Considering Purchasing a Used Travel Trailer

[ckc3]

Hello,
Our family recently decided to take up a new hobby. Weve run the financials on both other hobbies, talked to owners themselves. Now i turn to you for your knowledge. Our list of hobbies is based on limited cashflow, so i will now list the details of the other two hobbies.

We looked into paintball. It was $2k startup cost purchasing gear, and $150 for a 1 day trip paintballing with two people. Owners said thr markers were extremely unreliable, said they would be in the shop more often than being played.

We looked into a 1989 open bow speedboat for $3000.Each fishing trip would have cost $75 a day. We have a 5.4l ford suv to tow with. Our 3 kids could have actually participated in this hobby with us. Problem is we have zero knowledge of boats. My husbands a diesel tech...he knows nothing of boats. Owners said boats of that age were nothing but money pits.

Now i come to you with travel trailers! Like i previously stated, we have a 5.4l suv to tow with. My husband can tow anything, says he can fix just about anything on a travel trailer. We were considering a 1990 30ft dutchman for $4,000 OR a 1998 24ft fleetwood tracker for $4300, or a 2004 26ft dutchman for $4500. Figuring $45-$50 to camp per night. Also trailer would just be stored outside on our property.

Now generally speaking, are these travel trailers considered huge money pits like boats? Obviously, we arent buy buying to make profits. We will use the trailer 12-20 times per year. Any input would be appreciated, we like to know what we are getting into.

[ckc3]

ddrueckh wrote:
So often, people think they need to spend a lot of money to start a new hobby. This is not true. Have you ever camped before? you don't need a trailer to camp. Unless you are physically unable to do so, I would suggest getting a tent and trying that before you buy a trailer. It doesn't sound like you have much money. Invest the money you have...don't waste it on a trailer. You can have just as much fun camping with a tent as you can camping with a trailer. The best part of camping is sitting by the fire, going for a hike, fishing...a trailer is just something you sleep in. You can still come to this forum and talk to us about camping.

Im not a tent camper at all. Yes, we live on a very strict Budget. Im actually proud weve saved up enough for a new hobby, it takes alot of planning. Probably look into other options now. Thanks anyhow!

[ddrueckh]

So often, people think they need to spend a lot of money to start a new hobby. This is not true. Have you ever camped before? you don't need a trailer to camp. Unless you are physically unable to do so, I would suggest getting a tent and trying that before you buy a trailer. It doesn't sound like you have much money. Invest the money you have...don't waste it on a trailer. You can have just as much fun camping with a tent as you can camping with a trailer. The best part of camping is sitting by the fire, going for a hike, fishing...a trailer is just something you sleep in. You can still come to this forum and talk to us about camping.

[ckc3]

2012Coleman wrote:

OP wrote:
Our kids weigh less than 100lbs combined, so in people weight we arent transporting much.

Sorry, but this statement is misguided. There are many things that subtract from your payload - and the big taker is tounge weight. Tounge weight is calculated at 12 or 13 percent of the trailers Gross weight - not dry weight. So if your loaded trailer weighs 7000 lbs, thats 840 pounds subtracted right there using 13%.

You then subtract another hundred lbs for hitch equipment - hopefully your considering a weight distributing hitch and your TV has the proper tires.

Next subtract weight of all occupants - pets included plus the weight of all the stuff you put into tyour tow vechile.

You can see why others have stated that towing capacity is the least important number. I suspect that you will be well over your TV's capabilities with a trailer of the size needed for a family of 5. Post a picture of the sticker on the door jamb...

This is where it becomes far too complicated for me. This is my husbands realm, not mine. Ive seen people pull way bigger things than a 25ft travel trailer with navigators, expeditions, f150s. They all had the same engine offered that year. Not saying its the best idea. I had a 2001 7.3l diesel excursion i sold, way overkill for anything id have ever towed. Our best bet might be going to a rv dealership let them run the numbers. Our truck came with a hitch on it, know nothing about it.

[2012Coleman]

OP wrote:
Our kids weigh less than 100lbs combined, so in people weight we arent transporting much.

Sorry, but this statement is misguided. There are many things that subtract from your payload - and the big taker is tounge weight. Tounge weight is calculated at 12 or 13 percent of the trailers Gross weight - not dry weight. So if your loaded trailer weighs 7000 lbs, thats 840 pounds subtracted right there using 13%.

You then subtract another hundred lbs for hitch equipment - hopefully your considering a weight distributing hitch and your TV has the proper tires.

Next subtract weight of all occupants - pets included plus the weight of all the stuff you put into tyour tow vechile.

You can see why others have stated that towing capacity is the least important number. I suspect that you will be well over your TV's capabilities with a trailer of the size needed for a family of 5. Post a picture of the sticker on the door jamb...

