Beginner seeking travel trailer advice
Hello all: My wife and I are considering purchasing a travel trailer, and I'm looking for any advice from experienced RVers. We enjoy road tripping with our 2 dogs, and have decided that we want some...
Forum Discussion
TRANSMISSION COOLER! The transmission is the weak point in tow vehicles, so be sure your vehicle has an external cooler or get one installed BEFORE you tow, ask me how I know.
As for used TT's. We recently bought a pristine 22' 1985 Wilderness for $2200. best one we've ever had (have owned over a dozen new TT's since 1988). Like new inside and out. Every thing in it is made in the USA, so everything works good. I knew it had water damage (mainly in 3 of the corners and bathroom floor) before I bought it. It was relatively easy to fix, plus I love fixing things. So, check for water damage mainly in the corners where caulking can shrink. Jump around on the floor to see if there are any soft spots. Look for dark spots on the walls and inside of cabinets.
Next check the brakes and bearings. You'll need to remove a wheel to do this. In a used trailer, you'll probably have to adjust and/or fix parts of them including electrical. As the Wilderness had sat in an RV park for most of its like, it had the original brakes and bearings. They were stuck and wouldn't move. Sprayed lots of brake cleaner on them and now they work great, with the original shoes, springs and magnets. Some of the electrical connections were corroded so I did replace some wires.
Anyway, got to look over used TT's closely. If you know a good TT mechanic or someone who knows about vehicles, take them along. Good luck! (oh yea, be ready for lots of disappointments when you go look at a TT that looked really good on Craig's List, most of them don't match the photos. We found some dealers that really covered problems up).
As for used TT's. We recently bought a pristine 22' 1985 Wilderness for $2200. best one we've ever had (have owned over a dozen new TT's since 1988). Like new inside and out. Every thing in it is made in the USA, so everything works good. I knew it had water damage (mainly in 3 of the corners and bathroom floor) before I bought it. It was relatively easy to fix, plus I love fixing things. So, check for water damage mainly in the corners where caulking can shrink. Jump around on the floor to see if there are any soft spots. Look for dark spots on the walls and inside of cabinets.
Next check the brakes and bearings. You'll need to remove a wheel to do this. In a used trailer, you'll probably have to adjust and/or fix parts of them including electrical. As the Wilderness had sat in an RV park for most of its like, it had the original brakes and bearings. They were stuck and wouldn't move. Sprayed lots of brake cleaner on them and now they work great, with the original shoes, springs and magnets. Some of the electrical connections were corroded so I did replace some wires.
Anyway, got to look over used TT's closely. If you know a good TT mechanic or someone who knows about vehicles, take them along. Good luck! (oh yea, be ready for lots of disappointments when you go look at a TT that looked really good on Craig's List, most of them don't match the photos. We found some dealers that really covered problems up).
