What made you decide to go with a hybrid vs. a standard box trailer

[WASABI]

Great site! I have been reading the forum until the crack of crazy for the past few night trying to learn all I can before we pick up the new trailer! LOL We are picking up our new X17Z (bought the screen room too) on Tuesday, going out for our first camping and probably last trip for the season with it on Thursday or I might sneak one more trip in early November. We went camping for the first time with the kids this year (15, 12, 3 and 7 months). LOVED it! We had a huge huge tent and I bought a Mr. Heater when it got a wee bit too cold, was fabulous! The only downfall we did find is between the packing, loading the hitch cargo, unloading, setting up camp, tearing down, unloading the cargo and back up to my condo was way too much work for a weekend trip. Oh and storage of all my camping gear in my condo was comical to say the least.

We looked at trailers back in the day and realized that we couldn't pull too much. (Mazda CX9) We went to the dealership looking to buy a PUP, boy have they come a long way but lack of cargo storage was an issue in my eyes. We turned the corner at the dealership and VIOLA....a trailer we could actually tow and our cargo had a home! We did REALLY like the X23F but unfortunately the TV couldn't pull it (3,500lbs max). We bought our TV used a few years ago and today to our surprise, we have a tow package already installed! Talk about luck! We were really starting to panic about how close we were getting to the max. tow weight.

So to answer my own question, I bought the trailer for weight and I love sleeping in a tent. Best of both worlds! and I negotiated 18 months free storage with my dealership!

I think in a few years I will be upgrading to a larger trailer (20-23 foot hybrid) and a Audi Q7, but I am thrilled with what I have right now..beyond thrilled!

oh QUICK question..how do you season the bed ends. I want to apply a silicone spray to help protect the fabric and naturally help with any leaks.

Thanks again, Michele

[jstor1]

We bought a used pop up last May, spent 35 nights camping, figured it was time for less set up work and wife didn't want to go to bath house in the middle of the night anymore, had an explorer that pulled the pop up fine, but bought a F150 because we knew we were going to upgrade camper at some point, almost bought a 26 food bunkhouse, but the deal didn't go thru, saw some hybrids and wife decided that the hybrid would be a much better length/weight to deal with, we picked up the hybrid last week, and are using it next weekend. Luckily we live in the south, and are camping for Thanksgiving!

[wmoses]

Congratulations ... I am sure that you will enjoy the 17Z, although I would caution you with the tow vehicle if you are using the CX9. It is not so much the weight (and mine weighed 3800# loaded) but the air resistance while towing plus the weight. On flat terrain you may be okay but not in the hills. I had a 3500# rated CUV and decided to get my present tow vehicle instead. Sorry if that sounds like I am raining on your parade, just passing on my experience with the same RV.

Now, to season the bunk ends - this is very easy. Use Scotchguard. I emptied 1 whole can on the canvas windows in the two bunk ends and never had any leak issues. I also never camped in a monsoon either but the maiden trip was in constant "soaking" rain for 3 days and it performed perfectly. Matter of fact I was applying the Scotchguard at the campsite with the storm clouds approaching.

[WASABI]

Originally Posted by wmoses

Congratulations ... I am sure that you will enjoy the 17Z, although I would caution you with the tow vehicle if you are using the CX9. It is not so much the weight (and mine weighed 3800# loaded) but the air resistance while towing plus the weight. On flat terrain you may be okay but not in the hills. I had a 3500# rated CUV and decided to get my present tow vehicle instead. Sorry if that sounds like I am raining on your parade, just passing on my experience with the same RV.

Now, to season the bunk ends - this is very easy. Use Scotchguard. I emptied 1 whole can on the canvas windows in the two bunk ends and never had any leak issues. I also never camped in a monsoon either but the maiden trip was in constant "soaking" rain for 3 days and it performed perfectly. Matter of fact I was applying the Scotchguard at the campsite with the storm clouds approaching.

Since it's our first trip and thankfully all the Provincial parks we like are right across our major highway which is flat. *whew* We added the WDH with a sway bar and naturally trailer brakes. Thankfully the tow package was already in the vehicle. We are going to go slow and steady and see how this goes. We have 4 kids and a dog so a 7 passenger SUV is the only vehicle we could use and fit the family in lol

I was having a hard time finding Scotchguard in the store. One employee at Canadian Tire told me it was pulled off the shelves because one of the primary ingredients was a probable carcinogen So I bought another brand for canvas or heavy weight fabric and another one for light fabric for the screen room

Thanks for your response Michele

[stjohneyre]

Having owned 2 pup ups and 3 hardsided we have reached a point in our life where easy setup was important. When oir kids where with us setting up was a fun team event. Now its just the wife & I so we have said goodbye to canvas. Our only reason was due to the fact if we packed up in rain we would have to set up at home onnext sunny day to allow it to dry out.

