Brand New, Just beginning process
Hello! Empty nesters looking into first traveler trailer purchase and already overwhelmed. Is there a really good resource/guidebook to navigate through all the brands, models, best/worst years, revie...
Forum Discussion
When I bought my first trailer it was a situation where I just wanted one. No prior experience and just jumped in and bought a 24 ft. Autumn Ridge. It was a good learning unit but not the most comfortable, but it did serve the purpose for nearly 2 years. Then we went up to a 30 Coleman with a slide and more comfort....but still not the comfort level we wanted...it served us for another 2 years. Now we have a 37 ft. beast with 3 slides, a 10K GVWR and I pull it with a 2500HD GMC just fine.
Point being is how do you intend to use your trailer? Long trip of 3 weeks or more? or just weekend jaunts not too far from home? That's what you have to figure out...how comfortable do you want to be? It matters. BIG TIME MATTERS.
Really, you want a floor plan that works for YOU. How you cook, how you sleep, how you relax....it has to fit you and your lifestyle. As far as what maker is better than others? Most are very close to being the same depending what line or model you are looking at. They all have entry level lines and then mid-range lines and then their top line levels. You might want to look for a private seller but then if you do take someone who is knowledgeable about trailers so you have a second set of eyes to look for issues.
This is totally a learning process. This will not be your last trailer. You will learn what you need and learn what you don't need...after you already bought it too. It is not rocket science. You will learn and get comfortable at doing things.
My only advice is when you pick out the trailer find out the tongue weight and get a hitch that is greater than that number. My tongue weight is 1280. My dealer set me up with a 1000/10,000 lb. hitch and it was too weak. I went to a 1,400/14,000 Equal-izer brand hitch and it made a night and day difference in stability. The hitch is the most important factor in towing.
Point being is how do you intend to use your trailer? Long trip of 3 weeks or more? or just weekend jaunts not too far from home? That's what you have to figure out...how comfortable do you want to be? It matters. BIG TIME MATTERS.
Really, you want a floor plan that works for YOU. How you cook, how you sleep, how you relax....it has to fit you and your lifestyle. As far as what maker is better than others? Most are very close to being the same depending what line or model you are looking at. They all have entry level lines and then mid-range lines and then their top line levels. You might want to look for a private seller but then if you do take someone who is knowledgeable about trailers so you have a second set of eyes to look for issues.
This is totally a learning process. This will not be your last trailer. You will learn what you need and learn what you don't need...after you already bought it too. It is not rocket science. You will learn and get comfortable at doing things.
My only advice is when you pick out the trailer find out the tongue weight and get a hitch that is greater than that number. My tongue weight is 1280. My dealer set me up with a 1000/10,000 lb. hitch and it was too weak. I went to a 1,400/14,000 Equal-izer brand hitch and it made a night and day difference in stability. The hitch is the most important factor in towing.
