Found the forum last night and read till 0300. Great info and community here. Wife and I got 9 month old son and 18 month old German Shepherd. All of a sudden, tent camping is losing its luster. Thinking a travel trailer might be the ticket. We are in south central NC. I have a 2004 Tahoe 2WD with 5.3 liter. As I recall, tow weight max is around 6500-6700 lbs. As wife and are going to look at campers in the next few days, I was hoping for some insights here. Few quick questions for anyone with the time to share. Would a 4,500 lb camper be about right for my tow vehicle?Do you use generators or is all power supplied by just plugging into 120 volt at most campgrounds. Life long tent camper here. Just rented a few RV's in Alaska, but was in campgrounds that were closed for the season. What are the 'hidden cost' of running around with a travel trailer? All hobbies have them. Ha ha. Is storing under carport good enough or is indoor storage worthwhile. Looking at adding a second garage anyway, curious if it would be worthwhile long term to store indoors or if it would be over kill. Other option is the large aluminum carport cover beside my other garage. Gravel on ground. Curious about proper storage. Is there a certain size you might suggest. Guess weight limitations on my towing capacity will dictate much. Would like to sleep 4 adults and 2-3 kids at times. Mostly will be wife, son, dog, and I. Generally speaking, should I focus on 25', 27', 30', etc...What kind of insurance do you guys/gals suggest. Curious what the annual cost is. Looking at a $15,000-25,000 camper. Again, wondering about the hidden cost. Last but not least, where do you take these things. I have intentionally avoided the very campgrounds I now seek in the past. We usually tent camp in primitive settings. I have never been to a KOA. Clueless. But the main thing I need to justify this purchase is what kind of trips we could take. We are big fly fisherman, fresh and salt. We got numerous kayaks, canoes, and two whitewater rafts. We also golf and enjoy photography and day hikes. Love the mountains and the coast. Just wondering where you folks have been. I am not interested in pulling into the same campground each weekend. Want to get out 4-12 hour drives from home. We are travel nurses and work 3 days a week. Want to get ideas on 3-5 day trips. Anywhere from Florida to West Virginia. Thanks for any ideas. I am sure your patience wears thin with all the noob questions. DanRockingham,NC

Welcome Dan- lots of info here. You've come to the right place. Just sift through the responses. BTW just south of you here in the "prettiest town in Dixie"

Ha ha. Know it well. Love the state park golf course. Dan

If the tv tow capacity is 6500 then going with a 4500lb trailer gives your wife plenty of margin to add all the stuff she thinks are necessities :). I guess ideally indoor storage is best. Out of the elements, easier to keep clean, etc. That said rv's are built for the outdoors and most people I know store them outside. I cover mine during the off season but some folks are not big on covers.Most of the campgrounds I visit are full hook-up (water, electric and sewer) but if you're use to tent camping you may want to get a generate and consider getting a trailer with a large fresh, grey and black water capacity for camping in places without facilities.Insurance on my $15,000 trailer is less than $200/year. The hidden expense is the big drop in gas mileage when you're towing and all the add on gadgits you and the misses will want to add:).Enjoy the hunt.