[ckc3]

mbopp wrote:
That 9000# tow capacity is the smaller part of the towing equation. More important is the payload capacity of your SUV. My guess is that with a family of 5 along with camping gear you'll be close to your max payload without even hooking up the trailer.
Buying used can be OK or it can be a nightmare. ANY signs of water damage (wrinkled walls, soft floor, mouldy smells ect) means RUN from it. Even if there's no water damage there's always tires and brakes to consider when buying used.

Payload capacity of our navigator is $1500. The travel trailers that are 24 ft we are considering, weigh between 3500 and 7000. The rv dealer in coloma is in our home town. 99% of their inventory is out of our price range however. Our kids weigh less than 100lbs combined, so in people weight we arent transporting much.

[rbpru]

There are three things to consider when purchasing a TT. In no particular order;
• Floorplan
• Tow Vehicle
• Cost
In your case with a used TT I would add a fourth item Condition. Make sure it does not leak!!

If your DH is handy most other problems can be repaired or lived with.

Matching the TT and max cargo capacity of your TV may be an issue, but you indicate you are going to only haul it a short distance. You have some wiggle room there.

The DW and I were in a quandary about TT type and size we wanted, so we went to a dealer and rented the unit we thought we would like. It was a two years old unit.

Renting showed us the size we wanted was fine, the floor plan was not right and our TV was underpowered. Rent was not cheap about $100.00/day but it did give us a far better understanding of what we were getting involved in; before we spent several thousand dollars.

The dealer we rented from was in Coloma Michigan.

[mbopp]

That 9000# tow capacity is the smaller part of the towing equation. More important is the payload capacity of your SUV. My guess is that with a family of 5 along with camping gear you'll be close to your max payload without even hooking up the trailer.
Buying used can be OK or it can be a nightmare. ANY signs of water damage (wrinkled walls, soft floor, mouldy smells ect) means RUN from it. Even if there's no water damage there's always tires and brakes to consider when buying used.

[ckc3]

Lantley wrote:
RV are not quite the money pits boats are. However I don't recommend getting into RV camping because it is economical.
Fuel is a big expense, campsite fees can be reasonable however tourist areas can be quite expensive. The RV will require maintenance.
Things will break.
If you DH is handy many things are easy enough to DIY.
The RV will put added use/wear on your truck requiring additional maintenance.
In the end most RV because they enjoy the lifestyle and not because it is economical.

We wont be doing ANYTHING other than going to the campsite and staying there all weekend. No tourist sites. The campground is maybe 20 miles away. Its got a stocked pond, 2 playgrounds, 2 pools...activities for the kids all day long. Basically we would be paying for the $40 camping fee and fuel to drive the 40 Miles there and back. Not sure if its worth mentioning but we live in southern michigan, so our outdoor time depends heavy on the weather conditions.

[ckc3]

Dick_B wrote:
Have you thought about bicycles?

We arent bike people at all. We are more like fishing, swimming, playground people. We have 3 kids under 4, so alot of what we do is up to them and what they are capable of.

Also our suv has a max tow rating of 9,000. I personally wouldnt ask it to tow anything more than 7,000lbs.

[fla-gypsy]

I have found TT ownership to be reasonably affordable but I bought new. There are things that can go wrong that are costly. When we camp we rarely pay more than $30 a night in our state park system. Fuel cost to get there can be costly. It certainly allows us to visit and stay at places we could not otherwise afford.

[Dick_B]

Have you thought about bicycles?

[Lantley]

RV are not quite the money pits boats are. However I don't recommend getting into RV camping because it is economical.
Fuel is a big expense, campsite fees can be reasonable however tourist areas can be quite expensive. The RV will require maintenance.
Things will break.
If you DH is handy many things are easy enough to DIY.
The RV will put added use/wear on your truck requiring additional maintenance.
In the end most RV because they enjoy the lifestyle and not because it is economical.

[coolbreeze01]

Your 5.4l suv limits what you can tow. I enjoy boats but don't currently own one. The trailer is fun but not an end in its self. They do make a good shelter to park on a lake or stream. Have fun fishing.

[Ron3rd]

Trailers can be, or will not be, huge money pits to use your term. When shopping new, the most important thing to look for is water damage from a leaking roof. This should be a deal-breaker. If the roof is in good shape and no water damage, take a look at all the appliances to make sure they work. Other than that, it's a great hobby, I say go for it!

[Dakota98]

The first place you need to start with is determining what your current tow vehicle is capable of. That will determine what size of TT you should be looking for. I have a 2000, 22' Nomad Lite, considered to be a "lite" in those days, but comes in at 5,650 lbs when loaded. That is "heavy", as compared to todays standards for the same size of trailer in the same category.

As far as a "money pit". They can be when purchased used. On the other hand, my Nomad didn't need a thing & was in excellent condition when I purchased it in 2010. The only money I've put into it, was by my option.

The happiest day of my life was when I purchased my first boat, the next happiest day was when I sold it. :B