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Old 08-16-2018, 10:56 AM   #1
TimL
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46 Days, 15 Campgrounds, 4,000 miles towing in a Passport 195RB

We had a great time visiting lots of NP and monuments, so good we didn't really want to end the trip from Tucson to Jasper, Alberta and back, a total of 8,000 miles driven. The trailer performed flawlessly, no issues whatsoever. Before we left Tucson, we spent a couple of hundred on new Goodyear tires, repacked the wheel bearings, brakes checked, A/C checked and went on our way.

We towed with a 2017 Tacoma TRD with tow package and an additional B&M plate type cooler and used the Torque Pro app to monitor trans and torque converter temps. Zero issues with towing keeping in mind we were not in a big hurry and didn't try to keep up with traffic flow on long or steep climbs. Nor did we impede traffic flow or if we did on 2 lane roads, we pulled over to let others pass.

For those interested in mpg's of the Tacoma, towing ranged from 10-14, touring 23-26.

On another side note, we did a Smart Weight https://www.escapees.com/education/smartweigh/ awhile back to insure our axle(s) and payload weight were all in spec.

I found it "interesting on 2 occasions a RV, usually a 5ver would fly past us only to eventually see them off on the side of the road with one or two blown tires. So much for speed ratings on ST tires.

Now to the purpose of this report. We are considering going to a 25 ft B+/Class A similar to a Winnebago View or Via for really one reason only. That is we think it would be easier to drive a small B+/A than towing. The question is to you readers with opinions and experience, given how pleased we are with the 195, are we nuts in going to a motor type RV? I hope to not have to have a toad, so breaking camp to tour will be a pain. But if we need a toad, we are prepared as I globbed on to a Blue Ox tow bar at an estate sale for next to nothing and the our daily driver car is capable off being used as a toad. Going to a bigger TV is possible, but it would not fit in the garage and adding onto the garage will cost as much as a View/Via.
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Old 08-16-2018, 02:07 PM   #2
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You may find that you'll have more living space in your trailer than the motorhomes, especially the B class, with it you almost have to go outside to change your mind. Either of them you basically lose the front 4-5' due to the cockpits. Plus now you can back up if necessary, with the toad you'll have to unhook it to back up more than a few inches.
There are + & - to both, it'll be up to you to decide!
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Old 08-16-2018, 02:16 PM   #3
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We have the Passport 195RB also and have done 45 days and 30 days, but only 3500 miles, 2500 miles, with no problems. We tow with a 4runner. Don't get your MPG.
No way would I want to break camp and tour with a 25 foot Winnebago, we run around a lot from the campsite. I would have to have a toad. So I would have to ask myself, what have I gain. I think it depends on how you travel. You average over 150 miles a day, a motorhome mite be a better choice for you if that how you will continual to travel. We were doing less than 75 a day.
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Old 08-16-2018, 02:26 PM   #4
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Opinions are sort of like body odor... Everyone has it and even when they share it, it's not always welcome by those who receive it.....

That said, during our "motorhome days" and during our "pickup camper days" we always either had to tow a second vehicle or break camp to go shopping. Invariably, it was just after I got the last leveling block in place that my DW would realize that we were out of milk, or bread or something "vital to the evening meal"..... That meant either breaking camp to drive to the store, doing without and being "peeved all night" or if we were lucky, paying 3 times the value of a half gallon of milk "to get by until we leave"..... Then, to add insult to injury, if you've ever "gone exploring during the day and left your lawn chair to mark your campsite" only to return to find 3 tents and a dozen drunken men on your site with the lawn chair laid against the site number pole..... Well, not a happy camping experience, for sure !!!

The alternative was "towing a toad".... So, my way of thinking, my "opinion" to bring to the table is that if I'm going to sit in a seat towing all day, I really don't want to sit in that same seat all night relaxing. And if I'm going to be towing, I'd rather have two seats to sit in rather than the same one with the inconvenience of not being able to back up thrown in for "unhappy measure"....

