sweetiebt
Explorer
Joined 12 years ago
User Profile
User Widgets
All Activity
Re: Tow vehicle under $10k
Update time...so based on your comments we have put those two vehicles on the back burner. The new vehicle we found that I wanted an opinion on is a 2006 Nissan Titan with a tow package and 55k miles for $9.9k. I like that the tow package on the Titan includes an upgraded battery, tranny cooler and tow mirrors...Anyone have experience/opinions on Titans as a tow vehicle for a 7,700lb gross weight TT??? What should I look for when inspecting this vehicle? ie. any weak links....437Views0likes0CommentsRe: Tow vehicle under $10k
FireGuard - would the rebuilding of the transmission be a concern with both of them? One more so than the other? Or does it just depend on how the transmission has been treated? ie overheating, lots of tow miles etc. I do know that with the Silverado, the last 40k miles have been pretty much exclusively towing miles (not sure about before that). We are definitely keeping an eye out for what large out-of-pocket expenses would be necessary in the next year... We already know the Silverado needs two back tires, AC belt, alignment, and maybe rear rotors. These already are concerning us a bit...437Views0likes0CommentsRe: Tow vehicle under $10k
So here is another option we may have. The owner has been a little scatter brained about responding...but the vehicle is a 2000 F250 7.3L TD with 180k miles on it for $7,500. I'm thinking this may be a better bet than the 2001 Silverado 2500TD with 117k miles on it for $5,400? Of course we will look at both to determine the condition of the vehicles...but for all you with towing experience which one would be the best buy? We are interested in reliability and the ease of towing (this is our first TT). Gas mileage isn't a huge concern because the main use will be the approx. 10 weekend camping trips we take a year.437Views0likes0CommentsRe: Tow vehicle under $10k
Thank you everyone. Looks like I may be on the right track looking at early 2000 2500HDs (or f250) with close to 100k miles. The 2001 Silverado 2500HD that we are looking at will need new rear tires and maybe rotors along with a new AC belt...standard maintenance type items I guess. Also some cosmetic issues, but nothing really alarming. And at a $5,00 price tag we will be able to afford a few additional expenses for maintenance items up front to get it in peak condition. I am definitely planning on taking it to a friend who works at a shop to take a look at the tires/brakes/rotors and engine/transmission. We kind of do want to stick to a truck just for household hauling type work so I think getting a van or SUV is out.206Views0likes0CommentsTow vehicle under $10k
We just purchased a 28 ft travel trailer with 7,700lb Gross weight and are now looking for a tow vehicle. This tow vehicle would be a third vehicle used exclusively for towing when we go camping (maybe 10 times a year). Because of this we are looking for a cheaper vehicle under $10k. We would love to keep it around $5k-$7k if possible. We have found a couple 2001 Silverado 2500HD with a little over 100k miles that are around $5,000. Would those be worth it?..we are staying away from the 2003-2004 6.0L ford diesels (after being warned by two separate garages about them). We are in CA and are hopeful to find some suggestions about what tow vehicle would suit our needs. We would probably go with an older vehicle with low miles over a newer vehicle with higher miles...any suggestions for what we should be looking for??4.9KViews0likes24CommentsRe: 33ft too big???
So we are in the process of buying the 28ft Travel Star from a local private party. Now the fun begins of getting it checked out, finding storage, getting it stocked...etc. How important is it to get covered storage?? It is currently in covered storage, but is taking up 2 spots so they pay $175 /mth which is over our budget. My husband wants to try to leave it there but get it parked in 1 spot, but I think it will be too difficult and dangerous. You would need to make a quick 90 degree turn to get it parked in the spot and would have to essentially jackknife the trailer and back it into a spot with about a foot or two of space on either side...yuck! There are other options around, but this is the only covered option. Are we asking for trouble leaving it out in the open? What about trailer covers...more trouble than they are worth?? Or worth the headache of getting them on every time you park it?? so much to think about...834Views0likes0CommentsRe: 33ft too big???
Thanks all again for the input....I found a 28ft Travel Star 28SSO XLT for sale locally with two slideouts that is very comparable to the 33ft we were loving so we are going to look at that instead of the 33ft this afternoon. We would be sacrificing the dresser in the bunkhouse and the sink outside of the restroom instead of inside, but overall I think we can deal with those. It is only 5ft difference, but 30ft seems to be the magic limit at a lot of parks around here.367Views0likes0CommentsRe: 33ft too big???
Thank you for the responses... I have looked up reserveamerica.com for local campgrounds. When I put 26ft trailer I got 140 campgrounds and when I put in 33ft trailer it decreased to 112 so about 80% of the campgrounds on reserveamerica will accomodate the larger trailer. We do not have a tow vehicle yet. We wanted to get a better idea of what trailer we were going to get before determining what vehicle to get to tow it.337Views0likes0Comments33ft too big???
Hi, newbie here...We are looking to buy our first travel trailer and I'm looking for some advice. One that we found that we really like is a 2007 Forest River Rockwood 8318SS - 33' . We have a 4 year old daughter and one more on the way plus a medium sized dog. We are looking for a trailer that we will not grow out of once the two kids grow up. I love how this trailer has a slide for the bunks and a dresser for clothes storage in the bunk room(something that seems to be lacking with many smaller trailers). Also, the privacy of the master suite is a desirable characteristic. Is 33ft too long? Are we going to run into a lot of campgrounds in California we cannot camp in? We are going to be casual campers maybe going out 5-10 times a year for extended weekends. On one hand I feel like we may be overbuying for our needs, but on the other hand I want us to be comfortable as the kids grow up and have enough storage for their clothes. Suggestions???8.3KViews0likes29Comments
Groups
RV Newbies
We all start out new. Share lessons learned or first-time questions!Jun 15, 20174,026 Posts Travel Trailer Group
Prefer to camp in a travel trailer? You're not alone.Jan 13, 202544,029 Posts
