Oh My - more than enough.  My wife wants a trailer.... I want a small motorhome (clipper) - for exactly all the reasons you brought up.  The ONLY reason I see that the trailer would be a convenience is once you get to a place you don't need to 'pack up' everything if you need to make a quick trip to the store.  I get that.... but getting to the spot and coming back from the spot, and then parking at home - all seem to be so much easier with a shorter motorhome.  Even at home, we would have one vehicle that could move the trailer.  IF that vehicle is gone, or out for repair - the trailer is stuck as well.  Where the clipper could actually (in a pinch) be used as another vehicle - or at least moved on its own.  And even tow a trailer if needed....   
I'm still leaning heavily towards the clipper.  Dedicated bed, dinette that doesn't need to be broken down to get some sleep.  A shower and toilet.... everything just points me to a clipper....   Now - where can I find one that will be ready to go to North Dakota in time    ;-)    hint hint....

SierraJoe,
I Got My Heat Res. Tape From Autozone,
Anything You Do To Keep Heat Away, Is A Plus.
I Also Used Header Wrap On My Exhaust Pipes.
I Got 8mm High Temp Silicone Wires, And Put High Temp.
Covers On Them Also.
Dodge 440 CI Put Out A Lot Of Heat. Some Clipper Owners, Installed Ram Air
Piping From Under Front Bumper, And Try
To Bring Cooler Air To Air Cleaner Intake.
I Really Like My Air Scoop On Hood, I Also Put In Under Carpet, Dynamat Sound Deading,
I Also Redone The Doghouse, Do Not Put Duct Tape In Doghouse,
Use Fire Proof Of 500+ Degrees Rated Material & Tape/Glue.
Should Be Photos Or Posts On Forum  Or YouTube.
Good Luck, Let Us Know How You Make Out.
Post Results..
Clipper Joe

I'm was just looking at Fiberglass Wrap Shield Sleeve on Amazon and it is suppose to reduce heat by 60%. I think I will use this for my fuel lines. I'll encase the fuel line from the mechanical fuel pump to the carburetor. I probably should also encase the line from the fuel filter to the input of the fuel pump also. The sleeve might also be good for the spark plug wires. I had one of the wires melt in the past when the engine was running too hot.

Hi Joe,

The electric fuel pump I plan to install is the Carter P4594 which puts out 6-8 PSI and 50 GPH. My Elderbrock carburetor is rated around 6.5 PSI and from what I have read, the Carter being a low pressure pump will not require a fuel regulator. I was on the fence about replacing the mechanical fuel pump and just sealing it off with a metal plate but decided against it. The new manual fuel pump will be rated at 6 PSI and 29 GPH. I'm replacing it also because it's 45 years old and I bet the rubber membrane inside is shot. I don't want a leak to put gas into the crankcase. I'm with you and an engine fire is always a real concern of mine. I've already replaced all of the rubber fuel lines and will hook the electric fuel pump on/off switch to the ignition so that I don't accidentally leave it on. I was thinking about what was different about the last time I had vapor lock. I camped about 3/4 way up the mountain grade verses crossing over the summit into the 7000 foot valley. When I camped in the valley, no vapor lock on the drive as the engine cooled off while I was driving in the valley to my spot. In the time I drove about 20 miles from my house, the outside air temperature dropped from 95 degrees to around 75 degrees. Last trip when I pulled off the pass to camp instead of crossing over to the higher valley. When I stopped to back into my spot, The engine died and would not start again. It was still much cooler, but the engine didn't have time to cool off like it would if I crossed over into the higher valley. I tried a half hour later to start the Clipper but couldn't get gas to pump into the carburetor. I had to pull the air cleaner and spray starter fluid into the carb to get it to start and pull gas from the tank. I'm thinking vapor lock is occuring either in the fuel filter or the manual fuel pump or perhaps even both. As you can see from the photo and your own experience, the fuel filter is tucked into a confined space where heat probably builds up pretty quicky without any air flow. I'm betting on the fuel filter being the main culprit. I will take your advice and insulate the filter. Today it's 34 degrees and snowing at my house. 20 miles away at my camping spot it is also snowing and 20 degrees. Monday and Tuesday it's suppose to get down to around 11 degrees. I can't remember May ever getting temperatures this low around here. On the bright side it's suppose to be around 85 degrees next weekend. Thanks again for your advice!

