1st timer need advice on buying used

[chrisleduc1]

Hi everyone - So I am a first time owner looking to buy a travel trailer for my wife and I, 5 mo old baby and dog. Looking to stay under 30ft and under 10k.

I have familiarity with boats as Ive had and towed several, but know nothing about trailers.

I can tow about 9K lbs on my QX56.

I will want to be able to camp where there are no hook-ups, so I think I want/need a generator for that?

From what Im seeing on craigslist, you can get a early/mid 2000s, mid 20ft with slideout (not a requirement for me) for well under 10K.

Anyone have any suggestions, questions comments? Brands to avoid? Etc?

By the way I am in SoCal as a seminary student and most of the time I will only drive 4-6 max from here and only camp for a few days. Maybe that helps with recommendations?

Thanks in advance guys (and gals).

[chrisleduc1]

I just bought a 2007 Komfort 23S with sofa slide-out. Dry weight is under 5K so I should have no probs with it.

It was owned by a couple in their 80s who used it twice a year and the husband passed so... picked it up for 9K including Eaz-lift distribution hitch and anti-sway. I bought it from the landlord of couple and he didn't know much about it other that he said its like new inside and he took it and camped in it for a week at Yosemite.

Im picking it up Friday and bringing it home, and then going to Bolsa Chica Monday so I gotta get everything figured out pretty quickly... Guess Ill start with how to get it attached to my QX56 and home, and then figure out how to get it leveled in my driveway... Its going to be a long/fun weekend...

[imadarling]

I have to agree with westend. Your vehicle may hit the numbers, maxed out, but that's going to be a dangerous setup. I tow my 24', 5600 lb trailer with a Dodge Ram 1500 with nearly 9500 lb-worth of towing capacity and my trailer still bosses the truck around at times. Pulling power and stopping power are only one part of the equation, if your dry trailer already has 300 lbs on your tow vehicle, you're going to white knuckle all four of those travel hours. If you really need to convince yourself, buy a weight distribution hitch at Camping World, install your electric brake controller, and make a test-tow part of your camper evaluation...if the seller will allow it. I don't think many on this forum will advise you to max out your vehicle ratings.

-Blake

[westend]

You probably won't be going for the whole 4 days pulling 8500 lbs.. Days three and four will be spent at a garage. Forget about the GVW and GCWR of your vehicle. The important part is payload. If you have 777 lbs. of available payload and assume a tongue weight of 11-15% of trailer weight, you should be looking for trailers, fully loaded, in the 5500 lb range.

[chrisleduc1]

Can someone check my numbers and give an opinion.

I am considering an 02 Sandpiper Forest River 27fkss

The QX has a GCWR of 15100
Curb Weight is 5900
GVWR is 7300

Curb weight of 5300 plus me, mrs, baby, dog, 100lbs gear is 6523
7300 GVWR
-
6523 GVW
=
777 left available for hitch weight

Then I have
15100 GVWR
-
6523 GVW w/o TT
=
8550 total available trailer weight



I have a
6523 GVW
+
6895 Trailer Dry/Curb Weight
=
13418

If my
15100 GCWR
-
13418 GVW + Dry Trailer
=
1682 in total available weight that I can add to the trailer. That does not leave my much

Also, I had 777 available tongue weight after my cargo ( If I figured that correctly)

Am I looking at too much trailer here? It seems I am right at the max, which I am sure the vehicle will do, but am I underestimating how much gear I will want to load? Im primarily going to drive 4-6 hours max and stay 3-4 days, maybe a week someone. I don't anticipate needs weeks worth of stuff.... but.....

Thanks guys

[chrisleduc1]

Bubba - thanks for the clarification. I decided against the 28RL as it doesn't seem to meet our primary needs, which may be silly, but are that we need a floor plan that will accommodate a pack and play, and shower/tub combo and the bigger the kitchen/fridge/freezer the better as the Mrs likes to cook. The 28RL has only the dinette slide and stand-up shower....Back to the drawing board.

[BubbaChris]

That cargo capacity is used by; you, your wife, your kiddo, your dog, and everything inside your QX, PLUS the tongue weight of your trailer.

If you figure up to 15% of your total trailer weight should be on the tongue, then your real capacity is is probably under 6,000 lbs. That means the 28RL is likely out of the safe range. You may need to stay under 20-22' in size.

[chrisleduc1]

Thanks imadarling.

Anyone have thoughts on a 2004 Alpenlite Aspen 28RL. $8500?

I double check my number and I have cargo cap of right at 1250. Hitch can take 870.

[imadarling]

EPDM or TPO roofs are going to be on the majority of the trailers you're bound to look at. Maintained properly, these roofs should provide 10-15 years of reliable service.

As far as the open floor plan is concerned, that pack-and-play takes up a lot of space, so it's good to think about where that thing will live during trips. Likewise, think about where the baby will sleep when he/she gets bigger, can you easily adapt a screen onto the sofa as a makeshift toddler bed?

I also forgot to mention that a good weight distribution hitch and sway control should be part of your budget.

[chrisleduc1]

Thanks imadarling. Your post helped - honestly we are going to spend as much time as possible outside of the TT, but now that you mention it, an open floor plan is probably going to be important. I will keep that in mind. Thanks also for the info about the roof. I read on another thread on here to try to get the aluminum ( i think roof) rather than the other materials.

[chrisleduc1]

Thanks downtheroad. Yes, the QX56 is basically just a Nissan Titan/Aramda with a bit more luxury. The payload is about 15-16K can't remember, tongue weight is about 870-890, again can't remember exactly. Id like to stay in the 5-7K range, and yes, will be adding 600-1K lbs of "stuff".
Thanks again for the reply. Im in the process of sifting through various threads on here now...

[imadarling]

I don't have much experience with trailers, but I found myself in your same position two years ago. My wife and I settled on a 1996 24-foot Aljo that has an excellent floor plan for the kiddo. We looked at five or six trailers at various dealerships and settled on a list of must-haves; open floor plan being the highest priority for me. The trailer we bought was in B+ condition, but everything was well within my capabilities to restore. The fridge needed a new ignition module, the water heater needed a tune up (orifice cleaning, spider web clearing) and the sink p-trap was loose and leaking on the kitchen floor. We paid $4400 for the trailer and I just finished investing $1600 in a new roof, so my best advice would be to hop on the roof of any trailer you're interested in buying and give it a good going-over looking for deteriorating sealant, soft spots in the substrate and any obvious repairs. A leaky roof can the be the kiss of death for trailers.

Happy hunting!

[downtheroad]

Welcome to the Forum...it's a good place for experienced advice and opinions...

QX56...is that an Infinity SUV? If so I'd be skeptical about that towing claim of 9000 lbs. Problem is that when you get into that range you are getting into a tongue weight of over 1000 lbs.

Check the PAYLOAD number for your SUV, not the towing number. Subtract the weight of all your gear, people, dogs, etc and see what is REALLY possible.

Also...never use the 'dry' weight number for any trailer. Almost always that number will jump 600 to 1000+ lbs more when you are loaded and ready to camp.

Good luck with your search and new adventure.

[chrisleduc1]

Also, anyone have or know of something for sale that is a deal?