Newbies searching for travel trailer?

Don't believe the sales man when he says "hey, your truck will pull that". Need to do your own home work. Weight the truck with you all in it and read the label in the drivers door and the owners manual. Many think their truck will pull more than it's actually designed to tow and hitch/tongue/pin weight is usually more limiting than the "will pull X number of pounds". Look at the adds, they are normally pulling a flatbed or boat and not a box with high wind resistance. Not all trailers created equal.

A few things:

Start off with a larger than you think you need TT or Toy Hauler (TH). Most RV'ers go through 3 RV's before they finally find one that fits their lifestyle. Each RV is bigger and bigger. So you might as well go big to begin with. Think about how small an RV will get if you are stuck inside for a week or two weeks due to bad weather. Cabin fever happens quick. It's good to have room and comfort.

A TH allows for flexibility. The garage area can be used as "flex" space once you get to a destination...play/bedroom for your girl that will grow with her. Entertainment area, school room, craft room...etc. Plus it is used to carry your toys...bikes, water toys, ATV.

Read through www.rv-dreams.com for great info on the fulltime RV lifestyle. The folks that have this website were new to RVing when they chose to hit the road 10 years ago. They have learned a lot and share it on this website. Including month to month financial info. Lots of great tips.

Good luck on your adventure.

When you get it narrowed down to brands get on those brand forums. Listen to the people that own those brands.

Fulltime RVing? I would want a RV that had the tanks and dump valves covered. Heated tanks. Not that you'll be in harsh weather but it can happen. There is so much you have to consider. Plus things change as the years go by.

^ good advice there. This is kind of what we did:
(oops, TT = travel trailer, TV = tow vehicle)

-Identify the layout you WANT and can put up with for years. That takes the longest time...at least for my wife.

-Identify manufacturers with that floorplan. See if you need additional insulation packages based on possible destinations and times of years you may travel. Allow for outside the box thinking :) Research manufacturers backgrounds/years quality issues, once you settle on several candidates. Can you fix them easily if they have issues.

-Match the tow vehicle with the trailer. Assume the worst possible weight scenario - i.e. taking everything but the kitchen sink. Then see what you can live without. Then prioritize what you REALLY need vs. want. If you're not enjoying the trip or the camper, you're not going to have much fun. Also, is mpg a factor, is year of TV a factor, can you fix tow vehicle if you break down.

-Consider anti-sway bars/weight distribution hitches. Let me tell you, towing even a popup camper through high crosswinds (did it in South Dakota once - ONCE!) can result in white knuckles pretty quickly.

-Allow time for things to go wrong...and to go right. If you find you love a specific location, I don't see anything wrong with going there more than once, or changing travel plans.

-almost forgot this one: have a spare tire for your TV AND your TT, or at the least a backup plan like AAA/Good Sam towing or what have you. You'll likely identify other things that you really should bring a spare of during your camping activities. Maybe extra propane, batteries, etc

-Once you find your "perfect" combo and you've done the math with gross weights and you are POSITIVE it will tow, ask dealer to borrow it. Go weigh the combo on the scales, so your tongue weight/gross weight is known and can be adjusted. If possible put enough stuff/weight in the TT so you are basically ready to go camping before you weigh.

Bah. I started typing and found myself getting buried in work. I'll let others chime in with more help.

Do your research probably not on this Forum. Visit all of the dealers in your area. Visit any RV shows you can get to. Talk to owners at campgrounds. Get a copy of the RV Consumer Groups reviews of RV's. It could take a couple of years to figure out the correct one for your anticipated lifestyle.
Here's more advice:
To help you decide on what RV to buy you could go to www.rvknowhow.com and read Joe and Vicki’s suggestions and/or download their e-book `RV Buyers Homework’, which walks you through the process of choosing the best RV for your needs, selecting the right floor plans and features, determining the RV’s cargo-carrying and towing capacities and evaluating its livability. (Nov-Dec Highways, pg. 21)
RVtravel.com and the Better Business Bureau have a DVD that covers the same subject
(http://rvbookstore.com/shop/detail.aspx?p=710&m=2) and Chuck Woodbury has an ebook with similar advice.