Newbies searching for travel trailer?

[Lovetoloveya]

My husband and I decided that we will be moving out of our apartment and onto the open road! I don't know what will be best for us. Here's what I do know: there will be three of us, my husband, me and our 1 year old baby girl. We have a Chevy Duramax so I think we can pull most things, he doesn't want one that attaches in the bed (5th wheel?), and we're in Colorado. Any help is appreciated as I'm not even sure what the different options are called! Ha, thanks for reading 🙂

[DutchmenSport]

Lovetoloveya wrote:
...Any help is appreciated as I'm not even sure what the different options are called! Ha, thanks for reading 🙂

For someone in your position, I strongly recommend you go to this web site and begin reading and watching the videos. This is a very good web site, chocked full of information, and the videos are interesting and fun to watch. After being around RV's all my life (and I'm 60 years old), I still enjoy the simplicity of this web site and the information it provides. You won't go wrong checking it out. Click here.

[bikendan]

nickthehunter wrote:
I am not sure why a young couple would want to full time, on the road in a RV, with a 1 year old. Which got me to start kind of reading between the lines. And I may be way off base here, but if you are thinking that a RV is cheaper than renting, you are in for a rude awakening.

Ditto!
Many think they'll save money RV'ing versus paying rent in an apartment.
This is mostly NOT true.
And winters will be a huge concern, since very few TT's are true 4 season capable.

[Roy_Lynne]

Also, check your area for local RV shows as they usually happen around now. Put on some comfortable shoes cause you will be doing a lot of walking, but agree that your just looking for ideas. I won't buy new because like cars, the depreciate the minute you drive them off the lot. Go look for a trailer that someone decided that they loved the idea of travel and then got on the road and hated it Lots of them out there. We bought our first RV thinking it would be our last, and after owning it for a couple years, decided that we wanted something different. We are on our 3d "last" RV.
And my last bit of advise is if you have a RVing friend go with you on the hunt so they can tell you what you need to look for and why something that looks great might not be a good idea. They will also know what questions to ask and what to look for The last time we went out looking, my husband noticed that the rig we were looking at didn't have a generator. The salesman didn't even notice.

[Roy_Lynne]

Also, check your area for local RV shows as they usually happen around now. Put on some comfortable shoes cause you will be doing a lot of walking, but agree that your just looking for ideas. I won't buy new because like cars, the depreciate the minute you drive them off the lot. Go look for a trailer that someone decided that they loved the idea of travel and then got on the road and hated it Lots of them out there. We bought our first RV thinking it would be our last, and after owning it for a couple years, decided that we wanted something different. We are on our 3d "last" RV.
And my last bit of advise is if you have a RVing friend go with you on the hunt so they can tell you what you need to look for and why something that looks great might not be a good idea. They will also know what questions to ask and what to look for The last time we went out looking, my husband noticed that the rig we were looking at didn't have a generator. The salesman didn't even notice.

[nickthehunter]

I am not sure why a young couple would want to full time, on the road in a RV, with a 1 year old. Which got me to start kind of reading between the lines. And I may be way off base here, but if you are thinking that a RV is cheaper than renting, you are in for a rude awakening.

[Allworth]

Two things come immediately to mind:

1. Not all Duramax trucks are equal. That engine is used in both 3/4 Ton and One Ton configurations. Make sure you know the towing and loading capacities for your EXACT Chevy (GMC ?). Go to Trailer LIfe's website and look up the towing guide for your year, model, and options.

2. Very few trailers are designed to Winter over in the high country. If you are going to stay in Colorado, a trailer may not be a good option (Unless you will be well East of Denver). It was snowing yesterday in Durango, Silverton, and Grand Junction.

[mdamerell]

Don't believe the sales man when he says "hey, your truck will pull that". Need to do your own home work. Weight the truck with you all in it and read the label in the drivers door and the owners manual. Many think their truck will pull more than it's actually designed to tow and hitch/tongue/pin weight is usually more limiting than the "will pull X number of pounds". Look at the adds, they are normally pulling a flatbed or boat and not a box with high wind resistance. Not all trailers created equal.

