after 37 years of camping in tents and pop-ups we are now ready to buy our first travel trailer. we plan to retire in 2014 and we both love to travel. we have visited or camped in all 50 states. we've cruised the caribbean, visited europe and love to travel the roads of north america.so, here is my question. we camp in state and national parks and love the wildness and roominess that those sites afford us. but, we also plan to spend 3 to 4 months per year in southern USA during the worst of wisconin's winters. so what SIZE of trailer should we purchase? we fell in love with a 31 foot travel trailer that has 3 slides with lots of space for my husband, myself and our 2 small dogs. will we be able to camp in state and national parks with this length of a trailer? will we lose the wildness we long for? will camp sites accomadate a travel trailer with opposing slides?thanks for any assistance anyone can offer. this is a BIG decision for us.

Welcome and congrats on your upcoming retirement. There are many factors in determining which size RV to get. Price, ability to maneuver it, how many people will be on board. All of these factors play into it. I have a 24 foot class C RV because it is mostly just me and sometimes my girl friend. Price was another consideration. Small rigs are usually cheaper. And I find that a small RV is easier to drive as well as get into tight spots when camping. The decesion is yours but take all of these aspects into consideration when considering which size travel trailer to buy. You can always downgrade or upgrade later.

With a trailer that big you need internet access and either DirecTV or Dish and, of course, at least one smart phone. Oh! and GPS also.

Congratulations - a new adventure is in store. We purchased a Jayco Jayflight 24FBS (front bedroom with a slide out and a rear bathroom) which has one slide out for the dinette. It has plenty of room for the two of us and for my big brother too when he is visiting and we go camping. It is a perfect size for camping in state parks - many state parks do not have big campsites (so we found on our trip back home from Florida a month ago). It depends on the parks and the state I think. Also many of the state parks in the beautiful hills of Kentucky and Tennessee and Georgia have small campsites and you have to be careful, their description of a slight grade or moderate grade could be a steep hill to us. We always look for flat or at most a slight grade. Again these campsites were on the small size. We have been trying to stay at places with pull-through sites but there are very few state parks that have them. You mentioned that you spend 3-4 months in the sunny south in the winter - will you be staying in the trailer for those months? If so then the bigger size might be nicer but if not then you could easily get something smaller that would be accommodated by the state parks more easily. We took our Travel trailer to Florida with us last December for our first winter south - we stored the trailer in a storage place not far from our home there and then took it out and traveled around when we wanted to. We had a super trip home with it stopping at places and visiting friends and state parks and historical sites along the way.Something to bear in mind is check the size of the fresh water tank and the grey and black tanks. Our trailer has an 86 gallon (yes that is right) fresh water tank so we can camp at state parks where there is only an electrical hook up for at least 4 days with no problem. We have looked at upgrading but we are finding it hard to give up that huge fresh water tank. There is also lots of storage places inside and outside the trailer, some trailer have almost nowhere to hang clothes or put them away.Well, good luck and we look forward to hearing what you decide to purchase.

Not sure exactly where in the sunny south you plan to visit, but most state parks have a 14 day max. that being said, there are lots of state and COE parks in Georgia, Florida, and Alabama that you shouldn't have a problem. I travel with a 28 ft TT and only run into problems if I am hunting a spot at a busy beach campground during the summer and I have waited until the last minute. For example, right now I am trying to find a spot at St Andrews St Park in Panama City Beach Fl for a weekend in July or August, and they aren't available, another state park nearby only has 20 ft sites. in FL you make site specific reservations (up to 11 months out) and in GA, you reserve type site (50 ft, 25 ft, or H/C accessible) and then first to arrive gets pick of that type. One thing to be sure of before you make reservations...is that 31 ft TT a 31 ft box or 31 ft tongue to bumper? My TT is considered a 24 ft by model number (24RKS) but is actually 28 ft long. I would think a 31 ft would get you in most places you would want to winter in the south. some of the sites in the Smokey and Blue Ridge (Appalachian) mountains may be smaller, but they aren't really "sunny" locations for winter.

We went from a PUP to a 22' HTT (hybrid trailer) to our current TT, which is considered a 31' but is 34' from hitch ball to spare tire. We found we had definitely sized ourselves out of some of our favorite SP campsites (Wyalusing is out of the question - one of our all-time faves; we even had trouble fitting the hybrid into it.) I think you will need to figure some kind of compromise between your space needs for longterm stays and your size needs for state parks, COE campgrounds and the like. I think the eastern parks especially tend to be older and therefore have smaller campsites; that said, I know some of the national forest CGs out here are also old, with 24' being a fairly common max size for trailers. 24' is probably doable for long stays, if you enjoy being outside or on the go a lot. We have taken several 4- to 6-week trips with our TT and have loved the interior space (only one slide but it's almost half the length of the camper). It has been exceptionally comfortable for our lifestyle and has served very well as a second home. However, we miss being able to stay in some of the more wilderness-type sites (even backing it into some of those sites is a real challenge). We are seriously considering downsizing to something 26' or less - but then, we are also leaning toward shorter trips, perhaps 2-3 weeks in duration, so interior space is less important. A thought: if you spend most of your time in more natural settings, you may likely spend more of it outdoors, and may not care as much about having a really spacious trailer. We have found that we spend much more time inside, with such a big trailer, and we'd like to change that.

our first travel trailer | Good Sam Community

xteacher
Explorer
Nov 04, 2014
Congrats on your new TT! For snowbirding, we're partial to the SW coast of FL - anywhere from Clearwater down to Ft. Myers. If you're going to stay in a commercial park, Sun 'n Fun in Sarasota, FL is a wonderful park with a LOT of ammenities (pool, bar-happy hour too, workout center, two dog parks, tennis, pickleball, volleyball, great bathrooms, laundry, etc.). It's not on the beach in Sarasota, FL, but it's right off the interstate and about a 15-20 minutes drive from Siesta Key Beach. With a park like this (or any other one like this) you're NOT going to find huge private sites, especially in FL. Land is too expensive near the beach. BTW, these parks are pricey and fill up fast.

