Travel trailer or a motorized rv w/ toad??

[caseyod81]

Hey everyone. I am brand new to RVing and do not have one yet. I'm 23 years old, so on a small budget.. but would like to dive into to full time RVing around the U.S. I have 2 pets, 1 dog 1 cat, that are a big concern of mine (especially for giving my cat space). My boyfriend is going with me but neither of us are mechanically savvy. We keep flip flopping between buying a large SUV and a travel trailer, or buying a class A or C to tow my current car with. My car weighs about 3000 lbs. Here are my main concerns:
1) Money. I don't mind financing but would rather keep it to a small amount. Ideally I would like to spend 6,000 up front and keep financing to a minimum. Gas is also an issue. We will be mainly going campsite to campsite with the RV but will take the vehicle out for site seeing and grocery shopping.
2) Reliability and safety. I know with my budget this is the hardest part. The reason why I am insisting on a vehicle and an RV is so if something goes wrong with one, at least I'll still have either a vehicle or a home. I of course, would prefer if nothing goes wrong.. but things happen.
3) Ease of driving. I'm a pretty good driver.. but I've never driven something so big so it makes me a bit nervous. I already plan on getting back up cameras.

With that said, I would really appreciate some advice. Here is what I'm looking at so far:
a) A Nissan Armada or Toyota Sequoia ($8,000-$10,000 with less than 175,000 miles) and some cheap old 80's-90's travel trailers ($3,000-$5,000). I do want an SUV so the cat can be in a crate in the trunk while driving and the dog can have the back seat.
b) A class A or C that can tow my 3,000 lb mazda (would tow on a dolly). The RVs in my price range (up to $12,000) seem to be mainly 80's models with a range of mileage (from 20,000 to 100,000).

I was leaning more towards a motorized RV and then towing my car.. until and RV sales person said that anything in my price range for a motorized RV would be a money pit and would be hard to find mechanics for while on the road. But my thought process is if worse comes to worse if it breaks down and is too costly to repair, just sell it for what I can and drive on back home in my car. I may be a bit biased since my car is my baby and I don't want to sell it! In all fairness its 2008 with 90,000 miles and hasn't had a single issue ever!

Sorry this is lengthy. I'm just a complete loss of what to do and would love some feedback from more experienced people!

[RavensFan24]

I'd definitely go with the truck and trailer combo. You'll have more combinations available to you for working with in your budget. Also, it's easier to maintain one engine rather than two. If you have a motorhome with a toad, you'll have to worry about both vehicles/engines working well. With a truck and trailer, you only have to worry about your tow vehicle functioning properly to get you where you want to go.

Enjoy your travels! I've never had more fun than when I spent 3 months traveling the country sight seeing and just enjoying all the adventures this country has to offer. I'd highly recommend spending lots of time in the northwest.

[Jim_Shoe]

I took a different approach for a very good reason. I'm a single RVer. Its a lot easier to drive my Jeep "Toad" up to the MH to hook up than it would be to try to back up a tow vehicle to a travel trailer or 5er. If I traveled with another person, I'd have a spotter to tell me when to stop instead of listening for the noise.

[wa8yxm]

Ok, I will discuss some of the relative advantages/disadvantages of both
First: Is this RV going to be sitting in one place for long periods or is it going to be on the move often (Some Rv'd go years without moving).

Trailers do not mind sitting, Oh the tires rot and you may need to clean up brakes and wheel bearings but that is not all that expensive

Class A's love to be driven, I mean they are MOTOR vehicles and like all motor vehicles really do not like sitting around not moving.

Fuel Economy: For any given size.. That's a wash, A TT with a good size truck will get about the same MPG as a similar size Class A... HOWEVER This only applies when driving the consist

When you "Drop" the towed or trailer and run to the store for Milk or Break or Eggs and butter.... Well my Neon gets over 25MPG most of the time and it's a 2001, Modern small cars can hit 30-40.. Not many pickups capable of towing 35 feet of trailer break 20 (if any).

