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also the trailer has electric brakes but my truck does not unfortunately. Do you know if it's hard to add it back on? 2016 5.0.
Very easy to add the OEM Ford integrated trailer brake controller (ITBC) to a newer F-150. If your F-150 has the tow pkg with the 7-pin plug on the rear bumper, then you just buy the ITBC, plug it in near the steering wheel, and have the Ford dealer flash the computer (PCM) to tell it you now have the ITBC.
If your F-150 doesn't have the 7-pin trailer plug on the rear bumper, then you'll have to add that as well as the ITBC.
You can buy the ITBC from the dealer, or you can find it at a discount on the web for less than $200. Either way, the dealer still has to flash the PCM.
There are various types and brands of trailer brake controllers that will work for any trailer that has electric brakes. But the OEM Ford ITBC is a great trailer brake controller. I used a Drawtite trailer brake controller for over 10 years, and then ordered my F-150 with the Ford OEM ITBC. The ITBC is much, much better.
Well, I have to chime in here Tenny... I've been there, done that. So here's my soapbox speech, take it for what it's worth. Sorry it's long.
My wife is from New Market, ON...Loves the outdoors and LOVES to camp. We have two kids who are now 3.5 y/o and 2 y/o. We purchased our first PUP when my son was about 6 months old and have been camping regularly ever since.
I did my research and picked almost the identical trailer you are looking at. We had a 2011 Jayco 141J which is identical to the Rockwood HW276. We loved the fact that it fit in the garage, but it's huge...so it really makes it where you can't use the garage anymore. I have a big 3 car garage and it's just in the way...I made it work, but never loved it because I actually like getting out in the garage and working. Also, you'll likely need a hand dolly to get it in there, so be ready to break your back pushing it around. But, that saved me $100 a month on storage fees. The gas mileage was slightly better with the PUP, the weight isn't the difference - its the frontal area and how heavy your foot is that is hard on your gas mileage. Also, if you get a PUP, get a HW for sure. They're more expensive and heavier, but WELL worth it. Also, get the HW277 layout, not the HW276. Make sure you can access the fridge with the trailer closed. You can thank me later....The trailers have a 3-way fridge so it can run off your trucks battery keeping everything cool while you drive, plus your all setup when you get there. But if you get the HW276 layout you cannot get to the fridge without opening up the trailer. That annoyed the absolute ***** out of me. Lastly, setup....wow....I hope you are a patient man and your kids are super well behaved. You have 4 (I can't imagine), so you are either completely insane, very calm, or have an amazing wife / family help.... That said, it's 1.5 hours to setup a PUP. I don't care what anyone else says about how they can do it in 30 minutes. that's BS. The other thing to really think about is that it cannot be used until it's setup AND you can't use it while on the road.... Which leads me to my point....Don't buy a PUP.We had ours for a year and have some great memories - don't get me wrong...My back will never forgive me and I've never been so frustrated in my life...A PUP is something you better be really passionate about.
Meet our PUP:
Now, here's what I recommend. A HYBRID. My wife actually said on our trip home this weekend: "I don't even remember having a PUP at this point because I love our hybrid so much. It's a whole new world and I love it"
I'll start out with the disadvantages, there are two. 1. Gas mileage IS less than with my PUP. Keep it at a max of 65 MPH and just deal with it. 2. I have to pay $100 a month to store it. Hopefully you have some space at home where you don't have to pay...but those are literally the ONLY two disadvantages. OK, maybe you don't get quite the 360 degree view like you can with a PUP with all of the windows open. We do miss that a bit, but just pay close attention to the size and number of windows you have on the hybrid you get (notice mine has a HUGE dinette window).
Now, the advantages. Wow, what a list...
