Wow! seems everyone jumped on this bandwagon! Lots of good advise and suggestions here. I didn't read every response in detail, just did a quick skim.
So, I'll go back to the original questions and give my wonderful 2 cents worth of experience also. I'm only standing on my own soap box, no one else's (my own experience)...
1. How do you secure the travel trailer ...
2. Can you park travel trailers in Walmart...
These 2 questions can be answered together. I am one of those who does have concerns about RV theft and vandalism. I am also overly cautious with my personal safety and the safety of anyone with me (especially my wife). We travel with 2 dogs and a cat.
We don't overnight anywhere except in established campgrounds, usually KOA's or Good Sam campgrounds, occasionally a State Park if one is conveniently located on our route. Being in an established campground eliminates a lot of the fear of someone hitching up and taking off with your camper. If they want to take anything, they are more likely to take your propane tanks and battery off the trailer A-frame. But, that's also why you carry full coverage insurance too.
When traveling, and site seeing, we find somewhere to park the truck and trailer and never unhitch or separate them. Everything is locked down, and that's the best we can do. We choose our parking spots carefully and thoughtfully, and never park anywhere that even remotely looks questionable. We can then walk to whatever we are interested in seeing at that location.
If we are camped in an established campground, we have no problems unhitching, I use a trailer hitch lock, the jacks are down, slides are out, and doors are locked. If someone want to steal the trailer, they're going to have to work to make it movable first. And thieves don't like to work. They want easy targets.
3. What do you think are advantages/disadvantages to having a travel trailer versus a fifth wheel or other RV?
We went from tent camping for years, to a Pop-Up for 6 years, to three different travel trailers, each one longer than the one before. We are travel trailer people and that's our niche.
The SECRET to successful towing is to have an over-kill of a tow vehicle. We towed with a Chevy Surburban 1500 and it destroyed the transmission in about 3 months. We then decided we wanted the biggest, baddest, truck we could find. At the time, it was a duly 3500 Chevy Silverado gas model. And we never looked back again. Second and third trucks were 3500 Chevy Silverado duly long bed diesel trucks that towed strong as an elephant. Our truck is probably still an over kill for our 35 foot trailer now, but overkill equals a comfortable, no threatening, relaxed tow in ANY condition or on ANY road or incline. THAT is the secret to successful, relaxing towing! Truck over-kill!
Now matter what you settle on, get MORE truck than you think you'll ever need. You will not regret it towing!
Why a travel trailer? So we can carry a shell on the bed of the pick-up truck. The shell is a construction style shed, with full length side tool-boxes (doors), with 2 enclosed shelves and full length doors. This provides LOTS of shelf space, easy to access on both sides of the truck and still leaves the entire bed of the truck empty for other large items, like portable generator, air compressor, extra 35 gallon water tank, portable sewer tote, step ladder, doggie carrier, hoses, tool boxes, and spare tire for the trailer.
Plus the shell (originally) came with a ladder rack so we could carry our canoe on top. Yea, the canoe. Easy to transport upside down on top of the truck bed shell. Thus the reason for not getting a 5er. (now you know the rest of the story).
It cannot be emphasized enough that you purchase a tow vehicle that is not just "marginal" at towing, but truly an overkill at towing. If you do, you'll have an enjoyable, leisurely, traveling experience. Yes, a (new) duly (provides a LOT of stability) diesel, long bed, 3500 will cost in the neighborhood of $60,000 to $80,000. But it's worth every penny when it comes to towing!
These are MY experiences! No one else's. Others can agree or disagree, but these are the decision I've made, and we've had 100% trouble free camping experiences for over 30 years.
Good luck!
