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chaoticneutral's avatar
chaoticneutral
Explorer
Apr 23, 2013

Buying SUV and Trailer at the same time - what to get?

I'm so complicated, I'm sorry, but I need somebody with experience to help. I'm getting a decent sized settlement in the next few months, and at that time I'll be buying a new SUV and used trailer. I just don't know what to get. We have a 4Runner right now, but it wouldn't tow enough. I was looking at the Explorer, which might work for my needs. I'm trying to get a new SUV that has not horrible gas mileage. I only live 4 miles from work, so I'm not horribly worried about gas, but don't want a humongous truck (trucks are ugly). I don't want a Flex or anything really square because I think they're ugly.

We have a family of 3. I want a separate area for my husband and I vs. our daughter to sleep. We're big Renaissance Faire geeks and spend many weekends camping, where there is partying going on. We spend at least 8 weekends a year just doing that. This trailer would be dropped off and left there for about 6 weeks straight. And as long as I can afford it, I'll take this to Burning Man at least once so my husband can go (I've been, he hasn't). A couple of the weekends will be up in Tahoe in June, where it's really cold and sometimes snows in June. So it has to be able to get up into that area.

I've been told by a few people to get a trailer instead of an RV. Why? It seems like the cost difference in getting a smaller SUV that gets better gas mileage might make up for the costs of an RV. I need your expert opinions on that.

What kind of trailer could I tow with an Explorer? I was looking at the TrailManors. They're a great size, but they're not very common. Anybody have one of these, how is the quality? While the size is good, it would be nice to get a trailer that doesn't need to pop up so I can just keep everything in place and not have to set it all up and make sure the "stuff" is where it belongs.

Another issue is storage. We have a long driveway that would fit this, but getting into the driveway is an issue as it's very narrow. No room for messing up or I'll run into a fence or bushes. It seems an RV would be easier to put in the driveway.

If you could get a vehicle and RV or trailer, what would you get?

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  • mbopp's avatar
    mbopp
    Explorer
    Apr 23, 2013
    Where to start?

    If you're going to be leaving the RV parked for a few weeks I'd be leaning towards a TT.
    You said you want separate sleeping areas. Do you want the main bed separated by a curtain or a solid wall from the living area?
    How old is your daughter? Can / will she sleep on a converted dinette table or couch, or does she need her own space? If she needs her own bedroom then you're into bunkhouse models that are larger than your 4-Runner will tow. For towing even a small bunkhouse I'd want something more than an Explorer, more along a full-frame vehicle be it SUV or pickup truck.
    How about a hybrid (HTT) where the tent ends fold out? You could fold them in if you're leaving it for a few weeks. But hybrids aren't as secure as a full TT, and heating / cooling them can be more difficult because of the tent ends. And you have to literally climb into bed at night.
    With a full MH what are you going to do if you want to go someplace while camping? Drive the MH or get a "toad" (2nd vehicle) to tow behing it?
    DW & I had a pop-up for 2 years, a HTT for 7, and now a full TT. We looked at floorplans, makes, and models casually for 2 years and really in earnest since last summer. But what works for us won't work for you, and neither will work for another camping family.
  • rnr07's avatar
    rnr07
    Explorer
    Apr 23, 2013
    We towed a 25' sunline with a 4runner for a couple years. the trailer weighs @ 5500 (loaded), that was all we thought we could tow based on our car specs.
    It was not fun sometimes on the highway (with semi trucks) and in wind. Even with the weight distributing hitch we had a lot sway.

    So the weight and tow capacity of vehicle will matter more depending on where and how far you plan to drive. (local? or all over the country)

    We now have a big truck (f350) and will probably get a 5th wheel one day. We bought the truck so we could upgrade the trailer later. But with the big truck we don't even notice any sway...

    You should go to your local RV dealer and look at the ones they have that would be light enough for you now. Once you know what you can tow now then you can decide if you want a larger vehicle and a larger trailer later.

    Once you camp a while you will find you may want other options on your Rv that did not seem important at first.

    Have fun looking and shopping... there is so much out there!!
  • chaoticneutral's avatar
    chaoticneutral
    Explorer
    Apr 23, 2013
    No, we're not towing with the 4Runner. I want to get a bigger trailer than what would be available. The TrailManors I've looked at are about 3500 lbs and the 4Runner only hauls that, and I believe I need about 1000lbs for stuff in the TT.

    That's just it. I've looked at a bunch of things, but I have no idea what's good. Since I can buy both at the same time, I wanted to get the ideal of both vehicle and RV (TT or MH).

    I really like the floorplan of the MH with the little bed area in the back. I guess if I can find a TT with that kind of layout, but is small enough to be towed with a vehicle that tows 5000 lbs, I assume that's okay, but I know I don't know enough. I'm not overly worried about money, but I don't want to waste it or be dumb about it.
  • the_bear_II's avatar
    the_bear_II
    Explorer
    Apr 23, 2013
    First of all you need to get some terms correct.

    RV is an overall term describing vehicles used for travelling and sleeping.
    Travel Trailer (TT) is what you have been told to get
    Motorhome (MH) is what you think you would like.

    If money is a concern you would be better off to get a TT and a vehicle to tow it with.

    There are TT available that can be towed by your 4Runner. They are light weight and in the 12 to 16 foot range in size. Your best bet is to determine the towing capacity of your 4runner. This can be found in the owners manual or on a sticker on the drivers door. Or ask at the Toyota dealer. You'll need a good hitch installed if you don't already have one. You need to get a hitch that will handle the TT you choose.

    Your next step is to find the TT you like that can be towed safely by your 4runner or a new tow vehicle.

    It's your choice... you need to find a TT with a floorplan you like and a Tow Vehicle (SUV) that has more than enough capacity to tow it safely.
  • APT's avatar
    APT
    Explorer
    Apr 23, 2013
    Separate bedroom for you and child means a bunk house of some kind. Only one child, so a double bunk will do. Spend some time looking at floorplans of RVs. There are many brands and variations of very similar floorplans. Then you can pick a weight and appropriate tow vehicle (TV).

    4 miles to work each way is nothing. You will put a lot more miles towing an RV than daily driving, so the tradeoff of more capability vs size/fuel economy favors larger vehicles.

    Towing any high walled RV is hard work due to the aerodynamic drag of the travel trailer. Gas engines tend to get 8-10mpg towing. Diesels maybe 12-15mpg. If can find something under about 4500 pounds dry, the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Diesel would be good along with 2012+ Vw Touareg TDI.

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