First, you can use it while you travel. BIG PLUS. Need to stop and pee? BOOM. Want a sandwich? BOOM, jump in and grab one. Multi-day trip on the road? BOOM, convert the dinette to a bed and pull out the couch...throw sleeping bags on the floor, you are now sleeping 5-6 in a Walmart parking lot (or our favorite - Cracker Barrel). You can now travel the country...It makes the trip much easier. It's easier to load your stuff up, clothes, toiletries, food, and supplies. With our PUP, that stuff was all crammed in the truck. Now the truck stays empty and everything goes neatly in the trailer.
Setup, a breeze. Get a set of Anderson levelers... Then you just back in, level it out, put the stabilizers down, hook up water/electricity, use the button to extend the awning (btw, setting up an awning on a PUP is a PITA), open a beverage, and enjoy time with your kids. Another big bonus here is that if the weather is bad or whatever, you can USE the trailer while you are setting up. My poor wife used to try to entertain to toddlers in the truck while I spent a hour setting up the trailer on the trips where it was raining when we arrived. PUPs also don't weather storms well. We thought we were all going to die once when we tried beach camping and a gulf storm blew in.
I could go on and on. The A/C and heat works better, double axles tow SO much better, having an actual bathroom with a shower, real large size fresh water, grey water, and black water tanks (no cassette toilet to deal with), bigger fridge (4 kids eat a LOT), more counter space, more storage, plus, you still have tents, so you get that feeling of being outside.
We have had out Hybrid TT now for 7 months and it has 7,000 miles on it. We drove it from Houston Texas to Ontario this past July. WE LOVE IT. PS, Awenda Provincial Park is BEAUTIFUL. If you go there, PM me - I'll pay you double to send me a sticker from the park in the mail...They were out when we went.
What's a nice Ontario gal doing cheering for the Roughriders!
Thank you so much for the post, that is very helpful! You did bring up a few points I had not considered. Given it's Feb 1 tomorrow I am in no rush! I'll do some more research and see if a hybrid would work with our budget (trying to keep it around 7k).
Our boys are older, we have a 14, 11 and 9 and we are foster parents to a 14 year old boy so they can entertain themselves now which would help a bit. I also don't plan on letting them in the trailer during the day, it's just to sleep.
Setting up in the rain, making lunch, etc are all great points though that I had not considered. My wife also loves to cross country ski and camping in Algonquin park in the winter would be more comfortable in the hybrid for sure...
I have a 2015 hybrid, purchased special order, and love it. Some may store outside, but for my money I keep mine garaged. So far, I have been renting a commercial storage facility, as the height is 11' 2" and a 12-ft door is needed. I plan to build a fully-enclosed carport-type structure this year after some trees are cut down. I keep our camper cleaned, waxed, and it frustrates me to have I covered in bird poop and leaves, and occasionally hybrids will have leaking seals causing rot or delamjnation.
I miss the simplicity of the pop-up, it's airy openness, garage parking, easier towing in urban areas, no height restrictions for overpasses. However we live the extra warmth of the hybrid for three-season camping, full shower & bathroom, storage space, shorter set up time, large refrigerator, dark cherry woodwork, heated tanks, etc. Visit dealers & RV shows to find what is best for you.
What's a nice Ontario gal doing cheering for the Roughriders!
Thank you so much for the post, that is very helpful! You did bring up a few points I had not considered. Given it's Feb 1 tomorrow I am in no rush! I'll do some more research and see if a hybrid would work with our budget (trying to keep it around 7k).
Our boys are older, we have a 14, 11 and 9 and we are foster parents to a 14 year old boy so they can entertain themselves now which would help a bit. I also don't plan on letting them in the trailer during the day, it's just to sleep.
Setting up in the rain, making lunch, etc are all great points though that I had not considered. My wife also loves to cross country ski and camping in Algonquin park in the winter would be more comfortable in the hybrid for sure...
looks like I have some reading to do now!
Are the hybrids OK to be stored outside?
