What vehicle are you going to pull theses trailers with Jon?
Same one Iāve been pulling my current 32 footer: KIA Sorrento with the 5K Rated tow package. My current unit is well over 5K unloaded (4.7K as built + many add-ons). I run a Hensley Arrow hitch which makes a huge difference.
EDIT to add a P.S. It tows great even in the hills and gets over 15MPG towing! My GMC Envoy struggled on hills and got 7MPG towing at best.
We went and looked at the Surveyor today and stopped at a dealer that sells the Apex. Even though the Surveyor MSRP is $5K more than the Apex the bottom line deal is $600 cheaper for the Surveyor. Because itās in-stock and the 2025ās are on the way, the Surveyor dealer made a trade offer of what I was planning to sell it outright for. The Apex dealer gave me an insulting trade allowance of $500.
We looked in some of the other Apex models that were in stock. The fit and finish just isnāt quite as good as the Surveyor. The Surveyor is very roomy looking inside with a light decor. Apex is changing to a dark decor for 2025 which would be what I could order.
The only sticking point keeping me from pulling the trigger on the Surveyor is the single axle. Iām not worried about handling, but rather what happens if a tire goes. It does come with TPMS installed.
Jon,
We found a tandem set up gives better stability when towing and when set up but there is twice as much running gear to maintain and replace. Whatās your tradeoff?
First thing we do with a new trailer is go directly to the tire shop and have new upgraded tires and wheels (if necessary) installed, eases the mind considerably.
Have you found that service departments want to give you some grief because of the Hensley?
Other than the initial āWe Oweā fixes (stabilizers ripped off in transit, interior slide roller foot broke off) weāve never needed dealer service. Nothing else broke in warranty and I do all my own maintenance. The only time the Hensley was an issue is when my tow vehicle blew a water pump on the interstate. The tow truck they sent had a welded on ball, no 2" receiver box. They finally decided to tow it still connected. Fortunately it was only a few miles from the dealer where I bought the SUV.
I just did a side-by-side feature comparison. The Surveyor wins on nearly every point. And the most important thing - Marilyn loves it.
If the boss sayās thatās the one, well, done deal 
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Talked to the sales guy this morning. He is trying to convince us to take delivery before our Train Ops trip. Iām not sure I can get it emptied, and swap out the Fantastic Fan and cover for the original vent in time. Especially with the heat wave this week.
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We did it! They offered us what I would have asked private sale for our current trailer. The dealer I bought the current one from insulted us with a lo-ball trade and so-so discount. They lost a deal!
We close on Friday the 28th.
I think we are good. Goodyear radials on aluminum rims. Makes me sad that Iām giving them 4 brand new Maxxis on my old one. Buying China Bombs for it to keep the Maxxis doesnāt make sense as they will age out before I will need them.
I am swapping out a Fantastic Fan and Max Air cover for a cheap Camco roof vent which was what it came with. AC is running - we start packing out today!
Is it done yet? Roosta wants to know!
--------------------<20 ?
You gave him your real name and not your alias 
We tend to note the annual migration of the caravan people tends to peak in January at the peak of summer during school holidays.
Is there a Caravan Season where you live, or do you use your caravan year round?
Herself, wants to RV a trip in the USA and Iām wondering if that is a good way to see the national parks.
We are in the Northeast US (Connecticut) and donāt camp in winter.
Our old unit we would use into mid fall and again in early spring. It has heat, and used to have a heated underbelly, but I would not have intentionally taken into freezing temps.
The new unit is āExtended Seasonā meaning itās good until the hard freezes and can survive overnight freeze for a few days with heated underbelly and tank heaters. We donāt have any plans (yet) to take advantage of that.
Lately, campsites in the parks are hard to get. Weāve never done anything other than commercial campgrounds, but this fall we will be taking a long road trip out West and Iām sure several nights at Cracker Barrel or Cabellaās is in order. Walmarts are too busy and often in sketchy areas.
If you have never used an RV, or are new to it. Find the movie RV. Itās a comedy, but pretty true to RV life!
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Iām still a tent camper with the goals of eventually being a trailer camper but unless things change with more campgrounds built, itās hard to find campgrounds on the spur of the moment.
