Thinking about buying my first :)

[Gsragtop]

Need some advice and I hope you guys can help..

First, we are thinking of getting an TT for weekend trips (me my wife and a 7 and 3 year old).. My first question is are we better off just staying in hotels ?? I mean I love the idea of camping, but for the investment we fear we won't use it often enough.. One reason I'm thinking of getting a TT is that I have to travel two month a of the year for work. Right now I stay at a hotel and collect points we use to travel throughout the year. However with what I could save in hotel fees vs campsite fees I can pay the TT's payments for the year plus.

We have already picked out the unit we are thinking of buying a 2015 Conquest 198bh, we like it because it has bunks for the kids and a full time queen for my wife and I. It's also 2800 lbs which means it can be towed easily by or minivan which has a 3500 lb towing capacity. The dealer pice is $9999 but I think I can get it lower, the question is how much ?? It has a msrp of $15.000 (or about that)

Why new vs used ?? Because I need light weight for my van which means newer and it seems everything I look at used is in the same ball park price wise.. Also new means warranty and no previous owner issues. ALSO my wife does not like popups / hybrids. She wants a solid side unit only.

I guess my second question is how much more room for negotiating do you think I have, I was going to try to negotiate in a anti sway hitch, screen room, all the hoses I need for hooking up, power hitch jack, spare tire, electric brake controller for my van, and an rv cover. Thank that may fly ??

Also what is a typical interest rate for someone with good credit ?? They are saying 7.9% which seems high to me.

What other questions am I not asking.

[Tequila]

One person above said camping costs more and he is probably correct when you take fuel and everything else into account. I drive all the way to southern Mexico each year. I am now wagon mastering long term snowbird caravans down there so there is now a legitimate reason, but before that I figured it would be cheaper to fly down and use an inexpensive hotel or one of the rooms that seem to be attached to nearly all campgrounds down there. However, there is a lot to be said for being in your own space. It is simply a more comfortable feeling. Also part of the enjoyment is in the journey itself, and the freedom to easily change locations.

[dadmomh]

In taking a peek this morning to see how this thread was going I found one thing...the OP wanted an opinion, got many and didn't like them. I think he's probably going to go right ahead with the proposed TT and the Kia....and then wonder why things didn't work out so well. I don't think he understands there is a huge difference between "can I tow" and "can I tow SAFELY".

[Lantley]

To the OP what you are not understanding is that you do not want a marginal combo or a set up that will just get you by,.... unless there is a hill up ahead!
You want your combo to be capable and well matched. You don't want to fear the next curve,a passing truck or a thunderstorm. It's nice to think that you will be able to control all your circumstances and ensure there are no major obstacles however you will quickly learn that towing with an inadequate TV is a miserable experience.
You came to this site for advice. Learn from the mistakes of others. Trust us A Kia mini van is a poor tow vehicle. Trying to use it to tow anything but a pop up will be a costly mistake.
If you are not prepared to do it right, don't do it at all.

[Gsragtop]

tragusa3 wrote:
Jetta makes a good point. If you are in flat ground and don't plan to go anywhere hilly, that will make a huge difference. That could work out for you for minimal weekend trips in the flats, which I see is where you live.

That's a good point actually, I should have mentioned it at first.. It will spend 90% of its time on the coast! between Hiltin head (where we live) 2hrs north which is Charleston, and as far as Orlando (5hrs south).. The only hills it will see is if we take it up to Charlotte NC, which maybe once a year.

[maddisondowney]

I have decided to buy a traveling trailer best travel trailers to travel at different locations near Melbourne.I have a 8 months old baby and for his comfort and security we bought a valco prams for him.My in-laws too old for traveling and they find difficulty while traveling so we thought traveling trailer is best option for whole family.

[tragusa3]

Jetta makes a good point. If you are in flat ground and don't plan to go anywhere hilly, that will make a huge difference. That could work out for you for minimal weekend trips in the flats, which I see is where you live.

[wmoses]

OP can try Trailmanor. It will not be $10K, but it should be towable by the Sedona. No bunks for the kids though. I agree with the other posters - the TT proposed is too much for the Sedona.

[Jetta03]

I towed a 3500 gvwr hybrid travel trailer with our 2007 honda odyssey (seems similar on paper to the Kia) before we switched to a bigger trailer/tow vehicle. Did some setup including transmission cooler, weigh dist hitch, brake controller and charge circuit and the honda did just fine. It was a bit under-powered but towed very well. I watched the weights and we were slightly over the van's gvwr but well within gcwr...honestly you'll see way more overloaded half and 3/4 tons out there.

I wouldn't have tried to tow through the mountains, but for where we live it worked great for us.

[tragusa3]

I towed the TT in my sig with a half ton with small V8, and it did not work out. You're looking at more trailer and less tow vehicle than I had.