I acknowledge that motorhoming is "grand for some people" but honestly, at least for me, it sucks.... I'd much rather tow a fifth wheel and have my house set up and cool when I get home rather than break camp to go get milk and bread..... YMMV (probably will)....
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Old 08-16-2018, 03:12 PM   #5
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Something to be said for simplicity. We have gone the gambit from tent camping in the 50's and 60's, truck camper in the 70's, converted van in the 80's and our first trailer in 1992. We are now on our fourth trailer, and it works for us. As stated above, you lose quite a bit of front space in the front of the unit to accommodate driver, etc. And a PITA to use the MH to go exploring and possible lose your site.


Our biggest justification is because of the horse ranch we always have 4 or more trucks to pull any size RV trailer we would want.


Good luck on your decision and congrats on a wonderful trip!!
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Old 08-16-2018, 03:14 PM   #6
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Let's look at the criteria for making a change; you think the B+/A motorhome will be easier to drive than to tow the trailer. Now, IMO, and that's all it is, a compact pickup is not a good TV...at all and therein lies your poor towing experience. Get a full size truck and your problem is solved. I tow a much larger trailer and I no longer have any issues with towing after I got a truck that was made to tow it. You said it would be expensive to add to your garage because a full size truck wouldn't fit....what are you going to do with the Via/View?

As far as a motorhome, of any class, you will lose room if you compare the same lengths and available floorplans in my experience. The smaller motorhomes just don't have many "roomy" options that I have found. I've seen some pretty nice 40'+ Class As with multiple slides that would probably compete with some of the longer trailer RVs but I don't want to spend 400k+ to get there.

The towing experience; if the towing experience with the Tacoma isn't fun because of sway, wind push, sluggish performance.....welcome to a B+/A. Those same things will happen to any long, slab sided anything driving down the road.

The worst part for me, and the reason I went with a trailer vs motorhome is multiple; >mode of transportation; how do I go somewhere? How do I get groceries? Without a toad you break camp as has been mentioned previously, then you have to take "it" to town and try to find a place to park and return...with all the aggravations that accompany that. >To be able to use the B+/A it would be imperative to have a toad. Now you have the cost of the motorhome and a toad. You say you can use your daily driver, but do you really want to do that? Towing you family car is putting miles on the running gear regardless. > How much are you going to use the motorhome? A month, 6 months, year round? Unless you are using it all the time you have a stranded investment in an engine and drivetrain all needing mtce. yearly, and aging, whether you use it or not. > In our researching and looking a smaller motorhome just felt more confining than a comparable trailer. That may be just us but it's what we thought.

In the end I would think long and hard about what it is that makes you not like towing and what you think buying a motorhome is going to "fix". The normal towing problems encountered with a trailer are encountered in a motorhome. I hope some of the above will give you something to think about. When I retired I was dead set on a nice Class A. After a LOT of research, looking and trying them on for size (and thought) we went with a trailer for an RV and have never looked back or regretted it.
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Old 08-16-2018, 06:06 PM   #7
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Go rent one for a weekend and drive it 50-80 miles or so to a camp site. You may or may not like it. While it sits in a showroom and looks great will never let you know what that ride or drive is like.
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Old 08-16-2018, 08:11 PM   #8
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Had a fellow rver that had most every type rv available & went to,a 5th wheel & said from his experiences with motorhomes, big & small, that they are a hallway with a steering wheel & all had less actual living area than his 5th wheel.
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Old 08-18-2018, 09:42 PM   #9
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Thank you to all who responded. For the most part, everything that was said is practical advice. We did spend several hours at a local RV show, mostly sitting in a Winnebago View 24V. All said and done, it has less inside storage and way less outside storage. It did have a more comfortable seating area with its sofa and driver/passenger swivel seats. But when comparing the cost of a late model used unit at $80-90K or a new unit at $115-$120K and my paid for Tacoma and Passport, the wife will need to become more versed at towing and I will need to become more relaxed when she is towing.

Now it is time to plan our next trip in our Passport 195RB.

Thanks again to all.
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Old 08-19-2018, 07:49 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TimL View Post
Thank you to all who responded. For the most part, everything that was said is practical advice. We did spend several hours at a local RV show, mostly sitting in a Winnebago View 24V. All said and done, it has less inside storage and way less outside storage. It did have a more comfortable seating area with its sofa and driver/passenger swivel seats. But when comparing the cost of a late model used unit at $80-90K or a new unit at $115-$120K and my paid for Tacoma and Passport, the wife will need to become more versed at towing and I will need to become more relaxed when she is towing.

