Buyer's remorse??

[Herimpression]

Hi. I'm totally new to this site and RVING. Hubby is in the Navy and got orders to Virginia...we decided to take advantage of living on the other side of the country by traveling to all the neat places we've heard about. So buying a TT seemed like a no-brainer. We looked at everything from Class C to fifth wheel to ultralights. We decided to get a light TT so we didn't have to upgrade our vehicle. We have a 1500 suburban with a tow package that can pull 8100 pounds.

So after a year of looking we were in between the Keystone Bullet Premier 31BHPR or 34BHPR The bunk house and outdoor kitchen were requirements and both have them. So after a lot of thinking we picked the 34BHPR because it has more interior storage and we liked the kitchen layout with the island. (This was a really hard choice because the other model has an exterior door to the bathroom and it's 500 pounds lighter because it only has 2 slides we thought that was great too.) So, we put our down payment down and we are waiting for them to do the do the walk through with us next week when we take it home.

Now I'm waking up at night worried we picked the wrong one because of the island. I hadn't seen the inside with the slides pulled in until the day we bought it. When the slides are in you can't get to anything because the slides pull right up to the island and you would have to climb over it to get to the bunk house. And getting to anything in the kitchen or storage under the table isn't possible with slides in. So you can only get to the bathroom and master bedroom with slides in.

Is this going to be a big deal??? We are in Virginia and are planning on going all the way up to Maine and down to the Florida Keys. I'm scared I'll hate that I can't get to our stuff on long hauls. We usually pack a road trip cooler in the car when we travel so hubby doesn't think we'll need anything from the trailer when we're on the road. But I don't know since we're new to this. Please give me advice. I can still change my mind and buy the 31BHPR that doesn't have an island...the dealer will be mad...but we haven't signed on the dotted line yet. Thanks in advance for your help!

[Herimpression]

Ok. This is great advice. My husband is going to call GM again on his lunch break to talk about hitch weight. (This goes over my head.) Any other good places to look for this information?

[DutchmenSport]

Your tow vehicle is another issue, about the floor plan.

We searched for over 10 years looking for a camper that had 100% accessibility to everything with the slides in, it was that important to us. Until we found the one, we held on to a trailer with no slides. For us, it WAS that important!

We wanted the ability to use the camper any time, any where, under any circumstances. Now granted we have plenty of parking space at home, slides are absolutely no issue, but we also wanted complete access when we stopped at rest areas, or just needed to stretch out and rest a while when on the road.

Now granted, it's a little tight when both slides are "in" in the rear living room, but still, every cabinet (except one under the sink area) is accessible with everything pulled in.

I have always advocated on these forums for buyers, especially new buyers to spend time in their potential camper, with slides out and slides in. And ask yourself how long you could stay in the camper with slides in. Sometimes it takes a couple hours to figure this out.

I personally think you'll be VERY unhappy if you cannot access everything. You will find it very enjoyable to stop at a rest stop, or a city or county park on your way and go into the camper and fix a lunch, take a break, and even take a short nap.

When traveling (on the road), we will stop at a restaurant , like a McDonalds. One of us will go inside and get the food while the other will stay at the trailer. We'll pull the awning out (in the parking lot), grab 2 folding chairs, and a folding table and have lunch. When done, close everything up. Because we have a dog, we don't have to leave him by himself, as it's usually too hot in the camper and in the truck to leave him. It's fun being able to stop, do thing like this. But it all needs to be accessible.

I suggest you go back to the dealership and talk with them. And I agree, those middle islands do block everything. They are nice when the slide is open, but when close up, you don't have access.

Make sure you can access the refrigerator and stove, bathroom, and all beds with all slides in.

Renegotiate with the dealer. If he want's your business, he'll work with you.

YES, it's a VERY big deal for me!

[donn0128]

Sorry, you are flat out being misled. 1500 Suburbans are nearly maxed out when just loaded with passangers and stuff. If you need convincing, load your family and stuff in and drive across a set of scales. Compare your scaled weight to the GVWR sticker found on the drivers door post.
For any SUV, you really really need to limit your trailer length to around 25 feet. You may be able to fudge that by a couple of feet, but guaranteed not 13 feet!

