Hi Im ken

[Ken Jr]

We have recently retired and was thinking of down sizing from our 28-ft 5th. We have friends and family that have eggs. Just not sure about snow birding from Alaska with a small trailer. Would like any thoughts on the subject. Ken

[reeves99]

Welcome Ken. We have ordered a 13' Escape and plan to snowbird in that, so anything is possible! I warn you: these little eggs are addicting.
Best Wishes,
Phil

Originally Posted by widetrak60

We have recently retired and was thinking of down sizing from our 28-ft 5th. We have friends and family that have eggs. Just not sure about snow birding from Alaska with a small trailer. Would like any thoughts on the subject. Ken

[Ray N]

I know others don't seem to mind extended stays in the little eggs, but my wife has informed me that two weeks at a time is the longest she ever wants to stay in our EggCamper. (So far the longest we've been in it is six nights.) I suggested a three week trip to the western national parks this fall and she wouldn't go for it. YRMV

[Donna D.]

Hi Ken, welcome to FiberglassRV. You'll find lots of friendly people here!

[Ken Jr]

My wife has suggested that we park the 5th some where down there and use the egg to go back and forth from Alaska and in Alaska. What is a good tow rig for an egg. My dually might be over kill

[Ken Jr]

Thanks Ken

[Ray N]

Originally Posted by widetrak60

My wife has suggested that we park the 5th some where down there and use the egg to go back and forth from Alaska and in Alaska. What is a good tow rig for an egg. My dually might be over kill

That's more like it. And, if you ever needed to get away...you would have a handy place to be by yourself.

Yes, the dually would probably be overkill, but overkill is better than underkill, (is there such a word?).

[honda03842]

Originally Posted by widetrak60

Just not sure about snow birding from Alaska with a small trailer. Would like any thoughts on the subject. Ken

We've been traveling for 11 years, starting in a motorhome and graduating down to an egg for the last four years. We moved to small trailers for a number of reasons, to let us go places only small rigs can go like Chaco Canyon, Labrador or Dunkin Donuts, it costs less, you don't take as much stuff, and it's easier. We went down from a 32 foot class A with infinite storage to a 16 foot trailer with limited space. It takes a change in thinking.

We average 7 months a year but have done up to 10 months in a 16 foot trailer, this year we'll do 9. We have no trouble living in a small space. It requires a little different routine but the benefits of travel are just amazing. We're always being stimulated by all the things there are to see and do, just amazing and exciting.

Our intention is to travel until we can't. We are so free on the road, free of the stress of normal life, really free of the stress of all those that normally surround our life. As well our physical health is better, we do more, eat less and feel better. Our minds are more stimulated by all there is to see and learn, so much is fresh compared to staying home. We feel like kids on summer vacation.

I know our style is not for everyone but there is much in the life style that is not obvious. It takes a reorientation, an opening of one's mind like a child. When you were a kid on summer vacation, you sought adventure. You still can. The RV is a tool for doing it.

Travel Safe,

Norm

[Ray N]

Originally Posted by widetrak60

My wife has suggested that we park the 5th some where down there and use the egg to go back and forth from Alaska and in Alaska. What is a good tow rig for an egg. My dually might be over kill

I have some friends from Canada who do something similar. They are retired teachers and spend every winter in the U.S. using a permanently situated mobile home in Alabama as their base of operations. They travel back and forth from Canada, and extensively while here, with a large cabover camper on a diesel dually.

[Donna D.]

I need a LIKE button for Norm's post above!!!

[Ken Jr]

Originally Posted by honda03842

We've been traveling for 11 years, starting in a motorhome and graduating down to an egg for the last four years. We moved to small trailers for a number of reasons, to let us go places only small rigs can go like Chaco Canyon, Labrador or Dunkin Donuts, it costs less, you don't take as much stuff, and it's easier. We went down from a 32 foot class A with infinite storage to a 16 foot trailer with limited space. It takes a change in thinking.

We average 7 months a year but have done up to 10 months in a 16 foot trailer, this year we'll do 9. We have no trouble living in a small space. It requires a little different routine but the benefits of travel are just amazing. We're always being stimulated by all the things there are to see and do, just amazing and exciting.

Our intention is to travel until we can't. We are so free on the road, free of the stress of normal life, really free of the stress of all those that normally surround our life. As well our physical health is better, we do more, eat less and feel better. Our minds are more stimulated by all there is to see and learn, so much is fresh compared to staying home. We feel like kids on summer vacation.

I know our style is not for everyone but there is much in the life style that is not obvious. It takes a reorientation, an opening of one's mind like a child. When you were a kid on summer vacation, you sought adventure. You still can. The RV is a tool for doing it.

