Hey guys, 1st time poster here. For over a year I've been mulling around getting a trailer for me my wife and my 2 children. Currently I'm driving a 2017 yukon. I'm getting a little overwhelmed with the trailers size, should I buy I pick up truck should I buy a trailer under 20' a trailer that's 30' or a 5th wheel. My children are 8 in 10 years old right now in up until now we have not been a very adventurous family, I would like to change that. but after going through the RV show last week in Dallas I was just absolutely overwhelmed. I know I need a bunkhouse of some sort, I don't know should I get a 5th wheel a travel trailer I'm so confused. I don't even know if I'm actually capable as a driver to pull a 30' trailer or 5th wheel. I don't know if my Yukon is a good idea to pull a trailer. In addition to going camping on long weekends with my family, I need a trailer where I can spend 1 to 2 months during the summer time traveling around in. Also I am so confused with these trailers, some of These trailers are $20000 they look so cheap on the inside. The one that my wife light was a 30' grand design bunkhouse. Definitely better quality, but 12 to $15000 more. With something like this do you go for cheap do you go for quality do you rent it out? I would like to keep my Yukon if possible, or I was even considering getting a new escalade with the more powerful engine. Is a 30' travel trailer too long for me to pull for a first time situation? I know this is the world were you kind of need to just jump in, but I just wanna be as well prepared as possible before I just pull the trigger and do it.

All trailers except a couple are built pretty much the same using the same appliances etc. Light weight or those billed as light weight trailers are light for a reason. The builders skimped on stuff. Do you need or want a bunk house? For weekends kids can sleep on a couch or sofa. For longer then you will want permanent beds. Adults will probably want a permanent bed also. Finding a bunk house with beds sufficiently apart to allow for cuddle time kind of means your going to want a laeger trailer. Keeping within what your SUV can tow is not going to happen if you consider the rest. So realistically if you can swing it and it will still fit your life style get a crew cab truck. A properly equipped 2500 series could easily tow a 30 foot TT or a 30 foot fifth wheel. If you want bigger, then a bigger truck could be in order. Regardless of what you decide, buy used as a first timer. Dont over think quality. All trailers now days have problems. Disregard the fluff and look for fit and and finish. That will tell you a lot.As for towing? Fifth wheels will travel better, TTs are cheaper, but you will need substantial hitch equipment to tow as well as a fiver.

I would think more than just a "little" overwhelmed? Wow... my first thought (and I have been rving for 26 years with Class A's, B, C's, travel trailers and fithwheels) a 20' travel trailer with 2 children is going to be very small. Even smaller when inclement weather.Need to find out what your Tahoe will pull in weight? My neighbor lady pulled a 27' Grey Wolf, rear bunks, front queen and one living area side with her Tahoe. But, I don't know what engine she had, etc. She had all the right set up and never towed before. She did great.Quality? Yes, some are better but for that amount of difference in a first trailer, which you may or may not like the lifestyle is a lot. Lots of research to do. You will get some great answers here. Good Luck.

Welcome to the forums.Load your gang in the Yukon and go to an RV show or two. You'll be able to check out the most common sizes and floor plans. Bring ear plugs and don't listen to anything the salesmen tells you, it's pretty much all lies. They'll tell you whatever they need to in order to make a sale.Take notes, pictures, video, whatever, on things you like and don't like. Share your notes here and folks with similar rigs will share what they like and don't like about any particular setup.As far as what your current ride can carry, I'm not well enough versed in trailer weights to give you anything substantive. I can tell you, your owners manual should have some info on towing, and there's a sticker inside the driver's door that will tell you what your exact vehicle can handle in terms of weight. Usually you'll run out of payload rating before you run out of tow capacity.

The first thing you need to do is look up the weight ratings on your Yukon according to the tow package installed on it. That will tell you the max weight you can tow and it will depend somewhat on how much the Yukon weighs fully loaded as well. One you know that maximum weight you can tow, you will eliminate many of the trailers you may be considering. Don't try to fudge the weights. If it's over the weight you should be towing, don't do it, especially as a first time driver towing. Once you know what you should and should not be towing it's just a matter of finding what you want within those limits.If the trailer you must have is too heavy that means you will have to get rid of the Yukon and get something that will tow more weight. Even the Escalade may not be enough.You are not going to buy your last RV first so my suggestion would be to buy something you can afford easily. You may even find you or your family do not like the lifestyle. When you have gained more knowledge on RVing, then you can be concerned about getting higher quality and maybe something you will want to keep for several years. Besides, buying lower quality at first will give you the opportunity to learn more about fixing things that will inevitably pop up. :B

Should I? so confused and overwhelmed. | Good Sam Community

LadyRVer
Explorer II
Sep 25, 2018
I would think more than just a "little" overwhelmed? Wow... my first thought (and I have been rving for 26 years with Class A's, B, C's, travel trailers and fithwheels) a 20' travel trailer with 2 children is going to be very small. Even smaller when inclement weather.

Need to find out what your Tahoe will pull in weight? My neighbor lady pulled a 27' Grey Wolf, rear bunks, front queen and one living area side with her Tahoe. But, I don't know what engine she had, etc. She had all the right set up and never towed before. She did great.

Quality? Yes, some are better but for that amount of difference in a first trailer, which you may or may not like the lifestyle is a lot.

Lots of research to do. You will get some great answers here. Good Luck.
donn0128
Explorer II
Sep 25, 2018
All trailers except a couple are built pretty much the same using the same appliances etc. Light weight or those billed as light weight trailers are light for a reason. The builders skimped on stuff. Do you need or want a bunk house? For weekends kids can sleep on a couch or sofa. For longer then you will want permanent beds. Adults will probably want a permanent bed also. Finding a bunk house with beds sufficiently apart to allow for cuddle time kind of means your going to want a laeger trailer. Keeping within what your SUV can tow is not going to happen if you consider the rest. So realistically if you can swing it and it will still fit your life style get a crew cab truck. A properly equipped 2500 series could easily tow a 30 foot TT or a 30 foot fifth wheel. If you want bigger, then a bigger truck could be in order. Regardless of what you decide, buy used as a first timer. Dont over think quality. All trailers now days have problems. Disregard the fluff and look for fit and and finish. That will tell you a lot.
As for towing? Fifth wheels will travel better, TTs are cheaper, but you will need substantial hitch equipment to tow as well as a fiver.
2oldman
Explorer II
Sep 25, 2018
Jees..

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Should I? so confused and overwhelmed.

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