Did anyone besides myself buy a Runaway Trailer

[SoulRaven]

When Bob suggested that the Runaway Trailer was a good possibility to use as a live in vehicle I checked them out and bought one. Well, it didn't work out for me and I sold it. So I got to wondering if anyone else pulled the trigger and bought one...... and if so, I would be curious to know how that worked out for them.
Was I the only one that tried one out?

 

[SoulRaven]

That's what I thought, it was just me. That Runaway trailer was one of the biggest mistake I ever made in my life. Oh well live and learn. At least I sold that whatever you want to call it. Thank goodness I was able to sell it and recover some of my money.

 

[cyndi]

there are a couple of runaway forums you might ask that question in and get more responses.

I do *internet* know 2 individual woman that are fulltiming in them and seem happy.

 

[Queen]

.... That Runaway trailer was one of the biggest mistake I ever made in my life.

Then you are the luckiest person alive.

 

[Almost There]

Then you are the luckiest person alive.

I totally agree, I've made much worse mistakes in my life than buying a vehicle that I didn't end up liking!

Men come to mind....

 

[Queen]

LOL!!!!   

 

[Rugster]

I'm not sure how well I'd be able to full time in them but for a weekend or maybe a little longer, with a folding chair and a nice canopy, I'd do fine.

Speaking of mistakes, my first serious girlfriend found me on Facebook and after catching up for a few posts, she told me she had kept the way she had broken up with me in her mind and it still bothered her greatly, 29 years later and apologized. She said the way she dumped me (like a bad habit, I must say) was one of the biggest regrets of her life.

I was amazed that she felt so bad about it that she felt the need to apologize 29 years later and told her that if that was her biggest regret, she had lived a great life

 

[SoulRaven]

I totally agree, I've made much worse mistakes in my life than buying a vehicle that I didn't end up liking!

Men come to mind....

Wow, when you put it that way I don't feel so bad. Thanks. I know what you mean about those other kind of mistakes.....only....women come to mind with me. Compared to those, the Runaway was a walk in the park.
Anyway, I am back to square one. Maybe I need to start checking out the van type of abode and see where I go from there.

 

[Almost There]

Wow, when you put it that way I don't feel so bad. Thanks. I know what you mean about those other kind of mistakes.....only....women come to mind with me. Compared to those, the Runaway was a walk in the park.
Anyway, I am back to square one. Maybe I need to start checking out the van type of abode and see where I go from there.

See, it's all relative...

On a scale of 1 to 10, the Runaway is probably really only a 2.

I'm partial to full size vans with a full high top roof for a long list of reasons - that's why I chose one.

 

[SoulRaven]

Oh yeah, I agree on the 1 to 10 scale numbers. After really thinking about it, the Runaway could fall into the negative numbers when honestly doing comparisons.

And I also agree that if I do get a van it will have to be a high top. Another lesson learned from the Runaway......I don't like to stoop or crawl when moving around in a vehicle. I would like to know some more reasons you prefer the high top, if you care to list them. The only negative I see on the van is the lower mpg I would be getting. But I am sure that could be worked around somehow to even out.

 

[Almost There]

Oh yeah, I agree on the 1 to 10 scale numbers. After really thinking about it, the Runaway could fall into the negative numbers when honestly doing comparisons.

And I also agree that if I do get a van it will have to be a high top. Another lesson learned from the Runaway......I don't like to stoop or crawl when moving around in a vehicle. I would like to know some more reasons you prefer the high top, if you care to list them. The only negative I see on the van is the lower mpg I would be getting. But I am sure that could be worked around somehow to even out.

Actually, I'm impressed with the mileage on this one - I'm getting just around the 15 mpg and that's with the big high top. That said I'm no more than a mile down the highway before I'm clicking on the cruise control and I set it at 55 or 60 depending on the speed limit.

The reasons I chose the van with a high top:

- standing height - absolutely imperative to me! Lived without it before, won't ever again.
- the storage that the high top provides - this one only has the middle 6' cut out of the original roof and that's where my interior layout needs standing height. I have absolutely cavernous storage at the back and a large storage space at the front. I'll have more storage that most C's and definitely more than any B's I've seen.
- I can get from the drivers seat to the bed without having to go outside. That's a safety factor for me and also a weather thing - it only seems to want to rain hard when I need to go outside.
- ease of parking - it fits in a regular parking spot although I'll need two when I get the hitch hauler on there. Still, it manoeuvers nicely in parking lots.
- it will go where an RV doesn't. No I don't have 4 wheel drive, that would just let me get in to too much trouble... Toll fees are also cheaper although I don't use toll roads that much...still!
- I like simplicity - a Class B is crammed to the rafters with all kinds of RV stuff I don't want and can live without.
- by buying it empty I am able to have my home on wheels designed, built and decorated MY way.
- the living space is a comfortable size for just me.
- repair costs - any RV is a target for large repair bills IMO, the van can be worked on by any good mechanic.

There's probably more but I'm reasoned out...


I work around the lower mileage by not ever having to pay for camping if I don't deliberately choose to do so. With a solar outdoor shower set up, a separating toilet (C-Head), minimal consumption of gray water and a solar/generator set up I need never see a campground. One can more than adequately compensate in the budget for the other.

 

[Almost There]

Oh yeah, 1 more reason for the van over any other combo or vehicle.

Cost - a p/u with a camper would cost me at least twice what I'll have in a van, Class B's and C's are pricey as all get out here!

 

[skyl4rk]

I sold my mini trailer and made good money on it. I liked it and wish I still had it. At the moment all I have is my backpacking gear and my small car.

I had a large cot with a thick foam pad on it, and slept very well in the trailer.

