We currently have an older Roadtrek Class B, and we love it, but we are thinking of getting a new/newer Aliner or Class C. Would love feedback on pros and cons of each. One thing I have noticed in looking at the Aliners is that there is not much storage inside the unit for clothes, food, etc. Thanks for any insights.
Newcomer trying to decide between Aliner or Class C
- Thread starter CarolMCL
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highdesertranger
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Welcome Carol to the CRVL forums! To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips & Tricks" post lists some helpful information to get you started. We look forward to hearing more from you. highdesertranger
hepcat
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Hi Carol, and welcome!
Several questions from your post... how "old" is "older" for your Roadtrek?
WHY are you considering something else? What do you like about the B-van, and what are you looking for that's different?
A class C coach is going to be very similar to your B-van, just larger. Towing a trailer is a whole different way of traveling.
Several questions from your post... how "old" is "older" for your Roadtrek?
WHY are you considering something else? What do you like about the B-van, and what are you looking for that's different?
A class C coach is going to be very similar to your B-van, just larger. Towing a trailer is a whole different way of traveling.
WalkaboutTed
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My husband and I had an Aliner for several years. We loved it, especially when we were stuck in bad weather (hello Junuary in Washington State!). The high ceiling made up for the tinyness of it. But while the large windows and the vaulted ceiling were very nice, the little a.c. is useless in any real heat, because of the ceiling. Just in case you want to use it, don't bother trying in the desert except for the cooler parts of the shoulder seasons. But that wasn't really part of the equation for us. The galley was handy. With changing the mattress, the bed was comfy. After years of tenting or camping in a Nissan Quest, it was huge. We pulled it with our 4 cylinder Subaru Forester.
But we sold it and went back to tenting mostly because of the hassle factor of pulling a trailer. The possible negative? It is tiny. We're minimalists, so we were fine with that. But it comes back to that we ended up not using it because it just wasn't our thing. And a strange thing that we have no problem tenting or in the minivan? Sitting on the bucket in the middle of the trailer. In a van, the other person can always sit in front, reading or looking out the window while the other is doing his/her business. In a tent, you're already outside, so privacy is easy. In the Aliner, there was nowhere else to look. Dumb thing, I know, but we all have our hangups.
If you are okay with very little space, the Aliner is great. If you are okay pulling a trailer, it's just ducky. It just didn't ring our bell. Aside from that, we like to stealth and when you open up that A-frame, that ain't gonna happen. It's such a striking vehicle, that we had frequent visitors just to look at it.
We're back to a van, though we're moving up from a minivan to a commercial high top cargo van that we're converting.
I suggest that you determine whether you prefer being in one vehicle or would be amenable to pulling a trailer. I would say that the usable space in the Aliner is about the same as a class B, it just feels bigger because of the vertical space and all the windows. It's a fine camper.
Ted
But we sold it and went back to tenting mostly because of the hassle factor of pulling a trailer. The possible negative? It is tiny. We're minimalists, so we were fine with that. But it comes back to that we ended up not using it because it just wasn't our thing. And a strange thing that we have no problem tenting or in the minivan? Sitting on the bucket in the middle of the trailer. In a van, the other person can always sit in front, reading or looking out the window while the other is doing his/her business. In a tent, you're already outside, so privacy is easy. In the Aliner, there was nowhere else to look. Dumb thing, I know, but we all have our hangups.
If you are okay with very little space, the Aliner is great. If you are okay pulling a trailer, it's just ducky. It just didn't ring our bell. Aside from that, we like to stealth and when you open up that A-frame, that ain't gonna happen. It's such a striking vehicle, that we had frequent visitors just to look at it.
We're back to a van, though we're moving up from a minivan to a commercial high top cargo van that we're converting.
I suggest that you determine whether you prefer being in one vehicle or would be amenable to pulling a trailer. I would say that the usable space in the Aliner is about the same as a class B, it just feels bigger because of the vertical space and all the windows. It's a fine camper.
