Our first road trip with our new 2021Toyota Highlander is in the books. We left on Monday morning and returned late Wednesday afternoon. Nothing like knocking off 950 miles in a whirlwind. Plus, we drove in downpours and in busy interstate traffic, both good tests with a new vehicle. The Highlander averaged 26 miles per gallon of regular gasoline. How refreshing!
The primary goal of the trip was to see three different trailer brands and a specific model for each brand. Admittedly, this is a big shift from our years with our 26 foot Nash trailer and big Ford F-250/F-350 pickup trucks. Our brains have shifted gears to embracing a trailer that would be lighter weight, shorter, and offer fewer amenities. Having tent camped for four decades, anything that’s off the ground is good. Plus having an enclosed hard-sided space away from curious critters is a bonus. Most showers and toilets suffice, especially avoiding trudging across a campground to visit the toilet in the middle of the night!
We determined the brands and models after researching and following Facebook and Instagram owners groups and viewing dozens of YouTube videos. The search filters: towing capability by a V-6 Toyota Highlander, a dinette area that could be either two twin beds or a king size bed, a wet bathroom (the shower and toilet share the same space), a simple kitchen, three tanks (water, grey water, sewer), solar power capability, air conditioning, and furnace.
Having been on the selling side just five weeks ago, we know that there’s a strong demand in RVs. It’s challenging to find specific models to view, especially living in rural southeastern Washington. We searched for dealers near us that would provide us the best scenario for seeing all three models. It’s close to impossible to find one dealer that carries more than one of the brands we were exploring. Ultimately, we ended up in Portland, Oregon for one model. Then in Arlington and Everett, Washington, (both north of the Seattle area) for the other two models. We made all three visits in one day on Tuesday, which meant driving from Portland to north of Seattle in the mix.
First stop: Lazydays RV in Portland where we visited a 2021 Xtreme Outdoors Little Guy Mini Max. We liked having a window in the front over the kitchen area. It had a fun vintage appearance. Drawbacks included 6 feet interior height for Steve who is 6 feet 2 inches. The ceiling was even lower in the middle of the trailer where the air conditioner was roughly 2 inches from the ceiling. Even my head touched the ceiling of the bathroom. We may likely need to sit on the toilet to shower. Lastly, the teardrop shape gave more height challenges for Steve the further back he walked. Therefore, as cute as the Mini Max was, it’s too small.
Stay tuned! We’re preparing to be Happy Campers again!
“Happily Retired at the Speed of Sanity”
Diane & Steve