Essential for a TT buying 1st one

[jukes]

So,
we are finally able to purchase our first TT. We will have about $10,000 cash, ideally spend less, maybe even more if perfect.

We have a Diesel Excursion 2003, so we can we have good towing power.

We are 3 boys and 2 adults. I'd prefer tripel or quad bunks, separate queen bed. But would prefer a TT under 30'.

What about a slideout queen bed?? How does that feel?

Is a slideout essential?

Do dealers really charge lots more generally?

Buying from Ebay? Even some new TT's are almost in budget, worth considering???

Any other tips appreciated!

Thanks...

[dadmomh]

When we sold our ROO 23SS HTT last year we listed it on craigslist. To say you meet an "interesting group" on CL is an understatement. Many had some sort of reason why they wanted to have our home email rather than going through CL....NO! Honestly, some very strange people out there, but we did have a great young family that bought our HTT and the transaction was perfect. Since you don't have a dealer to handle the fine points of a sale, you would need to really be on your toes. Yes, you may find a really great deal through a private party, but you have to keep your eyes wide open. Both a dealer and a private seller will tell you what they think you want to hear, so do your homework before you ever start the search. Consider checking your local newspaper ads. If you have camping friends, see if they know someone who might be selling just what you need. You might also consider stopping at a few local dealers and tell them what you're looking for and the absolute top dollar you'll pay....if they come across one, to please let you know.

Re slide vs no slide....if you can work everything else out, a slide is worth its weight in gold. So much more comfort and ease of movement. Good luck and hope you'll find the perfect trailer for the right price. Happy Camping!

[jukes]

Thanks to everyone, very informative. love this forum!!
What towing equipment etc would you recommend getting for the Excursion?
Anything else we need to be aware of regarding towing with this?
Thanks!

[fla-gypsy]

You will get the best value from a private sell but may take a lot longer. That kind of money will get you a nice TT in good condition if you look long enough. A slide is essential for your sanity.

[MackinawMan]

From someone who has 4 kids (only 1 of whom is still young enough to go camping regularly)...

Trust me when I say a bunkroom with a slide would be a great idea.

IMHO the double slide floorplan with the front master bedroom, middle dining room/kitchen with the dinette/couch superslide, and the rear bathroom and then rear bunkroom with slide would be perfect.

With a diesel X you will have no problems towing it. We had the EXACT same setup when all our kids camped. The X offers TONS of people hauling ability and lots of power/suspension to handle the bigger campers.

[Merrykalia]

jukes, head over the JOhnson City and go by Crowder RV. Talk to Jamie. They usually have several used and lots of new models. We have always been able to do good business with them.

[jmcgsd]

These are my ideas on your issue. Others (probably many others) may disagree but here goes .....

1. I would probably go with a popup, or at least seriously consider one. You will get lots more bed space for the $$$ and they are really nice for seeing and enjoying the outdoors.

2. if you have never had any kind of RV before then seriously consider purchasing from a reputable dealer. That dealer should be able to educate you, make certain that the trailer is matched to the TV, fix warranty issues after the sale and more. The keyword here is REPUTABLE! Be sure to use resources like Yelp to help you investigate, don't be afraid to ask for references and make sure to visit their repair shop and talk with the foreman. As an example of what to expect from a reputable dealer, we just traded our Lance TC on. Used 28' TT. the day before I picked up the new to us trailer I was at the dealership, the TT was on jacks and the wheels were removed. I asked what was happening and they told me they didn't like the looks of the tires, so we're installing new ones.

Good luck with your decision.

[intheburbs]

We have two 13 year-old boys and a 16 year-old girl. Our first TT had an 18-inch slideout, two bunks, and it seemed adequate at the time. Our newer TT has triple bunks and a 36-inch slideout - big improvement in floorspace, especially on rainy days. Downside is the new TT is about 2000 lbs heavier than the previous one, but with an Excursion, you don't have to worry about that.

Both trailers have the walkaround queen bed at the front of the trailer. Not a ton of room on the sides of the bed, but adequate, and it works for us.