Ted
Welcome! I can see where you are coming from in going with a Class C over another B, probably cost and maybe storage, but what is the attraction of the Aliner to you, that might help to know. We are on RV #9. If you wanting something easier to tow, have you considered Trailmanor or Hi Lo, both have more limited storage than a C but are an easy tow. Also, other manufacturers are now making an "generic" Aliner if you were not aware of that, Forest River River, Coachmen, Starcraft and Jayco. So, why a Class C or Aliner, what are you needs/wants?
hepcat said:
hepcat, our Roadtrek is a 1997 model. The reason we are considering going with something else is the inconvenience of having to break camp if we want to see things in the area. We love the size of it, it is easy to drive, it has everything we need. A little larger bed would be nice since my husband is 6'3". He has adapted somewhat, but it will be harder as he ages. We would be towing a small car if we go with a class C which is not ideal, but otherwise we have the same issue that we have with our class B in breaking camp.
WalkaboutTed
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Whoa! Carol, unless they have a wider model of the Aliner, you need to know that our bed was athwartships. My husband is 5'11" and the bed was just barely tolerable for him. We had the Classic. I haven't kept up with current models (ours was a 2007), perhaps there's a wider model.
If not, if your husband is 6'3" and wants a longer bed, that may be a deal breaker for an Aliner.
Just sayin'
Ted
If not, if your husband is 6'3" and wants a longer bed, that may be a deal breaker for an Aliner.
Just sayin'
Ted
Ted, from what I have seen of the Aliners, we may have more storage inside our class B than they do. I just wasn't sure if I was missing some inside storage looking at the floorplan of the Aliners.WalkaboutTed said:
We were tent campers when our children were at home because that was the only way we could afford to travel. I never enjoyed the tent camping, but I love our rv camping. I appreciate your insights on your experiences.
hepcat
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CarolMCL said:
I'm intimately familiar with the 'breaking camp' issue, Carol. I have to do that with my Coachmen B-van as well. Fortunately, I don't really 'stay' anywhere in it more than a night or two, so it's not a big deal for me. I'm 6'5" tall, and at 62 I can also relate to the bed issues. When I DO travel to places I'll be staying longer or my wife is flying in to stay for a week or two with me, (I'm retired, she's not... it's how we travel) we take the Born Free 32 rear queen Super-C and tow our Jeep JKU as a towed. It solves ALL of those problems...
About the towed... my 86 year old father has being doing motorhomes and his toads were flat towed for nearly forty years now... while I'd stubbornly stuck with trailers and tow vehicles saying, "well you've gotta hitch something up anyway... what's the difference?" And as fathers are, he'd tell me his was a LOT easier to hitch up, and walk away smiling. With the motorhomes I'd had, I'd used a tow dolly as what I towed was front wheel drive and couldn't be towed four down. When I bought the Born Free 32RQ, I bought another tow dolly for my Toyota FJ Cruiser as it couldn't be flat towed either, and on top of THAT I had to drop the driveshaft even on the dolly because of the center differential. That got old really fast, so I did my homework and ended up with the Jeep. I sold the tow dolly, and bought the towing kit stuff both used and from Amazon warehouse and spent about half what I had in the tow dolly. Now I know why Dad always walked away from our conversations shaking his head with his wry smile. Towing a vehicle four down behind a motorhome really IS easier.
There is a WORLD of difference in how easy it is to hitch up a towed that is four-down. It takes literally two minutes after everything else is ready to be on the road with it, and there's no tongue jack, or anti-sway or weight distribution stuff to mess with.
All that to say, I'm REALLY happy with my Super-C/towed setup (photos link in my signature.) And they can be purchased really reasonably... PM me if you'd like details about mine. I have less in BOTH the Super-C AND Jeep than some folks spend on a 5th wheel trailer, or a new truck to tow with, and I bought the Jeep new.
Happy hunting!
