Fresh meat here

[Lilycass]

Hello! My family and I are new to the RV world. We've decided to sell our boat and purchase a travel trailer. My SUV can only tow up to 5,000 lbs - so we need a light camper under 4,000 lbs. I've seen campers with smaller mini-bar type fridges and some with larger freezer/fridge type. I'd prefer a larger fridge since we're a family of 4. The plan is mainly to take the camper locally for weekend GA lake trips, but at times may take it to FL or SC for the beach, and TN for mountain trips. My absolute favorite travel trailer is the Dutchmen Kodiak 186E but I've seen some cheaper used camper with a small fridge. Thoughts/opinions....should i get a bigger fridge?

[Lilycass]

Thank you, I'll take a look at suggestions. My kids are 10 and 6.

[beemerphile1]

Family of four - keep in mind that most tow vehicle manufacturers require that passengers and gear in the tow vehicle gets subtracted from the tow rating.

[afidel]

My trailer has a 6.3cu ft fridge, queen bed, bunks, a dinette that can actually seat 4 adult sized people comfortably, and has a gvwr of 3,600 which is really closer to what you want for a family of 4 with a 5,000lb "tow rating" because you probably only have 4-500lb of cargo capacity. We've done a 2 week trip and a bunch of weekends and long weekends and find it to be plenty of room and plenty of food storage, about to see what she can do with a 3 week 5,000 mile trip in August 😃

[bob213]

Look at something like this. We thought they were very nice.
Micro-lite

[normal_dave]

Appears you are shopping for a hybrid. (traditional hardwall trailer with tent camper slideouts on the end(s)). Neat concept, but be aware of plus and minus in terms of setup/takedown and weather.

Good question from Bumpy, how big are the kids now? Mine grew, and fast!

Weight can be an issue, just be sure to setup properly. I find it funny how the rest of the world tows relatively large 'caravans' with medium SUVs yet we think everything requires a 1-ton style dual wheel truck. Now we do have much bigger campers here in the good ole' USA.

Read through this and other threads in the Hybrid travel trailers forum to get up to speed.
hybrid trailer discussion

Rockwood Roo's seem to have a really loyal following. A friend has had one for years, and won't consider anything else. Said his wife was sorta claustrophobic, and the hybrid camper was the cure.

Well, what do you know, here's a nice looking used one close to home, and guess what? a real refrigerator/freezer to boot. Since you are new to RV'ing, consider starting with a nice used unit, maybe even pay a professional to inspect it for you. Avoid depreciation, and if you change your mind later, it won't be so harsh. At first glance, I'd say this is better built/featured than you're current favorite.
2015 rockwood roo.

Another one not too far away, it even has a slideout, research the weight...
2015 Rockwood Roo with slide

Edit: I guess I'm on a tear for the Roo...I was going to suggest looking on the Forest River owners forum classifieds, as they tend to be brand enthusiasts which can translate to well cared for units. If you fancy a road trip, here's a nice one in Massachusetts that is literally complete and ready to go, and priced well. Look at the details in the ad. See what you think:
2015 Shamrock 19 Hybrid

You've heard the saying: "The two greatest days of boat ownership are the day you buy it and the day you sell it" The wrong new RV can give the same result. Rent one for a trip or two first. Take your time, the market is in favor of the seller right now.

Welcome, and good luck, have fun, be choosy.

[Bumpyroad]

a larger fridge is one of the things that swayed me towards my Ascend, most of these small units do come with a inadequate refrigerator/bath/etc.
can you deal with one queen bed and a dinette made into one? that is pretty much what you are stuck with using your limits. how big are the kids?
bumpy