It's been stated the 3rd camper you buy is the one you should have started with. But for many of us, we don't know what that 3rd one is until we get there! It's a learning experience as we go along with our experiences.
The "theory" held true for us. Our 3rd one turned out to be the right one for us at THIS time as our needs changed.
We started with an 18 foot Dutchmen Sport, no slides. At the time we got it we felt it was perfect for us. It took time to figure out it was not. And only time and usage would draw that out. It had a corner master bed. It took time to figure out this was a real pain. It was hard to make the bed and it it meant someone always crawled over the other person to get in and out, whoever was against the wall. We felt like contortionists sometimes! I did not have an oven, which we "thought" would be OK, until we realized we really wished we had one. The front couch was a jack knife couch-bed. It was positioned along the nose-cap. Well, the wall was curved on the front, which means we could never sit up straight. Our heads were always bent forward. The television was in the wrong position, and sitting at the dinette (which turned into a bed), the television was directly above our heads. There was no bathtub, only shower, but it always spilled water over on the floor. Like I said, at first we didn't notice these obstacles, but after a couple years of use, with no slides, the trailer became very uncomfortable.
We traded for a 31 foot Keystone Springdale, no slides. We had it for over 8 years. Then one day we realized we weren't camping, and we weren't spending time in the camper (driveway camp) like we use to and we honestly asked ourselves if the "love of camping" was gone. It was not. The "love of our 2nd camper was gone!" This took 8 years to figure out.
Walk around bed, no problem. Television in the bed room area (I installed), good location. It had 2 bunks along the back wall. Top bunk was a full size bed, second was a narrow twin size. Great space for storage and junk. The couch in the living room was horrible. Low back, narrow seat, and windows behind your head. You could NOT relax. It did not fold into a bed, we never sat on it. It became an expensive dog bed. We never used the bunks, except for storage, which was always junked up.
The bathroom was in the middle. Open the outside door, and the bathroom door was right in your face. The bathroom was small, positioned very bad, no leg room, (no knee room for the man of the family when sitting on the throne and we used it almost always with the door open. Not good when the second person is going in and out of the camper, or the outside door is open and the screen door is shut and anyone can look in. It had a shower-tub, but the tub was so small it was good only 1 time ... when our 2 year old grand daughter took a bath once!
The oven was extremely hard to light, it took 2 people to light the pilot light and it responded (pilot light) very slow. It did work, it was just very hard getting that pilot light to light.
We found ourselves mostly laying in bed to watch television as the television space in the living room was in a crappy location. Here again, above the dinette, facing a couch was horribly uncomfortable. All of our time was spend on the bed and it seemed we never used the rest of the camper.
The third camper is 35 1/2 feet with 3 slides, only 1 bed and REAL movable furniture in the living room that can be moved around in any position. The bathroom is a nice size, no tub, just a really nice household size shower. Toilet is in a good location, lots of room for the "man" of the family to spread those knees (as we men like to do).
It has a table and 4 chairs (no dinette), the television positioned along the back wall with a huge window behind, oven lights very easy and one person can do it, it's got good room, space, and very comfortable. We've had it for a year and and half now and use it every week-end, if not camping, in the drive way too.
It also has an outside stove, and I installed a removable television in the bed room that can be taken outside. It has satellite prep (which is nice since we have DISH TV).
I think, in all the years we've owned a camper, and all the times we went to RV shows and visited dealerships looking and browsing different models, we've found only 1 other that came close to what we have right now and what you may be looking for too. I do not remember the brand any more, it was only a fleeting moment, but I do remember it was a smaller trailer with a full walk around bed on the front, a dinette, (no couch), kitchen area in the middle, and bathroom along the back. It was open, no dividing wall, no slides, and cute as a button. The position of the television was good anywhere in the camper. But I do remember feeling a bit claustrophobic in there, as the kitchen side had no windows.
OK, I know I've rambled a bit here, and thank-you for hanging in there if you've read all this. Point I'm making is, there are many unforeseen things that will unearth in any camper you purchase. But it will take time for that to happen. Be open minded about trading someday, when you make your FIRST purchase. Take good care of your first camper, because chances are in 2 - 3 years, you will be trading. Finances increase, needs change, life events happen (like babies or aging parents).... either one may end up camping with you!
Good luck in your search, visit lots of RV dealerships and attend RV shows when they are close to your area! FYI, surfing the internet is great! Looking a floor plans is wonderful. But floor plans and actually standing in the camper are 2 totally different experiences! Floor plans amaze you! Standing in the camper "shocks" you (into reality!)
