Winter camping / riding ideas

[GrandpaDave]

Hi all,
Last winter my wife and I got our first taste of riding the trike in the south during the winter. Our issue is we don't want to buy a winter home and be set on one general area to spend out time. We were in AZ last winter staying with friends and decided we want more mobility and flexibility.

How many other trike riders take an RV South for the winter and then move from one area to another to explore with your trike?

We are beginning our preparations to do this by upgrading to a new 3/4 ton crew cab diesel and now are looking at late model fifth wheel camper / toy hauler trailers. We're thinking it would be enjoyable to spend a month or so in on area where we can branch out to surrounding areas to see the scenery and local attractions and then move to another area and do the same thing. We're thinking we'd like to try the Austin / SanAntonio area to start and then move east from there possibly to Louisiana and other destinations east.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[Rick Kay]

Hi GrandpaDave. G'Pa Rick, here. Last winter, we took our travel trailer to Florida for a month. I was concerned about the clearance inside the truck bed, so we took the 2 wheel FLD to ride. We also did this on our trips throughout the summer. Through a happy set of circumstances, our travel trailer is in the process of being replaced by a Work and Play toy hauler. We are planning a trip for this winter which will take us as far west as Needles, Ca. We are heading south, straight to the warm weather in Pensacola, Fl, then heading westward along the Gulf, and through Texas into the desert.

When we travel, we sketch out a trip which is broken up into easy drives (6-7 hours max) each day. We have places along the way where we stay for a few days, and do the tourist thing, and get plenty of riding in. We make it a "rolling vacation", rather than a "destination vacation."

Not to come off as snide or anything, so please don't take this wrong, but a 5th wheel toy hauler will almost certainly need a one ton truck. They are heavy SOBs! Please do your research on your trailer before you get your truck to make certain you have the right equipment for the job.

I wish you all the best with your travel plans. It is absolutely the best way to see our country!

[GrandpaDave]

Thanks for the reply G'Pa Rick. I appreciate your concerns, We've had 35 to 36 ft fifth wheel campers in the past that we pulled easily with 3/4 ton trucks and are looking at light weight aluminum chassis in that same size. We are avoiding the multiple slide out configurations to keep the weight down also. Our son and son-in law have 1 ton trucks and when not hauling the camper are very rough riding so want to avoid that problem.

[ultraboy]

This year we decided to get a bigger toy hauler. Our Wolf Pack 27WP would carry both trikes, loaded end to end, but the camper was not usable until the trikes were unloaded. So, we set out looking for something with a big enough garage for the trikes, without compromising living space. We shopped and shopped, first with a price point in mind, and ended up throwing price out the window. We finally decided on a Vengeance 39R12 5th wheel. Both trikes can fit in the garage (one backed in, one straight in) and we don't have to unload if it's raining, or we don't feel like it. Our almost new F-250 Diesel short bed SRW was not going to cut it, as the new 5th wheel pin weight exceeded the SRW max. So, momma gets the new camper, I get a new truck! So, F-350, long bed, DRW, turbo diesel, king ranch! The camper weighs 15,037 empty. After putting in a washer/dryer, and all of the stuff you normally carry, at least 1500 lbs, plus the two trikes, the camper only, crosses the scales at 19,250. The big diesel has no trouble, even going thru Denver all the way to Grand Junction on I-70. This thing is pretty neat. Electric Fireplace three A/C's double door refer, shower big enough for two, or maybe three, king bed, granite countertops, double residential sink, three TV's, satellite, you name it. Anyway, since getting it in April, we pulled it all over, about 7000 miles, camped 70+ nights, and rode the trikes almost 2000 as well. A great summer, with many more planned!
Here's a couple pics, one showing both full sized Harley trikes in a 12' long garage. Tight, but very do-able! Looking for neat camping places next year? Anybody got any ideas? We are in NW Indiana, but will travel, LOL
UB

[Lucky]

Hi all,
Last winter my wife and I got our first taste of riding the trike in the south during the winter. Our issue is we don't want to buy a winter home and be set on one general area to spend out time. We were in AZ last winter staying with friends and decided we want more mobility and flexibility.

How many other trike riders take an RV South for the winter and then move from one area to another to explore with your trike?

We are beginning our preparations to do this by upgrading to a new 3/4 ton crew cab diesel and now are looking at late model fifth wheel camper / toy hauler trailers. We're thinking it would be enjoyable to spend a month or so in on area where we can branch out to surrounding areas to see the scenery and local attractions and then move to another area and do the same thing. We're thinking we'd like to try the Austin / SanAntonio area to start and then move east from there possibly to Louisiana and other destinations east.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Sounds like a plan to me. Sure wish we could do that. Good Luck with your search.