Regarding your TV, you may be finding that you will need a stronger engine sooner than later. You will be suprised at what additional items you will now add to your new trailer. Focus on keeping everything lite and sparse for now, ie. Paper plates, styro cups, minimal gear that you will only need for the weekend, etc..

Congratulations & welcome to the forum.

[WASABI]

Exactly what we are doing. With every purchase the question comes up "do we NEED it and how much does it weigh" lol We have purchased everything new for the TT and literally we were standing there holding can openers to figure out which one was lighter. lol The only thing that is heavy is our 4 pcs. of cast iron (2 griddles, camp dutch oven, 8" skillet) those I can't live without camping. The rest of the gear, it very light. I bought those Corelle dishes for the trailer, thin thin durable glass, rest of our kitchen stuff is plastic. Our sleeping bags are only 2-3lbs each.

If I had a pot of gold, my TV would be replaced tomorrow. So until then, slow and steady...no backroad adventures. We have some beautiful Provincial parks in Ontario (2-3 hours away from Toronto) so I'm OK.

[glsimms]

You are kind of like us in regards to a tow vehicle. We have the X23B and tow it with a Ford Explorer. I know it's not the ideal TV, but we did things backwards. We purchased the Explorer before we got the trailer. Plus it's my wife's vehicle and she didn't feel comfortable driving a pick-up.

Most of our camping is less than 50 miles so we don't do any cross-country towing with it. We keep speeds at 60 mph or so and so far we haven't had any problems with it.

Enjoy your new camper!

[Jagiven]

Congratulations!

As to season the tent ends, the instructions in the owner’s manual tells you how to do it. They tell you to lightly spray the tents with a regular tap water three times. That it. That is all I did and we have had no issues.

I picked up a plastic accordion style file holder thing-a-ma-jig, separated out the different sections of the owner’s manual and labeled the sections. I strongly recommend reading everything. It will tell you about the maintenance, operations, storage, etc on everything in the HTT.

With the cooler fall season upon us, you may notice condensation inside on the tenting. What works good for us is to crack the bathroom vent open (1/2 inch). Then we crack open one side window on each tent end about 2-4 inches. Once we started doing that we have had no condensation issues at all.

We also carry as small electric space heater (1500 watt ceramic). It produces enough heat to keep the HTT warm for us. When it is down to 20 degs at night I will turn on the gas furnace in the morning to help warm up the floors.


We too were looking for a PU, but could not find one that both the DW and I could agree on. The dealer showed us the 17Z as an alternative, which lead us on the path to our 23B.

[WASABI]

Originally Posted by glsimms

You are kind of like us in regards to a tow vehicle. We have the X23B and tow it with a Ford Explorer. I know it's not the ideal TV, but we did things backwards. We purchased the Explorer before we got the trailer. Plus it's my wife's vehicle and she didn't feel comfortable driving a pick-up.

Most of our camping is less than 50 miles so we don't do any cross-country towing with it. We keep speeds at 60 mph or so and so far we haven't had any problems with it.

Enjoy your new camper!

Frustrating right! Back when we bought the CX9 there was a used Audi Q7 sitting there, we decided to go with the cheaper per month vehicle. Who knew we would be looking at a trailer! UGH, could kick myself. I looked up the Q7 and that machine can pull a lot factory and fit all my kids. The ONLY good thing is whomever owned our CX9 before installed a heavy duty tow package...that helps the cause a bit. We were quite disappointed though, the 23F had room for everyone to sleep comfortably BUT you know what, I will make due with the 17Z. (first world problem). Thankfully 2 of our kids are small and will fit the dinette area for quite a while. By the time they are too tall, my older kids will be off to University and they can take over their bed

[MonkeyClaw]

One hint when towing with the CX9 - find out where the engine puts out maximum power and don't be afraid to go there when you need to. I use an FJ towing an X20E (now wishing it was a 23B...). It tows just fine, and since we got it in June we've been to Salt Lake City, Colorado, Iowa, New Mexico, Northern California and several local places (we live in AZ) on two 3-week trips and several long weekends. My wife drives as much or more than I do, and does just fine. The FJ doesn't have a tow package, so we have to shift manually. It's been great handling the hills and mountain passes though. Just don't be afraid to rev it up when needed, and don't try to go crazy with the speed.

[WASABI]

Originally Posted by MonkeyClaw

One hint when towing with the CX9 - find out where the engine puts out maximum power and don't be afraid to go there when you need to. I use an FJ towing an X20E (now wishing it was a 23B...). It tows just fine, and since we got it in June we've been to Salt Lake City, Colorado, Iowa, New Mexico, Northern California and several local places (we live in AZ) on two 3-week trips and several long weekends. My wife drives as much or more than I do, and does just fine. The FJ doesn't have a tow package, so we have to shift manually. It's been great handling the hills and mountain passes though. Just don't be afraid to rev it up when needed, and don't try to go crazy with the speed.