Hopefully that gives you some things to consider regarding costs, upkeep, and time.

Now, I will address the difference between camping/driving in a trailer vs the clipper.  I currectly have both a trailer and a clipper, so I have experienced these differences first hand...

With a trailer, you can drop the trailer off at camp and drive around with just the tow vehicle.  If you want to drive to a great fishing hole and the wife wants to take a nap, you can do so easily.  With the clipper, your wife would need to go with you to the fishing hole in order to nap inside.

With a trailer, this also means that you can "spread out" your stuff.  With the clipper, you want to make sure things are put away before you take a quick trip to the store.  I find it is easier to just always keep things put away so I don't have to spend 20 minutes cleaning up so I can take a 5 minute drive to get ice, etc.

Very few small trailers come with an oven. The clipper has an oven.  To me, this is probably my biggest regret - not being able to make chocolate chip cookies on a cold night to go with my hot chocolate. 

With the clipper, when you are on the road, you can easily access drinks, snacks, and the BATHROOM.  I have been stopped for construction and simply put the clipper in park to get a drink, snack or use the bathroom.  With a trailer, this is much less convenient.  You need to bring an ice chest in the tow vehicle or get out of the vehicle, enter the trailer, get your drink/snack, exit the trailer, and get back in the tow vehicle.  The bathroom is likewise less convenient.   

With the trailer, pulling over can be problematic.  Most tow vehicles will be at least 10ft long and the trailer will be anywhere from 15ft up.  My current setup is a 16 ft Durango with a 16 ft trailer (12 ft box).  That's 32 ft total.  My clipper is 20.5 ft.  That 12 ft makes a lot of difference.  The clipper can park in a single parking space if there is room to hang over the back end. The Durango and trailer always require two parking spaces.  This is most obvious at scenic overlooks, etc.  It also can make fueling up more difficult.

The clipper will have more storage than a small trailer.  My clipper has 8 kitchen drawers, a full height pantry, a full height closet, 2 smaller cupboards, 2 large cupboards with three openings each, 2 bathroom cupboards, and an entry cupboard.  Because it does not have a built in generator, it also has a large exterior cupboard that can hold hoses, camp chairs, camp tables, etc.  Most small trailers have a half height closet, 4-5 kitchen drawers, 2-4 cupboards, and a smaller exterior compartment.  In addition, they rarely have any storage in the bathroom.

For me, when I use my clipper, everything has a place.  With my trailer, my camp chairs get stored in the bathroom (bringing the dirt with them), I have to move stuff off the bed to go to sleep, and so on.  I actually just ended up buying a roof rack storage to carry those chairs, etc, just so I can access the bathroom easier.

With the clipper, you can have a dedicated bed (cabover) AND a dinette AND a couch.  With a small trailer, you have to give up one of those.  Or go bigger (and the fiberglass egg trailers don't get very big).

The clipper has a 40 gallon fresh water tank, a 20 gallon grey tank, and a 20 gallon black tank.  For me camping alone and not being conservative, that lasts me 14-16 days (using the toilet exclusively, no showers).  A small trailer usually has a 20 gallon fresh water tank.  Depending on the model, you may only have a grey tank (usually 10-20 gallons) and a cassette toilet OR a 10 gallon black tank.  This means you will need to dump more often and refill your fresh water more often.

My trailer has a 20 gallon fresh water tank, a 20 gallon grey tank and a cassette toilet.  I can go about 4-5 days before refilling/dumping.  To counter this, I carry four 2.5 gallon water jugs and a 6 gallon grey water tote - all which take up more space in the trailer or vehicle.

In both a small trailer and the clipper, the shower stall is small.  Most folks prefer using the campground showers when possible (and if clean).  The clipper bathroom is a "dry bath" - meaning the shower stall is separate from the toilet and sink.  It also has a bathroom sink.  Small trailers usually have a "wet bath" - meaning the toilet is placed on the shower floor (so if you are showering, the toilet gets wet). That also means that if you are in the shower, your wife cannot use the toilet and visa versa.  Many small trailers do not have a bathroom sink - in that case, you are sharing the kitchen sink for teeth brushing and breakfast prep.  The bathroom setup in small trailers also affects makeup application, shaving, etc.

