Trailer shopping advice needed.

[Brett_K]

Hi everyone. This spring, we will be looking into purchasing our first travel trailer. My tv is a 2013 Ford F150 super crew XLT with the ecoboost and max tow, max trailer package. So I should be good to go with a 24 - 28 ft trailer. I would like to find something in the 2002-2007 range and between $6-8000. However, I am not certain of what to be looking for to thoroughly evaluate its condition. I want to stay away from anything with water damage obviously. There are a lot of features and model differences to look at. I also see that some models are more typical to see at a lower price point. Would I be better off looking into something in fiberglass vs aluminum? Should I look for a heavier trailer in the 6k range vs 3-4 k range?

Also, what are the pros and cons of shopping private party vs dealership? The same trailer is typically 2-3k more at a dealership. Is there much wiggle room in pricing on used rvs? I had always assumed that tt would have poor resale value given that new ones can be had for 14-17k. I see very little reduction in price on lightly used models to make it a worthwhile consideration.

Any input would be appreciated.

[dadmomh]

Dog Folks is absolutely right. You walk in this awesome trailer, you can just picture your family having a great time, Mr. Friendly Salesman is absolutely thrilled to see you. And he makes it really hard to just walk on, but ya' gotta do what ya' gotta do to stick to your plan. So he acts crushed that you wouldn't buy his trailer, maybe the next guy will, but you have your plan. It's really tough to not let your heart rule your head.

When we were shopping for our HTT back in '06 we saw a TT that was just wonderful. Loved the floorplan and still do. Loved the kitchen and still do. The price was just a few thousand more than we set for our limit and the weight was heavier, but "sure you can tow that no problem". We spent a long time just sitting visiting with the dealer/owner....long enough for us to really start to fall for this trailer. Finally, we were able to get our brain cells back in line and thank him for his time, but that it was just not for us. Darn! We found the perfect HTT for us and loved it for over 7 years. When we decided to move to a TT this past May, that was the first place I looked and it's still a current model. But it wasn't right for us then and after learning a lot about weight, the blasted thing was too heavy then and too heavy now. We did find the perfect TT for us at this time in life, price was right, weight was right, amenities were right. Good luck and happy shopping!

[Brett_K]

I haven't been to a scale yet, but my gvwr Is 7650 and the cargo capacity listed is 1823 which Includes a full tank of gas. As stated, my truck is a 2013 ford f150 super crew xlt with the ecoboost and max trailer/max tow packages. The only thing added was a line x spray in bed liner, which I doubt added more than 20 lbs. Adding myself and the family would add about 450 lbs. I figure I have a thousand lbs to work with leaving plenty of room for gear. I should be maxed out with a 7000 lb trailer and 5000-6000 being a target weight. Please correct my math if I am way off base here and I know this is a crude estimate.

[Dog_Folks]

When you get to the buying process, remember this:

The best advice regarding negotiations was given to me years ago by a self-made multi-millionaire: “He who cares less….wins.” It works with anything you buy/sell where there are negotiations.
Here is an example:
Upon selling a business, the buyer tried to lower the price $10,000 at the closing! I refused, said I would keep the business and started to leave. The buyer quickly reversed course and wanted to buy at the previously agreed price. I wasn’t having that. Before I sat back down, they had to agree to pay $10,000 MORE. I really did not care and it worked. They paid dearly for their last minute games.

Be ready to walk. If that camper you absolutely love is at a dealer you that won’t give you a deal, remember, there are more dealers out there carrying that exact same unit.

30% off MSRP is a very common number.

[AirForceAngler]

When you do start looking at trailers after doing all of the above, look hard for leaks and water damage. This includes checking the floor everywhere you can possibly reach. Knock on the floors with something to check for firmness, especially around the perimeter. We had a 2003 Coachmen that we bought new and within 3 years, 4 areas of the floor had rotted out. There was no other visible signs of damage anywhere, just soft spots in the floor. I used most of a sheet of plywood to repair the damaged spots. I know this is possible with any camper, but I'll never own a Coachmen again. Good luck!

