"Best" travel trailer is truly in "the eye of the beholder." What one person considers "Best" someone else would completely frown at.
About brands, they are all pretty much equal, made with the same parts, appliances, frames, everything. So, pick a brand you favor and search them out first.
About floor plans. This is like asking what kind of house should I buy? A Ranch style may work for one person and a Cape Cod for someone else. They two styles are world apart. So with campers. The only way to figure out what will work for you is to actually visit SEVERAL RV dealership and RV shows and step inside them (all). Yes, you will be overwhelmed, but given a little time, you'll begin to realize which floor plan you are drawn to, and which floor plan just sucks in your opinion! It will happen.
When looking at trailers, look at Fifth Wheels and Hybrids too. Not so much because I'm leading you to buy one, but for comparison sake. You will notice that 5er floor plans often identical to TT's, except on split levels. Looking at the same floor plan from 2 perspectives ... well ... it just clinches your final decisions... really!
Consider slide vs no slide. But no-slide trailers are getting harder and harder to find. When you begin to narrow down your search to floor plan that light up your day, then make sure you look at the unit with all the slides pulled in, and make sure you can still function. Many times on the road, you will not be able to pull the slides out, or won't want to. Can you still get to the beds? (all of them), the refrigerator, the stove, the bathroom ... without climbing over furniture or having to open slides. VERY IMPORTANT to do this when considering a camper with slides!
Now hear this! Listen carefully!
If you are retired, get a camper that will accommodate YOU and your significant "other" and just forget about the rest your family. Bottom line, YOU are the ones using the camper. Get something that works for YOU and NOT the kids, grandkids, or someone's friend of a friend.
Our camper is designed for 2 people. Although our son and grandson occasionally go with us, he knows, the only bed is a couch, and that's where he sleeps. When we are fortunate to be with my daughter and her 4 kids, the kids sleep on the couches and the (very uncomfortable) pull out blow up hide-a-bed. It's great for 3 small kids, but horrid for adults! The kids just know, that's where they sleep. WE DO NOT MAKE ACCOMIDATIONS for the kids or grand kids. The trailer is what it is. They know it, and believe me ... they accept it! Or just stay home. And all the years we've been camping, the kids have never complained!
So... get the camper with you and your spouse (or best friend) only and don't make accommodations for anyone else. This GREATLY reduces the frustration in searching for a camper.
Next, don't get a bunkhouse style, unless you truly have someone sleeping on all the bunks all the time. If not, that is just wasted space that could be used for additional living room or bed-room space for YOU. You will find plenty of other places for storage. If you don't have kids, avoid bunkhouses. Look for the perfect camper that accommodates only the two of you!
Here again, the very best thing you can do is just start visiting RV dealerships and RV shows and walking through the various trailers. Take lots of pictures, grab lots of fliers on the various models, and of course ... keep a running list of the prices so you can compare later.
Edit:
One more thing: Lots of models come with stand alone furniture instead of built-in furniture. For example, stand alone kitchen table and 4 chairs vs a built in dinette booth. Before settling, consider sitting on this furniture and ask yourself, is this really comfortable. Dinettes can be very uncomfortable and the seats cannot move. If you are a little round in the belly, you may not have enough room to comfortably sit, and what about holding your head up on built in jack-knife sofa vs a real couch with high backs. Anyway, something you should consider too. And... stand alone furniture is removable, and you can easily swap it out for something different, better, or more enjoyable.
Good luck!
