Looking to get into Rv'ing but have questions.

rough calculations put it at 5200 pounds. Dogs and people and blankets and incidentals and all. Does that sound right?

You need to work on payload capacity numbers with your truck, not "Towing specs" or trailer's GVWR. This gets into tongue weight, weight of cargo and passengers, and the truck's payload capacity. There should be a sticker on the driver's side door jamb stating, "all weight of passengers and cargo not to exceed..." or similar. That is the important part of estimating the vehicle's worthiness to pull the weight, not the printed "Towing capacity".

With a Tundra you should be OK but I don't know the exact numbers and I think you'll find that after you load all the gear and cargo into the trailer, your tongue weight will increase. Adding in the passenger and cargo weight into the truck, you'll see that you are now approaching the payload capacity of the truck. There may not be enough capacity left for that 500lb. load of firewood you planned to carry. ;)

As far as pricing goes...a) get a Costco Membership. b) Go on the Costco website: "www.costcoauto.com/rv/", and send an email saying what RV/trailer you want. You'll soon hear from a Costco partner RV dealer closest to you. c) You may have to drive a bit to go pick it up (for example, I had to drive to Dayton, Ohio for mine), but you'll be buying near wholesale and be saving HUGE dollars. d) Use the trailer for a few years and sell it for what you paid (or maybe even make some money), instead of immediately losing a ton of money the moment you pull away from the local dealership. Thank you Costco!! :B

BragaPulls, have you made a decision yet?

After boating for years in a 31' sloop, we decided it was time to sell it and go for a land yacht, so we could see something more than water. We rented a 27' class C and traveled for a couple weeks, just to see if we could stand that much closeness. No problem. About a year of research then ensued, until we finally settled on a brand new 2004 Itasca 32' Sunrise (Winnebago). We still have her. With minimal maintenance issues, and only one major modification (a Banks system) she has held up and done everything we needed. I love her.

But WLToo's Parkinsons caused him to think it's too hard for him to drive L'Andante, and he doesn't want me to do all the driving (I don't mind). So we charged back into research. Wound up with a used 2014 F-350 (my first used vehicle of any kind), and a brand new Rockwood 33' 2906WS. Because it's a completely new model, there are warranty issues to be dealt with, and then we'll make modifications to suit us.

In comparing the Itasca (Winnebago Industries) and the Rockwood (Forest River Industries), my quality stamp of approval goes overwhelmingly to Winnebago. Steinholz is reasonably comfy, easy to tow, and has all the modern bells and whistles that L'Andante doesn't, but it's not my first love. Just for WLToo's sake, Steinholz is going to be the long distance RV. I'm keeping L'Andante for the short distance trips and for emergency evacuation (we live in a wildfire area).

Bottom line (my opinion, for what it's worth): a new or lightly used Winnebago product will give you the fewest headaches as you develop your RV experience.

Since you have 0 kids and a couple of dogs, that makes it easier. Once the family grows it gets more complicated. We started with tents (scouts) then bought a used pop-up (with A/C) which worked when they were small, then a little bigger hard side, then a ginormous 34 bunk house and finally settled on a smaller ultra-lite. Needs change, finances change, etc.

I like the idea of a used camper 2-3 years old. Have a pre-purchase performed and enjoy. If you really like the lifestyle, the next one will be new and more modern with advanced technology and less maintenance. You'll get a better idea on just how much you'll use it, where you like go (that will impact the tow vehicle and wether its an all-season or not) and how long you like to stay.

I think your on the right track in doing your home work, asking questions and going slowly. This a great forum and even an old fart like means learns something new every time I log on.

Good luck and enjoy!

We looked at new travel trailers when we first got into this lifestyle. We rented a 19 footer for a 10 day trip, and found out things we wanted and things we didn't need. We ended up with a new Nash 22H, sold that and moved to a larger high dollar unit (which we crashed), then bought a very slightly used 3 year old TT, which we've pulled all over the west.
One issue (to me) is the fact that folks spend large amounts of money for a unit that sits alongside the house for most of the time because folks work. Is the high cost worth it?
Importantly, remember a salesperson is there to sell you his product--and will tell you fibs to get your pocketbook loosened up. Someone on this forum has the info you will find helpful because we've pretty much been where you are right now.
We would rather RV then motel it. It's just our way of enjoying the country we live in, so come on out!

I don't have any great wisdom to impart, but I read your post and was just excited for you. What a fun, happy, exciting new adventure! Unlike many on these boards, my hubby and I started camping/rv,ine after our kids were grown. We have had a blast hauling around to the nearby state parks, riding our bikes, going for hikes, and reading peacefully around the campsite.

Enjoy!!! ((I'm in the buy new group. Who needs the headache?)

My experience has generally not been quite the same as some who've posted on this thread.

We made our first, and so far only, RV TT purchase in 2010. We did buy used but found a very nice 3 year old TT. A bit on the heavier side with a slide-out but it fits us well. I wasn't worried so much about depreciation of why we didn't go with new, what concerned me was not knowing was price to settle on when buying new so as we didn't get taken advantage of. Biggest advice I can give is be very contentious about floor plan to make sure it fits you and then go with a decent build known for quality.

Now that we have been doing the RV thing for 6 years, I feel very comfortable with moving forward trying to work out a deal on a new RV when we choose to sell our current TT and go to a truck camper in 5-6 years. What I haven't seen mentioned in any of the previous posts is what price to go for on new RVs. What I have gathered over the last six years is that many, many people recommend buying new RVs at about 65-70 percent of the MSRP pricing. Keep in mind there can be many factors as to if you can do this good, or even better, but that is what I would shoot for probably offering 60 percent of the MSRP for my first offer and then work from there. Of course timing, demand, new models, ordering a RV, stock on hand all play into what is the best deal you can negotiate on a new RV. Used will be a bit harder to understand current market value as it will be hard to find an exact like for like RV, in you area, for true price comparison. As in any price negotiation, don't get emotional.

Another vote for buying new. I like RVing, not Repairing. I know what people do to rigs that they are selling. I would rather have a new $20,000 unit than pay $20,000 for something that used to be $30,000. All of that is a personal thing based on age, finances, mechanical ability, etc. Nobody on here knows that much about you. Renting is a great way to test yourself and your partner. Camping fun is more about you than about your rig.

DutchmenSport wrote:


Another thing. Almost everyone on these forums will pretty much agree, it takes 3 RV purchases to finally get the one that you really wanted. So, usually, first time RVers trade camper within 2-3 years after their first purchase.

Still.... I'm one of those folks that still buy new. I DO understand the depreciation concept, and it's the price I AM willing to pay. I simply do not want to purchase used. The whole thought of used is just creepy to me!

This.

I got on this forum this morning to review the topic of new vs used as we are about to get back into it after a 2 year break to deal with family issues, job issues, etc. (and we miss it terribly).

- 1st used trailer - 1995 Terry, first year they put on rubber roofs. Single slide. It all leaked terribly. Slide was totally rotted out and I had to rebuild the entire thing.

- 2nd used trailer - 2003 Trailbay. Fiberglass side walls developed heavy delamination

- 3rd used - 2008 Fleetwood Regal 5th wheel (parked at a camp on the lake so it didn't go anywhere). Was a real maintenance challenge - something major was breaking or failing once a month.

Which brings me back to the above poster. Even with the massive depreciation hit, it is something I'm willing to take the hit since it is something we will keep for several years.