I know  I'm coming late to this party, but I don't do web based
newsgroups (personal preference), and am away from home far too often
for far too long.

I've been reading this newgroup on and off for two or three years now,
and have seen someone asking questions like yours several times.

Most of these posters have a lot in common

- Paid a lot for a very nice vehicle that isn't a tow machine
- Trailer dealership tells them they can haul it "no problem"
- Mechanic/Car dealership says it'll do it OK (if they've asked)
- Says safety is paramount (Who would say different?)
- Want to get a trailer with a dry weight near (or over) the rated maximum
- Maybe has a buddy that says he used to do it, no sweat!

Listen Chris, you are going to do what you you want, regardless of what
anyone tells you here.  So do it.  But understand that the people in
here are not trying to bust your chops.  I've found, with *very* rare
exceptions, that the people here are among the friendliest, most
knowledgeable people I "know".  They (we) all want you to have years and
years of happy camping.  It is a great thing to do, with kids especially!

Angela and I bought our first (and current) pop up several years ago,
and at the time had a Nissan pick-up with a 4 popper engine for a "tow
vehicle".  The pop-up we bought was *well* within the rated capacity
(1,000 lbs dry, 4,000 rated towing).

To make a long story short, it did tow, and given it's limited power,
even did it fairly well.  We couldn't get any acceleration to speak of,
and even the shallowest rise, if it was long enough, dropped the speed
to residential speeds while on the interstate.  The braking distance was
scary!

Like I said, if you have your heart set on a hybrid, that is what you
will get.  I *will* make one suggestion that I haven't seen here.  Put
the best tow hitch on your buggy that's available, and rent one.

I'll be willing to bet the beverage of your choice, that you would not
be happy with what you're looking at feels like when hooked up on the
road.

You might like the feel of a pop-up much better, and you will not give
up that much (if any) in the way of comfort.  I prefer a pop-up, if for
no other reason that I can stand up in one, can't in any but the biggest
hardsides I've been in.  Also, (to me) it's more like "camping" than
"RV'ing" in a pop-up.

You have never said what kind of camping you want to do.  Local,
long-hauls, weekends, weeks at a time?  Are you currently a camping
family, or is this a new interest?

Really, if you haven't camped, you should start small, you can always
upgrade.  That way, if it turns out not to be "your thing" - it's not
for everybody - you don't have (as big) a monthly payment sitting
somewhere going rapidly down in value that you are not using.

You might also consider looking at newer used models of whatever you end
up with.

Karl & Angela
`02 Durango
`96 Taos

"Chris" <falconcg@hotmail.com> wrote in message

What is important is the weight you can safely tow, not whether it is a
hybrid or a pop-up.  You would be surprised at the large weight of some
pop-ups.

If you are going to tow a lightweight pop-up 30 miles each way over fairly
flat roads in good weather twice in a summer, you could probably do so
fairly safely with your current vehicle.

If you are going to be into serious camping, long trips, hilly terrain, and
wet weather, I would wait until you get something bigger (do you really want
to go camping with a truck with 2 young kids along?  How about a heavy duty
SUV, maybe an Expedition), and then get the camper you want.

Until then...well, many here started with tent camping, even with small
kids.  My wife was eight months pregnant with my now 19 year old son, with 4
other kids with us, in a large tent at the base of Mt. Katahdin in Maine one
August.  She took along a folding lounge chair to sleep in.  Oh, Yes.  That
was the trip when a tame-ish squirrel in our campsite was suddenly startled
and ran up the nearest small tree trunk, which happened to be my right leg -
and I was wearing shorts!  Both the squirrel and I screamed and headed in
opposite directions!  A good laugh was had buy all:  a memorable family
camping trip.

Chris, if you are set on getting a camper, I would suggest a popup.  Your
kids are younger and smaller, a smaller popup can be gotten with a big and a
smaller bed.  While not an ideal tow vehicle, IF you keep witha lighter
trailer, add brakes, and load the TV and camper properly, you should be
fine.  The Fleetwood Sea Pine has an UVW of 1678 and a tongue wt of 160.
Add cargo and options and it can weigh up to 2500 lbs, leaving a little room
in the car for momma and the kids.

Gerry & Robyn
99 Mesa
01 SportTrac

Chris, you're getting a lot of people telling you things and you might
feel like they're picking on you.  They're not, they're just giving you
the voice of experience.  My one and only pop-up is about 1200 pounds
dry (according to the manual, probably more).  I pull it with a
full-size station wagon, a 1991 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser weighing 4400
pounds.  It's fine, but I do notice the increased stopping distance.
The trailer does not have brakes.  The Olds is rated for pulling a
5,000 pound trailer.  Pulling something that weighs 30% of my max
rating is easy.  Excess capacity is good.

When I was married and had four kids and a large dog, we went camping
all the time.  We got a 4x8 utility trailer from JC Whitney.  We loaded
3 tents in there and a screen porch.  We would set up the screen porch
in the middle, tents off in all directions (two for sleeping, one for
storage and changing).  We had tarps over the screen porch, extending
to the entrance of the sleeping tents.  We had a couple cots to get
some of us off the ground.  I imagine we looked like a cross between
Beverly Hillbillies and Sandford & Sons.  And we had lots of fun.

And now I *really* appreciate my pop-up.  But what I'm saying is that
you don't need a big hydrid, maybe you don't even need a pop-up.

With three YOUNG daughters (the youngest in diapers for probably the next
year-or-so), we camped using a tent.

There is NO better "Family Friendly" activity than camping.  It doesn't matter
HOW you do it (tent, trailer or motorhome), it just matters that you do it -
while your kids are still young.

It is a LOT of work, whether you sleep atop air mattresses on the ground in a
tent or in a warm popup trailer with hot running water and a gas furnace!

When we graduated to a new popup, we thought it was a WONDERFUL thing!  (It
was)

Go camping.  Just be smart about it.  When you are driving to and from the
outing, you have along your ENTIRE net worth:  Wife and kids and a "ton" of
stuff that needs to be kept under control.

Popup camping is GREAT!  Just ask any number of women here or take a weekend,
afternoon drive through a nearby campground and talk to popup owners.

Good luck and GO CAMPING!

           :)
JR