Every regret your small TT?

[MudQueen22]

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?

[ncrowley]

We purchased a 29 foot trailer with one shallow slide. We needed to stay light because of the truck we had to pull it. We used it for 2 years and decided it was just too small. There was not enough room for walking around and it got very cramped in bad weather. We sold it and purchased a used 39 foot diesel pusher with three slides. We love traveling in it and never feel cramped. We lived in it for 3 months and we never felt closed in. It is great to travel and live in.

[wbwood]

I'm referring to those that buy a unit and think they will only camp a certain way (i.e. only in resorts or full hook ups). Over time, many change their attitude over how they camp. What they think they would never do one day, they end up doing it later. Not all RV's are good for all situations (in the way they were built). One who goes into a resort setting is not worried about size as mostly any size unit will fit. However, if they decide to go more rustic to places where site sizes are limited, then they could have an issue. It also goes with tank sizes, batteries, solar, etc....

[J_herb]

wbwood wrote:
....and whatever you decide on, will end up not being the right choice. Things change. Your camping habits may change. What you think you might not want to do today, you may in a couple years.

We have had our 17' Casita for 15 years and love it, I'm 71 and when I don't fell like towing anymore we will go with a Class B+ or a small C.
With our small trailer we have it in our backyard with full hookups so no need to pay for storage.

[cmcdar]

wbwood wrote:
....and whatever you decide on, will end up not being the right choice. Things change. Your camping habits may change. What you think you might not want to do today, you may in a couple years.

I do not believe this to necessarily be the case.

Some people DO know themselves and what lifestyle they are comfortable with.

If you are young and buy something because it is the best you can afford - that is one thing.

If you purchase a camper because it suits your lifestyle, there is no reason to keep changing.

We have had our 20 ft camper for three years now. This is our second winter LIVING (4 mons at a time) in it. I have not seen a camper out there that I would rather have and I am the type who is ALWAYS looking.

[wbwood]

....and whatever you decide on, will end up not being the right choice. Things change. Your camping habits may change. What you think you might not want to do today, you may in a couple years.

[2gypsies1]

Why not rent a small Class C for a weekend and see how the size is for you? Hopefully, you'll have a rainy weekend to really test it out! 🙂

Basically, it all depends on YOU not on how someone else feels about the issue. Certainly, there are many happy folks in a small RV and likewise, many need a bigger one.

It depends on many things and only YOU know what will be right for YOU.

- sleeping ease; making the bed ease
- envision what you will be taking along with you. Will you have enough storage space?
- will there be two comfortable places to sit to watch television or just to relax during inclement weather. Sitting on booth seating is very uncomfortable for many - especially when you're older. Two comfortable chairs or a sofa (some aren't comfortable) would work better.
- test out the bathroom carefully. Sit on the toilet. Is there enough leg room? Can you even close the door? Some tall folks have a problem with this. Also, stand in the shower. Enough room?
- where will you store the RV? If it's in your driveway (ordinances?) or backyard, will it fit easily?

When you start looking carefully at RVs you'll soon find the size that will be good for you. Good luck!

[wbwood]

Many people go from smaller to larger and then later on decide on going back to the smaller as they realize they don't need as much room, can tow easier, usually cheaper and can get into more campsites. Minimalism...

[LJAZ]

Ours is a 21 ft with slide and is the perfect size for me, DW & 2 dachshunds. But like others have said, it all depends on how you plan to use it. On the plus side (for us anyway):
Can easily be towed with 1/2 ton truck
Can fit into some pretty tight spaces, like some at the older National Parks
Easier to maneuver in gas stations and parking lots
Small enough to park in the carport at home
Big enough to stay inside on cold/rainy/windy days
Big enough to have a walkaround bed so no climbing over each other for nocturnal bathroom breaks.
Downside:
Less interior room
Can't carry as much 'stuff'
Not a lot of kitchen storage space
Only sleeps 2 adults and maybe 1 small child

[rexlion]

Went from a 23' TT to a 17', then a 16'. Looking to stay roughly in that 16'-17' size, it works for me. But then, DW no longer cares to camp at all, so it's just me.

[lgarcia]

I have an 18ft and no desire to go bigger.

[RPreeb]

All I could afford wrote:
I think I can serve as the poster child of the most people in the smallest trailer for the most years.
Me and the wife and 3 kids now 10, 12, 14 in a tiny single Axle hybrid. 17 feet long ball to bumper. Main body 7 wide by 13 long, plus front and rear tent beds.

We are mainly "long weekend" campers, the longest ever was 6 nights.
We try to spend as much time as we can outside, but sometimes weather makes that difficult, but we've been lucky overall.

Given my choice, I would make the bathroom and refrigerator just slightly bigger, maybe starching the trailer 2 feet total, but that's it!

I love that I can get into any rustic state park site, and can squeeze it next to the house as a man cave/ guest house

I first camped in a 15 foot camper with my parents, brother and sister. The 5 of us camped various forest campgrounds every weekend the summer of 1964. We also made a 2 week trip to Banff and Jasper in Canada, and a one week trip to Yellowstone. It was cozy but beat sleeping in a tent. Our 24' bumper to ball Jay Feather is spacious by comparison.

I read now about kids who can't be without television and video games and playgrounds.... For us camping was and is about camping... I leave most of the technology behind. We don't live in the trailer, we do most of our living outside. We mostly just play cards in the evening and sleep in the camper.

Rick
2016 F-150 XLT 4x4 3.5 EB
2017 Jay Feather X213

[RPreeb]

MudQueen22 wrote:
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?

Not us. We do regret first buying a popup, not for the size but because of the hassle and difficulty for 2 seniors to set it up and break it down. The size of the popup was never an issue.

I like making the towing part of trailer camping as relaxing as the camping part, and having a smaller trailer goes a long way toward that goal.

[SoundGuy]

SoundGuy wrote:
Any who claim they don't spend "any time" inside their camper are full of it :R ... of course you do, everyone does, even if it's just for sleeping.

Jebby14 wrote:
no sir you are full of it. im in my camper to sleep, to grab food from fridge or use microwave or use the can. that's about it.

Nice try at trying to distort what I said Jebby, but no cigar for you :W ... if you sleep in your camper, which you say you do, you are in it a significant amount of time ... but you already know that because that's exactly what I said, nothing more, nothing less. :S

[coolmom42]

As others said, it depends on your intended use & family size.

IMHO smaller and simpler is better; you have more flexibility in choosing campsites.

One consideration is tank size---if you are going to camp without hookups, make sure you have decent size fresh water tank, and enough gray/black capacity to work for at least several days.

[cmcdar]

I have spent the last day and a half hold up in my camper as it has been pouring down rain that long (and still is).

THAT is why I am not in a tent.

We spend time in the camper to escape, bugs, heat, cold, storms or just to "watch the game".

I have been living in my 20' camper for 3 months straight now. The point is our camper (even tho it is small) is still comfortable for us and we LOVE IT.

NO, we do not want something bigger as ours is just right.