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RE: Re: Living Quarter versus Motor Home




We tried the motorhome with a tagalong trailer, we didn't like the slow
going in the motorhome.  Our Dodge diesel and our Sundowner 3 horse slant
with living  quarters gets us to the ride faster than the motorhome. We had
more living space in the motorhome, but we prefer the ability to go 65 on
the interstate as we have to travel a long way to rides. 
  I know some  riders who have living quarters and others who have motor
homes with nice
> tagalongs and would like some feed back from ridecampers with either so as
to
> know as many facts as possible to make a sound decision.
>
>
> PR
>
> [Karen Sullivan]  There is certainly another option-put a nice camper on your truck, forget the motorhome.  This does give you the third option of taking off the camper and having the use of a truck bed.

Of course, I agonized over this for a year before I made a decision. I looked at LQ trailers-with a mid-tack, complete but modest LQ, and room for 4 horses, I was approaching 26 feet floor space, which probably would have been okay, since gooseneck tow nicely.

But, I also wanted the versitility of using the camper without the horses. We took the family all over the southwest this spring.  I had bought a heavy duty truck last year, knowing I would tow something heavy regardless-one ton dually Dodge with the lower gearing on the rear end,                              4 wheel drive.  I ended up with a very nice 9'10"used camper, becuase I found the camper first.  I must have talked to every LQ trailer dealer in Calif and had major problems with them getting me the info I needed, or questions answered.  I also realized that a camper is probably a bit cheaper than comparable living quarters in a trailer. I also thought a camper and BP would be easer to sell at some point than a $35,000  trailer with LQ.

Anyway, keep in mind that the tow package that comes standard on the \Dodge is NOT rated high enough.  I had to re-do the hitch, stinger and put air shocks on the truck. I ended up with an aluminum trailer, stock sides, about 18 ft. long wall.  I can easily fit 5 horses in there.The larger trailer also came with the heavier duty axles.

Okay, how did the whole thing haul?  Pretty nice.  Down to Pt.Reyes last weekend, with four horses, 2 bales of hay, 50 gal of water, two kids, still could do 65 on the highway.  No problem with sway, rig seemed   pretty stable.  Untimate test will be in 3 weeks down through the Bay Area, with 5horses, maybe stop and squeeze pony in, and try to make it up the hills into Jack Brooks.

I figured I saved about 8 to $10,000 by using a camper and BP, over a comparable gooseneck with LQ trailer.  Even had I bought a brand new camper, it would have been far less.

My worry with Motor homes is that they would not have as heavy duty a frame as a comparable truck, but I could be wrong about that.

Another benefit about the tag-along is that if you are in a situation such as Jack Brooks, you can leave the trailer down by the horse corrals, and take your camper up into the camp site.

Anyway, this is what worked for me, at this point in my life! 



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