[MukavZav]

Thank you very much for your interesting review, I also love to travel more in the winter, this year I tried to get away to the south of Patagonia in Argentina.

[dsifford]

Well, this is my first year to be a snowbird lifestyle with my trike. Living in 36 ft Super C pulling a 12 ft trailer with trike and stuf that will not fit in RV. I got a late start so I mised the Texas Hill country ride by a week, but started my adventure there. Continued working my way to Daytona Beach for my longest nesting period. Got lucky and got into a rv park that actually has a bike ride on the calendar every Tuesday morning, mostly HDs but also a few of us wings moxed in, some triked others not.

Plan is to cover as much of Florida this winter with a target of riding to Key West. So far I am loving it, although we spent a few days riding in rain. All part of the adventure.

Dan

[Lucky]

Well, this is my first year to be a snowbird lifestyle with my trike. Living in 36 ft Super C pulling a 12 ft trailer with trike and stuf that will not fit in RV. I got a late start so I mised the Texas Hill country ride by a week, but started my adventure there. Continued working my way to Daytona Beach for my longest nesting period. Got lucky and got into a rv park that actually has a bike ride on the calendar every Tuesday morning, mostly HDs but also a few of us wings moxed in, some triked others not.

Plan is to cover as much of Florida this winter with a target of riding to Key West. So far I am loving it, although we spent a few days riding in rain. All part of the adventure.

Dan

Sounds like a great winter to me. RIDE SAFE

[trikeleader]

My wife and I are leaving for Phoenix, AZ the day after Christmas. We are driving our
38' motorhome and towing our trike on a trailer with us. We expect great riding in Arizona. We can't wait to leave.

[Illini_Triker]

Looking to do this I hope next winter. Right now I have a 39ft 5th wheel that I pull with a 2006 Chevy hd2500. I am looking for a Toyhauler now and Like ultraboy said most are heavy, But I have found some nice one's that my truck will pull with out any trouble and are really nice, What I hate to thing about is losing the 10 to 12 ft of living space as we are planning on living in it when we do retire. I have also though of getting a motorhome and pulling a trailer behind it, have seen some that pull a trailer behind a 5Th wheel but don't what to even try that. But it might not be that hard

https://www.google.com/search?q=over...nd+boat&imgdii=_

[Rick Kay]

Looking to do this I hope next winter. Right now I have a 39ft 5th wheel that I pull with a 2006 Chevy hd2500. I am looking for a Toyhauler now and Like ultraboy said most are heavy, But I have found some nice one's that my truck will pull with out any trouble and are really nice, What I hate to thing about is losing the 10 to 12 ft of living space as we are planning on living in it when we do retire. I have also though of getting a motorhome and pulling a trailer behind it, have seen some that pull a trailer behind a 5Th wheel but don't what to even try that. But it might not be that hard

https://www.google.com/search?q=over...nd+boat&imgdii=_

My wife and I felt the same as you about losing living space to have a garage. We ended up with a Work and Play that has a glass slider dividing the loving area and garage. We had a folding couch and dinette, as well as cabinets and TV installed in the garage, making it a great living area when the trike is out.

[GrandpaDave]

Hi all,
Thanks for all the comments about ways you transport your trike(s) and enjoy the winter in the south.

We've got the new truck and 5th wheel toy hauler finally and I will post pictures once I get a chance. We went with a new holdover 2014 Ford Super Duty crew diesel towing vehicle and a 2006 R-Vision 37' fifth wheel toy hauler. The trailer only weighs 10300 and pulls nicely behind the new truck. The garage area converts to another bedroom or screened in porch if you leave the ramp down and pull down the screen enclosure. There is a dining area slide out that makes the living space much larger. Since it has a generator it has a 25 gallon gas tank with gas hose and electric pump so we can actually fuel up the trike from the trailer too if needed.

Happy riding everyone.

[durango]

I hope to do this very thing sometime. Still have to get up by the alarm clock and hit the time clock.
But the wife and I are headed the right way, we had a Work and Play TT. Very nice! Weight is always a factor in TT. So when buying a truck this I do know. Buy big! because as soon as you don't you'll need bigger truck. Most 5th wheelers with garage and loaded down with bike/bikes will need 1 ton truck. Not saying you can't do it with 3/4 ton but you'll know soon that you don't have the right truck.
Personally we decided to go for the MH and pull behind for now. Less money vested for us but could see us in the 5th wheeler beform retirement. Wife loves the ideal of the garage.
Here's the rig now and can't wait to get out there with the rest of you snowbirds!