Newbie- picking out first TT

^ Great advice. Our 3220 (35.5' overall) is our first trailer and we wish we'd bought a little smaller. Weight (payload) is not the only factor; longer units have more side area which can be difficult for a half ton to keep under control, especially for us newbies.
Keep in mind, some manufacturers get the tongue wight right- our dry & tongue weights were as advertised, with batteries and propane.

Since you said you're pretty much a newbie at this, maybe some time spent online just looking at floorplans with specs would help. IMHO, to go from no experience to a 30' - give or take - is a lot to ask. Many feel strongly that bigger is better....we're not of that thought. 25'- 26' or so is a nice size, you should be able to get a sofa and still have some breathing room. We went from a HTT ROO 23SS, actual box 20'+" to our 2604, which is really 26'4"...seems huge. Depending on the places you camp, even that size difference can eliminate your favorite site somewhere. DH could whip our HTT into our fave site almost blindfolded. It's a huge PITA with the larger TT. The problem is not the actual size of the site, but the maneuvering room. Something to consider. Suggest in the interest of ease, go to RVWholesalers and RVDirect to do some window shopping. They both carry a ton of brands and models and most include the specs + pictures. You can save yourself a lot of legwork. Good luck. It's a big decision and FWIW, if you can find something under 30' that has a sofa, you'll be happy.

The note about sitting on the toilet is a real good one. There was a trailer layout that I loved but once I sat on the toilet my knees were against the tub. Another is the queen beds, most have short queens which are an issue for tall people. Some floor plans allow to change out the short queen for a longer mattress.

Before you purchase your 1st TT, if you have not done so already, I would take the family to the dealers lot and have the children lay in the beds to ensure they have enough room, I would stand in the shower to ensure you can turn around, I would sit on the toilet to ensure you are not cramped and I would pretnd it was a day where going outside was not an option and see if there really is enough room for you all in the TT.

tomkaren13 wrote:
Go with the Bullet 272. If it weighs less then 6000 pounds your Gmc will do fine. We have an older Gmc 1500 and it tows our 30 ft 5500 pound just fine.

THIS is what I needed to hear!!! We look great with all the numbers, adding in what I think we will be carrying with weight, adjusting the hitch weight, getting a WDH, etc.... I just needed someone to say they are doing it with no problem! We bought this truck for this purpose but most people on here say things are too heavy! I just want us to be safe with our truck and TT. The 272 only weighs 5056 "dry" and for weekend camping I don't see us overloading. We also have room in the bed of the truck for a few things so our weight is dispersed as best it can be.

Our TT is 26-1/2' ball to bumper, single width but deep slide, no couch.
But........ It's just DW & me most of the time. For a family I'd opt for the longer trailer.

The 9600# tow rating isn't the important number. What your DH needs to look at is the payload rating found on the yellow sticker on the drivers side door frame. My guess is that by the time you add up passengers, gear, hitch, and tongue weight you'll be over the Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) rating. Welcome to 1/2-ton towing.

VT Skier wrote:
I would consider where are you going to camp. If you are thinking any state campgrounds you wont fit with either, we have a 25ft TT with a huge slide and camp almost exclusively in State CG's in Vt,NY,NH and MA we have a tough time sometimes getting a spot. As far as having a ton of room for the kids my belief is we are camping to be outside not inside playing with electronics if it rains find some board games another thing we do is we put up a 12x12 ez up canopy that comes with sides. Just my 2 cents

I agree with you 100%!!!! However, its inevitable that it is going to rain sometimes and I know that the small TT is going to get real small once we are all hanging out inside it. I was also just thinking of a place to relax at night instead of sitting at the table, and it also makes the floor plan a lot more open. Looking at storage space, the larger TT has a nice big pantry/wardrobe that the smaller one does not.

AAAH!!!!! Such a big decision!!!! I wish the price was significantly different so that it would make the decision easy haha.

As for the places we camp- we have one place we camp at most often- however it has always been with tents so our preference of sites was incredibly different. This park often has large MH and 5th wheels so I don't think the size will be an issue. I'm going to call a couple that we are interested in visiting to see what their generally availability is.

Thanks for all the advice!!!

Doug33 wrote:
Have you looked at the Bullet 281BHS? It is perfect for our needs.

Yes, I don't believe that make that model anymore but the one we are looking at is similar. Our couch and table side where your couch and kitchen slide. They seem to keep the kitchen stationary with the 2015 models.

I would consider where are you going to camp. If you are thinking any state campgrounds you wont fit with either, we have a 25ft TT with a huge slide and camp almost exclusively in State CG's in Vt,NY,NH and MA we have a tough time sometimes getting a spot. As far as having a ton of room for the kids my belief is we are camping to be outside not inside playing with electronics if it rains find some board games another thing we do is we put up a 12x12 ez up canopy that comes with sides. Just my 2 cents

I have noticed that a lot of the National Forest Service campgrounds state that the sites can only be used by trailers 30 ft and under . A few even have smaller restrictions. I am debating the same thing right now and can't make a decision. Personally I may go for the shorter trailer with the double bunks. My Grandkids, if the are not running around making noise outside ,seem to spend a lot of time laying in bed with thier Ipads and such. I really need to see the trailers I am considering but all the dealers for the ones I want are at least 75- 150 miles from me. Good luck with your search.