[GrandpaKip]

Here is what we did when we decided to get aTT. Researched on the net to get ideas on floorplans, lengths, weights, price, etc. Narrowed choices according to what we wanted, like a walkaround bed, and no slide. Went to local RV dealers just to look and take notes. We even went out of town for 2 days and stayed in a motel near a bunch of dealers. We looked at both new and used. We got our list down to about 10 different models. Then we started actively looking for one of them...Craigslist, dealers' websites, and so on.we found ours on CL after about 3 months. Musta looked at a few dozen possibilities before finding ours. Then we got it for 6G below the NADA listing. It wasn't perfect, but nothing that stopped us from going anywhere.
I believe that the floorplan should be your first priority and work from there. If you have to keep your TV, you can eliminate possibilities that are too heavy.
Good luck in your quest.

[Dick_B]

To help you decide on what RV to buy you could go to www.rvknowhow.com and read Joe and Vicki’s suggestions and/or download their e-book `RV Buyers Homework’, which walks you through the process of choosing the best RV for your needs, selecting the right floor plans and features, determining the RV’s cargo-carrying and towing capacities and evaluating its livability. (Nov-Dec Highways, pg. 21)
RVtravel.com and the Better Business Bureau have a DVD that covers the same subject
(http://rvbookstore.com/shop/detail.aspx?p=710&m=2) and Chuck Woodbury has an ebook with similar advice that can be instantly downloaded from www.rvbookstore.com.

[_tiredTeacher]

Brett K wrote:
Hi everyone. This spring, we will be looking into purchasing our first travel trailer....Any input would be appreciated.

1) Do the weigh thing (as mentioned) and arrive at an accurate, real world number for what you can tow.
2) Settle on a budget and stick to it. New, lightly used, used - they all cost money. Get most bang for the buck by sticking to a budget.
3) Make a list of the things you and your wife want in a TT. Prioritize the list. DO NOT be swayed from this list by any one trailer you see. Keep looking until you find a TT that satisfies this list as much as possible.
4) Use the internet to begin your search. Here's a list of every trailer made in the USA.
5) Be patient.

Have fun looking,
Teach

[MarkTwain]

Begin your search with learning how much payload you have available on that F150. Load it up as you would to go camping; passengers, stuff, firewood, full fuel, etc and then hit a scale.

Payload = GVWR - Scale Weight.

This number is what you have available for the Trailers loaded tongue weight. IMO there is no reason looking at TTs until you know what you can safely tow.

X2!!!!!
I'm guessing but I would think the F150 will narrow your choices to light weight trailers. Suggest you start to look at the Lance trailer models or the Casita models.

Then...

Yes there is room to negotiate new and used TT prices from a dealer. For new the goal is 30% off MSRP, although closest I've gotten was 25%.

Dealer seem to price late model used trailers higher in order to not erode the value of new models on the lot. This gives private party sellers false hope that their TT have a higher value than what most folks would be willing to pay. In fact NADA Guide perpetuates this thinking, I purchased my '12 new in 2011 for less than NADA's private party value the same trailer in model year 2011.

[MarkTwain]

Begin your search with learning how much payload you have available on that F150. Load it up as you would to go camping; passengers, stuff, firewood, full fuel, etc and then hit a scale.

Payload = GVWR - Scale Weight.

This number is what you have available for the Trailers loaded tongue weight. IMO there is no reason looking at TTs until you know what you can safely tow.

X2!!!!!
I'm guessing but I would think the F150 will narrow your choices to light weight trailers. Suggest you start to look at the Lance trailer models or the Casita models.

Then...

Yes there is room to negotiate new and used TT prices from a dealer. For new the goal is 30% off MSRP, although closest I've gotten was 25%.

Dealer seem to price late model used trailers higher in order to not erode the value of new models on the lot. This gives private party sellers false hope that their TT have a higher value than what most folks would be willing to pay. In fact NADA Guide perpetuates this thinking, I purchased my '12 new in 2011 for less than NADA's private party value the same trailer in model year 2011.

[clubhouse]

Begin your search with learning how much payload you have available on that F150. Load it up as you would to go camping; passengers, stuff, firewood, full fuel, etc and then hit a scale.

Payload = GVWR - Scale Weight.

This number is what you have available for the Trailers loaded tongue weight. IMO there is no reason looking at TTs until you know what you can safely tow.

Then...

Yes there is room to negotiate new and used TT prices from a dealer. For new the goal is 30% off MSRP, although closest I've gotten was 25%.

Dealer seem to price late model used trailers higher in order to not erode the value of new models on the lot. This gives private party sellers false hope that their TT have a higher value than what most folks would be willing to pay. In fact NADA Guide perpetuates this thinking, I purchased my '12 new in 2011 for less than NADA's private party value the same trailer in model year 2011.

Best of luck.