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Every regret your small TT?

MudQueen22
Explorer
Explorer
I've been reading quite a bit about choosing a travel trailer.

We are rather intimidated by anything large, but so many posters say they regretted buying a smaller TT and ended up trading for a larger one.

Does anyone not regret buying a small TT (under 25')?
Does anyone wish they had purchased a small TT over a larger one?
82 REPLIES 82

Gulfcoast
Explorer
Explorer
I have a small 21' tandem axle trailer, I love it.

Many of the newer trailers are single axle and that's not for me.
RV'ing since 1960
Dodge Cummins Diesel
Mega Cab
Jayco Travel Trailer

wa8yxm
Explorer III
Explorer III
You talk about a SMALL TT
Before I upgraded to a 38' Class A... I towed a 13 foot SCAMP and we both loved it.
Home was where I park it. but alas the.
2005 Damon Intruder 377 Alas declared a total loss
after a semi "nicked" it. Still have the radios
Kenwood TS-2000, ICOM ID-5100, ID-51A+2, ID-880 REF030C most times

ppine
Explorer II
Explorer II
The sweet spot is in the 21-25 foot box range IMO. Reasonable to tow, they fit everywhere and have room and storage. 24-28 feet.
I went smaller recently and have a hybrid with a 19 foot box. It is a little small for longer trips over say 10 days because of the lack of storage. I like a trailer with decent clothes closets and a pantry. Next trailer will have a 21-23 foot box.

lots2seeinmyrv
Explorer
Explorer
Had two 29' TT's with one slide.

Will be downsizing in length to a TT with no slide.

Looking at the Bigfoot 25 or the Oliver Elite II

Just the two of us.

Everybody's needs are different in what that want in an RV.

JoeTampa
Explorer
Explorer
We bought a 26' footer initially, but we quickly realized that it wasn't nearly big enough for us plus the three kids, so we upgraded to the current 38' bunkhouse TT. That works just fine. Towing the two isn't radically different, and we haven't encountered a campground that couldn't handle it, but boy, does it make a difference in living space!
2006 Keystone Cougar 243RKS (First trailer)
2016 Jayco Jay Flight 32BHDS (Traded in)
2016 Jayco Jay Flight 33RBTS (Current)
2006 Chevy Silverado 2500HD 4WD 6.6L Duramax Diesel (LBZ)
Blue Ox Swaypro 1500 WDH
Prodigy P2 BC
Amateur Call AB2M

MudQueen22
Explorer
Explorer
I know it has been over a year since I made this post. I missed the later posts until just now. I had forgotten both my username and password. Our family has gone through quite a bit in the past year. We bought a truck in June, then Hurricane Harvey flooded our community (85% of my town flooded, and we were among them). We got out with the truck we bought to tow the trailer! (Our house and other vehicle flooded.)

We put our search on hold for awhile to work on the house. We finally started looking again in December; we purchased in February.

We bought a Jayco Jayflight 26bh (29' tongue to bumper), and we tow with a Ford F-150 w/ factory tow package.

We have no slides on the trailer. It is a very tight fit during bad weather, but it is comfortable for sleeping. We all slept like logs on our shakedown trip during a thunderstorm.
Looking forward to our trips we've planned this year.

Thank you all for sharing your take on small vs. larger trailers. I'm sorry I took so long to reply.

dodge_guy
Explorer II
Explorer II
I do regret buying the small TT. I really wish I had went with the 35footer instead of the 32footer we have!

Seriously. We had a small 25ft trailer and while it was ok, it was just to cramped with 2 small kids and a 100lb German Shepherd.
Wife Kim
Son Brandon 17yrs
Daughter Marissa 16yrs
Dog Bailey

12 Forest River Georgetown 350TS Hellwig sway bars, BlueOx TrueCenter stabilizer

13 Ford Explorer Roadmaster Stowmaster 5000, VIP Tow>
A bad day camping is
better than a good day at work!

ppine
Explorer II
Explorer II
We have tried many RVs. The largest has been a 22 foot Nash. It was great but heavy. It fit everyhwere. Now I have a smaller hybrid trailer. It has a narrow hallway and with 3 dogs it feels squeezy. Once the ends are opened up it feels plenty big. It is easy to tow.

