Actually, I rented that camper. It was an Aliner Scout. One of my short term goals is to own an RV. I had the chance to buy Dad's old Class C motor home, but decided against it. I wanted something smaller to tow instead of driving so I let a friend buy it.
With that being said, I have been renting different trailers for my Florida vacations. First year was a pop-up, then it was the Aliner. Hopefully, if I am still working during Christmas shut-down, I will rent a Trailmanor. So far, I really like the Aliner. I have a feeling I will end up buying a Trailmanor simply because of the towing size versus the usable size when opened. Enough of that.
The actual camper I rented was the Aliner Scout. It was a bare model without AC. It did not even have a fridge in it, only an ice box. Nor did it have a stove. The higher end models can come with a Microwave, fridge, AC, heater, Fan-Tastic Fan, skylights, etc. The one I towed weighed about 900 LBS. Towed it 1100 miles on the first day, sometimes as fast as 85 MPH. You never knew it was behind you. For a weekend camper, they are hard to beat. Easy to heat and cool, plus you have the security and safety of hard sides, unlike pop-ups and hybrid trailers. I was able to manage 18 MPG with the trailer behind me at high speeds. Not bad at all. For something you plan to really travel with, they can be uncomfortable. They set up in about 30 seconds. We set it up at rest area's and ate lunch. Something that is a major pain with a pop-up.
There are two manufacturers I know of that make the A frame style RV's. One is the one I rented, Aliner (http://www.aliner.com) and the other is the Chalet (http://www.chaletrv.com) Chalets are built in Oregon and the Aliners are built in Pennsylvania. So if you prefer to support the local folks near you, Chalet is the one to choose.
I have compared the Chalet and Aliner side by side. They both have their pro's and con's. Chalet seem to be higher quality. Both are priced about the same.
They can be expensive depending how many "goodies" you want. "Odd Ball" trailers are higher to buy because of the specialized equipment needed to save as much space and weight as possible. So, if anything goes wrong once you are out of warranty, be prepared to spend alot of money to fix it since the parts aren't "off the shelf".
Another line to look at is the Trailmanor. (http://www.trailmanor.com) the Model 2619 is what I really want at the moment. The number says the open size (26 feet) and the closed size (19 feet). They are very light, less then 3000 LBS, but are very nice inside. Hi-Lo's are nice too. (http://www.hilotrailer.com)
None of the trailers I listed are cheap. Expect to pay double then that if you were to buy a pop-up or travel trailer. In my opinion, the extra cost is worth the ease of setting up, towing, economy, and agility you get from towing something that folds down. IMO, you just can't beat it.
If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask. I will help in any way I can.
Tom
