Pull behind or Class C

If you are approaching this as a one time adventure, I would think Travel trailer and tow vehicle, only because you could choose a truck or SUV which would become a permanent driver, and minimize your losses by only having to resell a used TT.

Either way, you are towing something. You have the convenience of moving around while in transit in the "C", but your overall space is going to be smaller compared to the same length in a trailer. However, in a trailer you are limited to the inside of the tow vehicle, so not as convenient for passengers for bathroom visits or to grab a bag of potato chips.

Trailer will afford more living space once you "get there". The "C" will give you better mobility while traveling.

Considering the cost of insurances and vehicle regestrations, mechanical maintenance, and all that.... with the "C" you have 2 vehicles to maintain, 2 engines with oil changes, 2 engines for fuel fill ups, 2 engines for full insurances.

With the trailer, you have only 1 engine, 2 license plate registrations, and overall insurance will be less. Something to think about?

Personally, we own a travel trailer. We had (and still have) options for switching to a 5er, a Motor Home, an, A, B, or C. For our lifestyle, the travel trailer fits our lifestyle. Yours may be different. Jumping in without any previous experience may work OK for you, but then, you may end up hating your choice (which ever it is). Most of us "grow" into our chosen RV lifestyle, beginning with Tent Camping, Pop-Ups, and navigating through various RV styles. Many of us are no longer on our VERY first RV for LOTS of reasons, when the first choice did not work out.

In your situation, you would be best to rent one of each and try a couple week-long trips. Then you'll have a better comparison before you invest a few thousand dollars into something you may not like at all.

“We are considering...There is two of us. Myself and my son who is almost 11.”

We? You and a ten year old? Travel during the summer. The CHILD needs to be in school.

Aside from the points made above, the main consideration for us was: are we traveling or are we staying? A C is for traveling in our opinion. If we are staying somewhere we want the trailer. A trailer for me is not for moving every day or even every other day, a C is. For us, a C did not make sense if we are spending a week or more in one area. We want the extra room, comfort, and storage of a trailer.

Of course a lot depends on how big a trailer you are talking about versus how big of a C. A big C will have more room than a small trailer, but for a set price you will get more space with a trailer.

A $15000 C is going to be pretty old and a similar priced and sized trailer will be relatively new. The trailer will need a Tow vehicle and the C will need a vehicle to tow.

If you already have a good truck or other towing vehicle, then the cost of a trailer is far less than the cost of an RV.

On the other hand, having an RV may mean you need to tow an additional vehicle (toad) for sight-seeing, grocery runs, etc. If you already have a towable vehicle, the the RV could be the better way to go.

For us, we wanted an RV to avoid hotels/motels and the ability to stop almost anywhere. It ended up that we almost always stay at an RV park with full hookups. Also I got a great deal on a towable vehicle.

Depends on what kind of camping you want to focus on and how much money you want to spend. Drive around and visit the camping areas you're thinking about spending the majority of time at. Maybe visit and talk to some of the campers (we love company).

In my case, I wanted to be a full timer, so visited many of the kinds of parks that have the creature comforts I wanted. And those visits showed the majority were either A's or 5th's, so I bought an A. Didn't pull a car for the first 12 years of ownership. Didn't need to, had my bike and used the rig for shopping once per week.

As an example, in the Mexican RV park I'm in right now, there are 5-Class A's, 2-5th Wheels, and one new 25' trailer. Last week we had a fancy B stay here. So there's a 'wisdom of the crowd' thing that help make my decision.

My point is you should buy the rig that fits your intended camping lifestyle. Don't let your current lifestyle choose your rig.

Not much difference moving. You still have to unhook and set up at the end of the day unless you are going without a car in which case day trips are a hassle and it really only saves about 10 minutes on either end.

As you are not on a tight schedule, you don't have to do 8-10hr drives, so stopping to go to the bathroom is no longer a big concern like it is for weekend warriors.

I would lean towards a travel trailer or even better a small 5th wheel but I think you are off thinking you can get a new truck and trailer for the cost of a used Class C. I would expect it to be pretty close to a wash, with the possible exception of if you are adding a new car to pull behind the Class C.

NMDriver wrote:
Aside from the points made above, the main consideration for us was: are we traveling or are we staying?

This was precisely our basis as well. We don't bounce from one place to the next every day. We tend to be more 'destination' campers with few stays below 3 nights and most stays being 5-10 days (with an overnight on the way). Thus, being restricted in the car during the day but having more space to spread out while there made sense.

Lots of good points being made - I agree that if you plan to move every day, you can't beat the ease of a Class C. If you plan to stay in an area for a week or so, the roominess of a trailer is nice.

Another thought: depending on the size of the C, you might only need a rental car when you're investigating a city or national park. Our 28' C took us to many places without a toad; but after a month of traveling in it to Alaska and back, it seemed pretty small....LOL! One last advantage: if you need a rest stop, and realize you're in a sketchy area, you don't have to exit the vehicle. Just do what you need to do, and leave. As a woman who often went off solo camping/meeting up with friends, I liked the safety of that.

I just switched from a class c to a trailer. Apples to oranges IMHO. I agree with all of the above.

Here is some of my personal perspective from having made the switch recently. YMMV depending on the rig etc...

1. Yes. The class c was better for buffet traveling. Seeing lots and then moving on to see more.
2. Yes. The class c was more convenient for travel in terms of bathroom breaks and stopping quickly for a meal etc... With our new TT we have to find a larger spot to park, get out, let the slide out and then have lunch. Not a huge deal but frequently a bit of a pain for us compared to a 24 foot class c with no slides. You can't just "pull over anywhere" to eat, pee, or get gas.
3. Yes. The trailer has more living space in our case.
4. The trailer has (IMHO) a larger learning curve. I had never towed before so learning to hitch correctly, using a brake controller, and learning how to set up the Husky Centerline was new to us and required a lot of research and trial and error. Not so much for others of course. Backing in to sites is tricky at first but then with practice, you get it.
5. I do like having my truck at home with me. Great for trips to Costco, Ikea, and Home Depot. Throw the bikes in the back. No room for the trailer or the class c at home as we live in a townhome in LA. Also easier to do oil changes on the truck with it parked just outside as well as on the generator because it is in my garage, not in storage 20 miles away.
6. The new trailer and almost new truck was about half the cost of a similarly sized class c with like features.
7. Insurance is the same almost to the dollar on the class c and the TT. Adding the pickup makes the insurance more expensive by a long shot for us.
8. The TT and truck are over 40 feet. The class c was only 24.5 feet total. That creates tons of potential issues, especially in National Parks and when getting gas.
9. I mentioned a genset earlier. While having the portable generator at home is convenient, not having it at the push of a button and safely tucked below the class c is a bit of a pain at times especially when it is cold outside or raining. Also, it's a pain to move a larger portable genset that can run my AC. I thought I could just keep it in the truck but that's not always possible. Plus, now I have to travel with and sometimes need to store gas depending on where we are.
10. My trailer actually tows more easily than my class c drove. I had to really concentrate when I drove my class c. It handled like a crazy dog on a leash when it was windy or when trucks passed. When I tow the TT, I frequently forget it is behind me unless going up or down steep grades. The class c did handle hills better though.

Good luck with your journey. As was said, your intended purpose is the single most important factor.