New member looking to purchase first travel trailer

[sirwilliamaye]

Hey guys, new member here looking to get some advice from experienced RV'ers. My girlfriend and I are looking to purchase a bumper pull travel trailer that we would be full time living in for a few months at a time. I own a 2009 Chevy Silverado with a towing capacity advertised at 6700lbs. I do plan on adding a transmission cooler and weight distribution hitch before we set out to aid in pulling. We are new to the RV world so i hoped i could get some suggestions on travel trailers that would fit our needs. The only real requirements are that it can be pulled safely and it has a private bedroom. Would like to spend 10-15k but am open to all suggestions. Thank you!

[Keen_Family]

Your payload is actually pretty good for that trailer, but DITTO on the comment to get the truck weighed, full of gas, loaded with all passengers as you would be for camping. You will definitely want a weight distribution hitch.

When you get the truck weighed, take the GVWR for the truck, minus the actual weight of the truck - that will tell you how much payload you have left to cover the 60lbs or so for the WD hitch, and the tongue weight of the trailer.

[temccarthy1]

Look for a Keystone Bullet Ultra lite! They will fit your tow capacity up to about 28 ft. I have a 2014 Bullet 285 RLS which is 30.5 ft long and weighs 5650 with a tongue weight of 650. You won't find a new one for 15K, but maybe if you can squeeze to 20 K and find a 2015 leftover you can make it. Otherwise, look for a 3-4 year old pre owned to make your budget. I have seen ONLY positive comments on this site on Bullets! We have had ZERO issues with ours in first year of use last year! Very impressed at the lite weight and all the deluxe amenities they come with. Check them out!

[Tachdriver]

Do yourself a favor and go to a weigh station and weigh your vehicle. Fill the fuel tank and put what ever weight as if you are on the road. Compare the readings of each axle against the sticker on your door, that will tell you how much you have in terms of payload. No more guessing.

You can then determine the hitch weight and go from there.

[sirwilliamaye]

Thanks you very much for your post. We are looking for a pre-owned TT just to keep from so much depreciation.

[tatest]

I'm not sure what you mean by "private bedroom" but if it involves closing off a space with walls and doors, I'm finding it at about 30 feet overall length. Less than that, you might find a bed at one end closed off from the living area by a curtain door, around 22-25 feet length.

Here is one lightweight 30-footer that might meet the need:

White Hawk 27DSRL. In this one, the bedroom is further isolated from the living area by a large (for RV) bathroom.

This one White Hawk 27RBOK puts the bathroom at the opposite end, but gives up a lot of interior space to an outdoor kitchen and puts the TV in an awkward position relative to the seating.

Forest River's Rockwood Ultralite line has similar 30-foot floorplans like this
2604WS or 2608WS.

For other relatively large lightweight trailers, look at Keystone's Passport Ultralite line.

To get down to $10K to $15K, you may be looking at the used market. These particular models won't be found, because model lineups and even model line names change frequently, but these larger (27-32 foot) ultralights have been manufactured for at least 10 years. Jayco was using the Jayfeather and Eagle Ultralite brands previously. Gulfstream used the Streamlite brand, while Forest River's base-level Flagstaff and Rockwood models have been lightweight for many years, even before "Lite" branding came into vogue.

[sirwilliamaye]

Anybody have experience with the Jay Feather 25Z? It meets all criteria and seem reasonably priced. GVWR on the TT is 5800lbs which puts the tongue weight approx 870lbs if my math is correct.

[westend]

The best bang-for-the-buck is used from a private party. There are many folks that buy and lose interest after a few years. Good news for buyers as those first years are all about the depreciation in value. Also, any bugs or issues will have been ironed out by then. Your truck leaves most travel trailers open to your wants and capability.

Good luck shopping and happy trails!

[sirwilliamaye]

Okay thanks for the suggestions so far.

[Jebby14]

so fill in the blanks
1698-you-your lady friend-gas-100lb for hitch-gear-anything in the bed or back seat= available payload. trailer weight loaded should be about 13 percent on the tongue. there is pleanty available in your range especially the newer stuff (my prowler is only 19' but its old and has lots of extra steel on it) there is also a lot out of your range. not saying you cant do it. just be mindful.

[scbwr]

If you aren't going to be using it in cold or winter weather (a lot of temps in the 30's and below), Winnebago makes some smaller towables that may meet your requirements.

If you are going to be in a lot of cold weather, than your choices are going to be reduced when looking for a 4 season trailer. If so, check out Arctic Fox/Nash or other companies offering 4 season trailers. They tend to weigh more, which may force you to go for a smaller trailer due to the limitations of your truck.

[sirwilliamaye]

Payload is 1,698lbs on my truck

[Jebby14]

pay attention to tongue weight. id bet dollars to doughnuts you run out of payload before you hit towing capacity. Remember payload minus occupants minus equipment (including heavy weight distribution hitch) minus fuel = whats left. my WJ is rated for 6500 lb towing but only 1000 capacity. I am at full capacity towing my 3600lb trailer after im loaded to camp. no way I could do it loaded for full timing.