Roger
sushidog
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I have an 06 LXE Aliner. We just came back from a 2,500 mile trip to West Texas/Big Bend. Incidentally I saw a couple of van dwellers there (both at the hwy-90 bridge overlook and at a rest area just outside the NP). My DW and I thought they might be members of this board, but wanted to respect their privacy.
Anyway, back to the subject at hand. If you put up Reflectix over your windows and bubbles, like I have, then the 5,000 btu AC is plenty, even in the desert heat, however without the added insulation over the windows you would beed to go with a bigger AC unit. Here's a link to a Blog entry about my Aliner here: http://www.cheaprvliving.com/which-vehicle-to-live-in/living-traveling-pop-aliner-trailer/
You can see the Reflectix and the storage space available. The main space is under the couch in the rear and under the kitchen sink. Our sofa/dinnette converts to a king sized bed which we leave out all the time. This gives us additional storage space under the bed, which is huge. There is also a small storage cabinet under the dinette seat by the door (the battery and our inverter is undwer the other one.) I also built a silverware/frying pan drawer under the stove. We sometimes store bread and chips inside the micrwave when traveling too. We have a shower/cassette toilet in ours, but if you chooser to forgo this option this leaves more available where it is. You are limited by weight too, and each Aliner has a different weight limit. We have a total carrying capacity of only 650 lbs. Since water is heavy the 16 gallons on board (6 in heater and 10 in the fresh tank - the Aliner has no waste tank, so we use blue totes to collect and dump our waste water) times 8.33lbs/gallon = 133 lbs add 37lbs for a full propane tank (74lbs if you have 2) that brings the available carrying capacity for our unit to 480 lbs. We usually carry about 150lbs of gear and another 50lbs of food in ours. We keep our clothes and ice chest in the tow vehicle. If you pull the Aliner with a van or pick-up with a topper this gives you much more storage capacity. The biggest detraction to full-timing in one is limited space to move around inside. A class C will have 3 times the interior room, but will consume twice the gas traveling down the road than our 4 cylinder car does towing our little, low drag Aliner. When towing we get about 23-25 mpg (limiting our towing speed to 65, and 31-34mpg when not towing.) Unless you plan on towing an economy car with your class C not only will your fuel cost much more, but a big C is more cumbersome to get into tight places too.
If you plan on pulling a toad then you have to register and insure 2 vehicles. Our Aliner is covered under our tow vehicle's insurance while towing and I paid a one time registration in Louisiana so I have permanent plates which don't ever need to be renewed nor additional taxes paid. If I were going to full-time in an Aliner I would get a Chalet XL model as they have much more room inside as well as a larger carrying capacity - but you will need a minivan or equivalent with a 3,500 lb towing capacity to pull one, whereas our little Aliner only weighs in at around 1,700 lbs with full tanks, etc. ready to camp. Everything in life is a compromise. You must trade something you'd like to have for something you want more - and everyone values different things. I hope you make the choice that best reflects your unique lifestyle and budget needs.
BTW my Aliner is 6'4" wide inside (6'6") outside. So laying sideways is not a problem for my 5'11" height, however if I were 6'3" or taller I could either lay longways or at an angle as there's plenty of room for 2 in our king sized bed. Chalet xl series campers are 6'8" wide inside.
