Would you recommend a Hideout?

RVownerWannabe · 10-01-2012, 03:17 PM

We've recenty been struck with "2 footitis" but in a bad way. We just sold our a 17ft Jayco and are now looking at the 24RLS (28ft) We want floor space for 2 big dogs, a walk around queen bed, a U-dinette, a table that can be taken outside etc. The 24 RLS seems to fit the bill but my husband is concerned about the added length he will be towing and parking. We would like to do some off road camping as we live in Beautiful British Columbia. Is 28 ft unrealistic to get into rec sites or should we look for something shorter? Do you think the Hideout can handle a little off road adventure, is it sturdy enough? Any experiences you can share, positive or negative?

2011 keystone · 10-01-2012, 03:20 PM

I will have had my hideout 26b 2 years in about a week or so.
I have had zero problems with it.
I think the hideout is a GREAT TT for the money.

Festus2 · 10-01-2012, 03:55 PM

Most of the Provincial Parks in BC have sites that would accommodate a 28ft RV. There are sites in every park - provincial and state - that are harder to get into than others. Some of the older parks which were intended for tents, hard-tops and campers, have sites that are a bit on the short side.
Not sure what you mean by "off road"- that encompasses a lot - not only for suitable sites, but also for getting into them without wrecking your RV. These RV's are not built or designed to take much in the way of "off road" experiences. Most members are not up to taking their RV's over rough, backwood roads. They are too hard on the RV. Road conditions and the like are something that you will have to decide....too rough or not???
28 feet seems to be a good overall length. We have a 28RKS Cougar 5th wheel and have had no problems getting into provincial park sites. Some of the Forestry campsites are a bit on the small side so you may difficulty get into some of those.
But on the Island? Tons of great places to camp!!! And TONS of money to get off and on the Island - especially towing an RV. But who, in their right mind, would ever want to leave the Island?

lorax614 · 10-01-2012, 03:59 PM

I've got the same unit as Keystone2011, only a couple of years newer. Our first rv, so I don't have a lot of backing/parking experiance. But have had no trouble placing it in any site we've camped at . Love the TT has great space for DW,me,and 2 kids,8 & 10. Really was a great value compared to other brands we looked at. As far as offroad camping goes I can't offer much. "offroad" means different things to different people. I can say I've taken ours down some "roads" that barely meet the definition.

DW's idea of sightseeing between camps.

fla-gypsy · 10-01-2012, 06:47 PM

I like the Hideout line (formerly Hornet).

RockyMtnHi2 · 10-03-2012, 08:52 AM

We recently purchased the Cougar 24rls and have taken it to 3 different state parks in Colorado, Wyoming and Utah. The actual length of the trailer - from spare tire to tip of the tongue - is 30 feet 6 inches. Yikes!
Yes, there are a lot of spots in the campgrounds that our trailer just won't fit into. But we have managed to find great spots in each campground without much trouble. I will preface this by saying we've been doing past peak camping. A little worried about finding those larger spaces once high camping season is in full swing again next year. It is a big trailer (yes, I hear those of you with 30 and 32 foot rigs laughing!), especially when you compare it to what you have gotten used to.
We rented a couple of different TTs before we purchased. You may want to try that and see how you feel about the differences in towing, parking and living in a larger unit.
Kathy

azlee56 · 10-03-2012, 09:14 AM

I was just wondering, does a dealer (or a private person) ever let you hookup before you buy to get a feeling of what it does when you pull?

Jakemedic · 10-03-2012, 03:57 PM

Hello!

Can't really speak to the quality yet..... we pick up our 27rbs tomorrow. In our situation it will be my bride and I, and two rescued greyhounds. It appears to be a perfect sized trailer for our needs. Keep in mind it is our first trailer, only a 4 season dome tent to this point.

The hideout appears to have a great fit finish and feel to it. We looked off and on for about a month. This floor plan jumped out at us and we knew it was the right floor plan for our needs. We will post additional information as we get to camping in it. Hopefully we will be as positive about it in a year as we are before spending our first night in it.

Best of luck, but I would say, at this point, you really can't go wrong with a hideout, decent value, quality and floor plan.

Take care and be safe!!!

Jake

fla-gypsy · 10-03-2012, 04:58 PM

I bought my Hornet 7 years ago and it has been a great value priced TT. I think it is a good choice

alien_scones · 10-03-2012, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by azlee56

I was just wondering, does a dealer (or a private person) ever let you hookup before you buy to get a feeling of what it does when you pull?

In our case, we rented several times before purchasing.

We knew after several rentals what to expect.

That being said, the service tech responsible for final delivery insisted on a ride-a-long for several miles around the lot and answered all questions asked, and made several useful suggestions on driving / towing.

For those buyers ready to jump in feet first - ( which I was ) - renting before you buy was absolutely the best experience for us... it gave us an idea what we liked ( and did not like ) about each trailer.

We are very happy with the trailer we choose - and happy we didn't "bite" on the first one we liked....

Remember shopping for a RV is half the fun...

happy trails

Jakemedic · 10-04-2012, 05:39 PM

Picked up our 27rbs this afternoon. Made it a few hours out of Cincinnati and found a sleepy campground to hang out in. It is beautiful thus far, comfortable and reasonable to tow. Got about 12.5 mpg. Didn't have any wood to disconnect but still very nice. Will post more of a review after a few months of using it.

Beachnut · 11-03-2012, 02:39 PM

I own a Outback 230RS which is 27' 8" i believe. I tow it with a Chevy 1500 5.3L 4x4 Z71 into some serious Outback country as I am a gold prospector. I have had our trailer on many Mojave Desert dirt roads, and Forestry dirt roads that are rated as passenger car roads, but are more like 4x4 roads due to lack of maintenance. I have had my truck down in 4x4 LOW, 1st gear range, crawling over rocks, and ruts. I can usually drive over the road in 2 wheel drive, without the trailer, but with the trailer, I hit 4 LOW 1st to go real slow over the rough terrain so as to go REAL easy on the trailer. Let me tell you, that trailer is a real trooper! That trailer has crossed many a creek, and climbed many a mountain. It works fine, tows fine, and has had no problems bottoming out front or back as it has real good ground clearance. I actually have found driving the winding paved roads more hard on the trailer as cupboard doors have come open, and contents fallen out, where as going slow, for 5+ miles on a messed up rutted rocky forestry road, with creek crossings has never opened those same cupboards! (buy child safety latches to fix cupboards from coming open. Some latches even fold over to the door, or drawer, so you can "dis-engage" them when not traveling)..

If you chose to venture into the real outback, just make sure you have somewhere to turn the rig around at. Even drop the trailer, drive in, explore, check it out, then go get the trailer IF it is safe. Also,,, get a LARGE transmission cooler as those 5mph crawls dragging a trailer up a long dirt road will surly overheat your transmission. I got a "Haden Dawg 525 fan cooled trans coller" and it works great!

So, yes, you CAN with a 28' trailer, but I sure do not think I would want anything bigger!!!

Beachnut

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