Looking for advice on length

toedtoes wrote:
How do you plan on using the trailer? Are you going to be doing traditional camping trips where most of the time is spent outdoors? Or will you be traveling/sightseeing? How long will your trips be?

Ideally, and this is also something I hope gets through to my wife... The trailer will just be used as a place to sleep and eat. I think its going to be a learning curve for her since shes never done any type of camping. I usually have the kids out every year up in the UP of MI roughing it. Rarely did we use a campground but would occasionally hit one up to freshen up.

We have 1 trip scheduled for the end of June/early July from MI to NM to visit my sister in law and her kids. Obviously we are going to take advantage of sightseeing over camping. Very rarely are we going to be the ones to set up camp in one spot for more than a day or two unless the destination requires that much time to visit.

toedtoes wrote:

Most questions like these on this forum result in a lot of "go bigger" - mostly because the majority of people on this forum are traveling/sightseeing for extended lengths of time. That doesn't mean it's the best answer for your situation.

I prefer the idea of going shorter over longer. Easier on the tow rig, easier to get around, less expensive. But I also recognize the comfort and convenience of a longer trailer. There will be times when we may set camp for a week or two at a time... We aren't dedicated to one or the other.

toedtoes wrote:

If you're going to be traditional camping for 2 weeks at a time or less, then a smaller trailer will likely be better. You'll most likely spend a majority of your time outdoors and the trailer will be for sleeping.

If you're going to be traveling and sightseeing, then space will be more important because you'll likely spend more time inside the RV. Most campgrounds are set up for outdoor enjoyment - RV Parks are often very tightly configured and you often end up inside the RV to get any privacy. In addition, if your usual "entertainment time" is watching tv, playing video games, etc., then the inside space is more important. The more time inside, the more important space becomes.

Yes, that is a balance we will find along the way. We know we can use the space in a longer trailer, but would certainly be unhappy if we settled on a shorter trailer only to want the space we should have purchased. My ONLY hesitation in getting something over 30' is towability over something shorter.

My wife and I will have to iron out exactly how much time she foresees herself spending inside rather than outside. I do know she is not as accustomed to being outdoors than I am. More often than not Ill be pitching a hammock and sleeping outside.

toedtoes wrote:

Cooking habits - if you plan on cooking and eating inside, then space is more important (especially if you have 2 dogs inside with you while you cook/eat). If you plan on cooking and eating outdoors, then you don't need as much space inside.

I would prefer to keep the cooking outside, but that's not my arena. We do like the idea of the outdoor kitchen.

toedtoes wrote:

When I was a kid, we had 2 adults, 3 pre-teen kids, and a minimum of 2 large dogs (usually 3 large and 2 small dogs) in a 6-pak truck camper. We spent our days outdoors, the kids and dogs were outside when the inside kitchen was used, the campground restrooms were used for most things. We never felt crowded because we were only all in the camper when we were asleep or traveling. But we were outside more at home also.

Thats how I envision "campground" camping as well. This will be a new experience for me as well. I'm used to nothing but a hammock and a campfire next to the Big Lake.