We start will be planning summer of 25 during this years camping adventures as many state parks are 9 months in advance reservations. And the popular places you are reserving 9 months to the minute when they open.
If/when we get a trailer I can see us staying in a lot of forest service campgrounds and dry camping.
Craig,
We are in the same dilemma. When and where do we go from tenting? I canāt believe itās now 9-12 months for camping reservations. We used to be able to pull in after dark and find a place.
It seems each year, we are surprised to have gotten a year older and then want a bit more comfort.
We used to come to the USA and head to REI where, for the cost of approximately 1 week at motels, we could outfit ourselves with some basic light weight camping gear. We added a helinox brand cot one year just to get up off the ground but that sort of limited a bit of head space.
This came across my news feed a month ago, but as usual, is only available state-side for now.
They are a bit pricey until you compare with motel costs these days.
these spiderlegsā¦
i canāt believe they can carry a grown man.
last time i went camping, i had string, a hammock, a piece of canvas and a blanket behind the saddle.
I was quite surprised at how robust they are too, at least with the chairs. Probably explains part of the cost.
Korm, youāre a Brave man. You have big nose tapirs, panthers and piranhas to deal with! We have cranky poisonous snakes that gravitate to warm things at night. Iāve seen too many bites. Zipping up is kind of essential.
Did I mention Helinox also have insulated air mattresses as well? I remember my days with scouts packing canvas too. No wonder the National Parks now fill up. All the comforts of home except wifi.
Say, Korm, is camping and caravanning a big thing in Paraguay?
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tapiers are inofensive, shy animals, like horses (but taste more like donkey)
panteras/yaguaretes are dangerous, but seldom, and piraƱas are seldom found in trees.
the really dangerous snakes (potential maneaters) live in the eastern/djungle part of the country.
here in the western half-desert we got only about half a dozen poisenous snakes. of which only two kinds are known to climb on trees.
in 46 years i had only one snake that decided to attack from five meters/yards distance.
wildernesslife and work here has nothing to do with bravery, just with not being hasty.
the only animals that donāt prefer to evade confrontation with humans are skunks and wild bulls.
(but humans quickly learn to evade them!)
so, bravery does not enter in the equation, just being cautious.
the behavior of car drivers in a city are much less predicible than wild animals in the wilderness.
in 25 years of ranching i lost less than a dozen head to snake bites. and none to rabies! - thanks to the snakes, that catch rabied animals from mice to foxes, without being infected.
only animal, that nearly did me in was a spider, the body the size of my little fingerās nail. that little bugger jumped at me and bit into my tatoo (must have mistaken it for a butterfly)
half a day unconcious, a full week of shā¦ing blood and a month before i was strong enough to work.
yes, for construction workers and deforestation crews.
poor people here live ācamping-styleā the whole year and have no cars to tow anything.
rich people have their weekend ranch or waterside cabin.
middleclass people either have a rich uncle or friend to invite them, or one of these doggy-house like pop up tents.
and the cowards use hammocks, not to wake up with a rattler or a skunk under the blanketā¦
only non commercial used trailers, one sees here, carry boats or waterbikes.
We tent camped for many years. Last time was in the late 90ās when it started to be difficult sleeping on the ground, even with air mattresses.
This new unit has 400 watts of solar to support the 12V refer and LED lighting. I donāt think the TV is 12V, but I might be wrong. Initially it will come with one lead acid battery which should handle the reefer overnight. It is also pre-wired for an inverter. When I can invest more, Iāll be getting a big LiFePo to replace the lead acid. That will significantly extend the off-grid duration for refer and lights. Weāve not done any dry camping in our current unit except for overnight sleep stops. Iām hopeful that this new capability will change that. We do, however, like our AC when itās hot and you need a crap load more solar and battery to run that for any length of time.
Regarding availability - This could be a real issue for our fall extended road trip. Once we get to Denver we can Moochdock at my sonās house. There is a state park with dump facilities about 5 miles away. He wants to install a dump port for his camper, but canāt find his sewer clean out! Having better overnight dry camping capability will get used, Iām sure.