Need help selecting TT for small family

[AA22]

Hello all. We’re new to the TT world and would like some feedback on travel trailer recommendations. Got a family of 4 with two young kids and we’ve been looking at r-pods, no boundaries, keystone crossfire’s, and Kodiak Cubs (among others similar in size). Also some hardside pop-ups, but ladies in the family are requiring a toilet so pretty limited there. Trying to stay around $15k and under if possible. Thanks!!

[rbpru]

There is nothing wrong with sleeping under canvas. It is the trade off you make for less weight and more room, if that is your priority or budget requirements.

[poriggity]

We were going through this too, and we ended up putting a deposit down on a No Boundaries 19.5 at an out of state dealer. We are going to pick it up in a couple of weeks once we tie up some ends here at home. For the kind of camping we do, the no boundaries 19.5 made sense for us, and it was a decent price.

[SusanDallas]

Look at the KZ Sportsman Classic 180bh. I bought one of these and I love it. The shower has a small tub that is great for kids. I would recommend upgrading to the larger fridge and a.c. unit. Even with the upgrades, you would still be under budget. Another thing I like about it is the large closet to hang up your clothes and it has tons of storage space.

[APT]

Do not get a hybrid unless you want to sleep under canvas. You should be good for nearly any TT under 6000 pounds dry if you have the HD towing equipment. $15k new is tough, but there is a crowded market in the $20-25k range. I would recommend used for your first time, say 3-7 years old. There no brand to avoid, i.e any clearly better than others. Quality is relatively low across the board. So focus on floorpla,n floorplan, and floorplan. If buying used, you are buying the owner and how well it was maintained. Water is the most expensive enemy, as most other issues are relatively inexpensive to repair/replace.

[rbpru]

When you decide what you want, try to rent a similar unit for a week or ten days. That is what we did. You will learn a lot before you spend the big bucks.

I can tell you that my 2011 F-150 has a max cargo of 1411 lbs. I bought a 5000 lb. dry weight, 25 ft. TT with 400 lbs. dry tongue weight. Loaded for the road the TT weight across the scales is 6200 lbs. with 750 lbs. on the tongue. That leaves 650 lbs. for two adults, big dog and camping toys.

The point is you can eat up the tow vehicle's cargo capacity very quickly.

Since your kids are young you might take a hard look at a hybrid. Crawling over your spouse was not an option for us old folks. 🙂

The previous comments about trailer mods and maintenance are right on.

Good luck

[jmiller12]

My wife and I just bought our first and we got a Winnebago 2455BHS. Cost was a bit over your price point, but they have models that are smaller and cheaper. We like the new Winnie interior because it doesn't look like it is from the 80's, and the exterior is pretty sharp too. We haven't beat it up yet, but the first few trips have been smooth and we are loving it. As someone mentioned before, you will find bad reviews on every trailer. They aren't built that well, and quality control is poor. Expect to make modifications and to fix a few things right out the gate. Good luck..

[afidel]

With a family of 4 with 2 small kids if you've got a truck based SUV or pretty much any truck you can look at 18' bunkhouse models with a slide, we've done over 10k miles total, and as long as 3 weeks with 5 in ours, super comfy with only 4 on board. Mine was $12.5k so well within your budget. If they're too small to be in a tent you'll want to make them a railing for the top bunk and a ladder to get up and down with.

[normal_dave]

Anywhere close to Houston? This one could be a real winner. Used Northwood Nash 17K. Heavy duty frame, well built, legendary reputation, in your budget.
2014 Northwood Nash 17K


Here's a walk through of the new model:
Northwood Nash 17K Video

On second thought, With a Tundra, a small family, and your budget, I'd seriously consider putting a deposit (pending successful inspection) to hold that Nash trailer, and get over there quick to take a look. Far and away better quality than everything on your list. :C

[shfd739]

With that budget you should look for something used around 30 feet long.Truck will easily handle it. Have whatever you find inspected to make sure of any problems.There are nice 2-4 year old trailers around that price point. When you get serious there is a Facebook page named Rv Pricing and Values. For a cheap price they can give you a pricing report taken from recent auctions so that you don’t overpay.

[Lwiddis]

Under $15k you’ll need to go used for quality. Four people and 1730 pounds of Tundra payload you’ll need to go light with minimal stuff.

[Kevinwa]

Our family of four has a Rockwood minilite 2504S. It is a big small trailer or a small big trailer, kind of right in the middle. I love that each boy has there own bunk to sleep on, and the wife and I tend to have afternoon naps on the bottom one, it is just so cozy. I also love the Murphy bed. Most small campers you either choose two of the following three, couch dinette and bed. The Murphy bed allows us to have a couch and bed along with the dinette. It also has tons of storage, no single big compartment, but many small ones. The only thing I dislike, and you will find this I. Almost every half ton Towable camper is the small holding tanks for black and grey water.

[drsteve]

AA22 wrote:

Just looking for a good quality travel trailer. Every time I think I found one, I’ll read a bunch of reviews about how terrible the quality is.

You will read those reviews about virtually any brand these days, because quality control in the RV industry is terrible. Find a floor plan you like, and try to buy from a dealer with a good reputation for service after the sale.

[AA22]

profdant139 wrote:
If you are a "handy" person, you can get a lot more bang per buck if you buy a used trailer. I know it is kind of scary as a first time buyer -- I took the plunge and bought used, and it worked out well. (I got my second one new because I wanted the dealer to make some major modifications, things I could not easily do for myself.)

You have quite a good truck, so your choices are pretty wide-open, within the tow rating of the truck. (Others will say no, you need a massive dually just to haul groceries. I do not agree, but that is what you will hear.)

The choices kind of depend on what sort of camping you will be doing. Will you be going long distances on long trips? Dry camping? Are the kids old enough to sleep in a tent?

Don't be discouraged by the learning curve -- it levels out after a while. Ask lots of questions!!

We’ll be mostly camping in state and national parks. Kids aren’t quite old enough to be in a tent alone yet.

Just looking for a good quality travel trailer. Every time I think I found one, I’ll read a bunch of reviews about how terrible the quality is.

[profdant139]

If you are a "handy" person, you can get a lot more bang per buck if you buy a used trailer. I know it is kind of scary as a first time buyer -- I took the plunge and bought used, and it worked out well. (I got my second one new because I wanted the dealer to make some major modifications, things I could not easily do for myself.)

You have quite a good truck, so your choices are pretty wide-open, within the tow rating of the truck. (Others will say no, you need a massive dually just to haul groceries. I do not agree, but that is what you will hear.)

The choices kind of depend on what sort of camping you will be doing. Will you be going long distances on long trips? Dry camping? Are the kids old enough to sleep in a tent?

Don't be discouraged by the learning curve -- it levels out after a while. Ask lots of questions!!