What I saw at the RV show

[NinjaMini]

I went to the RV show to see the T@G and the Silver Shadow. I liked them both. But at the show there was so much to like so instead of making a decision we found more choices and there are pluses and minuses to all.

T@G 5x10- We love it but it is a bed on wheels with a little bit of storage and it is not comfortable to sit up in, at least not without more pillows than we will have room for. $12,000
Silver Shadow 6x10 - Is a little wider than the T@G at 6' but still is a bed on wheels with a little bit of storage and it is not comfortable to sit up in, at least not without more pillows than we will have room for. $14,000

But we also found:
SignaTour5x8 out of Tampa. They are the size of a TD but not a TD shape. They are in fact a box. Because of this extra headroom I can sit comfortably for extended time. But it has almost no storage and no kitchen at all. In fact the back does not really open to anything useable. It is basically an empty box. But I can sit and the price is great. But did I mention no storage and no fridge (A must have for the wife so she does not like this. But it is cheap. $7,500

R-Pod - This is a great option with lots of room and lots of storage. Full bathroom, not that I think we would use it. It is also a standee which at 6'4" I can stand in and it has a queen bed and a table that becomes a full bed for the 2 kids. Without this they sleep in a tent. Did I also mention it has a slide so it feels spacious. Downsides to this are price and the high cost of gas due to poor aerodynamics. This is the only one that does not fit in the garage. So there is an extra storage cost. $18,500 + increased gas +storage monthly.

ALiner - Did not think I would like this as much as I did. It has a lot of headroom so I can stand and can not even touch the top of the ceiling unless I stretch. Has a queen bed and a table that becomes a full size bed for the kids. It also folds so that it is not as big to pull and that will save on gas. This is the only one that is a standee and fits in the garage. However this does not offer a lot of storage space like the Rpod since it folds up. I was really surprised I liked this because it is ugly. It's an A-frame for goodness sake. Can that be fun to own? $16-17,000

Note only the T@G and Signatour does not require a new car. But our second car is 8 years old and an accord. We are planning to change it in a year anyway. But any other choice but these two means waiting another year and not getting one for this summer.

So I need opinions. Anyone own any of these? Have any thoughts on build quality, ownership, storage space, towing ease (I never towed anything)? gas use? Only ever did tent camping so any thought would be great.

[KennethW]

One disadvantage to the Aliner is that you can not park and sleep over night(Walmart or?)and that you can not get to anything without setting up.

[Gage]

Well NinjaMini, after reading your post. I think you would be happier with a Class 'C' Motorhome. Besides, a Honda Accord is not geared for towing. Although it can tow a teardrop. So happens I know a fool that tows a T@B with a 4 cyl. Accord.

[NinjaMini]

Well NinjaMini, after reading your post. I think you would be happier with a Class 'C' Motorhome. Besides, a Honda Accord is not geared for towing. Although it can tow a teardrop. So happens I know a fool that tows a T@B with a 4 cyl. Accord.

A Class C? Why would you say that? I want small and lightweight. I wont tow anything with the accord. I also have an RDX which can tow the little stuff. But for most of these choices I see an explorer in my future.

One disadvantage to the Aliner is that you can not park and sleep over night(Walmart or?)and that you can not get to anything without setting up.

Why can't you park this at Wallyworld? True but it takes 30 seconds to set it up. I took it down and put it up in literally a minute. Was so easy for 1 person.

[KennethW]

After thinking about it you can do a walmart, but I would rather wake and go, then to wake take down and go.
I would also rather just look like a shopper pulling a trailer parking in the lot, then a camper over nighting .

[kudzu]

According to a local dealer who sells both T@Bs & Aliners, they get significantly better gas mileage towing the Aliners than the T@Bs. I tow an Aliner Expedition with my Ford Transit Connect. However, mine Aliner is a 2005. It is much smaller & lighter than the current models. It sets up in no time at all. And I can get lots of things out of it without setting it up. Like you, I didn't expect to like them at all. But the same dealer sells Little Guy's & Livin' Lites so I was visiting them when a salesman tried to steer me towards the A-frames. Yuck, I thought. But in reality it turns out to be a good fit for us. There are compromises, to be sure, but it would have been that way with many things. Though I ended up with a very used one, I still love it & am happy with my purchase. Not sure I would ever have gone for a new one. That's a steep price for... well, an A-frame. It sure feels a lot bigger than a T@B though.

One surprise for me was the lack of visibility behind. I thought having a folder would mean being able to see traffic behind me. The dealer warned me I wouldn't be seeing the cars behind me. Well, he was right. I can see the tops of big trucks but that's about it.

Build quality really seems to vary on the Aliners. Some people have trouble with leaks some never have any problems at all. Leaks seem to happen with far too many campers of too many makes. Aliners aren't alone in that.

Aliners have lots of quirks that come from being a folder. Air flow of the unintended variety is the big problem I worried about & my camper seems to be bearing that out. Though walls don't seal tightly when it's set up so Winter camping without heat isn't going to happy for us. Then again, lack of air circulation won't be a problem. Most people make modifications to suit their needs but obviously it isn't a design that lends itself to any easy major modification. Most mods revolve around storage. Check the DIY section of the owner's club site to see what others have done. http://alinerownersclub.org/diy/

Your comments on the SignaTour are interesting. I wish I could see those in person even though I'm not in the market anymore. Will have to check the show here when I'm back there Sunday. (My Greyhound group has a booth set up at the show every year. Didn't have time to look around during my volunteer shift today.) Did get to finally see a Cricket in person. It seems well built & the head room from the pop top is nice. It has more open floor space than my Aliner. There's really no space for the dogs though.

