Travel trailer questions from an RV newbie

chschen wrote:
Hi Everyone,

My husband and I are contemplating purchasing a travel trailer in which to tour the U.S. with our baby and our cat. We'll be traveling for an indefinite period of time. Initially we were looking into getting a Class B or Class C RV, but we were lured by the much lower price of the travel trailer and the fact that we could put our baby's car seat safely in our regular car (it doesn't seem like there are very many good options for strapping a car seat into a motorhome). Anyway, since we're just getting started, we thought we would try to plumb the wisdom and generosity of others.

A few questions to begin:

1) We have a 2006 Acura MDX. Right now it doesn't have a tow package installed, so we would have to get that done. The tow capacity of the car is 3,500 pounds. We're worried that the car is not strong enough or is too old to reliably pull a travel trailer. What do you think? Though it's nine years old, it's in pretty good shape and has pretty low mileage (less than 60,000 miles).


2) We are very minimalist people and prefer to get a small, light trailer. What are your favorite make & models for trailers that are space efficient, lightweight, and affordable?

3) Are there any elements of a floor plan that you find indispensable? For example, having a permanent bed or dinette? We noticed that some travel trailers don't have ovens. Do you feel an oven is necessary for long-term living or just a hassle/waste of space?

4) It seems like travel trailers have less to maintain than motorhomes do since they don't have the vehicle parts. What do you find are the first parts of the trailer to break down? Is there anything in particular we should look out for when examining a used trailer?

That's all I can think of for now. We would also welcome any other advice you might have!

1.Your Acura will limit your trailer choices. Few trailers fall in the 3500 lb. range. your car's capability for towing is questionable. If all the roads you travel are flat and you have no head winds, maybe?? Climbing hills or grades puts stress on the tow vehicle.All things being equal, I would look for 1/2 truck. Some trailers might want to look at are: R-POD, Casita, Scamp. It sounds like you are thinking of 16 to 20 ft. trailer. Most of them will weigh in the 3500 to 4000 lb. range, then you have to add in all the RV junk we all carry:) Most RV's well add about a 1000lbs.
Your other choice would be to look at Pop Up types of trailers but keep in mind the set up and tear procedures. Takes extra time and space is limited and weather conditions could restrict your rv travels. Pop Up trailers don't have toilets or showers. The positive is that they are light and your Acura might suffice.
2. You haven't really described what your RV trips will look i.e many 1 or 2 day trips, trips where you will be parked for a week or two or longer. Small trailers are really limited in living space if you can't be outside because of weather.
3. Be sure and pick up an Emergency Road Side Service policy.

Here's a link to the TrailManor 2417 series which I think might be able to work for you depending on your payload numbers/weights at the scale. They also have a 2417 sports series you could look at with similar weights.

You'd need to make sure you have the dealers install the transmission cooler and power steering fluid cooler along with the hitch and receiver. I'm not sure if third parties can do it, but I'd likely call Acura first.

You can then tow 3500# with a 450# max tongue weight assuming only 2 people in the vehicle that weigh 150# each and have 15# of cargo each. If your family weighs more than that, you can tow less than the max. There is a chart in your manual which shows the towing capacity reduction with the more people you add.

Then there is also the payload of your vehicle to take into account. I don't remember if the 2006 model year has a sticker somewhere around the driver's side door that tells you the payload. Go look for it and it will tell you something like "weight of cargo and passengers should never exceed X". That number takes into account all the factory options on your vehicle. It doesn't account for dealer added options like if you got roof rails, floor mats, other dealer added accessories. Or if you've added any of your own accessories.

I bet some others will pop in and give you the low down on how to accurately weigh your vehicle to better determine what you can tow.

I would not recommend anything more than a pop up trailer. If you tow a "fixed-sided trailer" (a travel trailer, you can't go more than 55mph. Your manual references this as well. And having owned an MDX, one with a 5000# towing capacity, i can tell you that towing a travel trailer with it isn't great. If you go faster than 55, the engine RPMs are high and you are really working the engine (because you have to lock out 5th gear when towing). Even at 55, gas plummets quickly. We used up the entire tank of fuel in 2.5 hours of driving. And then another tank for the 2nd 2.5 hour leg of our trip. Going faster uses fuel even faster. It makes a trip very tedious with having to refill so often.

Actually, another one for you to look at would be the Trail Manor. That's a hard side trailer that folds down like a pop up. So you get decent space, but you won't have to reduce your speed like with a hard side. Our MDX towed our 3000# pop-up beautifully; it was a great vehicle for towing something smaller.