never towed question's

also i have been thinking about refueling and the complications i or anyone may have. ive been scoping gas stations around town trying imagine how would i do this or that on the roads. im thinking im going to be truck stop friendly til i gain experience


Da Wife.... or Dear Wife.... or Dam_ _ _....WAIT...I can't type that!!

I feel like this place is full of great mentors!!

if i may change gears a little....has anyone ever used an "RV" GPS like from Garmin?...if so what r your thoughts......secondly.....whats "good sam" all about? worth it?

valhalla360 wrote:
A smaller used unit will cost you less money if you decide it's not for you.

But it still costs. I got a used trailer in very good condition, under book value, and I've still had to put almost 100% more than the original cost in things like:
* Tax/tag/title (around $500)
* Labor costs for things I don't feel comfortable with/don't have the time/energy/skills/guts for. (around $500)
* LP leaks (plumbing, valves) that didn't show up during my self-inspection (around $1200 including labor)
* New battery, new tires, new spare, towing mirrors, brake controller, surge protector, bulbs, oils, greases, fluids, liquids, hoses, levelers, water filters, extension cords, thermometers, replacement power cord heads, sewer kits, protectants, sealants, roadside assistance, insurance, consumables, kitchen and bath supplies and gadgets, a few small upgrades, and a few hundred other RV thingamabobs and spare parts (don't know how much, but probably $2500?)

All said, it's still affordable vs buying new, and many of those purchases would have to be made with a new RV anyway. But it's costing me more than I anticipated. I had only planned on 33% extra costs. Haha! Oh well.

And if I need to sell it, I won't get what I put into it. Selling the various thingamabobs won't give me anywhere near the original purchase cost. But because it's used, it also won't kill me if I sell it. Just have to eat a few thousand. Not the end of the world.

My dad used to say the golden rule of travelling is: "Take half as much clothing and twice as much money." He pretty much nailed it :B

gochiefs58 wrote:
kohai,

my wife & I really dig the Rockwood ulra lite 2905ss @33". I like the outside kitchen for sure. as a kid i remember it getting really hot in trailer when cooking, both in my parents TT and my grand ma's TT. my wife wants doors on the "master" bed, and my son wants a bunk. it "fits" us and the 2 med sized dogs can take a bunk too.

i was just nervous about 33', but now not so much. i think will either buy/rent/barrow and practice in the middle school parking lot on a sunday morning......probably call the school first tho.....dont want to make the local news

When I was looking around and reading forums, a lot of people said once you get to 30' then you might as well go to a 5th wheel. But, the trouble is that while you can get bunkhouses in a TT at about 30', you don't have many options for bunkhouses in a 5th wheel until about 35'+ (I did see one at 33' but the bunks were tiny). So, the move to a 5th wheel also bumped the length up. In 2014, there were more bunkhouse choices in TTs. That was frustrating to me -- a few manufacturers don't even offer bunkhouses in 5th wheels.

It looks like you're evaluating TTs so this comment may not be too helpful. :)

Not sure what I can add. You got some good input here already. I'll just share my personal experience: I broke every rule. I bought new, I financed it, and I bought larger (36ft). I never practiced backing. I purchased from a dealer a long way away (100+- miles) because they had a great price for the unit I wanted...

The first time I ever towed anything close to this large was the day I picked up my new unit at the dealer. My first towing experience was first on the interstate and right into a small town with tight turns to our first campground for the shake down weekend.

Yes I curbed it once that first day. Not since though. I got a pull thru spot for that first weekend, so my first chance to back it up was back home at the storage lot. Anybody watching would have been in for a great deal of free entertainment... But it was good practice LOL...

I'm 100% not saying that everybody should just wing it the way we did, but I had sense enough to know that I was new, took it slow, kept the right attitude about the whole thing. We learned fast, did fine, and had a wonderful first outing.

I do believe in buying the second (or third) camper first. This takes a lot of research and thought. If you go long you might shut yourself out of some camping areas. I have not had this happen so far.

Best of luck and make it fun! We were just like you. Enjoyed camping as kids and wanted same for ours. Not one regret here - except waiting as long as we did to go for it.

scbwr wrote:
As you can tell, everyone has their own preferences and their own way of handling things. What works for me may not work for you...so after listening to what others have to say, you'll have to do what you think is best for you and your family.

Buying a really good used trailer is one way of minimizing financial loss if you buy a trailer and then find out you don't like it for a variety of reasons. This may be real important depending on how the DW likes it, and how she deals with making a situation work. You really won't know what kind of trailer is best for you until you have used one for awhile and for different trip lengths as it's one thing to go camping for a weekend, and another to go for a 2 week vacation.

Personally, our Sunline was 30' overall, and that's about as long as a travel trailer I would want to own due to the ability to find campsites just about everywhere and negotiating fuel stops. I know a lot of campers are now buying trailers 2-8 feet longer and are happy with them, but it wouldn't be my preference.

