New to Travel Trailers. What to look for?
Hey all. I am new here and am wanting to get a TT for my family sometime next year. I would like to hear opinions on what brands to look for regarding reliability, comfort and durability and which one...
Forum Discussion
Assuming you are looking for a travel trailer, here's what I did before I even started.
1. Determine payload of my vehicle I planned to tow with. Don't just stop by looking at the sticker on the door jamb. Take that value, subtract your weight, and all passengers weight, and estimate what you might carry with you when you are pulling your new trailer. Add about 100 lbs for the hitch. Subtract the weight of all passengers etc from the payload value on the sticker. That gives you the remaining payload you have potentially available for a trailer.
2. Then go looking at trailers. Each one you look at that you think is a possibility, take pictures, to include a picture of the make and model, and the weight sticker on the drivers side of the trailer. To determine if the trailer is a POTENTIAL candidate, find the GVWR for the trailer. Multiply that by .15 (15%). That will give you the potential tongue weight you will have to deal with. Subtract that 15% value from the remaining payload you had in item 1 above. If that is below the payload, it's a candidate for further consideration. If not, it's not, unless you plan on upgrading your tow vehicle.
By the time you look at a few, you will know what the GVWR has to be at or below for it to be a viable candidate. When wife and I were shopping, she went inside, I looked outside. First place I went was the sticker.
Since you have a year to look, I would encourage you to go to one or two RV shows. You can get really overwhelmed, so be careful. I followed the above process to eliminate things, and took a BUNCH of pictures. Came home and reviewed them, did research on the models etc online.
I also went to three local dealers (fortunate or unfortunate to have three separate dealers here). Gave me other opportunities to browse. Some (Camping World) wouldn't leave me alone. Others I never saw a salesman unless I asked.
In terms of quality brands, they are all about the same. They all have lower end and higher end (theoretically), but one thing to remember, these things are thrown together in rapid fashion, with no real care of workmanship. And they are rolling earthquakes.
Hope it helps
Mike
1. Determine payload of my vehicle I planned to tow with. Don't just stop by looking at the sticker on the door jamb. Take that value, subtract your weight, and all passengers weight, and estimate what you might carry with you when you are pulling your new trailer. Add about 100 lbs for the hitch. Subtract the weight of all passengers etc from the payload value on the sticker. That gives you the remaining payload you have potentially available for a trailer.
2. Then go looking at trailers. Each one you look at that you think is a possibility, take pictures, to include a picture of the make and model, and the weight sticker on the drivers side of the trailer. To determine if the trailer is a POTENTIAL candidate, find the GVWR for the trailer. Multiply that by .15 (15%). That will give you the potential tongue weight you will have to deal with. Subtract that 15% value from the remaining payload you had in item 1 above. If that is below the payload, it's a candidate for further consideration. If not, it's not, unless you plan on upgrading your tow vehicle.
By the time you look at a few, you will know what the GVWR has to be at or below for it to be a viable candidate. When wife and I were shopping, she went inside, I looked outside. First place I went was the sticker.
Since you have a year to look, I would encourage you to go to one or two RV shows. You can get really overwhelmed, so be careful. I followed the above process to eliminate things, and took a BUNCH of pictures. Came home and reviewed them, did research on the models etc online.
I also went to three local dealers (fortunate or unfortunate to have three separate dealers here). Gave me other opportunities to browse. Some (Camping World) wouldn't leave me alone. Others I never saw a salesman unless I asked.
In terms of quality brands, they are all about the same. They all have lower end and higher end (theoretically), but one thing to remember, these things are thrown together in rapid fashion, with no real care of workmanship. And they are rolling earthquakes.
Hope it helps
Mike
