While taking the year off of travel due to helping out with family and health stuff I started looking around at different RV's. Our 15 yr. old Arctic Fox is in reasonably good shape but needs some TLC in the near future. An active mind is a terrible thing to waste but usually ends up costing money!!
We considered a bunk-house model of trailer or motorhome so the grandsons would have a better sleeping arrangement. I looked at dozens of floor plans and we looked at several models at RV dealerships in the area. Other considerations included a dual AC hookup due to the summer heat, and a little shorter trailer to access tighter camping spots. The motor home idea was quickly dropped due to the cost and any bunkhouse type was at least 32 ft. which is the same length as the current trailer, An additional motor to service and the likely need for a different vehicle to pull behind.
In my research I found that most travel trailers are advertised as Lite and have noticed compromises in the frame construction and lack of storage compared to my Arctic Fox. Most have outdoor kitchens which I don't need or want. I found none of the shorter (less that 30 ft.) bunkhouse trailers acceptable and the ones with acceptable storage to be 35 ft. or better. It is interesting that in the central part of the U.S. most trailers are larger (35+ feet). RV parks and the Corp Of Engineer Parks and State parks have larger spaces than what exist out west in a lot of govt. campgrounds.
I was able to narrow down my research to two acceptable trailers. A Winnebago 29DDBH and a Nash 29S. Both are similar in length to my current trailer. The Winnebago has a double slide the greatly expands the interior space but comes with a outdoor kitchen and limited exterior storage and the bathroom can't be accessed unless the slides are open. The Nash is a "older style" non lite designated trailer that has a heavy duty frame and plenty of outside storage. It doesn't have the outside kitchen. The Winnie can be optioned with the dual AC but that option is not listed on the Nash website. Such an option requires a 50 amp. service.
The cost of "quality trailers" are not cheap. You can find plenty of cheap trailers out there but they are built poorly and will not last the long term. The cost of the Winnie would be somewhere between $35,000 and $45,000. It is a new model so there are no used ones out there. The Nash is built by Northwood the same company that built my Fox. A 2017/2018 model is listed for $29,000 and a new one is in the same ballpark as the Winnie.
Based upon this research and evaluation of my current trailer we are sticking with the current Fox. When traveling w/o guests it meets our needs. We have made several alterations to the floor plan that works for us, have added solar, and now have an auxiliary AC for the bedroom. We were concerned that after the bathroom flood a few years ago we could have problems but those have not surfaced. It is structurally sound. It has been paid for for many years. We have portable bunk cots that fit in the living area for the boys when they are with us. I am not convinced some of these Lite trailer models will hold up in the long term however the Winnie and the Nash are the exception.
We plan on giving the interior and exterior a detailed cleaning/sorting, replacement of springs and other suspension components and inspection of the roof seals. Painting of the exposed metal and resealing seams as needed. Our trailer has been stored under cover all of its life and I feel that has been the reason it has weathered the 15 years fairly well. It's crazy that the NADA book lists its current value as only $5000 to $8000. I may spend a thousand or so bringing it up to date.
Who knows what tomorrow may bring but we plan on sticking with the old tried and true Arctic Fox 30U. Northwood no longer makes the floorplan but it had a long run and used ones are hard to find.
One of our large Oak trees has been showing health issues for some time. It did not seem to be getting any better so we decided to remove it. Unfortunately it was located between the shop and the house which made it necessary for professional removal. Hated to see it go but wanted to eliminate the worry about it falling onto the house or shop. The tree service folks were professional and completed the job in a few hours. The guys reminded me of the logger/outdoor types I knew in Oregon.
Since Christmas we have been doing projects around the house, maintaining equipment and helping out with the grandsons. Winter is still here but spring will be quickly approaching which will involve several "opportunities". Plans for tree work, gardening and trailer projects abound. No long term trips are planned at this time but we have a camping trip planned for spring break in March and Daphne will be heading to Oregon for her visit with the "Feathered Friends" in April.
Future plans are as usual in "Jello".............take care all!
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