[ReneeG]

It's going to be a big deal if that's what's important to you. Most units today have islands that block access to the stove or fridge, when the slides are in, which I find discouraging. We've had four TT's and one FW, our current. In all TT's but one, we could access the fridge and all areas with the slide in. For that one that we couldn't access the fridge, it was a nuisance, but we worked around it. When we looked to move to a FW, we had the salesman bring in the slides and based on that, and other factors, we went with our current floor plan. We have three slides and can access all appliances including the table in the kitchen, plus the bathroom and bed, with all three slides in. This makes a HUGE difference when stopping at rest stops to eat lunch and rest, and if we have to bring our slides in due to high winds, well high enough to make it uncomfortable to us, the unit is liveable. So basically, we can "live" in it with all the slides in. Another factor and why being able to do all this with the slides in, is because we often stop at truck stops to sleep and you can't always put the slides out with all the trucks around. We can sleep, shower, use the bathroom, cook breakfast, make coffee, etc.

[Halmfamily]

Our slides block complete access to our kitchen and living room, no big deal. As long as we are close to level just put the slides out, only takes a minute to do. Never had an issue with doing this.

[CampingN_C_]

I personally don't think the floor plan would be an issue. Getting to the bathroom and the frig is the most important on trips. So you may have to run the kitchen slide out a little to open the frig, no biggie. I wouldn't let that be a deal breaker if you like the model.

However here's a few things to think about.
One, as IdaD said, that's getting on up there in weight for your Suburban. Tongue weight could realistically be in the 1100-1200lb range.
Two, don't pack the entire house, some of those models don't leave much room for cargo weight. You'll be surprised how fast things add up.

[Herimpression]

My husband called GM and they told us we can pull 8100 pounds plus a few thousand pounds in the car. The dealer is swearing we are good with the weight. How do we check this more extensively?

[RVcrazy]

With the Suburban, you are limited by the maximum loaded hitch weight and GCVWR. If you buy that trailer, I can pretty much guarantee that you will soon need a new truck. I would cancel your order and do more research into weight limitations before purchasing anything. You can see the country in something smaller and find more places to park.

[fun_w_son]

we've all been there.... but the slide out issue is not an issue. think about this. if you have to stop along the way to get something out the TT, you will pull in somewhere with alot of room. you just open the door, hit the slide out button and get what you need... we do it all the time. once you get it home and load it the way you want it done, you will see that you're gonna put the things you need on the road close to the door where you can get them fast...

like i tell my wife "don't sweat the small stuff" haha

[ken56]

You definitely need to check your payload rating and hitch rating for your combination. The accessibility problem sounds minor. Why do you need to get to the bunks when you are traveling? The main thing is getting to the potty. Its great not having to deal with public restrooms while on the road. The refrigerator is next to be able to make a lunch if you want. Still, just extend the slide to get what you need and bring it back in. If the floor plan is what you really like and fits your needs then you will adjust to it. Don't worry, go camping.

[DownTheAvenue]

IdaD wrote:
I don't think the slide issue or floorplan will be an issue, but that's an awful lot of trailer for that tow vehicle. You might want to check your axle, tire and hitch ratings against what that thing will weigh loaded for use and see how far over you are.

I agree.

Looking at Keystone's website (with very little information, by the way) that trailer has a weight rating of 8,800 lbs and is almost 38 feet long! That is way too much trailer for your vehicle.

Also, 38 feet is too long to get into any but the more modern commercial campgrounds. Forget about any state or national park!

[MFL]

I would not want an RV with no fridge access when traveling. We use the fridge at rest stops, and other areas when traveling. I would not want to have to put a slide out to get to it.

Jerry

[DC8Captain]

I get "buyers remorse" with just about every major purchase. Sometimes minor ones too. I'm upgrading to a bigger trailer right now and I actually cancelled the order once then reinstated it. I was like you buying my first trailer too. I wondered if I had made a mistake during our first trip. Everything worked out for the best, including the first trip. Sounds like a great trip you're going on, don't cancel the experience.

[IdaD]

I don't think the slide issue or floorplan will be an issue, but that's an awful lot of trailer for that tow vehicle. You might want to check your axle, tire and hitch ratings against what that thing will weigh loaded for use and see how far over you are.