Chip
Anyway, back to the subject at hand. If you put up Reflectix over your windows and bubbles, like I have, then the 5,000 btu AC is plenty, even in the desert heat, however without the added insulation over the windows you would beed to go with a bigger AC unit. Here's a link to a Blog entry about my Aliner here: http://www.cheaprvliving.com/which-vehicle-to-live-in/living-traveling-pop-aliner-trailer/
You can see the Reflectix and the storage space available. The main space is under the couch in the rear and under the kitchen sink. Our sofa/dinnette converts to a king sized bed which we leave out all the time. This gives us additional storage space under the bed, which is huge. There is also a small storage cabinet under the dinette seat by the door (the battery and our inverter is undwer the other one.) I also built a silverware/frying pan drawer under the stove. We sometimes store bread and chips inside the micrwave when traveling too. We have a shower/cassette toilet in ours, but if you chooser to forgo this option this leaves more available where it is. You are limited by weight too, and each Aliner has a different weight limit. We have a total carrying capacity of only 650 lbs. Since water is heavy the 16 gallons on board (6 in heater and 10 in the fresh tank - the Aliner has no waste tank, so we use blue totes to collect and dump our waste water) times 8.33lbs/gallon = 133 lbs add 37lbs for a full propane tank (74lbs if you have 2) that brings the available carrying capacity for our unit to 480 lbs. We usually carry about 150lbs of gear and another 50lbs of food in ours. We keep our clothes and ice chest in the tow vehicle. If you pull the Aliner with a van or pick-up with a topper this gives you much more storage capacity. The biggest detraction to full-timing in one is limited space to move around inside. A class C will have 3 times the interior room, but will consume twice the gas traveling down the road than our 4 cylinder car does towing our little, low drag Aliner. When towing we get about 23-25 mpg (limiting our towing speed to 65, and 31-34mpg when not towing.) Unless you plan on towing an economy car with your class C not only will your fuel cost much more, but a big C is more cumbersome to get into tight places too.
If you plan on pulling a toad then you have to register and insure 2 vehicles. Our Aliner is covered under our tow vehicle's insurance while towing and I paid a one time registration in Louisiana so I have permanent plates which don't ever need to be renewed nor additional taxes paid. If I were going to full-time in an Aliner I would get a Chalet XL model as they have much more room inside as well as a larger carrying capacity - but you will need a minivan or equivalent with a 3,500 lb towing capacity to pull one, whereas our little Aliner only weighs in at around 1,700 lbs with full tanks, etc. ready to camp. Everything in life is a compromise. You must trade something you'd like to have for something you want more - and everyone values different things. I hope you make the choice that best reflects your unique lifestyle and budget needs.
BTW my Aliner is 6'4" wide inside (6'6") outside. So laying sideways is not a problem for my 5'11" height, however if I were 6'3" or taller I could either lay longways or at an angle as there's plenty of room for 2 in our king sized bed. Chalet xl series campers are 6'8" wide inside.
Chip
Snow Gypsy said:
Snow Gypsy, the Aliner (style) is attractive to my husband because of the lighter weight to tow with our Outback, and it still have hardsides. A class C over a class B because of the difference in cost. We would prefer not to tow at all, but to see things in the area where we are camping, we basically have to break camp. We thought it might just be easier to tow.
ArtW
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If I was a couple, I'd for sure go with the Class C / Towed
What is the tow capacity for your Outback? That should be in your owner's manual or you can look it up online. Are you looking at new or used? There might be a molded fiberglass TT that would have a bed of sufficient size, but they are overpriced even when used, but last nearly for forever, said to be easy to tow. Most units have owner's forums where you address specific questions once you zone in on what seems like it will work.
hepcat
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The bottom line is that there is a difference in how you travel in a trailer vs. moho. A trailer is perfect for parking somewhere for a period of time as a home base... and then you use the tow vehicle as your sight-seeing car. BUT, it's a hassle to hitch/unhitch and set up and break down each time. A moho is perfect for traveling. It can be gone in a fraction of the time it takes to get a trailer ready, and requires very little "outdoor" time to make it happen. So, if you move every couple of days, the motorhome route makes a lot of sense. If you stay a week at a time, the motorhome/towed makes a lot of sense. If you stay for a week at a time, but you only do it once or twice a year, or you stay in one location for three or more weeks regularly in one spot, then the tow vehicle and trailer make sense.
It's more about HOW and HOW OFTEN you travel than it is about the amenities of the vehicles themselves. One of the things we kept coming back to is how comfortable it is to be on the road in a moho vs. the hassles of a travel trailer. It's much easier to pull in somewhere for an afternoon nap, or a meal with a moho than a trailer. You can certainly do it with both... but when you're traveling regularly, the moho is just more convenient. If you're parked, longer-term... then it really doesn't make much difference what you're staying in as long as you're comfortable in it.
