Brand new to camping and lots of questions

djgarcia wrote:
IMHO,
1. look for a used 3/4 diesel truck
2. look at trailers with floor plans that have bunk beds for the kids. You will probably end up with about a 30ft. in length in order to provide the space for your family.
3. Take a look at some of the Lance models.dd

Really?? A diesel for a 6k tt. :S

Getting into RVing is a slippery slope...

First of all, the more you look, the more you see that you like, and can end up buying more than you need. If you're new to it, you may decide quickly it's just not fun for you. Lots of people end up with an expensive trailer they never use...

That said, all of us here LOVE having RVs. I grew up with tents, then pop ups, then RVs. It made my family stronger, brought us together. It made me LOVE family vacations. We went with cousins, aunts, uncles, friends... we had such a blast. Your kids may one day look back like I do and be truly truly thankful that you posted here today and bought that first RV.

Your first doesn't have to be fancy. If you're on a budget (aren't we all) maybe a used one is better. Even a used pop up for the first year to really see how much you like it. You can get a decent used pop up for a couple thousand bucks or LESS.

DONT go out and buy a 3/4 truck and a 30ft travel trailer right away.

Some families think they need a trailer the size of a house. They think somehow bigger is better. Trust me on this one, you'll have just as much fun in a tiny pop up as you will in a giant 5th wheel. Sure a giant RV is nicer and easier to live in, but it's no more fun. My best memories are from camping in tents. I'm a firm believer that you don't need all the comforts of home when you're in your RV.

Welcome, and keep us updated.

I am a fan of renting before you buy.

We rented a three year old unit, 25 ft. with slide that was the size we thought we wanted. The trailer was fine but our TV was underpowered. The 200 hp. V6 did not have the power we needed.

When we purchased our TT we know what kind of TV we would need. A few trips with the kids will tell you a lot about what your family really needs.

Coolmom42... I agree with you 100%

I started off with a tiny 12 year old Hybrid for two big reasons...
1) I wasn't certain the kids were going to love camping.
2) It was "all I could afford"

A lot of great advice but with 3 kids and there stuff your tongue weight is going to be the limiting factor. Payload is going to tough.
Excellent break down


btw , example of what I recommend

highwall

Highwall

hitch weight is 370 lb dry real world you will be close to 400 plus

Hybrid - 3 Beds and Dry hitch 420 lbs...500 lbs in real work.

Hybrid example

wmoses wrote:

Alchia wrote:
Hi all! My husband and I are kicking around the idea of camping with the kids.
...
We have two kids ( 8 & 10) and another on the way. We need enough room, but not TONS of room. We probably won't take any super long road trips and will usually camp within and hour or so of our hometown.

Our TV is a 2014 Jeep GC Overland and the tow weight says 6200. We have NO experience with towing or camping. This is all new to us!

I'm looking for a TT that won't push the limits of the Jeep or be stressful to tow. We found two that we really liked at the show. Both had dry weights of 3600-3800 lbs. Would this be realistic for our Jeep? We are looking at a 2015 Flagstaff MicroLite 23LB or a 2015 Ameri-Lite 248BH. Are these too large for our TV?

Alchia,

Welcome to the forum and to RVing. Good first post too, especially for someone new to the lifestyle and not really knowing what to expect or to ask.

First of all, you will find many opinions and POVs on Internet forums and may end up being just as confused after reading all the responses. At the end of the day, as will all the Internet "wisdom", you will have to spend some good time sifting the wheat from the chaff and then actually stop with the reading and actually get out there and do whatever it is, be it RVing or whatever else.

I have had RVs from popup, to hybrid, to travel trailer. Tow vehicles have been a 1.8L 4-cylinder car, V6 SUV and a V8 truck. Have lived and towed in Canada and in the US, on flatlands and in the mountains.

The Trailer Life Towing Guide says that the least towing capacity for the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee is the 6200# you mentioned - that suggests that the powertrain is strong enough to pull a flat low-profile trailer weighing 6200# with an unspecified degree of ease, and without killing the engine. But there is more to towing than just paper specifications.

You do NOT necessarily need to have a truck, despite what knee-jerk responses you might see on this or other forums. Many people like to automatically suggest the biggest truck possible to pull any trailer, even without appreciating that people might like their current tow vehicle, may have that as their only tow vehicle, might not be able to afford a separate tow vehicle, etc. Beware of these posts. Yes a truck is better no doubt, but IMO it is more useful for respondents to stick to the questions asked and respond accordingly.

Before going any further and based on experience, you will need to ensure that you have:

- a weight distribution hitch that can take the fully-loaded hitch load at the tongue of the trailer
- the axle capacity to take the distributed loads once the trailer is hooked up
- a transmission cooler
- an electrical charging system that is capable of accommodating trailering loads.

Looking at trailers, you need a ballpark number for loaded weight and hitch weight. Then you can go to this handy Jeep Calculator for more insight.

