Need some travel trailer suggestions...
My wife and I will be shopping for our first travel trailer (owned a pop up a few years ago, but that's it) and I need some suggestions for models, brands, options, size, etc. It's just us two and ...
Forum Discussion
Rv’s are a bundle of compromises and you have to weigh a number of things before you can narrow down what will work best for you. To me, size is the dominate factor. I don’t like crowds, read commercial parks and busy campgrounds. So I camp well back in mountain areas, typically national forests. I have a 16’ TT I pull with an F150 4x4 because I can maneuver it back in the primitive forest roads. Much like tent or PU camping And it weighs only 3000# loaded so it’s a piece of cake to pull even in the extensive mountain driving I do. Another advantage is I can almost always find a spot in the popular national parks even in prime time so I rarely ever need to make reservations anywhere. Anything approaching 25’ would be more restriction than I’m willing to accept. So deciding where you want to go and camp is a big factor in your decision.
The down side is I don’t have the amenities of a bigger TT, like tv, microwaves, a dry bath and so on. But I consider all the “amenities” of home as taking away from the camping experience so I don’t really even want them. I can easily spend a couple of months traveling in it. Would I want to full time? Not hardly. The more time you spend in it the more attractive a bigger unit looks. We looked for a couple of years at going a little bigger, maybe up to about 19’. But all the units had a full bed up front and a dry bath in the rear with few windows and we felt like we were in a closet compared to my old ’89 Wilderness so we decided to keep it.
Mine has the dinette up front and a couch – I forget the proper term – in the rear that folds down into a bed. Also a wet bath on the side and seven windows, so it feels open and airy for its size. The folding bed is very comfortable, used it for 25 years with no complaints at all about comfort. So again, you need to weigh how much space you’re comfortable with against your wish for a full bath and bed in that size range.
If you’re inclined toward the more developed and easier access campgrounds and you’d like the amenities of a cabin or motel room, then size is not the biggest issue to you. Then floorplan and finding a unit you can pull without undue strain on the TV is more important. Don’t believe what any salesman tells you that your TV can pull, they’re notorious for overstating it. I never knew my F150 could pull the space shuttle over Teton Pass until I talked to a couple of them. Instead, come back on the forum with the specs for the TV and TT and you’ll get much better advice.
I, too, suggest going used for the first TT. If you find it’s really not what you expected you don’t take it in the shorts on depreciation. Just check it or have it checked thoroughly before you commit, water damage being the big deal breaker. Good luck in your search.
The down side is I don’t have the amenities of a bigger TT, like tv, microwaves, a dry bath and so on. But I consider all the “amenities” of home as taking away from the camping experience so I don’t really even want them. I can easily spend a couple of months traveling in it. Would I want to full time? Not hardly. The more time you spend in it the more attractive a bigger unit looks. We looked for a couple of years at going a little bigger, maybe up to about 19’. But all the units had a full bed up front and a dry bath in the rear with few windows and we felt like we were in a closet compared to my old ’89 Wilderness so we decided to keep it.
Mine has the dinette up front and a couch – I forget the proper term – in the rear that folds down into a bed. Also a wet bath on the side and seven windows, so it feels open and airy for its size. The folding bed is very comfortable, used it for 25 years with no complaints at all about comfort. So again, you need to weigh how much space you’re comfortable with against your wish for a full bath and bed in that size range.
If you’re inclined toward the more developed and easier access campgrounds and you’d like the amenities of a cabin or motel room, then size is not the biggest issue to you. Then floorplan and finding a unit you can pull without undue strain on the TV is more important. Don’t believe what any salesman tells you that your TV can pull, they’re notorious for overstating it. I never knew my F150 could pull the space shuttle over Teton Pass until I talked to a couple of them. Instead, come back on the forum with the specs for the TV and TT and you’ll get much better advice.
I, too, suggest going used for the first TT. If you find it’s really not what you expected you don’t take it in the shorts on depreciation. Just check it or have it checked thoroughly before you commit, water damage being the big deal breaker. Good luck in your search.
