Thus came The Ant... 

When we bought the popup (the Sun Valley) we thought that we'd do a lot of weekend camping.  We do, and it's great!  But what we didn't know is that we'd also do a lot of mega road trips.  Epics.  Rain, noise and setup time, and a lack of conveniences for long trips (proper bathroom, big fridge, full/permanent shower, more storage space, ability to use the trailer for lunch breaks) led us to the point of thinking, at first, about some kind of hybrid travel trailer.

We first thought a hybrid would be the best of both worlds, and that point can well be made.  But for our purposes we eventually got around to thinking it might also be the worst of both worlds!  In other words, there'd still be the need to deal with canvas, and all that implies: setting up/tearing down in the rain, noise intrusion, difficulty heating/cooling the sleeping areas, and getting woken up by that early morning sun. Yet the towing part would be like a travel trailer, with the additional challenges that presents.  However, there'd still be the benefit of a full bathroom and the ability to take road-side breaks in the trailer.

Our research led us to the rear-slide hard-walled hybrids, the so-called RS models.  We love the Outbacks but were a bit concerned about the weight of our favourite models.  Then we discovered the Kodiak 25QS rear-slide model similar to the Outback 25RS-S and thought for the longest time it was the one.  In the end we found that there wasn't enough storage, there was the RS part to deal with in terms of setup, weight, and the fact that the weight of the rear slide is up high on the trailer, having implications for handling.  We also really didn't care for the 2005 graphics on the Kodiak nor the inside colours, although the wine-coloured interior was nice enough.  Additionally we felt the slide might be in the way during road-side breaks, and at my height the RS would be a bit too cramped for sleeping.  With many RSs the dinette table has to be collapsed for travel as well, making things not quite as convenient for road-side lunch breaks.  Plus one person would still need to climb over the other to get out of bed. 

The good news is that months of research and looking at trailers helped us to refine our ideas of what we had to have in a new trailer.  This included:

• side slide (regular or super slide)                   

• queen bed for the adults and bunks for the kids where the kids could be separated

• on-board area to carry our bikes (still looking for the elusive best bike carrying solution) and this solution appeals to us for simplicity and overall bike security

• a very open floor plan

• separate outside trunk for stowing all that gear

• high quality construction from a known reputable builder

• access to bathroom, kitchen and dinette while on the road

• dedicated beds with variety of sleeping accommodations for when we take adult guests with us

• factory dry weight about 4500lbs (and expecting about 300lbs of options)

• minimal setup (see comments re canvas and rear slides)

• big fridge to cut down on so many trips to the grocery store

As we looked at floorplans and specs from all the manufacturers over many months it became clear that a 30' trailer was going to be the only way we'd get everything we wanted.  And that meant making the leap into a full travel trailer. Yikes!

Our research included seeking out and talking to people who own the larger trailers to find out how they handle on the highway and on campground roads vs. smaller trailers.  We looked into how they handled with different tow vehicles, and we spoke with some very helpful people about towing. 

While looking at some Outbacks one day, we were pointed in the direction of the new Starcraft TravelStar 30QBS (sister to the Antigua) but we didn't like the wood and the tiny mirrors they use in the interior.  It was only after we got home that we discovered the Antigua sister ship.  Once we realized we were headed for a travel trailer with that type of floorplan, we narrowed it down to the Surveyor SV291, the Trail-Lite 8310S, the Trail-Cruiser 30QBSS and the Antigua 305QBS.

To make a long story short, after looking at prices all over Ontario, New York and as far as Indiana we struck a deal at home and bought a 2005 Antigua 305QBS at Ottawa Camping Trailers in Ottawa.