bikendan
Napa, Cal.
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Joined: 11/21/2005
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Dick_B wrote:If it's a Trail Manor it should take less than five minutes either way.
i'm sorry, Dick, but a hybrid is way less setup than your beloved Trailmanor.
you just drop the bunks down and attach the canvas.
with your TM, you have to setup the inside, just like a popup. the door, the wardrobe, the bathroom and the insulating flaps.
you also have to unlatch the ends and pull out the beds, just like a popup and no faster than a hybrid.
granted, the TM will tow easier and get better mileage than a hybrid. but it still is only a fancier, hard-sided popup.
the only setup on a hybrid is the bunk ends. no setting up the door, no setting up the wardrobe, no assembling the bathroom, no fastening flaps all the way around.
Dan- Firefighter , Shawn- Musician/Entrepreneur , Zoe- Faithful Golden Retriever , 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche LS, 2007 Rockwood Roo 23SS w/Equalizer and Prodigy, and 5 Mtn. bikes and 2 Road bikes
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mtnguy
Ruckersville, Va.
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Joined: 03/04/2008
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bikendan wrote:Dick_B wrote:If it's a Trail Manor it should take less than five minutes either way.
i'm sorry, Dick, but a hybrid is way less setup than your beloved Trailmanor.
you just drop the bunks down and attach the canvas.
with your TM, you have to setup the inside, just like a popup. the door, the wardrobe, the bathroom and the insulating flaps.
you also have to unlatch the ends and pull out the beds, just like a popup and no faster than a hybrid.
granted, the TM will tow easier and get better mileage than a hybrid. but it still is only a fancier, hard-sided popup.
the only setup on a hybrid is the bunk ends. no setting up the door, no setting up the wardrobe, no assembling the bathroom, no fastening flaps all the way around.
The beds stay made in our Trailmanor, which I don't think is practical in a HTT?? So the extra time doing all of things you mention with a Traimanor (which are true) is probably somewhat the same by the time you make your bed(s). After initial setup and leveling that every RV owner has to do (except the self leveling units), I can walk in our unit in under 2 minutes, and have in ready it live in in under 5 minutes.
I have had a popup and it was great, considered HTTs, have the current Trailmanor, and may move up to a TT or Class C in the future. RVers just have to do the reseach and figure out what is right for their use. All camping (RVing??) is great in my book.
Chap
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Gaffer222
Northwestern CT
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Joined: 03/03/2005
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If you are counting from the time you pull up to the site it takes at least an hour. Those that say 30 min or less must not count:
Parking
getting the kids out of the TV
getting out and survey site
back in
level
hook up water, electric, catv etc etc
etc etc etc etc
2004 Ford Explorer - V6 w/Tow package
Equalizer & Prodigy
 2005 EZ190 Keystone Zeppelin HTT
DW, DD Circa 2002, DD Circa 2005
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jtbeck
Kentucky
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Joined: 04/23/2008
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I may not have been very clear. I'm not talking about how long it takes to do the things that EVERYONE has to do. Backing in, leveling, unhitching, hookups, etc. I'm talking about the time it takes to do the HTT specific setup as opposed to the PUP specific and TT specific.
Once I've got my PUP backed in, unhitched and level, I can be set up in 30 minutes or less easy. And that includes the AAR. If I was doing it all by myself, it would take a little longer since I suck at making the beds. But if it was just me, I'd bring some sleeping bags and forget the sheets and comforters anyway.
Me (69), DW (69), DD (95), DS (00), DS (01) and 1 camping toy fox terrier (08)
95 Fleetwood Utah, 02 Ford Explorer Limited (V8)
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4BeachCampers
SoCal
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Joined: 08/14/2005
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Backing into and finding the best location on our spot, 10 min, included leveling.
Unhitching HTT and parking TV, 5 min.
Hookups if we have them, 5 min.
Depending on how fast you want move and how many Cold-Ones you want to drink!
The only extra time between HTT and TT, is the HTT has to open up the Bunk ends 5 min.
Every thing else can take between 1 min. and 2 hours depending on how much stuff I want to bring outside.
1999 Starcraft 21CK
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Campfire Time
Wisconsin
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Joined: 07/20/2007
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We have it down to a science. I do the outside stuff, my wife the inside. From the time I disconnect the trailer to the time I put the chairs by the fire pit (the last step), it takes 20/25 minutes. The PUP took us over an hour.
Chuck D.
'03 Jayco Kiwi 17a, '03 Chevy Trailblazer EXT, Garmin Nuvi 200 GPS
Photography is my obsession: http://coldwater.smugmug.com/
“Adventure is just bad planning.” - Roald Amundsen
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cconstancemarie
Las Vegas NV
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Joined: 02/17/2008
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It takes me less than 10 min to set up my htt once I have it parked. It's not that hard unlock the ends, lay them down and attach the tent ends to the velco and stick the polls in all done.
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VolFamily
Tennessee
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Joined: 06/13/2007
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How long does it really take to get your kids out of the tv?? Does that really count as set up time? I never considered that a part of set up. They pretty much have to get out anytime we go anywhere.