It's more about HOW and HOW OFTEN you travel than it is about the amenities of the vehicles themselves. One of the things we kept coming back to is how comfortable it is to be on the road in a moho vs. the hassles of a travel trailer. It's much easier to pull in somewhere for an afternoon nap, or a meal with a moho than a trailer. You can certainly do it with both... but when you're traveling regularly, the moho is just more convenient. If you're parked, longer-term... then it really doesn't make much difference what you're staying in as long as you're comfortable in it.
sushidog
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Yes, it depends on how many miles you put on a vehicle and how much you can afford, which I think is pertinent to a "Cheaper RV Living" board.
Let's run some numbers to quantify this a little. Let's look at the cost to operate a medium sized Class C (we'll assume gas powered), a Class C with Toad, vs a 4 cyl car (such as the OPs Outback) with A-frame trailer.
I will also make some assumptions on mileage using round numbers (just to make the math easy.) Be sure to use your own estimates t get a more accurate cost estimate.
In my case, I have driven well over 300,000 miles in 10 years, (30,000 miles/yr) but let's assume most people drive 1/2 of that, which is a more reasonable average of 15,000 miles/yr. We will also assume that 1/2 of these miles (7,500) will be towing, with the rest sightseeing, shopping and mundane tasks, etc. I will also assume that gas averages $3.00/gallon over the next 10 years for this simple illustration.
Vehicle Class C Class C w/toad Car with Aliner
Est. MPG Towing x miles towed x $3 15k mi/10mpg x$3 = $4,500/yr 7.5k mi/9mpg x $3 = $2,500/yr 7.5k mi/20mpg x $3 = $1,125
Est MPG Not Towing x miles traveled N/A 7.5k mi/30mpg x $3 = $750/yr 7.5k mi/30mpg x $3 = $750
Total fuel cost $4,500/yr $3,250/yr $1,875/yr
Est. maint., repairs, reg. and ins. $2,000/yr $2,500/yr $1,000/yr
Total estimated annual operating costs $6,500 $5,750/yr $2,875/yr
Maintenance and repairs are a function of mileage and operating costs (for example tires, oil and spark plugs are cheaper on a 4 cyl than on a v8.) While a newer vehicle will require less repairs than an older one registration and insurance costs will be higher on a newer one. Plug in your own figures, as the ones I entered are just guestimates.
Even if one plugs in their own numbers to match their personal experience with their unique rig, estimate of mpg and the projected cost of fuel, though the total dollar figure will certainly change, the relationship between them should not change significantly. So purely from an economic perspective a 4 cyl car with trailer is cheaper to operate, register and insure. I would say comparable to operating a newer van or older class B. This example addresses only operating costs and does not address acquisition and depreciation costs. Nor does it address esoteric things like comfort level, interior room, storage space, convenience and versatility, which certainly favor a motor home w/toad and a MH by itself over a car with trailer - if you have the extra $3,000 - $3,600+/yr in your budget. Some do, while others don't.
Chip
Let's run some numbers to quantify this a little. Let's look at the cost to operate a medium sized Class C (we'll assume gas powered), a Class C with Toad, vs a 4 cyl car (such as the OPs Outback) with A-frame trailer.
I will also make some assumptions on mileage using round numbers (just to make the math easy.) Be sure to use your own estimates t get a more accurate cost estimate.
In my case, I have driven well over 300,000 miles in 10 years, (30,000 miles/yr) but let's assume most people drive 1/2 of that, which is a more reasonable average of 15,000 miles/yr. We will also assume that 1/2 of these miles (7,500) will be towing, with the rest sightseeing, shopping and mundane tasks, etc. I will also assume that gas averages $3.00/gallon over the next 10 years for this simple illustration.
