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gmcspadden's avatar
gmcspadden
Explorer
Sep 12, 2016

Family of four full-timing...RV recommendations?

Hi RVers! First time posting. My family and I live down in San Antonio, and are seriously considering full-timing. I've been doing some research on RVs, and think I have a pretty good idea what I'm looking for:

-bunkhouse for the kids.

-queen bed for parents.

-slideout for extra space

-probably 28' max. We want to be able to visit our friends and family, so we don't want it to be too big. We are pretty minimalist, so we don't feel like we need too much space. A big bathroom and kitchen would be better than extra living space.

-outdoor kitchen seems great to have when the weather is nice.

-pulling with a 1/2 ton, so needs to be under 7K lbs.

-fiberglass siding seems like the way to go.

I've been looking at the Palomino Puma and Solaire, but am hoping to get some more suggestions from you experienced folk! We are looking to buy used, and would like to stay under 15k. Thanks in advance for any recommendations you have.
  • Had a 28' bunkhouse, no slide, dry weight near 5,500 lbs, max weight a little over 7,000 lbs. Ford F-150 crew cab with V-8 was too little truck to tow it comfortably in Texas with gusty winds over 10 mph.

    Sail area on the trailer would push the truck around if the wind was from anywhere back of the trailer.

    It had a single AC right over the top of the kitchen - made conversation almost impossible in the trailer in the summer.

    It was also cramped and uncomfortable for two people.
  • Which Pumas (5er or travel trailer)do you think are half ton towable and can you give us the information off the door placard on your tow vehicle.
    Need
    Curb weight
    GVWR
    Which engine do you have
    etc
  • 28' is going to be crowded but people have done it with less.

    Full time RV living for a family requires a lot of gear, food, and clothing. Make sure you understand that everything in the truck (including the family) other than the driver is subtracted from the tow rating. It is going to be mighty hard to find something that can be used with a 1/2 ton truck. Half tons usually run out of payload very quickly.