She went to UofS for grad school...Hence Rough Riders. But she also roots for the Leafs, so she's confused in general (Go Oilers! )
I know it really seems like a much bigger leap going to a hybrid than a PUP. It's like many new activities you might get into, you often get something 'beginner' to get you started and evolve into other things based on your experiences. YOU may find the PUP to be perfect. But I can tell you on the Hybrid forums, most came from PUPs, but still want the 'camping' feeling and never look back. Other than the gas mileage hit, storage is a big deal. If you have room on your property for it - I don't see any reason NOT to skip the PUP phase and go to a hybrid, especially with a big family.
Your question about storing outside...I'm a forum junkie, so I read up a lot on peoples experiences with things...I saw a LOT of roof re-build projects on PUP's - especially anything over a few years old. They don't have the EPDM (rubber roof) like the full travel trailers have. Mine did have a one piece aluminum roof, but had big 'ol seams all the way around where water could get in. Like anything - maintenance is key, but there's a lot more holes in a PUP for water to get in. They're both designed to be stored outside within limits. In the winter, you'll probably want to get a cover. ADCO makes some that are specific for winter climates: https://www.adcoprod.com/Universal-R...iler-RV-Covers
I know that I'm pushing you towards a hybrid, but with older boys - I'd probably be more inclined to try a PUP again. They can actually help you with the setup and such, but I still think I'd be happier with my hybrid still from the storage space and usage standpoint while on the road. For example, on our way back from Florida this Thanksgiving - we stopped at the USS Alabama for a tour. We had lunch in our trailer (as-is, no setup), washed up, changed diapers (N/A for you), and used the restroom before and after our tour. Everything we need is right there with us (and accessible) and we have been able to stop and do things along the way MUCH easier. We used our PUP a lot, but we never went further than about 3-4 hours away because it was just too hard. Now, we regularly make 12+ hour trips because we enjoy the drive... It's as much about the journey as the destination!
There's also a wide range of hybrids - they can be pretty small at 16' all the way up to 25'. Study the floor plans and decide what you want. If you really don't want the boys inside, you can get away with a smaller one, but if it's a rainy day - having the extra floor space and couch (usually is missing on smaller trailers) will be nice. You may REALLY want to consider a triple bunk model like the Rockwood Roo 233S, Starcraft 187TB (if you want a smaller model), Starcraft 229TB or (TBS - with dinetter slide) for more room. These floor plans exist in older models within your price point, but the model number may have changed slightly over the years. There's also one I saw on Kijiji that had bunk beds as well, that may work well...
Last edited by RedAggie03; 01-31-2017 at 04:02 PM.
We ALMOST bought a 21SS - I really like that model
Originally Posted by Velosprout
I have a 2015 hybrid, purchased special order, and love it. Some may store outside, but for my money I keep mine garaged. So far, I have been renting a commercial storage facility, as the height is 11' 2" and a 12-ft door is needed. I plan to build a fully-enclosed carport-type structure this year after some trees are cut down. I keep our camper cleaned, waxed, and it frustrates me to have I covered in bird poop and leaves, and occasionally hybrids will have leaking seals causing rot or delamjnation.
I miss the simplicity of the pop-up, it's airy openness, garage parking, easier towing in urban areas, no height restrictions for overpasses. However we live the extra warmth of the hybrid for three-season camping, full shower & bathroom, storage space, shorter set up time, large refrigerator, dark cherry woodwork, heated tanks, etc. Visit dealers & RV shows to find what is best for you.
Point is, I think $7k budget is totally do-able. Just check for soft spots in the floor, water stains, swollen wood, and crawl under and on top of it. Ask about maintenance and when it last had seam sealer services and such.
Last edited by RedAggie03; 01-31-2017 at 04:23 PM.
A great website for campgrounds is www.rvparkreviews.com reviews are by other campers and I think are more accurate than Trailer life camping guide. Then use Google Maps to look at campground layout.
Check the front bed seal design on hybrids as I had to rebuild bed frame on my sons.
01-31-2017, 10:24 AM