Vehicle Class C Class C w/toad Car with Aliner
Est. MPG Towing x miles towed x $3 15k mi/10mpg x$3 = $4,500/yr 7.5k mi/9mpg x $3 = $2,500/yr 7.5k mi/20mpg x $3 = $1,125
Est MPG Not Towing x miles traveled N/A 7.5k mi/30mpg x $3 = $750/yr 7.5k mi/30mpg x $3 = $750
Total fuel cost $4,500/yr $3,250/yr $1,875/yr
Est. maint., repairs, reg. and ins. $2,000/yr $2,500/yr $1,000/yr
Total estimated annual operating costs $6,500 $5,750/yr $2,875/yr
Maintenance and repairs are a function of mileage and operating costs (for example tires, oil and spark plugs are cheaper on a 4 cyl than on a v8.) While a newer vehicle will require less repairs than an older one registration and insurance costs will be higher on a newer one. Plug in your own figures, as the ones I entered are just guestimates.
Even if one plugs in their own numbers to match their personal experience with their unique rig, estimate of mpg and the projected cost of fuel, though the total dollar figure will certainly change, the relationship between them should not change significantly. So purely from an economic perspective a 4 cyl car with trailer is cheaper to operate, register and insure. I would say comparable to operating a newer van or older class B. This example addresses only operating costs and does not address acquisition and depreciation costs. Nor does it address esoteric things like comfort level, interior room, storage space, convenience and versatility, which certainly favor a motor home w/toad and a MH by itself over a car with trailer - if you have the extra $3,000 - $3,600+/yr in your budget. Some do, while others don't.
Chip
hepcat
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Chip, On first blush, you're pretty close in your assessment, but I still have to take issue with a couple of your basic premises. First: fuel expenses are typically only a small portion of the total cost of ownership of an RV. Next, it's probably not reasonable to expect 20mpg out of a 4cyl anything when towing a travel trailer. I suppose that there may be a combination 'out there' that can achieve that regularly, but having owned and traveled in MANY combinations of tow vehicles and light-weight trailers over the years, expecting more than 15mpg when towing is a real stretch. And if you're towing a 2500 lb+ trailer in any kind of hilly or difficult terrain or wind, that'll drop from there.
The variable(s) comes in the horsepower to weight ratio and is influenced in some degree by the gearing ratio as well. In any event, I don't believe that I've ever gotten more than 15mpg out of a 4cyl towing a load near the weight capacity of the tow package. One of the BEST gas mileage combinations I had was a 2000 Ford Excursion 6.8L V10 with a 3:73 rear end and a 17' Burro wide-body trailer. The trailer might have weighed 2500 lbs loaded, and I could regularly pull down 16-17mpg with the combo. That's the BEST gas mileage I've ever gotten. Towing a 1400 lb Scamp 16 with a Honda Element netted me about 13mpg... about the same that I get with my B-van with a 351W. And that's about what I got with most of my 4 cyl tow vehicles towing at or near their recommended towing capacities. My 8.1L/Allison Kodiak chassis Born Free with a 4:88 rear end and 19.5" tires nets me 9 mpg whether or not I'm towing my Jeep. There are truisms out there that we rely on that aren't necessarily borne out in the real world. I wish I'd have kept records of my towing mileage with various 4 cyl combinations as I'm pretty sure I'd have been able to come up with a pretty consistent percentage ratio of towing vs. non-towing mileage. Unfortunately that opportunity is lost.
Second is that depreciation is often a much larger piece of the total cost of ownership than folks initially expect, and often overshadows the operating expenses annually by a magnitude of two or three. Of course, that depends on the cost of the initial investment in both tow vehicle and trailer or moho. Buying wisely can ameliorate some of those expenses, and I have had occasions where I've actually sold the trailer (or moho) for more than I paid for it after using it for three years... so it can work to the opposite as well, but the fact remains that anticipated depreciation needs to be a driving factor in your purchasing decisions; at least from a financial perspective.
