First TT - Looking for Opinions on Model
Hello, I am looking into purchasing our first TT. The wife, two boys (6 & 11), and I have been tent camping for years, but we'd like to move up to a trailer now. Plans include weekends and occasional ...
Forum Discussion
On that particular TT, the two things I noticed are that the grey water tank is a bit small at 33 gallons, especially for 4 people. Not a deal killer but something to consider; you could just buy a portable tote tank though.
The other thing is that looks like you can't access the bathroom or fridge with the slide in. A lot of people like to use their own restroom and get to their food when stopping en route to their destination. This may not be a big deal for you but it is for some. Otherwise looks like a pretty good floor plan for your needs.
As for the tow vehicle, disregard the "10K" tow rating and look at payload capacity. Plus, with 4 people, I bet you'll load the truck and TT down with gear, which eats into your payload capacity.
Also, once the TT gets over 30' long, I would get a 3/4 ton truck. The TT you're considering is 34' long, which will be affected by cross winds a lot more with a 1/2 ton vs 3/4 ton. The 3/4 ton truck will be a lot stiffer, weigh more, and probably longer, all of which help with stability. For example, I had a 2012 F150 and now have a 2013 F250. The F250 weighs 2000 pounds more than my F150, per a CAT scale. That's literally a ton more weight to keep the TT in line.
If you were only going to take short trips, a 1/2 ton might be okay but any long trips and you'll be VERY happy to have a 3/4 ton. Look around the campgrounds for people towing 30+ foot travel trailers and you'll 3/4+ ton trucks. There's a reason for that.
The other thing is that looks like you can't access the bathroom or fridge with the slide in. A lot of people like to use their own restroom and get to their food when stopping en route to their destination. This may not be a big deal for you but it is for some. Otherwise looks like a pretty good floor plan for your needs.
As for the tow vehicle, disregard the "10K" tow rating and look at payload capacity. Plus, with 4 people, I bet you'll load the truck and TT down with gear, which eats into your payload capacity.
Also, once the TT gets over 30' long, I would get a 3/4 ton truck. The TT you're considering is 34' long, which will be affected by cross winds a lot more with a 1/2 ton vs 3/4 ton. The 3/4 ton truck will be a lot stiffer, weigh more, and probably longer, all of which help with stability. For example, I had a 2012 F150 and now have a 2013 F250. The F250 weighs 2000 pounds more than my F150, per a CAT scale. That's literally a ton more weight to keep the TT in line.
If you were only going to take short trips, a 1/2 ton might be okay but any long trips and you'll be VERY happy to have a 3/4 ton. Look around the campgrounds for people towing 30+ foot travel trailers and you'll 3/4+ ton trucks. There's a reason for that.