Based on anecdotal evidence most campers add about 1000# to maybe 1500# of cargo to their trailers, so your trailer needs to at least have that capacity. With a vehicle like a GC you will be better off not putting much payload beyond people in the SUV, but you will have to go to a truck scale and get the complete rig weighed to see how best to distribute the weight. Note gross payload will include full propane tanks and black and grey water if you intend to travel with them loaded - I suggest not, for your rig. Maybe 10 gallons of water only just for bathroom function while travelling.

An approach I like to take is to assume a fully loaded trailer weight no greater than 75% - 80% of the capacity. For your SUV, 75% beings you to 4650# fully loaded, and assuming 1000# payload, you are left with 3650# light. NOTE - light weight means nothing when it comes to assessing towing capability

As for hitch weight - you will want 10 - 15% on the hitch even before the effects of the WDH is considered. That means 600# is a good target weight.

Knowing these numbers you can start shopping for trailers. Good luck! :)

Excellent advice.

And I encourage you to start with a basic model, less to go wrong, easier to tow.

You will make great memories with your kids, camping with kids is the best thing ever for families.

+2 what wmoses said. I'd just add that it sounds like you have the V6, and it is likely to struggle if you tow up a long steep grade at high altitude. But for short trips in normal terrain, it should do ok.

TheGreatWaz00 wrote:
This has to be the BEST explanation on the boards. Well done, sir!

Thank you for your kind words. :)

This has to be the BEST explanation on the boards. Well done, sir!

wmoses wrote:

Alchia wrote:
Hi all! My husband and I are kicking around the idea of camping with the kids.
...
We have two kids ( 8 & 10) and another on the way. We need enough room, but not TONS of room. We probably won't take any super long road trips and will usually camp within and hour or so of our hometown.

Our TV is a 2014 Jeep GC Overland and the tow weight says 6200. We have NO experience with towing or camping. This is all new to us!

I'm looking for a TT that won't push the limits of the Jeep or be stressful to tow. We found two that we really liked at the show. Both had dry weights of 3600-3800 lbs. Would this be realistic for our Jeep? We are looking at a 2015 Flagstaff MicroLite 23LB or a 2015 Ameri-Lite 248BH. Are these too large for our TV?

Alchia,

Welcome to the forum and to RVing. Good first post too, especially for someone new to the lifestyle and not really knowing what to expect or to ask.

First of all, you will find many opinions and POVs on Internet forums and may end up being just as confused after reading all the responses. At the end of the day, as will all the Internet "wisdom", you will have to spend some good time sifting the wheat from the chaff and then actually stop with the reading and actually get out there and do whatever it is, be it RVing or whatever else.

I have had RVs from popup, to hybrid, to travel trailer. Tow vehicles have been a 1.8L 4-cylinder car, V6 SUV and a V8 truck. Have lived and towed in Canada and in the US, on flatlands and in the mountains.

The Trailer Life Towing Guide says that the least towing capacity for the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee is the 6200# you mentioned - that suggests that the powertrain is strong enough to pull a flat low-profile trailer weighing 6200# with an unspecified degree of ease, and without killing the engine. But there is more to towing than just paper specifications.

You do NOT necessarily need to have a truck, despite what knee-jerk responses you might see on this or other forums. Many people like to automatically suggest the biggest truck possible to pull any trailer, even without appreciating that people might like their current tow vehicle, may have that as their only tow vehicle, might not be able to afford a separate tow vehicle, etc. Beware of these posts. Yes a truck is better no doubt, but IMO it is more useful for respondents to stick to the questions asked and respond accordingly.

Before going any further and based on experience, you will need to ensure that you have:

- a weight distribution hitch that can take the fully-loaded hitch load at the tongue of the trailer
- the axle capacity to take the distributed loads once the trailer is hooked up
- a transmission cooler
- an electrical charging system that is capable of accommodating trailering loads.

Looking at trailers, you need a ballpark number for loaded weight and hitch weight. Then you can go to this handy Jeep Calculator for more insight.

Based on anecdotal evidence most campers add about 1000# to maybe 1500# of cargo to their trailers, so your trailer needs to at least have that capacity. With a vehicle like a GC you will be better off not putting much payload beyond people in the SUV, but you will have to go to a truck scale and get the complete rig weighed to see how best to distribute the weight. Note gross payload will include full propane tanks and black and grey water if you intend to travel with them loaded - I suggest not, for your rig. Maybe 10 gallons of water only just for bathroom function while travelling.

An approach I like to take is to assume a fully loaded trailer weight no greater than 75% - 80% of the capacity. For your SUV, 75% beings you to 4650# fully loaded, and assuming 1000# payload, you are left with 3650# light. NOTE - light weight means nothing when it comes to assessing towing capability

As for hitch weight - you will want 10 - 15% on the hitch even before the effects of the WDH is considered. That means 600# is a good target weight.

Knowing these numbers you can start shopping for trailers. Good luck! :)

By the time our kids became the ages of your 2 older kids, they preferred tents while at the campgrounds.