Of course, my B-van is the least expensive vehicle to operate that I own, with an annual license fee of $65 and insurance at less than $100/year and no depreciation. As long as I keep it up, it'll pretty much always be worth what I paid for it. The cost of ownership there is fuel and maintenance. Per mile, my '95 B-van costs me about $0.25 while my '16 Jeep is somewhere around $2/mile (total cost of ownership) a pretty significant difference. I haven't worked out the total ownership cost per mile for the Born Free... but at what I bought it for, the depreciation will be pretty minimal, at least for the first five years I own it.
The variable(s) comes in the horsepower to weight ratio and is influenced in some degree by the gearing ratio as well. In any event, I don't believe that I've ever gotten more than 15mpg out of a 4cyl towing a load near the weight capacity of the tow package. One of the BEST gas mileage combinations I had was a 2000 Ford Excursion 6.8L V10 with a 3:73 rear end and a 17' Burro wide-body trailer. The trailer might have weighed 2500 lbs loaded, and I could regularly pull down 16-17mpg with the combo. That's the BEST gas mileage I've ever gotten. Towing a 1400 lb Scamp 16 with a Honda Element netted me about 13mpg... about the same that I get with my B-van with a 351W. And that's about what I got with most of my 4 cyl tow vehicles towing at or near their recommended towing capacities. My 8.1L/Allison Kodiak chassis Born Free with a 4:88 rear end and 19.5" tires nets me 9 mpg whether or not I'm towing my Jeep. There are truisms out there that we rely on that aren't necessarily borne out in the real world. I wish I'd have kept records of my towing mileage with various 4 cyl combinations as I'm pretty sure I'd have been able to come up with a pretty consistent percentage ratio of towing vs. non-towing mileage. Unfortunately that opportunity is lost.
Second is that depreciation is often a much larger piece of the total cost of ownership than folks initially expect, and often overshadows the operating expenses annually by a magnitude of two or three. Of course, that depends on the cost of the initial investment in both tow vehicle and trailer or moho. Buying wisely can ameliorate some of those expenses, and I have had occasions where I've actually sold the trailer (or moho) for more than I paid for it after using it for three years... so it can work to the opposite as well, but the fact remains that anticipated depreciation needs to be a driving factor in your purchasing decisions; at least from a financial perspective.
Of course, my B-van is the least expensive vehicle to operate that I own, with an annual license fee of $65 and insurance at less than $100/year and no depreciation. As long as I keep it up, it'll pretty much always be worth what I paid for it. The cost of ownership there is fuel and maintenance. Per mile, my '95 B-van costs me about $0.25 while my '16 Jeep is somewhere around $2/mile (total cost of ownership) a pretty significant difference. I haven't worked out the total ownership cost per mile for the Born Free... but at what I bought it for, the depreciation will be pretty minimal, at least for the first five years I own it.
sushidog
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Hepcat, I average 23-25 mpg pulling my Aliner. It is a medium sized model but has all the bells and whistles. I met a fellow pulling a snoopy dog house motif Aliner with a VW Jetta diesel who says he gets 30 mpg towing.
If you go to the Aliner Yahoo forum they have a database that contains info from Aliner owners with tow vehicles, tow weights and mpgs. https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/alinerchaleta-frames/database/26/edit
I think you must be a member to access the file, but just in case you do, here's some info contained therein:
