Hi all, new to the forum (and the world of camping)! My wife and I got the camping bug and we want to get a TT. I've read a lot of conflicting info and have some questions before we pull the trigger on one.I'm pretty set on the layout - bunkhouse with U dinette (preferred, but reg is ok) and couch. King size bed is also preferred. Nearly every manufacturer has one.My tow vehicle is a 2019 Ram 1500 w the V8 and standard gearsI basically have 2 questions:1) There are only 2 dealers relatively close to where I live. I'm not over the moon about either of the brands they carry. Is it THAT detrimental to have my dealer close by for warranty repairs? (alternative is over an hours drive, several bridges and traffic to drive the most patient person mad) I can use the close by dealers for repairs, but they obviously won't be covered.The most reputable dealer near us is a Jayco dealer. The TT that fits my specs is a base model (slx8 284bhs) that is ok, but I've seen nicer. I'll go w it if the warranty issue is that big of a deal, but I really like the KZ or Grand Designs better and was impressed at a Sunset Trail we recently saw at a trade show...2) Most of the TTs I'm looking at are in the 27/28' interior size. Ram says I can tow 8240lbs. The ones I'm looking at are in the 7500lb range gross (presumably packed out w stuff). I should be ok yeah?Thanks in advance for any advice!! With the summer around the corner, I am anxious to get on the road and start exploring!!

first trailer? buy a nice used one .theres lots of them out there. then you,ll learn what you really want.

RAM 1500 4X4 CREW ST 5'7" BOX your payload is 1840.. Pretty good. Is it just you and spouse in truck?800 lb TW you may be up over 1000 lbs when loaded. Add more people to truck and youll be up there at limits.Thing with the rams I hear is the coil suspension is not that good.. May need to beef it up with sumo springs or air bags as people on this site suggest.Jayco cargo CCC is 1200. Not alot IMO.Grand design youll get a bit more 1600 and a 600 lb tongue weight.But pay the price for the name.. Better quality?My theory is find as light as you can with max cargo hold.yes sunset trails is a good option.http://www.crossroadsrv.com/products/travel-trailers/sunset-trail/floorplans/ss288bh/You will have warranty work I am sure... I fixed all the stuff myself because I didnt want the RV tied up at the dealer for months as they are always swamped.. Only if there was something major would I bring it back. I bought the RV from a dealer that was 4 hours away. Its where I got a fantastic price. All my local dealers were 4000 more...those dealers were 1.5 hours away.

Chances are pretty good you will have some sort of warranty work at some point with any of the current manufacturers. But buying a tt your not really liking because it’s close isn’t a good idea either .All of our RV’s have been purchased out of state and have had a few warranty issues we just brought them back to dealers for the work . Find the floor plan and manufacturer’s you like.

What your truck can carry is more important than what you can pull. While lawrosa estimates your payload at 1840, what does the sticker say? And how much weight will you carry in the truck? I second the suggestion of buying used first time ut.

Well, a few things......On a 1/2-ton you'll run out of payload or hit your rear axle rating before you hit the max tow capacity. It's a common newbie trap. And since you're talking a bunkhouse I assume you have a family & maybe a crew cab? Passengers and gear count against your payload.If you can, research customer opinions on the dealers service dept. It's not unusual to be quoted several weeks or even months to get an appointment.RV's are a house being subjected to earthquakes rolling down the road. How handy are you at repairs? If you need to take the trailer back to the dealer for every minor issue you won't get a lot of camping time in.

Newbie Pre Purchase Questions | Good Sam Community

lawrosa
Explorer
Feb 20, 2020
Man they have don some cool upgrades since I bought mine here.

USB ports everywhere
added window for top bunk
put sink in the bathroom and not out in the hall
nice wood backer in master bedroom
comes with tv mounts
big grab handle for entry door
propane tank covers
bigger giant rear storage door... geez mine is tiny

looks like best deal out there

https://www.keystonervcenter.com/2020-coachmen-catalina-summit-261bh-new-travel-trailer-greencastle-pa-17225-i2568402
lawrosa
Explorer
Feb 20, 2020
Question - does it have AC ducts in the bedroom? If not, does it get hot w the door closed all night? Curious...

yes duct in bedroom, and bathroom. yes stays cool with door closed.

also heat duct in bedroom and bathroom.
pasta4lnch
Explorer
Feb 20, 2020
lawrosa wrote:
Did you order that custom?

yes. It was on the option check list and I optioned it in..