Thanks for the advice, i will pass that onto my hubby. What really confuses us is that there are vehicles with less HP and torque I think the Honda Pilot for example than the CX9 and they can tow more weight. How is this possible. Is it a transmission/radiator issue with the CX9 if so, the towing package should solve that right. Dunno, very confusing.

[gaylec]

Congratulations on your X17Z, we love ours!

We originally were looking for a hard sided trailer for use at Dog Shows. All that we looked at felt cramped and tiny if they were light enough for us to tow with our Chevy Astro Van (rated 5000 lbs). The minute we walked inside the Z at the RV lot we knew this was the way to go for us.

As former tent campers we loved that we still had the feel of sleeping in tents, along with all the conveniences of a hard sided trailer. For the two of us and two dogs, it's worked out to be the ideal camper for us. We have camped in all conditions and it has never leaked or had a problem. We followed the MFG instructions to season the tent ends, and it's not leaked at all.

I will tell you that after towing it for a year with our Astro, that even though a 5000 lb rating is adequate, it's not ideal. In short order we will be upgrading to a Chevy Express 2500 with a tow rating of 6700 lbs. We figure with that much capacity, we can pretty much take it anywhere!

[Jagiven]

Originally Posted by WASABI

....... What really confuses us is that there are vehicles with less HP and torque I think the Honda Pilot for example than the CX9 and they can tow more weight. How is this possible. .......

Without looking at the specifications, I would suspect it is due to the gear ratios.

[Paulx213]

Originally Posted by WASABI

Thanks for the advice, i will pass that onto my hubby. What really confuses us is that there are vehicles with less HP and torque I think the Honda Pilot for example than the CX9 and they can tow more weight. How is this possible. Is it a transmission/radiator issue with the CX9 if so, the towing package should solve that right. Dunno, very confusing.

Power is only part of the equation for tow ratings. Available payload, suspension design, gear ratios, brakes and a healthy amount of marketing BS all have to be factored in. The Pilot and the Odyssey are basically the same vehicle and yet the Odyssey only tows 3500 lbs too.

[s1njin]

Moved here from a PUP (1207). I'm here b/c my tow vehicle can pull it comfortably. Were I in a Tahoe, I would be in a different trailer.

That said, this is LEAGUES ahead of the PUP. We're going to have fun w/ this one until the Ridgeline is due to be replaced in a few years. Probably go for a non-hybrid trailer afterwards.

[RedHorse1]

Our story will sound like a broken record but here goes.....
We started shopping for a popup and at the dealer I saw one of the hybrids. Love at first sight. Setup and breakdown are relatively easy. A nice hard-side TT with all the comforts plus 2 nice sized beds all packed away in a 24' length! I think it's a great compromise between towed length and the set up inside space.
All that raving said we're planning to upgrade to a 5th next year.

[mitechie]

two queen beds in 23' box! Well, that's not all of it but definitely a big part of it. 2 walls gives a bunch of cabinet space, full fridge/freezer, and more livable space without taking things down for sleep space sold us. That and it's smaller/lighter for the touareg to pull. It's amazingly awesome to send the toddler to bed back in the back bed behind the bathroom and we can still sit out, watch tv, go in/out of the tailer, read, etc while he's completely shut away into his 'bedroom'.

[Tunce the traveler]

I pull that EXP21M with my Touareg TDI and I hardly know it's there. It can tow 7,700 lbs. and I'm only at 5,300 loaded. Thank god I didn't buy a truck, not that there's anything wrong with a truck but I didn't want a truck. Dealer told me ( if it won't do the job on that 4,800 "TT" then just bring it back"! Said your not the 1st one to buy a Touareg for towing. Said I was doing the Grapevine north of LA. and he said "Don't worry you won't be calling me" you just bought the TDI and that's what it made for, towing and off road.

[WASABI]

Originally Posted by mitechie

two queen beds in 23' box! Well, that's not all of it but definitely a big part of it. 2 walls gives a bunch of cabinet space, full fridge/freezer, and more livable space without taking things down for sleep space sold us. That and it's smaller/lighter for the touareg to pull. It's amazingly awesome to send the toddler to bed back in the back bed behind the bathroom and we can still sit out, watch tv, go in/out of the tailer, read, etc while he's completely shut away into his 'bedroom'.

maybe in a few years I want the 23F or even the 19H. More cargo room and just space would be awesome. Unfortunately until we get rid of our TV..not doable. So we are going to be REALLY creative when it comes to organization and just all around packing light. 4 kids (2 teens/1 toddler/1 baby) and a chocolate lab..haha this should be fun! I will make it work, we made it work in a tent..this is going to be heaven compared to that! AND no lugging cargo from my condo to my cargo hitch, set up, tear down, back on the cargo hitch and up the elevators to my condo. That was a chore and a half. LOL

[Bikester]

My answer to the original question....we wanted the camping experience of hearing nature and a tent...with the convenience of kitchen, sink, toilet, shower. HTT is the best of both worlds.