This will be the longest reply I have made on any forum ever ;-)I too am still a relative newbie in the RV world compared to lots of the experience around here. I had lots of the same questions you did when we dove it, and surprisingly enough the same TV. Here is my thoughts...1) To figure this out correctly you really need to get actual weights of you TV loaded and ready to camp to see how much GCVWR and Cargo Capacity you have left. The primary issue with the Tahoe for us was Cargo Carrying Capacity, by the time you load your family, dog, stuff and TT Tongue Weight there isn't much margin. At the time we were family of 4 (kids 5 and 3) + 2 dogs (boxers). As mentioned we started with a '04 Tahoe 5.3 3:73 4x4 and purchased a Jayco JayFlight 26BH. We were slightly over the GVWR (less that 100 lbs) but fine on each axle rating and GCWV. The 26BH weighed 5300 off the lot, and just under 6000 ready to camp with minimal water. So a 4500 ship weight should be close, but you will still quickly approach one of more of the Tahoe's ratings.2) We use a generator to recharge batteries whenever we don't have an Elec H/U. You never use a Gen when you have an Elec H/U. We have a Honda EU2000i; great and quiet but, will run everything but the AC.3) Several ... Biggest is Fuel Economy will tank. On our Tahoe we got ~16 as a daily driver, 8.5-9.5 while towing. There is always some gadget to buy. At first it will be things you consider necessary, the aforementioned generator, EMS/Surge Protection Devices, extra hoses, tools to keep in the trailer. Then it will be the luxury items you see other have in campgrounds; those awning lights, flags, coolers, BBQ, Bike Rack, etc. Lastly you will start to improve you TT; change the lights to LED, High CFM vent fans, Vent Covers, Mattress Toppers, etc. 4) Covered carport would be great. Fully enclosed is nice, but really keeping UV off the roof is the most important. Might be nice if you have 30amp power there to keep you TT plugged in and be able to run the AC when loading/unloading/cleaning.5) Take you time and look at lots of options. If you really don't want to upgrade TV (which by the way you will even if you don't think you will) I doubt you will many options in >30' range and no bunkhouses with actual bunk rooms. If I could do it all over again I would have immediately upgrade the TV and bought the larger trailer upfront. Although the Tahoe could pull my TT, it really wasn't enjoyable in the Sierras where we take lots of summer trips. Therefore 9 mths after buying the TT I bought the 3/4 Diesel PU I should have had from the beginning. Now our family has grown to add another kid, cousins and friends are often coming along, so now we are looking at larger Bunk Room Style TT. Had I known what I know now I wouldn't have looked at the upgrade from tent to no-slide mid size TT as this huge improvement, but would have looked towards the future and planned better what I would want as my family grew.5) I have a separate RV policy that provides vacation/storage liability, GAP coverage and roadside assistance. I think separate policies are much better than an adder on you auto. Coverage is less than $300/year6) I have yet to stay at a KOA. We still go to a lot of the same State Park CG we always used, with a lot fewer sites to choose from, and a few non-KOA privately owned campgrounds ... but none are the parking lot type places you see and read about. We still really enjoy campfires and the natural outdoors. Neither our kids or us are looking for play structures and pools they have all that at home.Best of luck

I think you're about right on your size and weight measurements. Use the search function and learn everything you can about your vehicle and towing. 99% of the salespeople are clueless about towing specs and will mislead you about what you can comfortably pull.Insurance is very cheap, about $250 a year. Don't spend a lot of money on your first camper. The hidden costs are that you'll want a bigger camper after your first season and you'll need a bigger truck to pull it.Some people are all about seclusion and use generators to camp off the grid. Personally, we're resort campers. At the very least we've got to have water and electric. State parks are cheap and will have water and electric hookups.If you liked tent camping you're going to love rv'ing.

Buying first camper. Few simple questions... | Good Sam Community

hddecker
Explorer
Aug 16, 2013
Jerallen wrote:
Danattherock wrote:
Going to Camping World in Fayetteville tomorrow morning. Can't wait to check out a few campers

Be wary as there are unscrupulous salesmen out there that will tell you you can "tow anything on the lot".

Clubhouse's points about weight specific to your Tahoe will be important as you make your decision.

Good luck!

+2

The salesman only has one interest and that is to sell you.

For some insite go here.

http://www.rvsleuth.com/how-to-get-a-great-deal/

And for some help with weights go here.

http://changingears.com/rv-sec-tow-vehicles-understand.shtml

Good luck in your quest for your dream trailer.
sgrizzle
Explorer
Aug 16, 2013
We were tent campers from way back...we still have four totes packed and ready to go...BUT we bought our first camper 4-5 years ago and I don't think I'll ever go back!

