Thinking about buying an RV - need guidance

[anniez]

I have been tent camping for 4 years (not frequently) and want to purchase a travel trailer.

I have camped by myself but want to be able to take my grandkids on weekend adventures and I think my husband will eventually go along once we retire.

My problem is, I don't know what I do want, but I definitely can tell when a trailer is NOT what I want.

I want room, because I plan on spending time in the trailer once I retire. My husband has a bad hip and I have bad knees so I'm not sure I want the step up of a 5th wheeler.

I want a door on the master bedroom, a pretty good sized indoor kitchen, a nice outdoor kitchen, be able to sleep 6 to 8 and still have room on the floor to throw down an air mattress if needed. I don't want a booth table. Want a nice shower, bathroom and porcelain toilets.

As I am a newbie, I've heard Jayco's are best construction, but haven't found one that trips my trigger yet.

I have a 2009 Expedition with a towing package so I think I'm covered there, but remember I will be setting up on my own. We also have an F350 dually with a fifth wheel hitch (or whatever it's called).

All input will be appreciated.

[APT]

Does something like this floorplan work for you? It's probably the top selling bunk house floorplan.



This one is becoming more popular too:



The most capable Expeditions will not likely tow what you want. You run into a receiver limit of about 900 pounds which is under 7000 pounds loaded RV, or 6k dry. The one above is 7k dry. There are brands that offer the above floorplan from 6000-9000 pounds dry. I highly recommend planning on towing with the 1 ton. What may seem rough empty will be much more comfortable towing 7000+ pounds.

Start at an RV show to get a feel for what you like, brands, floorplans, etc. You may not find every brand and model you want, but you can compare the quality of many brands and judge most floorplans. Then you can shop. Do not buy at an RV show. I have never seen the best prices there. They tend get impulse/emotional purchases.

[westend]

Anywhere close to Forrest City, IA? Winnebago headquarters and MH facility is there and they offer tours. The towable Winnebago's are made in IN.

[Community Alumni]

On the theme of visiting RV shows, you can visit the show coming up in Hershey, PA in September. It's the largest show so you aren't going to find a larger selection anywhere else. You'll probably need at least a couple of days to get through the entire show.

[anniez]

Thank you for the suggestions. We do have an F350 dually that I could use to tow, just more comfortable with Expedition.

[oldmattb]

We did the shows, and were generally disappointed by what we saw. We were looking for used, and were kind of turned off by stuff that was eight times our price range.

Find a big dealer. We made several trips to PPL in Houston and quickly got a good idea of what we were looking for. A quick count looks like they have over 200 used fifth wheels on the lots now.

I know it is a long way from you, but maybe you could rent one of the type you prefer, get used to the traveling issues, and take a ride to Texas.

I have no connection to PPL, I just think they are a great resource. Even their website is helpful:

http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/

[rbpru]

As suggested we visited the RV shows and dealers to decide, the size trailer floor plan we wanted, the tow vehical we would need and what we could afford.

Then we rented one for a trip to the Ozarks to see if we really wanted to pull one down the road. Learned a lot on that trip.

Finally decide on a 26 footer with slide for our needs.

[camperpaul]

A rig like this will do the job for you:

The trailer is a 32 ft Four Winds 29Q and sleeps 10; max GVW is 7700 lbs.

The truck is a GMC 2500HD crew cab.

[Artum_Snowbird]

This is pretty close perhaps to what you are asking for. It does have a booth, but tables and chairs don't work for extra beds very well.

Arctic Fox

[Drew_K]

There are so many RV manufacturers and designs that it can be dizzying. I suggest going to various manufacturer's web sites, if you haven't already, to research floor plans and features. Jayco, Keystone, Heartland, Open Range, etc.

Also, you'll need a pretty large travel trailer if you want to sleep 6-8 people, and believe it or not an Expedition is not considered a large tow vehicle. It's bigger than average but look around when you visit an RV or state park. You'll see a trend that the large RV's are towed by trucks, and there's a reason for that.

You can still tow plenty with the Expedition, but don't get too enamored with a 35' travel trailer without making sure you can tow it.

[ed6713]

Here is a good place to start. Will help you sort the trash from the quality.

RV Consumer Group

[JohnnyG73]

GENECOP wrote:
Shows.....before you do anything hit the RV Shows...so many brands, so many levels of quality...

Totally agree! I hit a huge show in Chicago every January with no intention of buying. Just love to look at the boats and RVs.

It may be just me but I got the impression from your post that your husband is not very involved in this huge decision, but may or may not decide to join you after he retires. See if you can get him to go to an RV show with you so you both can see what is available.

[GENECOP]

Shows.....before you do anything hit the RV Shows...so many brands, so many levels of quality...