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JenzieGoes's avatar
JenzieGoes
Explorer
Jan 18, 2016

Scared and Excited Newbie!

Hi everyone!

I'm jumping in after a bit of lurking over the past few months. My husband and I are planning to buy a TT in the next month. Although we would like to buy new, we decided our first purchase should be used. Right now we are in the "looking" stage and honestly I'm overwhelmed at all the information. I have a few questions and I hope some of you can offer insight for us!

So it's me, my husband and our two daughters 12 and 13. I'm 37 and hubby is 46. I work from home, he has a full time job. We would be traveling quite a bit - we want to eventually do this full time but that's a few years off. For the meantime we plan to do 2-3 "long" trips per year (around 2k miles round trip each) and then several shorter trips throughout the year as well. We own a 2004 Toyota Sequoia SUV with I believe hubby said a 6,000 lb towing capacity.

Questions..::

1) Does it sound like a TT is best for our situation? The reason we are thinking this is because we want to be able to drive around and explore a lot, go to dinner, etc. so driving a MH seemed impractical. I know we could tow a car, but I'm not sure towing out SUV would be practical.

2) I'm confused about towing capacity. Can I trust a dealer to steer me in the right direction? We are wanting something with a bunkhouse - length doesn't matter to us as long as it has a queen bed, bunkhouse and kitchen/dining area. So should I be looking at "dry weight"? Does that mean without clothes, dishes, etc.? How am I to know how much all my "stuff" will weigh lol?

3) I mentioned we plan to buy from a dealer. We have a VERY limited budget. Can anyone tell me (or tell me how to find out) approximately how much the tax, title, registration, etc. fees will be? I'm in North Carolina. I'm just trying to figure out how much my budget of $4,000 will get me.

4). Once you buy an RV are there other things to buy right away other than general stuff like dishes, bedding, etc.? How often should maintenance be? When you winterized/dewinterize, how much will this cost approximately? So many questions!

I'm feeling really excited but also nervous because this is such a big undertaking - a lot to learn! I'm willing to and I know we will make mistakes along the way, but I really appreciate your input as we get started on this journey!

PS - FYI we do a lot of tent camping and we have been to an RV show recently here in NC. Fell in love with the Jayco Jay Flight 267BHSW but it's out of our league price wise at $18-22k. Maybe next year after we've gotten our feet with with a used model! :)

Thanks for your time,
Jenna

27 Replies

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  • 3boxerss's avatar
    3boxerss
    Explorer
    Jan 18, 2016
    Maybe check out a hybrid since you have tent camped. 18 months ago we purchased a used hybrid and it was lighter in weight than some of the popups we had been looking at.We also lucked out that it had been very well taken care of and our purchase price was within the price range you are looking at. Then later you could trade up to a TT. In a few years your teenagers will either not want to go with or will be in college so your Camping needs will change. Thats when you could buy the one you want to live in.
  • Kansas_couple's avatar
    Kansas_couple
    Explorer
    Jan 18, 2016
    Perhaps the best advice I can give is.....slow down. No reason to hurry this process. Buying anything the magnitude of a camper is a large purchase and you are starting out smart by gathering information.

    I echo the others who suggested a pop-up, which your Toyota could easily pull. I started with a very basic pop-up which taught me a lot about camping and what we (as a family) really wanted in our next camper. And there are some pop-ups which have really desirable features such as toilet/shower, furnace, A/C, and the like.

    Are the teenagers buying in to this idea? I have a teenager myself and she seems to view the whole camping thing with your typical disdain, even though we now own a TT with many more luxuries than the pop-up had.

    Also, starting out fresh with something such as trailer camping can result in information overload (easy to do with this forum). Choosing a pop-up or hybrid might make more sense than buying more camper than you can afford and more camper than your vehicle can pull.

    Welcome to the forum!
  • toedtoes's avatar
    toedtoes
    Explorer III
    Jan 18, 2016
    Have you looked at the camplite 21bhs?

    It might meet your needs.

    Also, you might consider a hybrid. Lots of options with 2 fold-out queen size beds. If the kids can share a queen bed instead of using bunk beds, it could open up some more possibilities.
  • DrewE's avatar
    DrewE
    Explorer II
    Jan 18, 2016
    I think kmbelt nailed it.

    You can find travel trailers (used) for a $4000 budget. Most will probably require some work, and all--even brand new ones--require maintenance. Finding one that will somewhat comfortably sleep four and be suitable to be towed with your vehicle and be in decent condition will be rather difficult, I suspect.

    A popup would, in this case, I think give you more space and easier towing and be more budget friendly. They do, of course, have disadvantages in terms of amenities and comfort, but are a definite step up the luxury scale from a tent. A somewhat similar option might be some of the collapsible hard-sided trailers, like the A-Liner, though most of them would be a little smaller.

    Another option to look into might be renting a motorhome.

    North Carolina looks to have pretty reasonable taxes and fees. The highway use tax is 3% (due at title transfer), or very roughly $100 for your price range, and other fees might bring the total up to $200ish...if I'm reading their web site properly. Calling the DOT information line would be the best way to get accurate information.
  • kmbelt's avatar
    kmbelt
    Explorer
    Jan 18, 2016
    6000lbs is about right for an 04 Sequoia.

    On a $4k budget, you will be VERY limited. Might find a travel trailer, but i guarantee it will be WELL used and will need lots of work.

    Probably a popup will be the only type of camper in your weight/price range.

    Good Luck.
  • RJCorazza's avatar
    RJCorazza
    Explorer
    Jan 18, 2016
    You have several tight constraints in your specs...
    The tow vehicle may be insufficient for a family of four towing the trailer size you are looking for. The 6000 lb tow capacity is one thing, but you will also need to consider payload, which SUV's are usually a little light on capacity. Everything in the SUV and trailer tongue weight counts against payload, so wild guess numbers of 120 (x4) + 720 tongue = 1200 against payload assuming you attempt to tow a 6000 lb loaded trailer.
    Re: trailer weight and dealers - dry weight will allow a rough estimate, but loaded for travel weight is much more important. Shipping weight from manufacturer, or dry weight after batteries, LPG tanks etc can be significantly lower than an average loaded for travel weight. I have seen many add in the 1000-1500 lb range.
    DO NOT rely on the dealer to determine what your vehicle can tow.
    Lastly, a 4k price range sounds difficult for what you are looking for, but I haven't shopped for a used rig in a while. Well used trailers may require some repairs that can get expensive or time consuming if you DIY.
    Were I in your shoes I would come up with a trailer weight you can reasonable expect to tow based upon the TV specs and go from there.

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