Question - does it have AC ducts in the bedroom? If not, does it get hot w the door closed all night? Curious...
pasta4lnch
Explorer
Feb 20, 2020
ajriding wrote:
To the original poster:
You can step out of the conversation by now if you want to.

All good...learning a lot!
lawrosa
Explorer
Feb 20, 2020
Did you order that custom?

yes. It was on the option check list and I optioned it in..
ajriding
Explorer II
Feb 20, 2020
To the original poster:
You can step out of the conversation by now if you want to.

The typical post has about a 50 to 1 ratio of readers to posters. This means 50 times more people are just reading through the post to glean info for the same or similar question you actually posted. At some point the answers are given to those thousands of readers as much as for the original person. This is why some answers will pull in answers to a question that you did not ask; for the benefit of the general public as much as for you personally...

Happy camping.
ppine
Explorer II
Feb 20, 2020
I would be willing to drive to a neighboring state to buy the right rig.
pasta4lnch
Explorer
Feb 20, 2020
lawrosa wrote:
Here is the full wall I ordered mine with.

I will look into this one - I watched that video before and didn't see a discernible difference to the jayco (relatively). There isn't a close by dealer...might need to make a trek.

Funny you mentioned about the bedroom wall. I saw a jayco w the same wall but I don't see anywhere on the site to order/cost. I'll have to check w the dealers. Did you order that custom?
librty02
Explorer
Feb 19, 2020
2012Coleman wrote:
Mike134 wrote:
2012Coleman wrote:
OP wrote:
Ram's website claims 8510lbs tow capacity.

Here's my advice - go to rvshare.com and rent the TT you think your truck is able to pull. Take it on a highway trip and let some semis pass you. Good luck.

I sense a hint of sarcasm in his response, but renting once or twice is good advise to find a floor-plan you like and seeing how the truck behaves. Only problem I had when renting was the guy never bothered to check or setup the WDH for my TV, so you do have to be careful there.
Not sarcasm, but real life experience. My FIL wanted to join us on one of our trips and did just as I stated - rented from rvshare.com - selecting a TT based on his tow capacity. I followed him after he picked it up. It was great till we got on the interstate. Thing was all over the place. Same thing on the way to the CG. The guy was a pilot in Vietnam, but was so frazzled that he called the guy to come pick it up from the CG after our stay was over.

And - if you have to modify your TV with airbags, that should tell you something regardless of the axle weight limit conspiracy theories.

Like I said - Good Luck

I see renting a trailer as both a good and disastrous thing to do...

The good - getting a feel for hooking up a trailer, the wdh, the electrical, checking the lights, tires, etc...towing anything in general for the 1st time to get a feel for it how it moves and tracks at turns...

The bad/ugly - A improperly set up wdh can put fear into you while towing especially the 1st time doing so. An improperly wdh can ruin the entire experience I don't care what type of truck you have as I have towed with them all. Now if the wdh is set up properly and dialed in it could be an entirely different experience.
2012Coleman
Explorer II
Feb 19, 2020
Mike134 wrote:
2012Coleman wrote:
OP wrote:
Ram's website claims 8510lbs tow capacity.

Here's my advice - go to rvshare.com and rent the TT you think your truck is able to pull. Take it on a highway trip and let some semis pass you. Good luck.

I sense a hint of sarcasm in his response, but renting once or twice is good advise to find a floor-plan you like and seeing how the truck behaves. Only problem I had when renting was the guy never bothered to check or setup the WDH for my TV, so you do have to be careful there.
Not sarcasm, but real life experience. My FIL wanted to join us on one of our trips and did just as I stated - rented from rvshare.com - selecting a TT based on his tow capacity. I followed him after he picked it up. It was great till we got on the interstate. Thing was all over the place. Same thing on the way to the CG. The guy was a pilot in Vietnam, but was so frazzled that he called the guy to come pick it up from the CG after our stay was over.

And - if you have to modify your TV with airbags, that should tell you something regardless of the axle weight limit conspiracy theories.

Like I said - Good Luck