Destination Trailer 2025 Forest River Sandpiper 40D By Howard J Elmer For many of us the love of camping started early in life, often in a tent. Later as desire, money and time allowed we would move into pop-ups, trailers, and motorized RVs; each type tailored to our situations as life changed and our wanderlust grew. It follows that we carry the camping bug for life—yet, as life changes so do our needs and wants despite always having the same goal—enjoying the camping experience. Destination trailers are a small slice of the RV market, yet one of these too may one day be part of your life. As the name implies, its about the destination—not about getting there. That was not always the case for most of us—but for a mixture of reasons—many of us do find that we arrive at the place where the actual hauling (over the road) of a trailer is no longer desirable. That’s okay, life itself is a journey and sometimes hanging out in the rest stop is just fine. The destination trailer that caught my eye as I was doing some on-line research is the Forest River Sandpiper 40D. Called a duplex trailer it offers two master bedrooms with queen beds at either end of the trailer and two separate loft sleeping areas also at each end of trailer. This leapt out at me because,
yes, I too am at that stage in life where I have two grown sons, with young families. Together they have created five grandkids aged two to six. Ask me if we are busy. Tracie and I spend a lot of time with them and seeing a unit that was great for the kids but also gave my son’s family their own grownup space (and gave me my own private space) just made so much sense. I don’t own one of these yet—but I can see the appeal. So, one day if I find a really great campground, on the water, that I’d be happy with season after season—well, that’s for Tracie and me. However, this same scenario will appeal to my kids as a weekend getaway, which means I get to hang out with my little Elmer army a lot. Is there anything better? If you are thinking of a destination trailer, you’ll want to find the park you’ll want to stay in first. Unlike a short-term stay, you want to make sure you’ll be happy for the long term. That includes the terms and rental rates. In addition, moving a trailer like this often requires a hauling service. On the other hand, once in place you don’t need your own tow vehicle anymore. Just drive in, as you would a cottage with your daily driver. Destination trailers often have removable hitches and even direct connections to inground sewer systems (no tanks). With a sliding patio door, a common add-on fixture is deck, built on site. You really are setting up a semi-permanent vacation home.
DESTINATION TRAILER
COAST TO COAST MAGAZINE SUMMER 2025 | 33
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker