How heavy of a trailer can I get?

Golden_HVAC wrote:
A 6,000 to 8,000 pound travel trailer will use up most of your GVWR cargo rating. That is what you can look for.

You mention that kids might come along later? So might a F-350 - so you can figure that in too. While not many can afford a new F-350, you certainly can trade up to a one used.

I knew someone who was going to travel 3 years full time. Her dad suggested buying his Ford Ranger and buy a truck camper for it. It would have been extremely cramped, but got great gas mileage. So she would not have been able to dry camp, but would need to visit frequent campgrounds to use their showers nightly. Overall while it can save fuel, overall costs of campgrounds add up to way more than fuel and free dry camping in a larger vehicle. She ended up buying a 26' long class C motorhome, and could dry camp for free about 2 weeks at a time.

You might also consider a class C motorhome instead of restricting yourself to a travel trailer. Then it is possible to trade to a pair of high efficiency cars to go back and forth to work and the store.

I am thinking of getting a electric car because my 25 mile each way commute to work is costing me more than $350 a month in gas. By going all electric, I can save $300 a month in fuel costs, and can recharge for free at work. My electric costs at home are fairly low, 10 cents per KW. If I sign up for a time of use plan, I can get nighttime electric for only 4 cents, but pay 12 cents during the day.

Smart cars can be leased for $139 a month with $3,000 down for 36 months with a 10,000 mile per year cap. That works out to about $220 per month total cost, if you stay under the 10,000 mile yearly limit and I would only have a tiny fuel bill.

I also looked into the Ford electric car, and it comes with a $11,000 rebate when you lease a new Electric Focus. This brings the price down to about $320 a month. It is a lot larger than the smart car, and will seat 5 if I move the drivers seat forward a bit.

Just something to think about.

Fred.

Fred.

We already have one child - she's two (26 pounds)... and are trying for another so chances are next year there will be another one in the car. That's a good point though that by the time the kids get big enough to take up much more weight then we will be able to buy a bigger truck. We are just trying to buy a TT that we aren't going to outgrow in a short period of time.

We just bought the TV so buying something else isn't exactly a smart financial decision. Plus my husband is 6'9'' and wouldn't fit in a smart car, haha.