Travel Safe,

Norm

Thanks Norm, your words make me want to get on the road. The wife and I planed for this retirement for many years and being snow birds. The only thing we could not plan for was the change in price of fuel and way of life. Our first thought many years ago was a rig about the size of a big semi truck pulling trailer,boat and a car of some kind and now we are trying to be more real Ken

[theresa p]

hi ken---we have travelled in our 13' outback for 10 weeks---our longest trip---and the only time we wished we had more space was when it rained for a number of days on end and we were visiting friends and had hoped to reciprocate their hospitality by "having them over for supper"...not easy to do with our bed permanently made, so no 4-person table available..and it being too wet out to sit outside at a picnic table. i guess if that is our biggest problem, we really didn't have a problem at all! instead, we took them out to a restaurant. and...no clean up required!

[Night Sailor]

Originally Posted by widetrak60

My wife has suggested that we park the 5th some where down there and use the egg to go back and forth from Alaska and in Alaska. What is a good tow rig for an egg. My dually might be over kill

I have a dually myself and when towing a light boat trailer last year, I nearly destroyed my boat and trailer--it was bouncing off the ground like a ping pong ball and I could not even feel it in my pickup. An egg is much heavier though. It might be good to try towing one. Towing with a dually, I think you would want some tongue weight and a load in the bed too. Take this all with a grain of salt, because I have not done it.

[Redguitar]

Originally Posted by honda03842

We've been traveling for 11 years, starting in a motorhome and graduating down to an egg for the last four years. We moved to small trailers for a number of reasons, to let us go places only small rigs can go like Chaco Canyon, Labrador or Dunkin Donuts, it costs less, you don't take as much stuff, and it's easier. We went down from a 32 foot class A with infinite storage to a 16 foot trailer with limited space. It takes a change in thinking.

We average 7 months a year but have done up to 10 months in a 16 foot trailer, this year we'll do 9. We have no trouble living in a small space. It requires a little different routine but the benefits of travel are just amazing. We're always being stimulated by all the things there are to see and do, just amazing and exciting.

Our intention is to travel until we can't. We are so free on the road, free of the stress of normal life, really free of the stress of all those that normally surround our life. As well our physical health is better, we do more, eat less and feel better. Our minds are more stimulated by all there is to see and learn, so much is fresh compared to staying home. We feel like kids on summer vacation.

I know our style is not for everyone but there is much in the life style that is not obvious. It takes a reorientation, an opening of one's mind like a child. When you were a kid on summer vacation, you sought adventure. You still can. The RV is a tool for doing it.

Travel Safe,

Norm

Okay, you two are officially my heroes. That's exactly what I wanna do. Now, if I could only sell my business and my house...

[Ken Jr]

Originally Posted by Night Sailor

I have a dually myself and when towing a light boat trailer last year, I nearly destroyed my boat and trailer--it was bouncing off the ground like a ping pong ball and I could not even feel it in my pickup. An egg is much heavier though. It might be good to try towing one. Towing with a dually, I think you would want some tongue weight and a load in the bed too. Take this all with a grain of salt, because I have not done it.

thats a very good point and one I had not even thought of thanks
Ken

[Jon Vermilye]

I just finished a solo trip of 111 days & 18,700 miles in an Escape 17B behind a RAV4. A wonderful time hitting 20 National Parks & Monuments, and twice that many state parks throughout the US & Canada. Lots of photos and a trip journal starts here.

[Matt in SV]

The National Park Service called - they have been looking for the guy who's been hitting the monuments!

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by Matt in SV

The National Park Service called - they have been looking for the guy who's been hitting the monuments!

NOW I gotta go view/read Jon's blog and write up!

[Alf S.]

Hi: widetrak60... IMHO the best 5th. is one just like ours, built right under your feet in Chilliwack BC!!! Trouble is it won't fit over a dually
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

[Roger C H]

Last year, 2010, January to March we did 6 weeks in our 13'.
This year, December to February, we did 7 weeks, 3 days.
A trailer isn't like a house. You don't spend the whole day in the trailer. The trailer is for sleeping, sometimes eating and sometimes playing cards or other games or watching DVDs. Admittedly, we do eat out at restaurants a lot, but it doesn't rain much in AZ, but it can, like crazy! for a short while.
Driving, towing our Trillium, is just like driving the car itself. We can turn sharply and park anyplace that has double nose-to-nose parking. The convenience of a 13' far outweighs any inconvenience, we feel.
You asked about tow vehicles, our Subaru does just fine and gives us 19.5mpg, and AWD.