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CampingRocks1
Tennessee
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Joined: 07/10/2008
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jtbeck wrote:I'm giving SERIOUS consideration to moving from our PUP to a hybrid in a couple of years so I'm reading everything I can on them. I was combing through a discussion on another site (sorry!) and there were several former HTT owners complaining that the setup took too long on their HTT's.
How can that be?
I know I can have my PUP up and ready with the AAR and everything in place inside of 30 minutes (once it's level). It seems to me that in a hybrid all you have to do is pull out the bunks. How can that be such a chore?
Am I just missing something?
YES You're MISSING SOMETHING! that's that every person, every family is different. That there are a ton of different sizes, shapes and conditions of HTTs, Popups, TTs and so on. That some people are able and want to rush. Some people want to rush but aren't able. Some people are able to rush and do not want to. And so on.
JTBeck, there just isn't one pat simple answer or even a reasonable comparison because you have so many different factors involved. Size of trailer. Extras inside that some don't do. Extras outside that some don't do. 2 or 3 little babies running around . A toddler maybe having to Go Wee every 5 minutes. Or maybe a teenager sulking and deliberately sabotaging something. How about the only site left or the site you were assigned needs a little cleaning up first? happens plenty. Then there's the difference between the ones that rush rush rush and the ones that go slower just because they can. The ones with 60 year old bones instead of 25 year old ones. I always shake my head when I read this question, and it's been being asked in some form or other forever I suppose on popup forums, htt forums, tt forums and so on. There just isn't a pat answer and all it does is start the 'this type is faster than this type' bickering. Your definition of setup is not always the same as that guy over theres. Or the gal next to him. Or the couple back there. And so on.
So basing your decision about getting a hybrid on some online forum member postings isn't exactly scientific nor are the responses (a small percentage of the HTT users out there) going to be anything more than individual preferences. Stick with YOUR individual preferences and make the setup or takedown be what works for you for THAT time. Do you research on the differences between your popup and the HTT's you are considering, no good dealer will refuse to let you go through the put/up take down of the basic unit needed; after that it's all dependent on what else you want to have/do/make easier or make harder. Your way is not going to be my way 100%. Nor anyone else's. The question is an age-old moot one. But somehow I suspect you knew all of this already, as it's not the first time the same thing has been debated and you already said you have read a lot.
You want my personal opinion of my current setup with the HTT versus my former large popup with slide and bathroom walls? It's not quite as slow for the HTT, because the awning is auto instead of having to unroll that dang bag thing for one thing. It's also faster inside as it's less dragging items out of lower compact compartments or having to bring clothes or bags in from the tv and the like. You want my personal opinion of my current setup with the HTT versus my former smaller popup years ago? It takes a little more time now. Because that little popup didn't have bathroom, and wasn't big enough to bring much and with the tv being smaller too-still not much back then in the old days; it was a tent on wheels and it was just me and no wife or kids or pets or knee surgery that slows a few things down, and all I needed was a lantern, charcoal lighter, and hiking shoes (maybe a little TP was good too, but you get my drift I think).. it was fast. But my life and my lifestyle changed. Personally am I pleased with the time and work it takes with the HTT setup and takedown versus the most recent (larger and modernized) popup? I sure am.
A prime example, my wife has driven, leveled, setup everything (and taken down) alone, with me hundreds of miles away. No one helping her. Her time and mine vary. Our styles are different. I take longer. Always have. Even now that she's so pregnant that neither of us can sleep waiting for the moment, she's a faster mover at camp setup and takedown than I am. Likewise, my brotherinlaw who is 10 years younger than me with the same HTT as me , takes almost half the time as me. But my stepfather who has a small TT takes the longest.
There's a lot more important things to consider in deciding whether to go from your popup to an HTT or something else than how long it takes 30 or 40 different people in different types of weather with different type of units and different amounts and types of co-campers and so on. Really.
Best of luck to you as you do the real homework and make your decisions. Hopefully you and yours will make a decision that brings you many happy times and memories. (and without having to trade your tv or your camper every year or 2 or some of the other low percentage events that you'll read on these forums. it's like the daily news, you'll hear far more bad news than good news, sad to say. )
me and dw and ds and soon to arrive DD!
2009 Roo 23SS 1 of last few slate decor; order to delivery <9 wks.
Live & luv in TENNESSEE ~GO VOLS!
2008 Toyota Tundra,2008 Tacoma, 2007 Camry ~ traded 08 TB for Tundra
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Padlin
W. Ma.
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Joined: 06/15/2006
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15-20 min, only 2 of us so not too much junk.
Dog tied out
Level/unhook/hookup
pull out step
drop the beds down
awning
ground mat
2 chairs and small table
grill comes out of the truck to the picnic table
firewood comes out
setup the thermometer transmitter/reciever
DW makes the bed and in general does whatever she does inside while I do the above.
Bob & Deb
W Ma.
04 GMC 1500 4X4, 5.3L
06 Starcraft 18SB
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