Looking to purchase a travel trailer

[sparkylola]

Hello, my name is Rose and I am retiring in one year, I have been looking at the Winnebago Minnie Winnie and Lance both seem to be all weather terrain durable, I just bought my Silverado 1500 LT to pull it so now I'm hoping to buy my first travel trailer at the end of the year, I am a single women traveling alone and know nothing about travel trailers but I am eager to learn and looking forward to traveling in my retirement years, meeting new people and seeing the sites of our planet!!! Does anyone have advise first of all on which of the 2 travel trailers are best. Thanks so much for any input you all may have.........:@

[cmcdar]

FLOORPLAN is a biggy!

Consider how you will "live" in your camper. For example, I was going to be traveling on long trips. I wanted to be sure that the layout was such that I could use the bathroom and have access to the refridgerator while at rest stops.

Also, I wanted to be able to dry camp (Walmarts, Cabelas, etc) while on the road without having to open the unit in anyway.

I am a woman that hauls a travel trailer on my own. The weight distribution hitch is NO BIG DEAL. Nor is cranking down the stabilizers. Heck, I have a hybrid so I also have to open and close the bunk ends - also no big deal.

Maybe when I get older (64 now) I'll look for some automation but I NEED exercise and activity in my life. I actually ENJOY setting up and breaking down camp.

One more thing. Just because your vehicle says it can tow x000 lbs. does not mean that it will do so comfortably. I bought my camper and it was well withing the weight ratings of my truck BUT I would not like having to climb hills towing with that truck. I ended up upgrading my truck and I am VERY glad I did.

Congrats and HAVE FUN!

[FrankShore]

coolmom42 wrote:
Now I'm over on the Winnebago web site looking at Micro Minnies.
😄 I like the 1706FB.

I want a lightweight trailer but do like the extra strength of a double axle. Better 2 axles with a light load for each than one loaded to the max. Plus the double axle is a huge advantage in case of a flat/blowout.

Try a Lance 1685. Two axles and lightweight too!

[sparkylola]

Great, thanks.

[tomkaren13]

My input - Tow vehicle 1/2 ton i.e 1500.
I strongly Recommend you find a Travel Trailer that weighs under 6000 lbs.

All the numbers people on here will quote all kind of of formulas.

Sales people only knowledge is how to sell,

[sparkylola]

Good point to consider, thanks

[Bumpyroad]

rbpru wrote:


Finally, if the floor plan is not right. The type of roof, wall studs, siding etc. Will not matter.

I would add that if the constructions sucks, floor plan will not matter.
bumpy

[gmw_photos]

rbpru makes a good point about the floorplan. It might be said it's at the very top of the list of priorities.

Here's a little tidbit to consider, that to some people it may mean nothing, to others, it could be a deal breaker: for myself, I determined I want a trailer with slideout. Ok...now then, I also like to stop along the way during travel days at roadside rest areas and eat lunch. I discovered some floorplans block access to the bathroom ( or even the fridge ) when the slide is "in". For me, that is a deal breaker. It's just one more little thing that you may want to consider ?

[rbpru]

I always suggest a new comer look at as many TTs as possible and compare them to the one they like now. RV shows are good for this.

When you have the size and floor plan you like, rent a similar unit.

We did this and discovered, our truck was too small and the floor plan did not work.

The rental was a two year old model of the same size and weight as we wanted to buy. After ten days on the road we discovered.
+ You will get 10 mpg.
+ 250 miles makes a good day.
+ You will drive 60 mph or less and be passed by everyone on the road.
+ You will be handling 50 ft. of vehicle.

It cost us about $100.00 a day, the price of a motel and we learned a lot in a few days.

Finally, if the floor plan is not right. The type of roof, wall studs, siding etc. Will not matter.

[TomG2]

Don't get hung up on "More is better" when it comes to axle numbers. A well engineered and set up trailer with one, two, or even three axles can perform well. The weight saved by having less axles can be a plus when it comes to keeping trailer weight down.

Has anyone mentioned the Casita trailers for a lightweight quality option?

[sparkylola]

Thank you all for your great advise, I am taking notes and making sure I do and check everything before I buy, I am 4'11 and I don't want anything I have to crank or lift!!!LOL

[coolmom42]

Now I'm over on the Winnebago web site looking at Micro Minnies.
😄 I like the 1706FB.

I want a lightweight trailer but do like the extra strength of a double axle. Better 2 axles with a light load for each than one loaded to the max. Plus the double axle is a huge advantage in case of a flat/blowout.

[Bumpyroad]

gmw photos wrote:

Bumpyroad wrote:
my first cut is No rubber roofs.
bumpy

What's a rubber roof ?

TPO and EPDM are the dominant materials used these days.

EPDM is a "rubber" roof. TPO is not.
bumpy

[russkerri]

Hi Rose,
I don't have advice on trailer buying but wanted to make sure you checked out the Girl Camper website and podcast. It's a great source of inspiration and information for women travelers. Good luck getting your rig and hitting the road!

[coolmom42]

gmw photos wrote:

coolmom42 wrote:
....snip....

But very few 1/2 ton towables are going to have a huge amount of cargo capacity, much less a trailer sized for a single person.

And this is part of why I suggested to the OP to really do her homework.
Here's an example: the OP stated the Winnebago Mini is on her short list. One of their models, the 1706FB, which is certainly half-ton towable, has a 5500 pound GVWR. Over 2500 pounds of that rating is cargo capacity.

There are many tandem axle trailers in the "shorter" ( let's say under 21' ) end of the market that have very high GVWR, but in reality, they normally don't weigh anywhere near that in use. The trailer manufacturer can assign a high gross rating because they typically put two, 2800 pound axles under them ( like my trailer ).

To the OP, a good "starting point" as for weight is to look at the listed dry weight, then add 1000 to 1200 pounds. You're now getting pretty close to what it weigh in use, depending on what you want to take with you. There's more to it than that, but it's a good place to start.

Good point. Once you move to a double axle, the gross rating goes up dramatically.

[FrankShore]

You simply can't go wrong with a Lance, one of the best built Trailers in the industry. 2 year warranty too!

Here is a nice video about Lance TT's and how they're built"

Lance Factory Tour

Look under the specs on the Lance website to see tow information.