Kids can adapt to whatever size camper you buy. We did all our camping with two boys and only had pop-up tent campers. By having a awning and then a second dining fly, we had room to deal with light rain. If we hit a really rainy day, we'd take a ride in the car and go see a movie, or see some attraction that was indoors. We had so many great trips and campouts. Even now, I think a good hybrid is a great way to camp with kids...nothing like sleeping "under the canvas" and hearing all the sounds of night. The biggest downside is dealing with wet canvas if you have to pack up in the rain...you have to be able to open up the camper and let it dry out when you get home. A hybrid with three popout sleeping areas can create a lot of space in a shorter trailer and still allow for a decent galley and bathroom.

Once you get a trailer, take it to a large parking lot that is empty and practice backing up. Use a bunch of cones, saw horses or whatever to mark off a typical campsite. Also, get used to seeing what it looks like in the right hand side view mirror when you are clear of a vehicle when passing. Having a good set of tow mirrors really helps with this. Towing a trailer down the highway is the easy part. Driving through city streets is where you have to watch tight turns and know where your trailer tires are going. To me, this is another reason to keep the lenght to 30' or less.

Backing up our 30' Sunline was easier at times than our popup trailers...the smaller the trailer, the quicker they are to angle too sharply.

Last point...an outdoor kitchen is a great thing! Even when we had popups, we were able to move the stove outside, and we did most of our cooking that way. We always carried an extra cooler chest just for the cold drinks. When we downsized to the Minnie, the outdoor kitchen was a major factor in our decision to buy the 2201DS.

Good luck and I hope you get to enjoy some family camping soon!

"how the DW likes it".....i hope this means "Da Wife" not something else!

also i have been thinking about refueling and the complications i or anyone may have. ive been scoping gas stations around town trying imagine how would i do this or that on the roads. im thinking im going to be truck stop friendly til i gain experience

As you can tell, everyone has their own preferences and their own way of handling things. What works for me may not work for you...so after listening to what others have to say, you'll have to do what you think is best for you and your family.

Buying a really good used trailer is one way of minimizing financial loss if you buy a trailer and then find out you don't like it for a variety of reasons. This may be real important depending on how the DW likes it, and how she deals with making a situation work. You really won't know what kind of trailer is best for you until you have used one for awhile and for different trip lengths as it's one thing to go camping for a weekend, and another to go for a 2 week vacation.

Personally, our Sunline was 30' overall, and that's about as long as a travel trailer I would want to own due to the ability to find campsites just about everywhere and negotiating fuel stops. I know a lot of campers are now buying trailers 2-8 feet longer and are happy with them, but it wouldn't be my preference.

Kids can adapt to whatever size camper you buy. We did all our camping with two boys and only had pop-up tent campers. By having a awning and then a second dining fly, we had room to deal with light rain. If we hit a really rainy day, we'd take a ride in the car and go see a movie, or see some attraction that was indoors. We had so many great trips and campouts. Even now, I think a good hybrid is a great way to camp with kids...nothing like sleeping "under the canvas" and hearing all the sounds of night. The biggest downside is dealing with wet canvas if you have to pack up in the rain...you have to be able to open up the camper and let it dry out when you get home. A hybrid with three popout sleeping areas can create a lot of space in a shorter trailer and still allow for a decent galley and bathroom.

Once you get a trailer, take it to a large parking lot that is empty and practice backing up. Use a bunch of cones, saw horses or whatever to mark off a typical campsite. Also, get used to seeing what it looks like in the right hand side view mirror when you are clear of a vehicle when passing. Having a good set of tow mirrors really helps with this. Towing a trailer down the highway is the easy part. Driving through city streets is where you have to watch tight turns and know where your trailer tires are going. To me, this is another reason to keep the lenght to 30' or less.

Backing up our 30' Sunline was easier at times than our popup trailers...the smaller the trailer, the quicker they are to angle too sharply.

Last point...an outdoor kitchen is a great thing! Even when we had popups, we were able to move the stove outside, and we did most of our cooking that way. We always carried an extra cooler chest just for the cold drinks. When we downsized to the Minnie, the outdoor kitchen was a major factor in our decision to buy the 2201DS.

Good luck and I hope you get to enjoy some family camping soon!

One thing to consider with a shorter trailer - it will be more crowded especially on rainy days with kids. That may detract fro everyone's enjoyment.

having grown up with first my parents TT and my Family in a TT I was quite comfortable so when my wife and I got our first FW (26') we were pleasantly surprised on the improved stability versus TT. We have since moved up to a 34' FW and it tows even nicer than the smaller rig.

kohai,

my wife & I really dig the Rockwood ulra lite 2905ss @33". I like the outside kitchen for sure. as a kid i remember it getting really hot in trailer when cooking, both in my parents TT and my grand ma's TT. my wife wants doors on the "master" bed, and my son wants a bunk. it "fits" us and the 2 med sized dogs can take a bunk too.

i was just nervous about 33', but now not so much. i think will either buy/rent/barrow and practice in the middle school parking lot on a sunday morning......probably call the school first tho.....dont want to make the local news