There are a lot of old USFS campgrounds in the West where large RVs don't fit. The 22 foot max length is about right. I am going camping this week, right before Thanksgiving and will probably sleep in it closed up this time of year.

jfkmk
Explorer
Explorer
Opie431 wrote:
Friends regretted their small RV. They bought something larger. Too large. They bought something smaller. Now on number four.
We are still on first trailer, 2003. I wonder if they will have a new one this year.

Some people are never happy!

We've used ours for 6 years now and are still satisfied. We're half heartedly looking for something slightly bigger, as were going to be able to take more extended trips. If we don't sell it I'd still be happy. At the rv show we saw some real monster rigs. To each their own, I just don't get it.

Opie431
Explorer
Explorer
Friends regretted their small RV. They bought something larger. Too large. They bought something smaller. Now on number four.
We are still on first trailer, 2003. I wonder if they will have a new one this year.

Atlee
Explorer II
Explorer II
If a 24 ft, 21 ft box TT (Skyline Koala 21CS) is considered small, then yes. That trailer was only 7.5 ft wide, had a shallow slide with a sofa on it. That was all the interior sitting space it had. It grew too small for DW and I.

I now have a 27ft, 23 ft box TT (Jayco 23RB) that is 8 ft wide, with no slide. It has a sofa, and a dinette. I consider it to be of good size for the two of us.
Erroll, Mary
2021 Coachmen Freedom Express 20SE
2014 F150 Supercab 4x4 w/ 8' box, Ecoboost & HD Pkg
Equal-i-zer Hitch

cljward
Explorer
Explorer
I grew up car camping in CO. Than started backpacking and bagging peaks as a teenager.

When my wife and I started our family we got a 24' bunkhouse TT. than we sold that to start water skiing, back to car camping until our kids were in college.

we started back with a pop up tent trailer a number of years ago, quickly followed with a 28' TT. that had two slide outs. We used It for about four years and than realized that with the size of our tow vehicle and the trailer we were limited when we would try to find campsites in the places that we like to go to, NF CG, and dry camping on BLM and NF's lands. I was also done towing a trailer. If we would have chosen a smaller trailer I may have felt different.

So last year we traded in the trailer and now have a slide in truck camper. So far it is perfect for our needs. If our truck hadn't already been paid for we may have looked at smaller class C MH's. But we also like that we can use the truck for other purposes when the camper is off of it.

So far our longer trips gave been to the West side of the Tetons, Southern Utah and the Grand Canyon, the Sawtooths in Idaho. On all of these trips the old Travel Trailer would have limited us in our campsite locations.

PUCampin
Explorer
Explorer
A lot of it for me is perspective. I grew up camping in first a 72 VW Wesfalia, then a 8ft cabover camper. On my own I slept under the cap of my truck, and then a small 8ft pop up. By comparison, our 18ft TT feels BIG though as far as TTs go it isn't. We have had it almost 12 years now and I do not regret it one bit. It fits next to my house saving storage fees ($100 per mo for a outdoor dirt parking spot), and we have taken it a few places that longer may not have fit, many NP and NF campgrounds out here tend to be smaller. It is also a comfortable tow with my SUV. Love my 18ft no slide sleeps 7 TT it fits our needs and lifestyle right now. Some day, when it is just DW and me, I have no doubt we will choose a different floor plan, but will likely keep it the same size.
2007 Expedition EL 4x4 Tow pkg
1981 Palomino Pony, the PopUp = PUCampin! (Sold)
2006 Pioneer 180CK = (No more PUcampin!):B

Me:B DW:) and the 3 in 3 :E
DD:B 2006, DS 😛 2007, DD :C 2008

wa8yxm
Explorer III
Explorer III
My first "RV" was a PUP.. when it wore out to the point where replacing canvas and such would cost more than it was worth I converted it to a utility trailer and got a 13' SCAMP.. Nice little polystyrene bubble of a thing.. Bit tiny for my 6'+ frame but we adapted nicely.. First time out was 'Christmas in July" and when we packed for the trip. We found we had a ton of room v/s what he used to have so we packed for Christmas..1st prize was "in the bag" as they say (I'm not kidding) We had a tree, gifts, lights, everything.

Loved that little trailer.. Finally towed it up to General RV (Wixom store) and drove home in a Class A 13' WIDE fully set up. Like it too.

No regrets.
Home was where I park it. but alas the.
2005 Damon Intruder 377 Alas declared a total loss
after a semi "nicked" it. Still have the radios
Kenwood TS-2000, ICOM ID-5100, ID-51A+2, ID-880 REF030C most times