Have you seen any of the Whitewater Retro campers by Riverside? You'd still need something larger for towing but some are interesting & a bit smaller than an R-pod.

PS For me the Aliner is definitely fun to own. However, there will be times when I'll wish I could have a little tear drop also. While my Aliner is small compared to most campers made these days, it is small, not tiny. There are times when tiny is better.

[Gold5one]

I used to love RV shows, until I worked a couple seasons as a RV tech and I learned what a money pit new RVs are. The banks must know that rubber roofed campers turn into leakers in 15 years, that is why loans are only around 12 years long. If I ever buy another full size RV, it will be an older one with an aluminum or fiberglass roof. When I did the PDI's ( pre delivery insp), I was amazed at how many repairs I had to do to make them 100%. The parts quality today, isn't that good, IMO.

[Gage]

According to a local dealer who sells both T@Bs & Aliners, they get significantly better gas mileage towing the Aliners than the T@Bs...................

You need to go back up and read NinjaMini post once again. He didn't say anything about a T@B. He was talking about the T@G which is much smaller than a T@B and probably gives better gas mileage that your Aliner.

[GPW]

Quote: “ until I worked a couple seasons as a RV tech and I learned what a money pit new RVs are.”
The new RV ’s are Lucky to get through the warranty period without falling apart ... Made to FAIL!!! ... by Design .... That way the RV companies and deceitful dealers make HUGE profits ...and that’s ALL they are concerned about ... An Evil Empire ...

[canned o minimum]

"To each, his own"...Fer me, I do not want to hafta "set up" the trailer jus to get into it. With my teardrop, I can "travel" and "rest" inside it whenever,wherever I need to and in "stealth" mode. Grabbing a snack ( or a meal) in arrest stop or parking lot is not a problem and can be done rather "discreetly" if needed.

I have slept in many parkin lots on many road trips. Heck, I've even slept at gas stations,truck stops,restaurants,shopping centers...

Sum folks NEED to "stand" or need a potty, but TRY to be "compact like a teardrop... THAT ain't gonna happen..it jus ain't.

So "I" choose to tow a1946 teardrop trailer with my 1965 VW Beetle. I get ; good gas milage, aerodynamics,stealth,a place to nap/sleep,easy access to my food/meals,and did I mention the WOW factor ?

[Vedette]

I Agree with Canned o Minimum!
I just is not a teardrop if it requires a bunch of set up and you can stand up in it?????
I know the Campmaster and wild goose design guys are going to jump on me for this thought.
Good Roads
Brian & Sandi

[Socal Tom]

I went to the RV show to see the T@G and the Silver Shadow. I liked them both. But at the show there was so much to like so instead of making a decision we found more choices and there are pluses and minuses to all.

T@G 5x10- We love it but it is a bed on wheels with a little bit of storage and it is not comfortable to sit up in, at least not without more pillows than we will have room for. $12,000
Silver Shadow 6x10 - Is a little wider than the T@G at 6' but still is a bed on wheels with a little bit of storage and it is not comfortable to sit up in, at least not without more pillows than we will have room for. Only ever did tent camping so any thought would be great.

Your descriptions above are basically the descriptions for a teardrop. A TD U.S. A 2 person tent, with hard sides and an outdoor storage space (usually a kitchen). With more than two people, you probably need something bigger. TDs are not meant for hanging out inside.
Tom

[tony.latham]

"To each, his own"...Fer me, I do not want to hafta "set up" the trailer jus to get into it. With my teardrop, I can "travel" and "rest" inside it whenever,wherever I need to and in "stealth" mode. Grabbing a snack ( or a meal) in arrest stop or parking lot is not a problem and can be done rather "discreetly" if needed.

I have slept in many parkin lots on many road trips. Heck, I've even slept at gas stations,truck stops,restaurants,shopping centers...

Sum folks NEED to "stand" or need a potty, but TRY to be "compact like a teardrop... THAT ain't gonna happen..it jus ain't.

So "I" choose to tow a1946 teardrop trailer with my 1965 VW Beetle. I get ; good gas milage, aerodynamics,stealth,a place to nap/sleep,easy access to my food/meals,and did I mention the WOW factor ?

Well stated.

[Gold5one]

The new RV ’s are Lucky to get through the warranty period without falling apart ... Made to FAIL!!! ... by Design .... That way the RV companies and deceitful dealers make HUGE profits ...and that’s ALL they are concerned about ... An Evil Empire ...

Made to fail is right! Ultralights are among the worst of the breed as the floors fall apart in front of the door, stove/sink and toilet. OSB should be outlawed for floors and roofs! They save a couple hundred dollars over plywood in exchange for a camper that will fall apart in 10 years or less.
I was told by the service manager that the big new diesel pushers are a $10,000/yr income stream for the service department. I am building my Weekender-XL for what a repair ticket with 8 hours labor and parts would cost a customer.

[wincrasher]

I've been very happy with my T@G. I don't see why you'd have trouble sitting up in it. Yes, you may need a pillow - I assume you'd carry some for sleeping anyways. You could always get one of those things people use to sit up in bed and watch TV. Like this:
http://www.amazon.com/Brentwood-Originals-Brushed-Twill-Bedrest/dp/B002S0NJNK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1422146657&sr=8-2&keywords=sit+up+in+bed+pillow

You might want to check out Cricket Trailers at http://www.crickettrailer.com. I had one for a couple years, but missed the teardrop. You can use it in the down position for some things, then pop it up for full standing height. They are 1600-1700 lbs, so you might be OK with the Accord - check you manual for tow limits.