I have a class C but had 2 pup's before and was looking at a HTT before I found the ClassC.

I was in a popup during a real bad rainstorm with heavy winds and rain.  I was at a flea market so there was no pulling out, I had to ride it out with my cousin.  Thankfully I was able to pull vehicles on 3 sides so only 1 side was exposed.  It was rough but it made it through. 

Dealing with 3 little boys, setup, and towing.....the popup can tow the easiest but the Hybrid will have the easiest set up.  Your wife could even NOT set up but still use it until you get there, level, and drop the bunks. 

We started with a pup and had it for 12 years, and we're now going on the 3rd season with our HTT. My  DW had only towed and set up the pup one time without me there. She did fine, with that, but is a little intimidated about towing and backing the HTT into a site because of the lack of view around the camper. Sounds like your DW wouldn't have the same issues, but, if you decide on an HTT, just make sure she has plenty of tow vehicle and a weight distribution / anti sway hitch for safety reasons.
With an HTT, she could get into the site, level side to side, chock the tires and then let the kids go inside the camper with some toys etc., open a window for ear shot and then start the outside set up of unhitching, leveling front to back and deploying the beds etc, all while the kids are safe inside. With a pup there would be more work for her prior to letting the kids out of the car. She would have to level side to side, chock the tires, unhitch, level front to back, raise the roof, deploy the beds, and pretty much have camp set prior to trying to wrangle in the kids.
Both types of campers have their own ups and downs ( no pun intended ) and set up is similar in so many ways for any camper. I guess it's more of a personal decision when deciding between each type.
We loved our pup and have had so many great memories of camping trips with our kids. The kids are now in their late teens and into early adulthood now, so we chose the amenities and ease of access of an HTT over the pup. We really wanted the canvas bunks that we enjoyed so much in our pup with just a little more luxury. We have that in our HTT. Bonus for me is that I can now go out to the camper in the dead of winter and still get a little camping fix.
Hope this helps, good luck with finding what works for you and your family. 

first, a 15'-17' hybrid is not going to be big enough for a family of 5.
and the only company i know of that makes a hybrid under 17', is LivnLite, which are very expensive hybrids with only one canvas bunk end.
not sure where you've found a 15' hybrid. :dunno:

second, do your wife a favor and make sure she has a capable tow vehicle, not a marginal one.

third, having owned two popups, we've found our hybrid to be much easier and pleasant to setup. way more inside storage.

fourth, a hybrid will be easier for temp control. using Popup Gizmos on the tent ends and Reflectix in the tent windows, the a/c and furnace can easily keep the hybrid cool or warm.

fifth, my wife finds the hybrid much easier to tow, than either of our popups. but we have a very capable tow vehicle and an Equal-i-zer WDH and Prodigy brake controller.

[quote author=BoomJammer link=topic=2941.msg28504#msg28504 date=1396986838]
You can't just leave the statement like that.  What was more difficult about towing the popups?  Did you have a less capable tow vehicle at that time?

well, the main thing is that the hybrid's tandem axles track better than the popups' single axle. and it has electric brakes and our popups didn't have them.

we also towed the popups with a Ford Ranger and a Ford Explorer Sport, while we tow the hybrid with a v-8 Avalanche.

Dan,
Thanks for the response.  The Avalanche is on my list of vehicles to check out and consider for our next TV.  Glad to hear you like it!  One of my concerns with any truck is how our 3 kiddos will interact/behave across the rear seat.  We've gotten very accustomed to "dispersed seating" in our minivan.  But we could really use the additional tow capacity of a truck or larger SUV.  ...especially if we move in the direction of a hybrid in the future.

the newer Tahoes, Burbs and Expeditions can get 20+ highway mpg now, with the v-4 feature of the GM 5.3 engine and the 6 spd. trans.
and all can have a third seat. the Burb is exactly the same as the Avalanche, except it has the third row seat/roof, instead of the Avy's truck bed.
and you should be able to tow any current hybrid, if they are properly equipped.

though we have absolutely loved our Avy(and so glad we didn't buy the Ridgeline), it has limited us looking at moving to the dark side. we have had a difficult time finding a TT that we like and be towable by the Avy.
we may move to a 5th wheel and 3/4 ton truck since we're retiring this year and our hybrid will not fit our future RV lifestyle.

[quote author=BoomJammer link=topic=2941.msg28527#msg28527 date=1397073068]
So, what are typical tow ratings for 1/2 ton trucks/SUVs like the Silverado/Sierra/Avalanche/Suburban/Yukon 1500, F-150, Ram 1500, and Expedition?  I fully expect there to be a range of ratings (dependant on the configuration).  What is the range?  ...and what is typical? 

...and in order to stay on-topic, what are typical weights for hybrids?

you really can't compare the tow ratings of trucks vs. SUV's.
trucks can generally have higher payload and tow capacity numbers than SUV's.
some 1/2 ton trucks can be close to a 3/4 ton if you configure it right, since trucks have so many more configuration options, while SUV's dont' . the Ford Ecoboost is an example, with its HD towing option and Max payload option.
my older '07 Avalanche has a towing capacity of 7200lbs.,while a Silverado with similar equipment can tow nearly 9000lbs.
part of that is because the Avalanche is much heavier than a Silverado.

as far as hybrid weights, they can range from 3500lbs. loaded to over 7000lbs. loaded.

[quote author=BoomJammer link=topic=2941.msg28542#msg28542 date=1397152894]
I see.  Thanks!  So you're looking to up your capacity into the 9000+ range in order to be more comfortable towing up to a 7000 lb hybrid?

we're going to be moving out of the hybrid world, since they're aren't a good choice for a retirement lifestyle. especially when we may be on the road for 3 straight months.

we're looking at either a 29' TT that the Avalanche can tow or just upgrade to a 3/4 ton truck and 5th wheel combo and call it good.

we're trying to follow the old saying: "Buy your second trailer, First!"

Jason,
How tall are you?
Those beds in the little Jaycos are only 70 in long (5 ft 10 in).
That is because the trailers are only 7 ft wide vs almost everyone elses 8 ft wide trailers.
If you do fit, it limits resale value as a lot of us need a much longer bed afforded by the 8 ft wide trailers.

As far as the difference between towing a 3500 lb pup and a 3500 lb trailer. It's that 8 ft wall behind you.
You won't know the pup is there, providing you have a decent TV, but you WILL know the TT or HTT is there.
Don't let them fool you that a sloped front tow easier. Only an Airstream will tow significantly easier due to it's rounded shape.
Both Ford and Chrysler limit the frontal area you can tow with less than full size TV's.
Other manufacturers are not quite up to speed with those limitations.
That 8ft wall behind you can very negatively affect the TV, especially when it's less than a full size SUV or PU.

This is a great video of what can happen with too small a TV.
Winds of change