Looking to buy a ightweight, modest travel trailer

[Seashellmama]

Looking to get my first trailer. I have two kids, and none of us want to share a bed so it needs to have three separate sleeping places. I am super lazy, so would prefer those sleeping places be permanent-beds, because I know that once turned into a bed at a campground, that is how it will stay until we get home. I've got a 5000lb tow capacity (2014 Nissan Pathfinder 4WD), so don't want to go much over 3500lb GVWR. I realize that most people want a larger trailer after a while, but given that my kids will grow up and likely stop camping with me, I'm more likely to downsize in the future.

It seems like there are a few models with very similar floor plans, bunk beds and a queen... Jayco (174bh... previously 184bh?), Coachmen Clipper 17bh, Coachmen Apex Nano 185bh, a couple of others, too (I found one with a slideout, but still sub-3500lbs gross, but now I can't find it) then maybe a Forest River RP-172 and I don't know what else to consider.

I'm such a newbie I can barely differentiate any of these. I want to keep it around the $15k range, and I know I'll need to get things that don't come with them, like sway bars, weight distribution hitch, bits and whatnot that I didn't know I needed, other things I'll think I need that are totally useless, etc etc.

I'm open to all sorts of advice (though telling me I need a bigger and better tow vehicle has to fall on deaf ears, because reality; telling me I have to get a pop-up will make me cry). My current obsession is about how to choose among the available options, and whether any are a particularly poor choice.

[profdant139]

Well done!! A great choice -- I wish you safe traveling!

[SoundGuy]

xteacher wrote:
Look at R-Pod.

Why? :h The OP has said they made their decision and bought a "3year old used Riverside RV Whitewater Retro 155xl".

[xteacher]

Look at R-Pod. A few of the models have bunks.

R-Pod

[Seashellmama]

No reality. We compromised. I do think that the small single axle bunkhouse models would work, too, but some additional constraints I discovered about myself had me walk away from them when faced with actually considering buying one. Same for a pop up.

[Jebby14]

In what reality are you expecting to fit 3 people with their own bed and 2 midsize dogs in that?

[Seashellmama]

Jebby14 wrote:
this has popup written all over it.

Nah.

[Jebby14]

this has popup written all over it.

[colliehauler]

Congratulations on your new TT.

[Seashellmama]

Anyway, I'm thrilled with the Retro. We'll see how much we love being so close for a week next week...

[Seashellmama]

Yeah, though a far as I can tell, Pacific Coachworks is just using the Northland name for Campingworld-specific models. This unit seemed identical to the Econ 16bb, or at least, more or less.

[deltabravo]

Good choice.

From what I could tell, Pacific CoachWorks bought the Northland company/factory, then closed down the factory in Idaho where the small trailers were built.

[Seashellmama]

Thought I'd post a quick update:

I decided against the new Pacific Coachworks Northland 16bb (Campingworld) that I looked at and seriously considered, and went with big compromises on my space preferences. Bought a 3year old used Riverside RV Whitewater Retro 155xl- super light (~2100lbs dry), good cargo capacity (3500lb GVWR, though without loading up on bricks it's unclear how one might fit 1400lbs of stuff in this trailer. 🙂 ).

[profdant139]

Ironically, we have a 25 gallon black tank on our little trailer, which is about ten gallons more than we have ever needed -- it would be nice if our 25 gallon gray water tank were a 35 gallon tank. But that is not realistic -- the tanks are mounted between the frame members of the chassis, and there is only so much room in each of the spaces.

[SoundGuy]

Ductape Dave wrote:
I was not referring to to popups but the same trailer as mine with the same toilet and no special base. I was just letting the person know to check the size of the tanks as some salesmen never mention it especially when I was shopping for one, sorry you took the joke thing offensively!

No offense taken, I was just pointing out that there's good reason manufacturers may sometimes install a flush toilet with a meagre 9 gal waste tank - lack of underfloor space to install a more conventional 25+ gal BW waste tank. The Dometic Sealand 712 was the toilet used by Fleetwood in their Highlander series, the same toilet still used by other manufacturers in some small travel trailers since no underfloor waste tank is required. I agree, salesmen should mention the small tank size ... regardless, the use of these toilets in some trailers is intentional, not something done to cut costs or to trick a prospective buyer. As I said, the devil is in the details and with the state of the RV industry being what it is the more any prospective owner understands about any unit they may be interested in the more likely it is they'll actually get what they're looking for.