Beginner searching for a trailer

[Bigbeartr57]

Long story short, my wife and I have started the search for a travel trailer and are searching for advice!

Our plans are to use it as a transitional home while we move to San Diego where we will ultimately be moving onto a boat and keeping the trailer for recreational use. We plan to live on it for around a month or so during the move and just some road trips otherwise. My tow vehicle is a 2017 Chevy Silverado Z71 with the 5.3 V8 and I was thinking we should keep it under 7000#. We are expecting our first child prior to the move and hav a 50# dog. We aren’t massively concerned about cost but that is always a factor. We want good bang for our buck but aren’t really looking for anything fancy.

Any brand recommendations (really interested in this question)? New vs used? What to avoid or look for? Any experiences with a Murphy bed? (My wife wants a walk around bed but is worried that a Murphy may not be very comfortable and doesn’t offer a lot of options to replace the mattress and is one more thing to break)

[Bigbeartr57]

Trackrig wrote:
A word of advice: You should start looking now for where you're going to store it.

Storage space is getting harder and harder to find with all of the people buying RVs. With all of the neighborhood and city ordinances stopping people from storing them at their house, they have to use public storage facilities.

We used to rent space as needed in the areas west of Phoenix. This last time it was so hard to find a spot that we've decided to pay for it year round so that we know we'll have a spot when we want it.

Even if you pay for the storage place a month or two before you need it, in the scheme of things, that's a very small cost.

Bill

Thanks for the advice Bill! We are in the fortunate position of being Active Duty Military on this one. There are some good on base options, but I will definitely look into them sooner rather than later.

[treyster]

Trackrig wrote:
A word of advice: You should start looking now for where you're going to store it.

Storage space is getting harder and harder to find with all of the people buying RVs. With all of the neighborhood and city ordinances stopping people from storing them at their house, they have to use public storage facilities.

We used to rent space as needed in the areas west of Phoenix. This last time it was so hard to find a spot that we've decided to pay for it year round so that we know we'll have a spot when we want it.

Even if you pay for the storage place a month or two before you need it, in the scheme of things, that's a very small cost.

Bill

Agree 1000%. Get your location paid for before you buy one. I'm in Ohio and storage is becoming a problem.

[lhenry8113]

Couple of things. If you buy new or used from a Dlr.--check out their Service Dept. reviews-- "Yelp" is a good place to start, try to talk to folks that have RV's being serviced at that Dlr. Most likely you will end up there after the sale. Also, unless you actually know the owner try to avoid buying on the internet, etc. Arctic Fox and Nash made by Northwood, Mfg. in Oregon would be my 1st choice to check out-we have had 2 Arctic Fox 5th wheels and loved them both. Also, a used 1 year old camper generally has the wrinkles ironed out. Lars

[kerrlakeRoo]

As some others have suggested, place more emphasis on the long term usage, but with the region you are looking at also think about where you anticipate using it. RV parks and resorts with hookups available, or going out into the remote areas and boondocking/dry camping. Tank sizes do become important if you dont have full hookups.

Also anticipate the family changes, number aboard and their needs.

If going new, avoid the entry level units in most manufacturers lines. Generally if you are into the mid grades your unit will be better insulated, and hopefully better built.
Appliances are the same in most entry and mid level units, the real upgrades are generally in larger units.
Look at cabinets closely, particle board, stapeled together will require constant repair and the wood look shelf paper they use as a finish surface will go bad in months.
Real wood frames and doors are preferable, and screwed and glued is far more durable than staples.

With your truck size, someone else mentioned a 25' unit as being about your limit, and that I think is in the right ballpark.

If you can rent a unit for a weekend or two and find out a little more about what you do and dont like, you will likely save yourself some headaches in the future.

Happy motorin.

[toedtoes]

Since the "fulltiming" is only for a month or so, I would focus on the recreational use. Look at different floor plans and imagine spending a day in it. Think about meal times, getting ready in the morning, etc.

Also, remember that your needs will be different with a baby than it will with a young child. You might buy a used trailer that has room for a playpen/bassinet now. Then plan on buying something that is better suited to kids in the future. And consider another child in the future if you aren't stopping at one.

Also, is there room for the dog and the baby. You don't want the dog having to climb over/around the baby inside the trailer.

[Dick_B]

Try to visit some campgrounds to talk to the owners about their rigs. Most of the comments on this Forum will be positive about the owners rigs because no one wants to admit they bought the wrong RV.
I's contact the RV Consumer Group and get their reviews of what's out there. It will give you an idea of the quality of the various brands. If a brand holds its resale value you have a good idea is is a quality brand.

[gbopp]

I can't comment on a specific brand. When buying used, condition is more important than the make.

I do know that setting up or taking down a dinette or sofa as a bed gets real old, real quick. I'm guessing a murphy bed will be about the same.

Something with bunk beds would be my choice. But, I don't know if you can find something in your size range equipped with bunks.

Look at lots of TT's, new and used, before you make your decision.
And, when you find something you like, make sure everything is fixed and working to your standards BEFORE you sign any papers or give the seller any money.
Don't listen to a sales person who tells you to sign the papers, take the TT home and bring it back later for repairs or adjustments.

Take your time and don't be in a hurry to buy.
Enjoy your travels.

[Ron3rd]

In my opinion something in the 25 ft range with a slide-out is ideal for 2 people. My old 25 ft trailer had a gross weight rating of 6800#. Lots of good brands out there.

[Trackrig]

A word of advice: You should start looking now for where you're going to store it.

Storage space is getting harder and harder to find with all of the people buying RVs. With all of the neighborhood and city ordinances stopping people from storing them at their house, they have to use public storage facilities.

We used to rent space as needed in the areas west of Phoenix. This last time it was so hard to find a spot that we've decided to pay for it year round so that we know we'll have a spot when we want it.

Even if you pay for the storage place a month or two before you need it, in the scheme of things, that's a very small cost.

Bill

[Lwiddis]

What is the payload and max towing capacity of Silverado? While you MAY have the ability to tow more than 7,000 pounds safely, using a TT for recreation after the moving to the boat may be more fun with a shorter, lighter TT vs. a long, heavy one. Depends on where you like to go.

[el_jefe1]

Some will say to buy new, but probably most suggest getting a used one for your first. It's hard to know what you want until you've camped and/or lived in one for a while. Things you thought were important you might find yourself not using or not liking, while wishing you had other features that are missing. It's hard to know what those things are until you try it. With a used trailer you can get out of it a lot easier for closer to what you paid, the new ones depreciate very quickly and need to be a longer term investment.