundra but when we had young kids the creature comforts were needed.

Oh, way under 20 for a GeoPro I think.

Whats up with not having a queen bed option on a bunk house without slide outs? Who needs a full bed and bunks?
 

GkraneTX

Active member
Wait it out. Now that people have bought up everything with their stimulus checks and it has become very profitable to stay home rather then go back to work, there is a shortage of everything. This can't last forever or the country will implode. I'm guessing the market will soon be flooded with gently used trailers in the next 8-12 months when people are forced into behaving like adults again and do grown up things like pay for rent and a mortgage again.
 

GkraneTX

Active member
I'm also guessing that now states are beginning to cancel federal unemployment benefits you will find you gently used Taxa Mantis sooner. It's about time.
 

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