Complete Newbie Seeking Guidance
Hello everyone. I'm delighted to have found this forum and look forward to chatting with all of you. In a nutshell, here's my story (with a few questions at the end). I'm 35, married, live in Nort...
Forum Discussion
First of all, stop thinking about the tow vehicle. What I suggest is that you and your wife start looking at RVs and lots of them. You have to determine how you want to travel. With young kids, you are probably going to want an RV with at least a shower and toilet. There are pop-ups and hybrid trailers that could work. Pop-ups and some hybrids can be towed with larger SUVs or 1/2 ton truck. But with pop-ups and hybrids, the big question is do you want to deal with tent material that may need to dry out after you get home....and you can get a little wet if you have to pack up in rain.
Once you start looking at travel trailers, you have to decide what size unit will meet your needs. If you want bunks for the kids and space for everyone when the weather is bad, I think you may end up wanting a trailer that is at least 28 feet or so. But, you may find something smaller that would meet your needs.
Either way, get an idea of what you and your wife want, then you'll know what the unit weighs and can choose a tow vehicle that will be up to the job.
In the meantime, do your home work about tow ratings, especially the fact that most dry weights are not accurate as they don't usually include options such as awning, propane tanks, battery etc. Learn about GVWR and payloads...tons of posts here on the forums.
More than likely, you're going to need a 1/2 ton pick-up that can handle 8,500 lbs. or more. Then you can look at trailers that are around 28' and will weigh around 7-8K loaded, which will have to be a light weight trailer.
Take your time and you can avoid making the common mistake of buying a vehicle that you think is adequate, and then after towing your new trailer for a few trips, you discover you need a beefier tow vehicle!
And, a good used trailer can be a great buy, because after using it for a while, you will find out what you like and dislike about it and decide to buy a different trailer. If you've purchased one used, you won't much if any loss on the trade.
Once you start looking at travel trailers, you have to decide what size unit will meet your needs. If you want bunks for the kids and space for everyone when the weather is bad, I think you may end up wanting a trailer that is at least 28 feet or so. But, you may find something smaller that would meet your needs.
Either way, get an idea of what you and your wife want, then you'll know what the unit weighs and can choose a tow vehicle that will be up to the job.
In the meantime, do your home work about tow ratings, especially the fact that most dry weights are not accurate as they don't usually include options such as awning, propane tanks, battery etc. Learn about GVWR and payloads...tons of posts here on the forums.
More than likely, you're going to need a 1/2 ton pick-up that can handle 8,500 lbs. or more. Then you can look at trailers that are around 28' and will weigh around 7-8K loaded, which will have to be a light weight trailer.
Take your time and you can avoid making the common mistake of buying a vehicle that you think is adequate, and then after towing your new trailer for a few trips, you discover you need a beefier tow vehicle!
And, a good used trailer can be a great buy, because after using it for a while, you will find out what you like and dislike about it and decide to buy a different trailer. If you've purchased one used, you won't much if any loss on the trade.