 

[akrvbob]

The way to be comfortable in any low top vehicle is to have it set up so you just step inside and sit down. You arrange everything around that position to minimize the trips to the very back and to be able to either be able to stretch across the bed or crawl on the bed to the very back.

Steve, you did the opposite. Your microwave was in the back, you seating position was in the back and setting up your bed was in the back.

Instead of minimizing the trips to the back of the trailer, you maximized them and made yourself crawl on hard floor. It's no wonder you hated it.

 

[SoulRaven]

The way to be comfortable in any low top vehicle is to have it set up so you just step inside and sit down. You arrange everything around that position to minimize the trips to the very back and to be able to either be able to stretch across the bed or crawl on the bed to the very back.

Steve, you did the opposite. Your microwave was in the back, you seating position was in the back and setting up your bed was in the back.

Instead of minimizing the trips to the back of the trailer, you maximized them and made yourself crawl on hard floor. It's no wonder you hated it.

Bob, I had my seating with the couch against the wall in the center of the trailer. I had figured out that by positioning that way gave me access to both front and back of the trailer with little movement in either direction on both front and back. I would just step in and turn at the same time and sit down. But even though that made things easier, everything that I did in that tiny, and short trailer was a struggle for me. I am not going to go into a rant about it, all I am going to say is, it takes a certain type of person to live in one of those  things, and I am not one of those.

 

[SoulRaven]

Actually, I'm impressed with the mileage on this one - I'm getting just around the 15 mpg and that's with the big high top. That said I'm no more than a mile down the highway before I'm clicking on the cruise control and I set it at 55 or 60 depending on the speed limit.

The reasons I chose the van with a high top:

Thank you for listing all those for me. That inspires me to lean towards the van way. You seem very knowledgeable about how to set one up to be very efficient and comfortable. Two things that are very important to me. Maybe from time to time I can get some ideas from you of what may work best when I aquire mine and start to put some things together on it. Thanks again.

 

[SoulRaven]

Bob, here is a better pic of my seating arrangement in the Runaway. As you can see, it is centered in the trailer against the wall. The other pic didn't show the position too well. Like I said before, I would just step in and turn around at the same time and sit down. But, for me it still was not at all comfortable for me. I have only myself to blame for making a mistake on buying it. I had that gut feeling the day I ordered it...... but I made the mistake of ignoring that feeling. This failure was completely my own. But, I'm not giving up. I did live in it fulltime for 6 weeks on my road trip up the Natchez Trace, up through Ohio and back to Florida. So I gave it my best, but failed to make it work for me. I am just glad that I was able to sell it and recover some of my money.

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

I think the most important thing now moving forward is to examine why exactly it didn't work for you, both technically and maybe emotionally. Sure it was small, but was that all? Did you enjoy being on the road? Did finding a place to park become a chore? Was it the aspect of having your things divided up between 2 vehicles.

And then decide how you will alleviate those issues in your next attempt (or make one at all).

I know how you feel a bit, I bought a different van and it was a mistake. I'm back to the previous one, and out some money, but it at least was a lesson learned. I too ignored my gut feeling, and I think that is probably something I will think really hard about ever doing again.

I actually like those little trailers, but i can see how living in one full time would be a challenge. Great for traveling tho, with a low mpg vehicle pulling it.

 

[SoulRaven]

I think the most important thing now moving forward is to examine why exactly it didn't work for you, both technically and maybe emotionally.  Sure it was small, but was that all?  Did you enjoy being on the road?   Did finding a place to park become a chore?  Was it the aspect of having your things divided up between 2 vehicles.

And then decide how you will alleviate those issues in your next attempt (or make one at all).  

You have me thinking now about some things I hadn't considered too closely before. To answer those things: I did and do enjoy being on the road, parking was a chore at times I couldn't just pull in anywhere and that took some of the spontaneity out of things, and yes, yes , yes, dividing up things between the 2 vehicles was a real pia. Back and forth wore me out.

I did shift and change things around quite a bit to make that back and forth as less as possible but there were some things that just couldn't be overcome. Clothes in one vehicle and food, chair, stove, dirty laundry, etc in another. It was a rat race the whole time. The more I put in the Runaway the less room I had,( and space is a challenge in the Runaway), the less I put in it and transferred to my Ford Escape made me have to go back and forth more.

So, now that I have gotten rid of and sold that nightmare, what do I do now? At this point I have 2 ideas in mind. I can get a used van and equip it for traveling and living in, or just set up the Escape for tripping. I did start to do that before I got sidetracked and bought the Runaway. I was doing pretty good too, had road tripped with it and slept in it just a short time. 

What comes to my mind of course is, if I had a hard time with the Runaway the Ford Escape will present the same lack of space problems. But here is where that gut feeling starts kicking in again and warning me. What it is saying is that it's all about trade offs, or maybe another way of putting it....opportunity costs. Like you said VanLifeCrisis, other things that were involved can affect if something is acceptable or not. Getting a used van could present it's own set of problems, break downs because of high mileage, poor mpg, etc. Where as the Escape is new and over comes those. The ease of traveling without towing something and having everything in one vehicle is another thing that ranks high with me now. Plus, I haven't really done an extended road trip with it and can't really say for sure how that would work. I mean, Suanne does very well with her setup on the Prius. She has very good ideas on how to make that work. And of course she doesn't tow anything. Which tells me.....it's all about the trade offs and opportunity costs.
Thanks again for bringing some things to my attention.

 

[Canine]

Lots of us have purchased several different kinds of vehicles before finally settling down on the best compromise of whatever balance preferences we want. Thanks for letting us know your experiences. Good info.