Now it is time to plan our next trip in our Passport 195RB.

Thanks again to all.

After towing something for 45+ years that's the easy part, watching out for all the other idiots, that have never driven anything bigger than their Prius, driving around me is the stressful part, hard for me to figure out what they're doing when they don't know but they have to be 1st to do it.
As for relaxing while she's towing, NO COMMENT!
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Old 08-19-2018, 07:40 PM   #11
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I have 2 friends well, actually 2 couples, that have traded their motor homes of various size and switched to trailers and pickup trucks.
My truck is also my daily driver it's not a very expensive vehicle sitting waiting for our next outing.
My wife and I did a bit over 9,000 miles pulling our 195RB last year and will do about the same this year.
With a 1500 truck and medium tow package I get around the same mileage as you and a very comfortable towing experience.

Aint the 195RB great? Lots of storage, easy to pull and very well built. I should replace the OEM tires I guess. Just haven't figured out the logistics.
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Old 08-20-2018, 02:15 AM   #12
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I'm also going to reccommend the truck/trailer combo.
Last year the DW and I rented a class C with a view to buying one seconhand from the renting agency. We loved it, but I found it too small and having to drive it for touring wasn't so great. So we decided to go the truck/trailer way.
We are just nearing the end of our first 3 month trip with it and we have NO complaints. In the three months we have covered 10,000 miles and seen and done a lot of amazing things.
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Old 08-20-2018, 04:03 AM   #13
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Did I miss what kinda of trailer you pulled? Just curious about what size trailer.
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Old 08-20-2018, 04:24 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mazboy View Post
Did I miss what kinda of trailer you pulled? Just curious about what size trailer.
You did. It's in the subject line, a 195RB.
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Old 08-23-2018, 02:11 AM   #15
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We have owned everything from a tent, pop up, 30 FT Airstream Land Yacht, 30 ft Rexhall American Clipper Class A and now a 28 RLS Keystone travel trailer.

Overall, we have enjoyed a travel trailer the best. We will trade the current travel trailer for a 5th wheel before we retire, but the idea of having a portable home, with more space is better than the motor coast idea.
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Old 08-23-2018, 08:20 AM   #16
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I again want to thank everyone for your perspective on motorhomes vs trailers. You all have helped me get over the desire to get a new RV. As has been mentioned the Passport 195RB is a great couples trailer. About the only improvement I would like to make and most likely will make is to remove the dinette and replace it with either a set of comfortable chairs or a reclining love seat of some sort. We don't use the storage under the dinette sears, so nothing is lost their.

We are however, in the process of planning a 2 month or so trip to New Zealand where we will rent a motorhome very similar to a WBO View 24V. I have long been wanting to go to NZ as my Dad said "It is the most beautiful place on earth". Plus, I did follow Heath & Alyssa Padget on their NZ adventure which got me even more excited.https://heathandalyssa.com/?s=new+zealand

Nevertheless, The Passport 195 will remain in our life with the possibility of getting a bigger tow vehicle, as ultimately, that was where my concerns boiled down to. The Tacoma works based on the "Smart Weigh" analysis, but it is max'd out with little or no safety margin.
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Old 08-23-2018, 09:11 AM   #17
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There are so many ways to go when monitoring batteries.
I use the DVM panel approach. I mounted this and a push button switch in the bathroom above the 4 led indicating lights panel for voltage/tanks that came with the trailer, I just check my battery in the morning when I am pondering the world.

Mini Voltmeter Five 0.36" Digital Voltage Monitor DC 0-4.3000V-33.000V Volt Tester Panel Meter

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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Old 08-23-2018, 09:12 AM   #18
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My wife bought a couple of 12" diameter round pillows about as long as the couch is wide. A strip of valcro hook part was sewn to the bottom and placed at each end of the couch. Makes a nice arm / head rest and together with an ottoman makes a nice recliner.
We store the ottoman next to the couch on the right side, when looking at the couch. The top comes off the ottoman and the inside is our library.
We do use the under seat storage, I like the idea of removing the table but where would I put my wine and tools and such.
Oh well.
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