Hello everyone- thanks for providing a very useful and informative forum for FunFinder trailer owners.
I recently bought a 2012 139X in San Diego, from the original owner. I began looking for a trailer over the summer, after retiring from teaching, with the goal of spending more time on the road in more relative comfort than my current set up.
I feel fortunate to have found & purchased this one- they seem a bit rare, and lots of people are buying trailers due to COVID. The first buyer who looked at this one put a deposit down- so I continued searching. I found another one- a 2008 - but it was sold immediately to the the first person who looked at it!
I checked back with the owner of the 2012 and discovered the first buyer couldn't come up with the final payment. He had heard from a few others, but I drove out to take a look at it and he gave me first option to buy it.
My checklist was: small enough to fit in a short driveway (I've added an extension) to avoid storage fees and parking tickets, since San Diego prohibits RV parking on the street without a costly permit, and with enough basic amenities to make life on the road comfortable: bathroom, hot water shower, kitchen etc.
Other considerations: light enough to tow with a 6 cylinder truck, and- since I travel into Baja and drive on moderately rough dirt roads to get to some locations- something sturdy that would hold up to the rattles caused by washboard and potholes.
I was happy to learn that the XT models are framed with aluminum vs. wood. Apparently this is a rarity- and I've seen enough RVs & trailers tipped over, alongside the Baja highway, to know that wood is more common, and doesn't hold up to well to vibration or impact.
(I'm not planning on tipping over- but rattling is an issue, which is why I bought an all-metal framed Callen camper for the truck, after consulting with Baja friends.)
While I'm new to the trailer, I've been camping since childhood. My family travelled and camped often in an "Open Road" axle-mounted RV, on a GMC truck chassis with a "granny gear"- it was a beast! My parents purchased it after renting a tent trailer one summer. We used it to drive cross-country to visit family, national parks, and have lots of other adventures.
Over the years since then, I've owned two '71 VW Westies that I used to travel from Oregon to Baja Sur, a 4WD Mitsubishi wagon, and a 4WD Ford Ranger w/small fiberglass shell. (FYI: fiberglass shells are not great on rough, dusty roads)
I spent the past several years doing basic camping out of the truck (Mazda B4000) with the Callen shell. Since I was teaching full-time, most trips were short duration, and I stayed in hotels between drives to remote campsites.
As the weather finally cools off, I'm looking forward to heading south. It's convenient to have the trailer right outside the front door: I've plugged it in, and I'm testing the various systems, adding supplies, and learning how things work.
(Related question: does anyone know what this "winterize" sticker means?)
I have questions about the water and gas system, which I will post elsewhere.
Thanks again for providing this forum to help others new to the FunFinder universe!
Lori ("Waltzing Matilda")
New 139X owner introduction- and questions
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