Newbie-making a choice on first TT--advice appreciated

Greetings All,

While not new to towing or camping, this will be the families' first TT. We tow a 3 horse trailer with rough camping living quarters on a regular basis, but recently decided that cramming 3 of us into the tack room/bedroom under the gooseneck is less than desirable for long weekends at the show grounds. We resorted to hotel living when it got cold last year, and that gets expensive fast.

Tow vehicle for the TT will be a 2013 Tahoe 4X4 equipped with HD trailer towing package and weight distributing hitch. Can tow 8,200--so I will want to keep trailer under 6,500. We live in Michigan and shows run March through October...it gets cold!

So, have done a LOT of research. So many choices. The RV show is next weekend, and I am trying to narrow the list to what fits what we are looking for so we can spend time in the models of interest and not wandering around dreaming about a $100K motor home. Any words of advice are welcome.

We are a family of 4. Children are nearly adults (14 and 16) and there will be sleep overs with friends at shows. We've decided that a bunkhouse model (dual doubles) with a separate bedroom in front is what we need to keep sanity. One slide would be good since it is common to have folks who don't have TT drop in to warm up when it is 30F out (we did that last season and would like to return the favor). Bells and whistles and fancy appointments are not at the top of our list. Function and durability trumps all. It will start to look and smell like a barn inevitably--so fancy means nothing--easy to clean means a lot.

Research is pointing us to Cherokee Grey Wolf, Coachmen Catalina, Coachmen Apex, or Jayco Flight SLX models. The Apex appears to have aluminum and fiberglass construction--this seems a plus when compared to wood in terms of durability. Jayco has a longer standard warranty. All seem to hover around the same price point. What options are the ones that make life easier and make set up easy?

Any thoughts on models or brands?

Thanks in advance.
Jacquie

APT
Explorer
Feb 04, 2016
Don't buy at the show. They tend to not has the lowest prices in the mid west.

If you want to tow 6500 pounds, then you should target 5500 pounds dry. You only tow an RV empty once - home from point of sale.
RVcircus
Explorer II
Feb 04, 2016
We have double bunks in the front and love it! It's a great feature when traveling with kids. Since you'll be using this at horse shows, is an outdoor shower and kitchen important to you? I'd also consider storage space as I've seen a few new TT's with tiny compartments.
chimera45
Explorer
Feb 04, 2016
RVcircus wrote:
We have double bunks in the front and love it! It's a great feature when traveling with kids. Since you'll be using this at horse shows, is an outdoor shower and kitchen important to you? I'd also consider storage space as I've seen a few new TT's with tiny compartments.

Thank you--outdoor showers aren't important. As for an outdoor kitchen, hmmmmm....that could be a nice feature.
chimera45
Explorer
Feb 04, 2016
APT wrote:
Don't buy at the show. They tend to not has the lowest prices in the mid west.

If you want to tow 6500 pounds, then you should target 5500 pounds dry. You only tow an RV empty once - home from point of sale.

Can't even imagine buying at a show...whew! I've heard they can be crowded and crazy. Like buying a horse at an auction....too easy to impulse buy. Thank you.
eichacsj
Explorer
Feb 04, 2016
I am bias and recommend Northwood their Nash or Snow River models. They all have the basic frame construction, frills will take you to their Arctic Fox.

Northwood is build for four seasons (not an add on) and rugged use like 4WD boon-docking.

Outdoor RV is a child company of Northwood, use to be Fleetwood I believe.
westend
Explorer
Feb 04, 2016
Check the driver's door jam sticker for payload weight capacity. It will limit your towing numbers.
You won't be towing anything close to 8200 lbs.

From the payload capacity, you will need to subtract---trailer tongue weight, WDH weight, passengers, and any cargo weight.
DutchmenSport
Explorer
Feb 04, 2016
It's just a thought, but when you are at the RV show, take a few minutes and look at the Toy Haulers, especially those with the beds in the back that can be raised and lowered from ceiling to floor. You might get new ideas! Since you go to these horse shows, the extra storage in the garage might be nice too! And those gigantic beds in the back would be great for the kids (and friends). It's just a suggestion, but don't rule it out till you've looked at least once!
RavensFan24
Explorer
Feb 05, 2016
Check out the Bullet Premier's. They are considered an Ultra Lite. They have outdoor kitchen and outdoor entertainment package and you can get a decent amount of space for the size. We love ours and tow with a Tahoe. I'm looking to upgrade the truck, but with just 2 people and 3 dogs we tow within the limits of all weight ratings. Our 30' is 6600lbs, but we don't load much in the RV, always travel with tanks empty and nothing but us and the dogs in the truck. You can get a smaller one (26' or so) and be happy with towing and space.
krobbe
Explorer
Feb 05, 2016
eichacsj wrote:
I am bias and recommend Northwood their Nash or Snow River models. They all have the basic frame construction, frills will take you to their Arctic Fox.

Northwood is build for four seasons (not an add on) and rugged use like 4WD boon-docking.

Outdoor RV is a child company of Northwood, use to be Fleetwood I believe.

I also think Northwood Manufacturing and Outdoor RV are great 4 season rigs. But you'll not likely see any of their travel trailers at a Mich RV show. Maybe a Northwood Truck Camper or two through American RV dealer. Besides, the weight of these 4 season TT's are likely more than a Tahoe can handle.

For your needs, look at models like a Keystone Passport 2810BH or Bullet 272BHS or similar layouts in the Manufac that you mentioned. That layout has the double bunks you mentioned and has a couch to seat/sleep visitors and a second door directly into the bathroom to minimize the tracking in of dirt. With dry weights under 5200, and dry tongue weight <= 565 , all packed up you'll likely be in the neighborhood of 6500 and 900 tongue weight.
According to GM, your hitch weight should not exceed 1000#.
2013 Chevy Trailering Guide(pg 13. Notes on Tahoe, Suburban and Avalanche section)

With a little more truck, models with a bunk room and 2nd slide like the Bullet 308BHS will give you everything. Bunk room for changing, 2nd entry door, outdoor kitchen, and a couch for sitting visitors.

I can't say enough good things about a bunk room for the extra storage and separate room for the kids. I did a 4 week trip to the Pacific Northwest with 3 adults and 4 kids(2 are mine) in my bunk room Bullet and am planning another to the Southwest this year with the same group. Nobody slept on the dining table which was great on rainy mornings when I could get up and have coffee and not kick anyone out of bed.
APT
Explorer
Feb 05, 2016
I use the shows to narrow down brand and floorplan. There will not be every brand and every floorplan, but you can compare most brands quality of materials and craftsmanship as well as man brands offer same/similar floorplans.

Some of the salepeople at the show can be high pressure. Maybe just say you are looking for something for late summer or next year to get them off your backs.

I much prefer going on Wed-Friday vs. Sat/Sun due to number of other visitors. Maybe skip out of work a little early and get there by 3? As I remind my children, we only need to go inside bunkhouses. That saves a lot of time as we can get through the show in under 3h.