Sun 'n Fun
tamarastraub
Explorer
Nov 04, 2014
We are planning to snowbird the months of January, February, March of 2016.
I have reviewed MANY parks and resorts and am quite overwhelmed! Any suggestions for snowbirding for two people, two small dogs who like to hike and bike and spend time outdoors. We would like FHUs, laundry facilities, exercise facility. But mostly we do NOT want to be crowded like sardines in a can ! We are thinking of spending our first winter by staying one month at three different spots. We have not determined our budget yet. We prefer daytime temps at 50° or above. So many choices!!!
tamarastraub
Explorer
Nov 04, 2014
Our final purchase? Rockwood ultra lite 2703WS. Almost 28 foot box with a trailer and hitch length of almost 32 feet. 3 slides. Substituted dinette with table and chairs. Substituted sleeper couch with reclining theatre seating. Spent 25 nights this past summer in various Wisconsin state parks and in western national parks. Loved every second!
dadmomh
Explorer
Jan 23, 2014
Congrats on the new adventures! We bought our Rockwood Ultra Lite 2604 this past spring and love it. A change from our HTT 23SS, which was wonderful, but as we got a bit older it became less enjoyable doing set up and break down. Our 2604 came with the standard style dinette, but somewhat larger. Saw some pictures online of the same with the table and chairs....we're happy with our dinette, but also like the table set up. Personal opinion is that you've picked a good size. Assuming the second slide is the wardrobe?? Contrary to others experiences, several of the CGs we enjoy would not make getting a 32' box into a site much of a pleasure. The site may be big enough, but that darned cluster of trees right where you need to cut the wheel seems to be in the way. Our very fav site at our very fav CG was second nature with our HTT, but found just that bit of extra length meant taking several tries to get it right....then remembered that the slide is deeper, so had to pull forward and move over...lesson learned. Looks like you've done your homework and have lots of fun things coming up. Enjoy!
DiskDoctr
Explorer
Jan 23, 2014
Congratulations!!!

Here's a tip for bringing it home. Start clearing out the spot you want to park it, make sure there is a LOT of extra room, then once you think you have enough room, double it!

If you have a place you can avoid backing it up the first day, do it. Fill your tow vehicle with fuel on the way to the dealer so you have a full tank, and avoid any stops with the trailer.

If you have a relative or buddy with towing experience, tap them to help you the first day home.

There will be plenty of time for practicing towing. Saturday's goal is to get home safely...and it is winter, requiring extra caution and care.

Oh yeah, avoid rush hour with your new rv ;)

Did the dealer winterize it for you? Might be a good idea, then don't run any water in it.

A midwinter rv purchase...that's so cool! Enjoy!
tamarastraub
Explorer
Jan 23, 2014
so here i go with more questions??
our next purchase is a generator. we are looking at purchaising two 2000 watt champion generators. we need to keep the weight down (due to my husband's injury) and the cost down (due to my unemployment). anyone have experience with these generators? (i have reviewed online for hours before making this preliminary decision.)
tamarastraub
Explorer
Jan 23, 2014
we have camping weekends planned for wi state parks may thru august and are planning our september trip to rocky mountain national park. we will do our first camping weekend in our back yard in march or april-depending on snow melt. it has been an abnormally cold winter here in wisconsin and i am raring to get camping!
tamarastraub
Explorer
Jan 23, 2014
YAHOO!! after numerous delays, mostly due to my husband's tree trimming accident, on friday september 13th, which has modified his right hand and wrist for forever (still recovering) we are finally getting our travel trailer. we are so grateful for my husband's recovery as his injuries were numerous and could have been so much worse. now there is no question that i will be learning to drive the travel trailer-never have towed a trailer before! we do a quick walk-thru this saturday and will bring our TT home when the snow melts. YEAH!!
DiskDoctr
Explorer
Aug 15, 2013
tamarastraub wrote:
we have offically joined the ranks of travel trailer campers!
we purchased a ROCKWOOD ULTRA LITE 2703WS and modified it by substituting 2 lazy boy high back recliners in place of the sleeper sofa and substituting free standing table with 4 chairs in place of the dinette.

Uh-oh. You know that modding is ADDICTIVE, don't you? :R :B LOL.

Congrats! Do you have your first "camp driveway" planned yet? Good way to shake it out and figure out what you really need. Don't forget a tablet and pen. There will be a lot of things that you will forget your first trip and likely a bunch of others that you realize you just don't need ;)

Make sure you post pics of your new family member! :B
gettinhitchy
Explorer
Aug 15, 2013
Congrats! I'm partial to Tundras so I'll have to tell you that I absolutely love your TV and think you will be happy as well. It tows great and is very comfortable, powerful and then it is great for exploring when not hooked up. Especially with the 4WD for getting off the beaten path. Looks like an excellent floor plan on the Rockwood you chose. Our TV and TT weights are fairly close to yours and we've traveled over 9,000 miles so far and have been very pleased. Happy Travels!

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