Recommendations on a rear living travel trailer?

[mitw44]

My wife and I are starting to look at selling our Work and Play 18EC and go back to a standard travel trailer. The main thing we are looking for is a nice living area. We don't have kids, so we don't need bunks. The 18EC is small and more importantly does not really have any living area. And I just don't haul toys that much.

We like the rear living layout, and looked at a Jayco Whitehawk 27DSRL, and like how the layout felt. I believe I want to stay in the 27-33 feet total trailer length. I have a 2009 F250 with the 5.4L gas V8 to pull with. It has low mileage and lots of life left in it, so it will be my tow rig for this next trailer.

My question is: What are some nice trailers in this length and configuration, and what are some things I should be looking for. We have had travel trailers for about 10 years now, so we aren't novices, but we are not experts either.

Thanks in advance for the input!

[erareeves]

We've been camping a long time and were looking for the same thing after putting up with more of a cramped floor plan than we liked. We thought a long time ago that we wanted to have a camper that would sleep all our grandkids and their parents and quickly determined that we were happier and more relaxed when it was just momma n me. So after loving our Trail Cruiser 30QBSS for a long time we sold it and bought a new Prime Time Tracer 3175 rsd. It has the opposing slides to create a large living room and it is so comfortable that we absolutely love everything about it. Big shower too. Well made (as well as they all are) and we tow it with our 2010 F150 King Ranch, 5.4L and 3:55 gears. The weight is fine and it pulls easy. Plus always gets good looks when we pull in, set up, and pull out.

Steve and Marti Reeves
2017 Prime Time Tracer (Forest River product)
2010 F150 King Ranch
3:55/5.4L. Husky Centerline
Camp about 30 days a year

[BillB800si]

Wife & I went for the Windjammer Model 3029W with 3 slides. Has front walk in closet- opposing rear slides. 2 awnings, 3 exterior storage areas, ultralite and pull it with a 5.7 Hemi 1/2 ton truck.
Photos & specs are here: Windjammer 3029W

We changed the floor plan by moving the dinette & chairs to the rear of the trailer for an excellent view and put the chairs where the table had been. Much improved floor plan.

Don't let not being able to access the frig- sink etc.. with the slides in be a deal breaker. We've had trailers with both floor plans and we always have plenty of room to extend the slides for a lunch rest stop etc..
And the bed is a true residential queen size (80"x60")with shelves on each sides. Plenty of storage area and a nice pantry in the kitchen.
Good luck on your choice..

[WildPlumYonder]

If someone is looking for a smaller trailer with rear living, the Keystone Hideout 22FQ is great - no slide, 22' box (26' bumper to hitch ball), under 4,500 lb, reasonably priced.

(Note: you'd think that "FQ" in the title meant "Full Queen" - you'd be wrong, it is an RV queen.)

[JimInMich]

Look at the 2012 Cougar in my sig below. It was the nicest TT we had owned. It had 2 swivel rockers, actual table/4 chairs and a love seat with fold out air bed. Nice LARGE pass through bathroom and Queen bedroom. Wood work was luxurious, high domed ceiling. If my wife wasnt forced into retirement so soon, we would have kept it and the 2011 1/2 ton Silverado we towed it with.

[tnrv_er]

Look @ Outdoorsrv manufacturing creekside 26RLS

[RavensFan24]

We absolutely love the layout of our Keystone Bullet Premier 30RIPR. All the features we could need and an ideal layout for kitchen, bathroom, bedroom access while slides are in. Plus of course the rear living area with dual slides, which is a perfect set up for us.

[Dog_Trainer]

We Like the layout of our Flagstaff 831RESS. It is a triple slide the opposing slides in the back make a great living area and the full Bedroom slide gives us a great personal space.

[temccarthy1]

We have a 2014 Bullet 285RLS and love it! 2 luxurious rear recliners and a large rear picture window. It is an Ultralight-- 30 ft long and only weighs 5700 with a 600 hitch weight. Have had 2 years and zero issues! luxury amenities and décor yet purchased a new leftover at end of year for only 20K Check out Bullet comments from owners on this site! Have never seen a bad one!

[maromeo]

We love our rear living unit. We like the fact the recliners fit with slide closed, and we can still access the whole TT. This makes packing so much easier.


jhttp://www.jayco.com/tools/archive/2014-eagle-travel-trailers/298rlds/

It has all the features we liked and gives us plenty of room if we have company. The television is angled in the living area so we are not having to be so far away in order to watch television.

Here is one like my unit for sale in the Phoenix area. Looks like a good deal.

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/rvs/5774932870.html

[ktmrfs]

clarkster wrote:
I am looking for the same floor plan......rear living.
There seems to be a plethora of models and manufacturers.
Lounge chair/recliner seating is a must.....

Not sure if it a concern to you or not.....but all the rear living models I can yank up on the internet......have the entertainment center on the forward wall by the entrance to the bedroom.
That distance is about 16 feet in a 26 foot box length trailer from the rear recliners.

My first requirement is a full cage aluminum framing rather than wood.
Fiberglass over aluminum skin.
A molded fiberglass front cap

From all I can determine, a Heartland North Trail, a Forest River Vibe and Survivor models are in the top of the line, within the "lite" trailer slot.
I am sure there are others.....but those models got my attention first.

on our 295RE and the 298RE the TV is at the rear. On ours, it retracts down into the credensa, so we have a big rear window to look out of. And since we seldom use the TV, gives a great view but still has a nice TV location when we do want to use it.

[clarkster]

I am looking for the same floor plan......rear living.
There seems to be a plethora of models and manufacturers.
Lounge chair/recliner seating is a must.....

Not sure if it a concern to you or not.....but all the rear living models I can yank up on the internet......have the entertainment center on the forward wall by the entrance to the bedroom.
That distance is about 16 feet in a 26 foot box length trailer from the rear recliners.

My first requirement is a full cage aluminum framing rather than wood.
Fiberglass over aluminum skin.
A molded fiberglass front cap

From all I can determine, a Heartland North Trail, a Forest River Vibe and Survivor models are in the top of the line, within the "lite" trailer slot.
I am sure there are others.....but those models got my attention first.

[mitw44]

I definitely thought about what is accessible with the slides in. When I get to narrowing it down and shopping seriously, I will ask the salesman to let me see the inside with the slides in.

[ktmrfs]

Hannibal wrote:
Recliners and free standing table and chairs were two of our must haves. We also got the sofa bed for occasional company. Our number one requirement is that we can have access to everything in the trailer with the slides in so stopping for a sandwich at a rest area and using the bathroom are accessible with slides in. Our recliners aren't wall huggers so we have to pull them away from the window to recline. With the slide in, we have to get to the bathroom through the front bedroom door. We got the Elite package which includes a remote for the slide and awning. The awning still needs to be tilted for rain water run off and returned to straight out before running it back in but I think they're all that way. I'd just as soon have the ol' manual awning. The shore cord out the middle of the rear is kind of odd but it's long enough to reach the tongue so that's a non-issue as well. Like I said, not complaints. Just observations someone else might be or not be happy with.

your requirements were similar to ours.

the 298RE has a free standing table option but we wanted the dinette for the underneath storage with pull out drawers. And we can get to the bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, microwave, cooktop, dinette, fridge etc. with the slides in. That is one of our requirements for a trailer. Nice for lunch stops, or if we want to be ready to go quick in the morning. and no furniture rearranging to pull the slides in.

Amazing how many trailers are a PITA or impossible to get to bathroom, fridge, microwave etc. with the slides in.

[fla-gypsy]

There are many makes and models to choose from in that floorplan. I've had mine for 11 years and enjoy it.