I agree with Randu, look at the features, but do not buy new until you are SURE you will be a lifer. We bought an entry-level, used camper to make sure we like the whole camping experience. We paid $6k for a 27' bunkhouse (BH). We had it for 3 years and loved it! We took it last year to the Grand Canyon and parts of Colorado (3500 mile trip for us in Nebraska). This past year, we sold it and made a slight profit and we upgraded to a 2009 30' BH with slide-out and we made it to Yellowstone!

The point is, unless you have money to burn, you can get a great trailer to help you get started. I had a friend of mine buy a brand-new trailer and he took it out once, then sold it. Took a huge loss.

We still camp at the state and national campgrounds. We prefer those to the "parking lot" style "campgrounds." You can still camp as comfortable or as rustic as you like. It is your trip!

The gas cost is huge, but the lodging costs are slashed! Our 10 day Yellowstone/Grand Teton we spent $1,100.00 in fuel, but only $250 is camp fees. We ate out in a restaurant, once. We spent our money on fuel and recreational activities. Had the time of our lives, my 3 sons (16,13, 10 and two irish setters and my dear wife (DW)!

Good Luck and enjoy! I can't wait to retire and start camping all of the time! (Just 11 more years until I can retire!)
Danattherock
Explorer
Aug 15, 2013
Thanks for the continued great advice. We saw lots of campers today, focussing on 25-27' trailers in the 4500-5000 lb range. Nice, but not Keystone Passport 3180 nice. Trade offs all around. But the Shasta, Bullet, and Kodiak gave us some insights. Pretty big difference in build quality although pricing was all in the $20-25k range. Lots to learn, but we are fumbling through it steadily. Thanks for the help here.

Dan
jamnw
Explorer
Aug 15, 2013
Dan
I have 2 boys and a dog.
To me... That keystone is not a good floor plan for a family.
It would be great for a couple who occasionally had company.

We have been camping for 7 years. Mark my words... One if not both of your kids will get sick in the bed.
Do you want them getting sick on the dinette or sofa?
I have 2 bunks, each has a privacy curtain. I put a zippered plastic sheet on both. I'm so glad I did.

As stated before, it's nice to be able to put the kids to bed and still sit in the dinette or get up early and not have to tiptoe over sleepers.

Congrats and good luck.
APT
Explorer
Aug 15, 2013
The truth about RVing: It isn't cheap nor does it save any time. Hidden expenses? Fuel and accessories. How many posts on here about "ways to improve fuel economy" when people discover they are getting 7-10mpg? You can't, or likely won't, so budget for that.

I spent about $1k on gear after having everything I thought I needed as a tent camper. Not everything is necessary, but they are all useful.

Insurance is cheap, $200/yr is on the high end.

I recommend this: Spend the $15-25k on a used crew cab 3/4 ton pickup. Sell the Tahoe for whatever, $10k? Then you can buy just about any used TT you want. And sell it in a couple years for $8k when you learn enough about what you want to upgrade.

4500 pounds dry, 4 adults and 2-3 kids is tight not very realistic. Fine to sleep for a night of two. Not so much when you are stuck inside for a whole day in the rain.

Floorplan, floorplan, floorplan. 25' long TT means you are fitting an efficiency apartment (200 square feet) of kitchen, bathroom, and bunks? There are a lot of bad floorppans out there. Everything is a compromise. Role play and act out to narrow down what you like.
krobbe
Explorer
Aug 15, 2013
Dan - We're trying to teach you to fish instead of just giving you one.
Check out this Travel Trailer Weight Calculator to throw some numbers around to get an idea of what is safe to tow for your vehicle or any one you see fit to buy after you find that perfect TT. This is where I started to figure out what it all means.
Robby9
Explorer
Aug 15, 2013
A common suggestion around here is that you should keep the weight of a fully loaded TT under 80% of your towing capacity to maximize towing comfort. Foryour Tahoe that would be about 5,500lbs.

Most 1/2 ton pickups would tow the camper your looking at without problems. Just make sure the pickup has the heavy duty factory tow package.