We're very happy with our current trailer - here's a used one for sale in NC

[2012Coleman]

Most likely not in your budget - but you may find a used one - Lance 2185

I think of this one whenever someone states they want 3 bunks. Down side is no ducted AC

[rbpru]

We were lucky; by the time our grandkids got bigger they preferred to sleep in pup tents under the pop-up’s pull outs. Of course they grew up canoe camping so tents were the norm.

How big is big enough is a matter of how you like to camp. In the 1970’s I bought a 14 foot Shasta from a neighbor. It had an single bed overhanging the tongue and bunk beds built into the back. They used it to sleep five.

Today we would call that crowded, back them we called it camping. :W

[aarond76]

If you have cash in hand I would look to private sale. Used campers in your price range are sittin at the dealer many times because they are rotten trade ins that the past owner did not want to sell out of their yard. A private seller can get more money on a good condition unit than they can on trade in.

Check Craigslist. With a diesel Excursion you do not have to concern yourself so much with weight. 7 - 10 year old, single slide, quad bunk houses in reasonable condition should be findable in your price range. They were all over the place in December / January. Now that camping season is approaching asking prices will creep up but you can still find what you are looking for. I wouldn't get too hung up on being under 30'. Over 30', traditionally built (meaning heavy) travel trailers are going to be easier to negotiate on. Reason is the 3/4 ton and up vehicle required to tow them. Most people that invest in such a vehicle are going to be spending more money and going newer than what you are looking at. I would use that to my advantage.

[Wagonqueen_Truc]

From someone who has 6 children (plus mom and dad) That is 8 of us. We started with a HUGE Coleman pop up tent camper. It worked cause they were all little. Once they got bigger we went with a 30 foot Terry with 1 set of bunks, a fold down dinette, a fold down couch and a Queen bed. No slide out. Yes we were a little cramped if all in there at once, but we spend so little time inside. (by the way, my Terry started rotting within 3 years of buying it and it was brand new... it is now on its way to the junkyard and is only 10 years old)

My bro in law has a hybrid Outback 26 foot (also 10 years old now). It has a quad bunk in the front and a slide (hard slide, no tent) queen in the back. It is really nice and the quality seems so much better than my Fleetwood.

Floor plans and interiors are really importnat for the comfort of the family, but take it from me... look at quality first and foremost. I personally would never buy another unit without a full fiberglass roof, but that is because I was burned.

Good luck and have FUN with it all!

[Speedogomer]

Most days, $7500 cash in hand Wil buy a $10k trailer.

[KMP44]

Definetly go for a model with at least one slideout if you can - it makes a huge difference.

If you are looking for used, you will get a much better price in a private sale. But, you are getting it as-is. No dealer to go back on if you discover issues after the sale. So, make sure you look it over good and test everything first. You'll be able to tell pretty quick if the owner took good care of it or not. If its dirty (inside or outside) streaked, faded that's a red flag. If the owner was too lazy to wash it, what else didn't they do? Like keep the roof sealed, lube the axles/bearings, winterize it properly? Travel trailers aren't like houses - fixer-upers are usually a bad investment.

You should get a sense pretty quick of whether a trailer looks like a good possibility, then go through it very thoroughly.

And don't discount your bargaining power with cash. Selling a cheap popup on CL is easy. People snap them up. Selling a more expensive tt in a private sale is tough. The number of buyers is limited, so if you do find the perfect rig, you should have a good position to negoitate from with $$ in hand.

[Speedogomer]

I've camped 5 people in a tiny pup up. I've slept 6 people in a tent. Many people grew up sleeping 5 in a 14ft prowler travel trailer with no slides (my mother is one of them)....

So no, you don't need a slide. But it's rrrrrrreally nice to have that extra room.

Every manufacturer has quad bunk models.... Some that I always like, that's affordable and easy to tow, is a Wildwood X-Lite 281 and 272. Both are worth looking into used models, or comparable used models.

Try a few large dealers out. Check out new and used Floorplans. Sit in all of them, even Ines you think you may not like, really get a feel for them.