With newer RVs, they often have electric appliances.  The clipper original appliances are all propane powered.  The clipper fridge is 3-way (propane, 120v, and 12v).  In addition, even when running on propane, newer fridges still use electric power to run their electronics - the old fridges don't use any electricity when running on propane.   Most newer RVs have 2-way (propane and 120v) or 120v only.  The clipper water heater is propane only.  Most newer RVs have 2-way.

You can find clippers with built in generators.  Small trailers won't have that option.

The clipper has a 40lb fixed propane tank.  This means you have to drive the clipper to a propane dealer to fill up.  Trailers utilize 20lb portable tanks so you can remove the tank and refill or exchange.

That's all I can think of at the moment, but I'm sure it's enough for you and your wife to discuss and weigh.

I haven't traveled long distances in my clipper, so I can't answer specifically to that.

However, I can say that regardless of the RV you buy, you WILL have maintenance costs and work.  Every RV will need tires, batteries, etc.  Every RV will need regular re-sealing.  Every RV will need repair work done.

The main difference is WHEN you put in the work and money.

First, if you are looking for a fiberglass egg trailer (casita, escape, oliver, etc), they are hard to find used.  New, they will run you between $25,000 to $45,000 depending on model and options.  If you do find used, they will be fairly high priced in comparison to other brands.

If you need to buy a tow vehicle, you're looking at another $30,000+ (depending on used vs new).

So right off the bat, the trailer will run you $25,000-$75,000.  Compared to $5,000 - 10,000 max for a clipper.

With the trailer, you will have new batteries, new tires, etc., so you will not have any standard maintenance expenses for the first 3-5 years.

With the clipper, you may need to replace batteries and tires right away.  That's between $80 - $300 for batteries depending on what you get, and about $1,200 - $1,400 for all 7 tires.

Regarding tires, the general consensus is to replace trailer tires every 5-7 years and motorhome tires every 7-10 years.  By default, RVs sit for long periods of time and the tire rubber deteriorates - they may look good, have all their tread, etc, but once you start driving, the heat of the road, etc, causes the tires to split.  And a blown tire on an RV can cause a ton of expensive damage to water tanks, etc.

With the clipper, you may need to put work into the engine, etc.  I spent about $8,000 to have my engine rebuilt and the new 4br carb installed - that was about 2016.  In hindsight, I wish I had simply rebuilt the engine when I first got the clipper - it would have eliminated a lot of little minor issues.

With the clipper, you will want to replace rubber first thing - fuel lines, belts, hoses, etc, if it has not been done by the current owner.  A few bucks doing that now will save a lot of headache later on. 

If appliances don't work, you can spend $100 - $1,000 repairing or replacing any one of them.  A new fridge would be most expensive at $1,000 or more.  It is also a hassle installing.  A new water heater will run $600 or so installed.  However, if cared for, they don't often break down.  So if you make sure they are working properly before buying, they will likely be fine.  IF any seller of ANY RV won't let you test each appliance, you can safely assume it does not work - no matter their reason.

However, a 5-10 year old trailer will have the same odds of an appliance not working as a 42-48 year old clipper. So, you only escape that chance by buying new.

Engine wise, the trailer beats out the clipper.  However, if you have to buy a tow vehicle, you will still have that second engine to maintain - although it will be newer.  You will also have four more tires to maintain - and if the tow vehicle is only used for towing, you will want to follow the same replacement schedule as with a motorhome.

Both will cost for personalization.  The clipper interior may not be as new, but let's face it RV interiors are ugly and you WILL put money into curtains, etc.

After 5 years, both the trailer and the clipper will require the same level of standard maintenance for the house.  Repairs to the house can be handled by the same shops and will cost the same.  Replacing a fridge in a trailer will be the same as replacing a fridge in the clipper, etc.

Engine/chassis-wise, the clipper will be more difficult to find a repair shop, and a mechanic who can work on the old engines, than a tow vehicle will.  This can be minimized if you are familiar with and comfortable doing your own work.  For me, this has been my biggest challenge as I am not into doing auto work. 