If you're really stuck on SUV's, Ford Expeditions equipped with HD towing option can handle about 9,000 lbs, if I remember correctly. My first camper was 31' and had a dry weight of approx 5,400 lbs. I towed it with a 2008 Expedetion and it handled the camper OK; not great, but doable.

When camper shopping, just add 1,000lbs to the dry weight to give you better idea of what you'll actually be pulling. Just putting on propane tanks and a battery will add 150lbs.

Also, if you're still interested in rear living room plans,I would urge you to reconsider that. As you're child grows, he will want his own bed and a place for his stuff,even if it's just a bunk.
clubhouse
Explorer
Aug 15, 2013
The only way to know how much you can tow is to load the Tahoe exactly as you would to go camping if you were towing a trailer (people, pets, stuff, fuel) and hit a scale. Then make 2 calculations ...

GVWR - Actual Tahoe weight = Available Tongue Weight
GCVWR - Actual Tahoe weight = Available for a loaded and ready to camp TT

Now with these numbers...

1) Don't buy a TT with a GVWR higher than GCVWR - Tahoe.
2) Make sure 13-15% of the TT GVWR doesn't exceed the Tahoe GVWR-Actual Tahoe weight.

The Tahoe published tow rating is relatively irrelevant, the GCVWR and Tongue Weight will really tell you what you can tow.

Without these numbers, based on my experience I'd say your Max is TT @ 6000 and Tongue weight of 750
Danattherock
Explorer
Aug 15, 2013
Thanks for all the great advice guys.

For insight, please answer the following.

What is max trailer weight my Tahoe (rated to tow 6700 lbs) can safely tow?

What tow vehicle rating (if buying another TV) would I need to safely tow the Keystone Passport 5900 lb trailer we saw today?

Heading to three RV sales places near Greensboro (central NC) at 0730. Can't wait to see some more campers. I know we are buying one. Wife fell asleep with Trailer Life on her chest tonight. She is as excited as I am. Only question is will I have to sell my Tahoe, buy another vehicle, then buy a camper. A far more costly and time consuming route obviously.

Dan
clubhouse
Explorer
Aug 15, 2013
Danattherock wrote:
Well crap. Guess I either need to sell my Tahoe and buy a suburban or find a smaller camper. Heading a few hours up the road in the morning to check out a few RV sales places. Any suggestions on suitable models to look at. Any suggestion on max trailer weight for my tow vehicle?

My 2004 Chevy Tahoe 2WD LT

Vortec 5.3 liter V8
3.42 rear axle
Stabiltrac vehicle stability
6700 lb tow capacity based on this websites tow guide
Door sticker for cargo capacity was right at 1,500 lbs as I recall

The dealer today was talking about a sway bar or something another. $1200 installed. Not sure but the guy said it would make the car tow better. Keep the trailer from fish tailing. Not sure to be honest, but sounds like this camper is too big for my rig either way.

Dan

If you upgrade to Suburban, make sure you look at the 3/4 ton model. A 1/2 suburban doesn't get you much more than your Tahoe. This is what I wanted, but went with the PU because of the actual receiver limits of the suburban. If you get '07 or later you'll get a 6 speed which is much better than you current Tahoe, however that is also where GM made the receiver integral to the frame, you can't upgrade it, and the receiver limit with Weight Distribution is rated for only 1000 lbs. Quickly will get 1k tongue weights on the size of TT you are looking at.

It's not coincidence there are so many more Pick-up pulling TT vs SUVs. And it's also not a coincidence so many pick-ups are 3/4 ton or larger when looking at >30' trailers with slides.

I know this can get frustrating but hang in there, you'll figure it out.

Lastly my family of 5 has transitioned nicely from a SUV to crewcab pick-up. The dog now rides in his crate in back, and I really appreciate having a place to haul firewood, generator, extra fuel without bringing any of it inside.

Once you settle on TT/TV combination take you time to learn about weight distribution and sway control options. Dont let the dealer just install what they sell, make sure it's what you want.