Finally we have going down the road and .. Well, needing to ... ur.. go Note this is epically important if it's a traffic jam and you are not going down the road.

I get out of my seat, let co-pilot take over, head to the head, Take care of business, and likely will be buckeled back in before the RV moves

If traffic is moving.. Well there is the Shoulder of the road, a parking lot or rest area (In a pouring rain the ability to get to the head and back w/o getting wet is ... nice). I drive an "A".

One recommendation: As you move,, the water in your selected parkign spot is a bit different than the water at your last parking spot/home.. Now Brita or Pur filters can help a bit, but frankly.... A bath and a half floor plan means "Two Holes. No Waiting".

[caseyod81]

Thank you all so much for the advice. We will be going with a high towing SUV and trailer option

[icanon]

This has been an interesting topic. As most here said that a used MH could be a money pit. At what year do they 'become' money pits? Aren't they all I read some horror stories in this forum and on others, mind you far less than TT's.

Just to correct one comment posted TT tires should be replaced 5yrs or less depending on condition and not 9yrs as mentioned.

[harolddave]

According to your budget, I would suggest of Tuck and trailer option. But I think for the long run, transporting rvs using a commercial service would be comfortable because of its less complexity as compared to a truck-trailer.

[toedtoes]

I've done both (sort of) in a non-full-timing version. I started with a 1985 Shasta TT and my 2002 Dodge Durango. I now have a 1975 Class C motorhome (American Clipper) and no toad (still have the Durango as my DD). Here's my two-cents:

1. Size of TT/MH. With both of you being young (I'm assuming your boyfriend is comparable in age to you), a class C with the cabover bunk will give you more room for less length. An older 21-24ft MH will offer the same amount of living space as a 19-21ft TT PLUS give you a dedicated bed (cabover bunk) so you aren't converting a dinette or couch daily. This is a big deal. With the SUV, you're not going to be able to go much bigger on a TT - and if that works, then the smaller MH will work just as well (and will be more likely to be able to tow your car as a bigger MH on the same chassis will eat up more GVWR).

2. Day trips. Either the SUV or the car will work fine for day trips. Not much difference there except maybe mileage. However, if you need to take the animals with you in the SUV/car, the SUV gives you more room to do so and will keep the animals more comfortable. You might not need to worry about that, but it could possibly make a difference so I'm including it.

3. Dependability on drive train/engine on MH. Yes, older motorhomes cost money to get back into proper shape. It's very rare to find an old MH that is in tip top shape engine/transmission/carburetor-wise. Now, are they a money trap? Not necessarily. They can still be cost effective - but they're going to run you a lot more than the purchase price. For instance, if you buy a $6,000 MH and put another $20,000 into it fixing up the engine and house, you've spent $26,000 and $20,000 of that could be done over time; if you want a "drive off the lot and go cross country the same day" MH, you're going to be putting out $56,000 minimum (for a 2-5 year old used MH in great condition). The older MH is still cheaper in the long run and you don't need to finance - but you can't go full-timing immediately; the newer MH is more expensive and you can go full-timing immediately (for the most part), but you'll have to finance. The car and the SUV drive train/engines would be considered a wash under normal circumstances (as long as you buy well).

4. House appliances/parts on TT/MH. Yes, most appliances can be worked around - this goes for either the TT or the MH. As someone posted above you can go with electrical appliances (but you'll need to make sure you have a generator, solar power, large enough battery bank to handle the added electrical needs or that you stay in RV parks/campgrounds with electrical hookups). This is a wash between the two. In my situation, I found the house on my MH to be in MUCH better shape than my TT and it has been less expensive to maintain on that end. My TT had issues like the dump valve section falling off while driving down the freeway (fortunately the tanks were empty) - my MH was built to much higher standards (thank you Irv Perch).

5. Insurance. My TT insurance was about $20 less than my MH insurance - the MH is 10 years older, but it surprised me how little difference there was between the two.

6. Two functional vehicles. As you mentioned, the MH with toad will provide you with two functional vehicles. If your car needs work, you can drive the MH for a day or two while the car is in the shop. If your MH needs work, you can drive the car to a motel until the MH is ready. With the TT, if your SUV breaks down, you have no way to get around.