[the_bear_II]

A few things:

Start off with a larger than you think you need TT or Toy Hauler (TH). Most RV'ers go through 3 RV's before they finally find one that fits their lifestyle. Each RV is bigger and bigger. So you might as well go big to begin with. Think about how small an RV will get if you are stuck inside for a week or two weeks due to bad weather. Cabin fever happens quick. It's good to have room and comfort.

A TH allows for flexibility. The garage area can be used as "flex" space once you get to a destination...play/bedroom for your girl that will grow with her. Entertainment area, school room, craft room...etc. Plus it is used to carry your toys...bikes, water toys, ATV.

Read through www.rv-dreams.com for great info on the fulltime RV lifestyle. The folks that have this website were new to RVing when they chose to hit the road 10 years ago. They have learned a lot and share it on this website. Including month to month financial info. Lots of great tips.

Good luck on your adventure.

[WyoTraveler]

When you get it narrowed down to brands get on those brand forums. Listen to the people that own those brands.

Fulltime RVing? I would want a RV that had the tanks and dump valves covered. Heated tanks. Not that you'll be in harsh weather but it can happen. There is so much you have to consider. Plus things change as the years go by.

[MNGeeks61]

^ good advice there. This is kind of what we did:
(oops, TT = travel trailer, TV = tow vehicle)

-Identify the layout you WANT and can put up with for years. That takes the longest time...at least for my wife.

-Identify manufacturers with that floorplan. See if you need additional insulation packages based on possible destinations and times of years you may travel. Allow for outside the box thinking 🙂 Research manufacturers backgrounds/years quality issues, once you settle on several candidates. Can you fix them easily if they have issues.

-Match the tow vehicle with the trailer. Assume the worst possible weight scenario - i.e. taking everything but the kitchen sink. Then see what you can live without. Then prioritize what you REALLY need vs. want. If you're not enjoying the trip or the camper, you're not going to have much fun. Also, is mpg a factor, is year of TV a factor, can you fix tow vehicle if you break down.

-Consider anti-sway bars/weight distribution hitches. Let me tell you, towing even a popup camper through high crosswinds (did it in South Dakota once - ONCE!) can result in white knuckles pretty quickly.

-Allow time for things to go wrong...and to go right. If you find you love a specific location, I don't see anything wrong with going there more than once, or changing travel plans.

-almost forgot this one: have a spare tire for your TV AND your TT, or at the least a backup plan like AAA/Good Sam towing or what have you. You'll likely identify other things that you really should bring a spare of during your camping activities. Maybe extra propane, batteries, etc

-Once you find your "perfect" combo and you've done the math with gross weights and you are POSITIVE it will tow, ask dealer to borrow it. Go weigh the combo on the scales, so your tongue weight/gross weight is known and can be adjusted. If possible put enough stuff/weight in the TT so you are basically ready to go camping before you weigh.

Bah. I started typing and found myself getting buried in work. I'll let others chime in with more help.

[Dick_B]

Do your research probably not on this Forum. Visit all of the dealers in your area. Visit any RV shows you can get to. Talk to owners at campgrounds. Get a copy of the RV Consumer Groups reviews of RV's. It could take a couple of years to figure out the correct one for your anticipated lifestyle.
Here's more advice:
To help you decide on what RV to buy you could go to www.rvknowhow.com and read Joe and Vicki’s suggestions and/or download their e-book `RV Buyers Homework’, which walks you through the process of choosing the best RV for your needs, selecting the right floor plans and features, determining the RV’s cargo-carrying and towing capacities and evaluating its livability. (Nov-Dec Highways, pg. 21)
RVtravel.com and the Better Business Bureau have a DVD that covers the same subject
(http://rvbookstore.com/shop/detail.aspx?p=710&m=2) and Chuck Woodbury has an ebook with similar advice.