How long did it take you to decide on a TT

[rbpru]

Just Blatant curiosity!! Did you ponder or take the plunge?

We looked and studied for a couple of years before we finally bought our RV.

We spent a lot of time looking at the advantages and disadvantages of pop-ups, Aliners and TTs. We even rented a TT.

Finally we opted for convenience, mostly because we settled on how we wanted to travel.

The only advantage to looking so long was, we were really familiar with the new and used market prices and we had saved up some money.

[PenMan]

We researched and looked for a little over 2 years before buying. We had a Rockwood Roo which we really liked but were getting older and wanted something easier to set up. We also wanted to get away from having to climb over each other to get in or out of bed. We also wanted a bathroom that was useable (I'm a big guy). Now we have exactly what we want.

[kmbernstein]

It took us about a year and a half to two years. Lots of research and going to see possibles. We are not sorry we took the time. Love our home on wheels

[wrenchbender]

My present TT took me 2yrs to find.It was not an impulse buy. I knew exactly what I needed to be satisfied with.The only hangup at the time was the interior fabric color.It became painfully obvious that American RV designers were color challenged.But the Canadians came thru. My Bigfoot was made in Armstrong B.C.This is my 3rd RV.

[loulou57]

Well....Hubby was home and bored so we would go for a daily outing. We have camped in various Rvs in the past but for the last 15 years used a tent. We started to look for different things to do or look at to fill in time. We travelled all over southern ontario and even went to Elkhart looking. Every day for 4 weeks we were in RV lots. We had something completely different almost bought. Lots more money, more tires, LOL Anyway, we stopped on the way to make the deal. This was a place we had not been to and I saw the layout . It was the one. ...However, we will never do business with the place again, the owner, well lets just say I would never believe a word he tells us. His staff went out of their way to do what they could, they were excellent.

[Kittykath]

About a month. Once we made the decision, we purchased our 5th wheel without physically looking at it.

We seasonal camp next to my DH's brother. So we spent the first month of camping eyeing up his brand new beautiful 5th wheel. Being next door and related, we had lots of time to check out every aspect of his camper, plus knowing he had no real troubles with the unit, we were sold on the exact same one. They are parked side-by-side. Looks pretty crazy.

[sask934]

I have wanted one for as long as I could remember but money was the issue. Two years ago my wife and I went to an RV show and she said I could camp in one of these....that started the ball rolling. We are going to retire in 6 years and I thought that we could start with a TT at a seasonal site for 5 years and then buy a unit I can tow with a truck to try going to places that are not that far and then work up to longer trips.

Last week I bought our Seasonal site Camper A Jayco Flight 33RLDS. This is one step closer to my dream of being a full timer for a few years seeing America.....south in the winter and Canada in the summer.

[mrp116]

A couple RV shows and a few trips to dealers' lots to look at floor plans and develop of list of options we had to have, and a list of options we would like to have. From there, it was determining our weight limits, looking at floor plans and photos online, researching manufacturers that made the floor plan that had the options, were within our weight specs, and had positive reviews from real world owners. If units were over our set weight, they were immediately discarded, regardless of how nice or affordable they were. All in all, it was about a 12 month process. We were upgrading from a popup that did not have certain options we realized we needed, and that regret/experience helped us be firm with our "had to haves" and flexible with our "would like to have".

[rbpru]

As I mentioned our purchase took about two years. My wife and I are oriented more towards canoe and wilderness camps and we also have a pop-up type camper; so switching to RV mode came kind of late to us.

However I am approaching my 70th orbit of the sun and we opted for convenience. We pull in, unhitch, push the slide button and turn on the water pump and hot water heater.

In the end it is just easier and quicker to set up. Also very handy in the rain.:)

[Bill___Kate]

Thought about it and went to RV shows for a couple years, and we had a good idea of what we thought we wanted, but t the prices of new unit scared us. Stopped by a dealership one weekend just see what they had, and found a suitable used unit at a great price. Camped in that for a couple of years and figured out what we really liked, and got a bigger van. A couple years later ran across a sweet deal on the trailer we have now. We are just used kind of people.

[michigansandzil]

TT#1 took about 5 minutes to decide.
TT#2 took about 1 week to decide.


Our first used TT was owned by friends and they said that they wanted to sell it, my spouse wanted to buy it and I agreed sight unseen.

The second one we purchased new and rather quickly as well but we both knew that we enjoyed camping and wanted a new camper so it was inevitable.

We went to 1 camper show in the winter and identified what factors we liked. In the summer when we decided to buy we already knew exactly what we wanted so the process was very streamlined. We spent 1 week researching different models and prices online. We went to 2 different dealers, and walked inside 5 different units. From start to finish, I'd guess it was 1 week.

[ottor]

I'm 67, but still OK sleeping under a tree with my backpack as a pillow .... little older now, so someone has to help me up, but didn't need a TT. Wife wouldn't go with me, so I got a tent. Wife was OK with tent, until she heard Coyotes in the area at night, so I got a little older Kit TT (Kitchen/sleeping) - she was OK with that, but wanted a bathroom! Finally caved and got a 2013 Jayco Swift .... now she wants a rig with both a bed AND a dinette, not one that converts.... Anyone have a double-wide mobile home with wheels .... I'm going back under a tree - it's all I can afford now. (Actually, I'm getting used to that damn thing, and will probably get a larger one .. for her, of course..) 😉

[Farm_Camp]

Year one was spent casually visiting RV shows and dealers.
Year two was more of that and driving trough local state campgrounds and playing what if.
Year three was finding "the one" and talking serious about finances.
Year 3.5 was looking for a truck we could afford that was up to the task of towing our camper of choice. Finally found it and purchased the truck and trailer within 7 days of one another... Then had to wait 6 weeks for the camper to get built and delivered.

We too tried very hard too buy the third camper first. After our first season out I think we did it. I see us in this camper for a long long time. 😉

We still visited the RV show here in Columbus in Jan. Can't hurt to look can it? 🙂

[Halmfamily]

It took me almost 6 years to convince my wife to get an RV and another two years to find our unit. Once we started camping she said she wished we would have started camping ten years ago. Good luck.

[Rosscoe40]

We had a used pop up for 3 years and shopped around for a year or so while using the pop up. Just bought our first TT in January and now get to admire the snow collecting on it.

[gmw_photos]

Sach7581 wrote:
We decided to try it out first. We bought a junker and tried it out for one season. We are not full timers. I use to be a serious long distance motor cycle rider and really doubted that I could sit in a stationary chair and stare at the trees for hours. I can't but I'm getting better at it. I bought a little rubber dingy, stuck a motor on it and then found some friends to go camping with. That was enough for us to make a bigger investment (expense, more like it). My wife absolutely loves it and she deserves it after years of using half our vacation without her.

And I too wanted to "try it out" first, but chose to buy a new trailer as my first one, so I would not have to deal with constant repairs on a junker. My reasoning was that if I was spending a lot of my time repairing things, that part of the experience might "get in the way" of me figuring out if I actually like this whole RV experience.
I too am a former long distance motorcycle rider ( IBA member )and really thought that I may get bored with the "relaxing" atmosphere of RV'ing.
So I took close to a year to really shop and research what travel trailer to buy. I am happy with my purchase, it's been just over two years now since I bought it, and I spend about 6 or 7 months a year in it. Sitting here now in it for the winter in Arizona.
My suggestion to anyone who asks, is to really do a LOT of homework before you decide which RV to buy. I firmly believe the more well thought through your decision process, the more likely you will get it "right".