However, I will say that during a trip to the Rockies, my boss' Mercedes sprinter broke down.  Rather than take it to a shop, he texted me and had me locate the part. He then ordered it and had it delivered and did the repair himself.  So, if you are going to do your own repairs regardless, this is less of a negative on the clipper.

Hi Joe,
Remember, If The Electric Pump Has To Meter Fuel To Carb.
So You Have To Have A Gas Flow Meter, Remember The While Switch Is On,
Fuel Is Still Flowing, Chance Of Engine Fires.

Have You Thought Of Using Header Wrap On Passenger Lower Header.
That Helps.
My Ex Father In Law Had A Class A He Added A Electric Fuel Pump, Have To Work Out Right Fuel PSI
And Proper Regulator.
You Get Right Fuel Ratio, It Should Work For You.

Just Get The Heat Out Of Engine Bay Area, I Found That My Hood Scoop Did A Good Job,
Also Flip Your Air Cleaner Cover Over To Allow More Air Flo Into Carb.
Try That.

Good Luck,
Clipper Joe

I really like the American Clipper.  I am not an owner - but want to be one!!  However, after diving head first into research, making contacts, seeing one locally (ship wreck...) and planning a trip to see another one... my wife lowers the BOOM....
Her fear is that I will get a 45 year old motorhome and it won't be dependable, kill me with maintenance costs and just be another project for us/me to do....
My question for the group is - does anyone actively use their Clipper for long (more than 500 mile) trips?  I would love to hear. 
My goal is to have a rig that will make the trip from Portland Oregon to Dickenson ND at least a couple times a year - with stops in between. 
Any thoughts from the group on a properly maintained (possibly rebuilt) 45 year old RV being reliable enough to make a 2500 mile trip without leaving you stranded? 

Or should I just get a travel trailer like the wife wants?     Thanks!!!

Hi Clipper Joe, nice to hear from you again. I've heard the same thing about these carbs being prone to vapor lock. I'm hoping to keep the carb as my Clipper runs smoothly with no issues and idles like a purring kitten. I never thought about the fuel filter, I'll implement your suggestion. I have aftermarket headers on my Clipper that might be adding to the problem of heating up the filter. I don't remember how close they are to the filter. From what I have read, an electric fuel pump can make a huge difference. I decided to replace the mechanical filter verses remove it when I add the electric fuel pump. I'll add a switch to the electric fuel pump inside the cab that I can flip on when climbing grades or to pump gas to the carburetor when the Clipper has sat a long time. The 440 is such a big engine to be in such a tight configuration. My brother has a 1970 Dodge Challenger with the same engine and when you open the hood you realize how big the engine really is. Thanks again for you help!

Hello SierraJoe,
Glad To Hear From You Again,
Thanks To Toedtoes She Emailed Me About Your Problem.
It Took Me Many Years And A Lot Of Trying,
To Stop The Heating & Vapor Lock Problems.
What Is Vapor Lock, Is We?re the Gas Turns Into A
Vapor. It Is Over Heating.
That Is Why Dodge Went To The Thermoquad
Carb, It Has A Special Plastic Float bowel.
Also, I Found That The Fuel Filter Is On Frame, Under Passenger Door.
I Found It Wound Ge So Hot That It Was Also Close To The Exhaust Pipe.

What I Did To Solve That, Filter Getting Hot.
1.) Installed New Metal Wix Fuel Filter.
2.) Insulated Around Fuel Filter With Wall Installation.
3.) Made A  Galvanize   Cover And Add 2? Solid Installation & Glued to Cover Shield,
Screwed To Frame. This Really Helped.

I Did Install A Hood Scoop & 2 Ea.6? Diameter Holes/ With Screens On Hood.
I Think I Still Have A Template For Scoop, I Got Online. Note: Had to Modify To Fit Dodge Hood. 

One Last Thing Joe, I Had That Problem When I Had The After Market Carb, Eldebrock  Carb,
Go To OEM Carb,
I Still Have A Few Carbs & Ca SmogApproved Carb  Eldebrock . At Home, Have Sold My Clipper.


One Thing My Diesel Pusher Monaco Does Not Vapor Lock, Cummins
Motor.

Hope This Helps You,
Clipper Joe