Subaru Outback 2.5L 2007 Sportliner 21 hwy mpg
2010 Subaru Forester 2.5 2009 Aliner Classic ST-2 2000 lbs 22-23mpg
2003 VW Golf, 1.9L I4 TDI (diesel), 5spd manual 2010 Aliner Classic ~1500-2000lbs 26-30mpg
1987 Toyota Pickup 2.4L 4cylinderR22 2004 Chalet LTW 1395lbs 23 to 24 MPG Up to 60MPH
Mazda 3 2.3 1996 Aliner Standard 22mpg
2010 Toyota Yaris 2dr , 105hp/103ft.lbs. 1.5 Twincam 2005 Aliner Sportliner 920 lbs 33 MPG highway, 29 city
1995 Ford Taurus 3.0 v-6 2009 Scout 1400 20 - 22 mpg
2010 Subaru Outback 2.5i with 6MT 2011 Aliner Ranger 24 highway mpg
2009 Pontiac Vibe 1.8L 2009 Aliner Sport 1720# 22 mpg avg.
2007 Honda CRV 2.4L 4 Cyl. 2012 Aliner Sport 1500 lb 21 mpg
Toyota Rav 4, V6 with Tow Package 2012 Aliner Classic, Titanium Edition 19-21@ 65 mph, depending on grade and wind conditions
Honda Element 2.4L 160 HP 2013 Aliner Alite 26 mpg
Of course there are tow vehicles that get less mpg, particularly in mountains, but there are many who exceed my 20mpg projection, as does my combo.
BTW, I have over 369,000 miles on my Chevy Cobalt (original engine, but auto tranny replaced at 300,000 miles), over 65,000 of which have been towing my Aliner over varied terrain including many mountain ranges. It averaged 24.1 mpg towing my Aliner at 65 mph on my last 2,500 mile trip (mostly flat land till I got to the Chisos mountains).
I absolutely agree that depreciation is a huge variable. That is why I left it out. If one buys a new $100k+ MH, the depreciation will far exceed operational expenses. However with a 10+ yr old, low mileage gas MH in the $20-$25k range, depreciation becomes a lesser issue. Certainly a suitable, used economy car and a good used Aliner can be had in the same price range or less, making the depreciation comparison between the two roughly equal, which is why I didn't include it in my crude analysis.
Chip
If you go to the Aliner Yahoo forum they have a database that contains info from Aliner owners with tow vehicles, tow weights and mpgs. https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/alinerchaleta-frames/database/26/edit
I think you must be a member to access the file, but just in case you do, here's some info contained therein:
Subaru Outback 2.5L 2007 Sportliner 21 hwy mpg
2010 Subaru Forester 2.5 2009 Aliner Classic ST-2 2000 lbs 22-23mpg
2003 VW Golf, 1.9L I4 TDI (diesel), 5spd manual 2010 Aliner Classic ~1500-2000lbs 26-30mpg
1987 Toyota Pickup 2.4L 4cylinderR22 2004 Chalet LTW 1395lbs 23 to 24 MPG Up to 60MPH
Mazda 3 2.3 1996 Aliner Standard 22mpg
2010 Toyota Yaris 2dr , 105hp/103ft.lbs. 1.5 Twincam 2005 Aliner Sportliner 920 lbs 33 MPG highway, 29 city
1995 Ford Taurus 3.0 v-6 2009 Scout 1400 20 - 22 mpg
2010 Subaru Outback 2.5i with 6MT 2011 Aliner Ranger 24 highway mpg
2009 Pontiac Vibe 1.8L 2009 Aliner Sport 1720# 22 mpg avg.
2007 Honda CRV 2.4L 4 Cyl. 2012 Aliner Sport 1500 lb 21 mpg
Toyota Rav 4, V6 with Tow Package 2012 Aliner Classic, Titanium Edition 19-21@ 65 mph, depending on grade and wind conditions
Honda Element 2.4L 160 HP 2013 Aliner Alite 26 mpg
Of course there are tow vehicles that get less mpg, particularly in mountains, but there are many who exceed my 20mpg projection, as does my combo.
BTW, I have over 369,000 miles on my Chevy Cobalt (original engine, but auto tranny replaced at 300,000 miles), over 65,000 of which have been towing my Aliner over varied terrain including many mountain ranges. It averaged 24.1 mpg towing my Aliner at 65 mph on my last 2,500 mile trip (mostly flat land till I got to the Chisos mountains).
I absolutely agree that depreciation is a huge variable. That is why I left it out. If one buys a new $100k+ MH, the depreciation will far exceed operational expenses. However with a 10+ yr old, low mileage gas MH in the $20-$25k range, depreciation becomes a lesser issue. Certainly a suitable, used economy car and a good used Aliner can be had in the same price range or less, making the depreciation comparison between the two roughly equal, which is why I didn't include it in my crude analysis.
Chip
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