[FoCoNoCo]

That trailer is 2800 lbs dry weight as listed on the website. It is also likely well over 3000 lbs sitting on the dealer lot. According to the website, its listed as 2790 lbs dry with a 900 lbs cargo capacity. Meaning that in reality the trailer can be loaded up to 3690 lbs, which off the bat, is a very low CCC rating. Keep in mind that you van likely can tow more than 3500 lbs, as most vehicles sold in the US show derated towing and payload capacities than what the vehicle can handle in reality. That being said, the tow vehicle manufacturer will not have to stand behind and possible warranty claims if you knowingly exceed their ratings. As far as actual performance, you may be able to handle that trailer just fine on flat land, though mountains may present some challenges. However, I am not condoning towing over weight.

[dadmomh]

Sorry that you're not getting the responses you were hoping for, but they're right. Suggest before going any further you talk to the Kia dealer about this amount of weight. You may not be buying a new vehicle, but I'd bet you're going to be buying a new engine or transmission before long. The problem is not just the weight, but the frontal area. You could pull a boat that weighs 3500 pounds and be fine, but there is no frontal area to worry about. Ask the Kia dealer specifically about the towable ability with something about 8' wide and however high.

You're not going to have a safe set up. It only takes one thing to go wrong and your vehicle and trailer + your family could easily be scattered all over the highway. Sorry, but it happens. BTW, the dealer selling you the trailer is about getting you to sign and drive away....then it's your problem, so he's 99% of the time going to tell you what he thinks you want to hear. Folks on the forums have no financial or other gain, so you really are getting the straight story. You really need to rethink this.

[anaro]

Your minivan will not safely tow that trailer. I have had a suv that was too small for my tt (and my specs had more room and capability than yours). I was pushed and pulled all over the road by passing cars, suvs and semis. Every mile was a fight to keep the rig on the road. The trailer pushed the suv all over the place. The final straw came when I struggled my way up a mountain only to be pushed back down it on the verge of out of control. Never again. Less than a year into ownership, the decision came for a new tow vehicle that we really didnt want to do either. I guarantee that if you buy that tt it won't be long til you either get a bigger tv or get rid of the trailer because it was such a bad towing experience. That is if you didn't wreck it.

For gear, it adds up really fast. You will want things to cook with (pots, pans, plates, cups, silverware, and maybe a grill), chairs to sit on, toiletries, clothes and toys for young kids. This stuff adds up really fast. My family of 3 mostly weekend camps 1 time per month and takes 1 week long trip per year. We had 1300 lbs of stuff added to our tt (weighed it at cat scale day it came home with nothing in it but propane and battery and again fully loaded recently). We don't say these things to keep people out of camping, we say them from the experience of having been there, done that and trying to keep someone else from making the same mistake we see every day.

I understand not wanting a new vehicle and not wanting a rig that doesn't suit your needs, problem is, in this case the two do not coincide with a safe vehicle/tt combo. And don't believe the man who's paycheck depends on selling you the tt. I've had salesman try to tell me a truck with 1500 lb payload could tow any 5er on the lot simply because it was a diesel. I've had them try to sell me a tt who's dry weight was 500 lbs under my max tow capacity (without taking passengers, factory options etc into account). Please listen to those that are really trying to help you. If it was safe, we would give our blessing but it's not and our conscience won't let us lie to you.

From a money standpoint, don't ever go into camping because it's cheaper. Point blank, it's not. The expenses add up quickly. To us, the family time is worth every penny we have sunk into this hobby but it is very expensive. Your fuel bill alone will surprise you, on average the gas engines get around 8 mpg when towing. Campsites are anywhere from $25/night in a state park with little to no hook ups to $40-50 per night in an rv resort with amenities and hook ups. Beach sites are over $80/night. Disney camping is at least as high as beach sites per night. Rv need lots of time and maintenance to keep them in good condition and once your 1 yr(in some cases 2 yr) warranty runs out, you are on your own for repairs. Best of luck to you.

[happybooker1]

Camping might NOT be the money-saver you think it will. However, It's more ENJOYABLE and the longer you stay somewhere the better the costs even out.

For instance, our favorite camping site (a Texas state park) is $25/night. It's 200 miles away. At 10 MPG it takes 40 gal. to get there & back. At $3.50/gal you're looking at $140 for gas. $75 for a 3-night stay. So $215 already. Let's forget the food because you'll eat regardless.

If you got a motel room for free with points for 3- nights, your gas might cost you 1/2 or $70 there & back. So,about 1/3 the price. Now if you're PAYING for motel rooms then yes, you'll see some savings. It depends on how often and how long you want to go.

$215 for a long weekend is a lot; now if you stay 5-6 nights and add in just 3 more nights at the campground ($75) then the week for less that $300 is great!

[Halmfamily]

Camping is a lifestyle so make sure this is your families lifestyle. Cheaper than a hotel, maybe not, but a heck of a lot more enjoyable. Your kids will enjoy playing with the other kids while you and the DW relax. Price wise it sounds like you are getting a decent deal, doubt they will throw anything else is. Interest wise 7.9% is high, ours is 4.9%, interest rates are based on the size of the loan, check local banks for better rates. I must agree with others, granted my is much bigger than what you are looking at, but our truck just was not capable of carrying the weight, ended
up getting another truck a year later. Don't kid yourself into thinking you have a big enough vehicle, your family and other peoples lives depend it. Good luck.

[westend]

You will regret that you tried to do this.