If you go with the MH, plan on spending at least several months test driving and going over the drive train carefully before going full-time. Plan on spending an additional $5,000 to $20,000 on repairs/replacements to get it dependable (not including tires). Check ALL the rubber (tires, hoses, belts - including all the fuel hoses for leaks).

If you go with the TT, you won't have to put that extra cost into it, but you'll only have the one vehicle and you'll be selling your car (which is in great shape) for an older/higher mileage SUV that may or may not be in as good of shape.

Either one will work, just different. I do not consider my MH to be a "money pit" - have I put money into it? YES. Have I put more than the "resale value"? - YES. Could I have bought something newer in great shape for anything near what I've spent on it? - NO. I'd have to have put out more than twice what I've spent to get a class C that didn't need money put into it.

[2gypsies1]

Look carefully at the weight of the trailer and the vehicle towing capacity. It's very important.

[ncrowley]

Given your budget, I would go with the truck and trailer option. Older motorhomes are indeed a money pit.

[drsteve]

I have considered the MH/toad option, and stick with my TV/TT because this way I only have one drivetrain to maintain. As to an older MH, they are indeed a money pit.

[tenbear]

I started RVing with a TT and pickup truck. I decided that I would rather have a MH and tow my car, a Subaru. The MH was new at the time. My MH is now 11 years old and still going strong.

Some things to consider are; however I am probably biased.
The MH gets 9 mpg, the toad gets close to 30 mpg. Good for exploring local attractions.
Towing a car gives you 2 engines in case one breaks down.
Towing a trailer is probably less costly.

[Snowman9000]

Yeah, I vote for the SUV and trailer. An old MH is not for the faint of heart, especially since you are planning to travel a lot. If you get a trailer, spend some money getting the springs, brakes, tires, & bearings replaced by someone who seems to know what they are doing. Suspension is the weak part of travel trailers. Like 1940's technology meets Chinese quality control.

My other advice would be not to buy something which takes the SUV's tow rating to the limit. Leave yourself a lot of room. Towing a moderate load is not too bad. Towing a full load is miserable.

[DutchmenSport]

You've given pretty good arguments for both sides, a towable trailer or a drivable MH. Either way, buying used, you truly never know what you're REALLY getting until you get it and start using it. So, its probably a 50-50 toss up.

It boils down to what kind of camping you want to do. But, here's something you need to consider also.... insurance.

For the towable trailer, your insurance is covered when hitched up. (theoretically, you don't need to carry insurance on your trailer as it's covered when in tow). You can carry a separate policy. Then the separate policy, or rider, will cover damage when NOT attached to the tow vehicle, which costs much less than insurance on a vehicle with an engine.

On the other hand, with 2 vehicles with engines, you have to pay insurance for both. If this is the straw that breaks the camel's back, then you want to go with a trailer as your insurance will be less for both TT and tow vehicle, opposed to a Motor Home and the Nissan.

Another fine point to consider. When towing a trailer, you can usually back up with no issues. When towing a vehicle, especially on a dolly, you have to unhitch the pulled vehicle so you can back up. If you find yourself in a position where you have to back up, this might be anther straw to break that camel's back.

yes... lots to consider.

Others can chime in, pros and cons. In your situation, I still see a 50-50 coin flip. Good luck in your choice.

[gbopp]

Welcome to the forum.
I have a 96 Southwind Class A.
That said, I think you are better off with a travel trailer and tow vehicle.
There are good deals on older travel trailers available. Just do some research.

You need to learn what to look for in a used TT. One big thing, RV tires usually age out before they wear out. So, check the age of the tires on any RV you are considering. Most RVers replace tires at 6-9 years. Some sooner.

You apparently like the Armada. They're pretty nice. But, don't overlook the Chevy Suburban or Ford Expedition. Or the beast, a Ford Excursion.
Or even, a crew cab truck.

Start doing research and ask questions. There is a lot of experience and information on the forum.