OT: Travel trailer advice and recs

[SchrodingersDawg]

As I near my golden years I'm thinking of getting a travel trailer to pull behind my pickup truck so the wife and I can do some traveling in our early retirement years.

It would be only me and the wife. And probably just me solo a lot of times.

I'm thinking 20 foot or so, queen size bed, maybe a single slide out. Not a 5th wheel.

Let me know brands you would recommend or advise against. Thoughts on used vs new. Thoughts on the RV lifestyle. Etc.

Thanks!

 

[patdog]

No recommendations at all. But a friend of mine retired a couple of years ago. He and his wife sold the house and bought an RV. I haven't seen them since. They've been traveling all over the Western USA, staying at each place for anywhere from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, before moving on to the next one. Occasionally one of them will post a few pics on Facebook.

 

[Yeti]

Go bigger and at least two slide outs. Make sure you have power level. Make sure AC is good. Get stabilizer bars power awning

slides make a world of difference

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

I echo what Yeti said, get you one with at least two slide outs. It makes it feel so much bigger.

Jayco makes a good travel trailer that won’t break the bank.

You can find some really good used campers out there. People buy them and then realize they don’t have as much time to use them and they’re still like brand new.

 

[Dawgbite]

I’ve owned them all from a converted enclosed trailer to a diesel pusher MH. As a general rule you get what you pay for. If you’re really traveling and towing it, a fifth wheel is way better. There are even some half ton towable fifth wheel’s if you don’t want to go with a 3/4 ton truck If your set on a TT then I’ll give you a few things to think about. A smooth fiberglass exterior wall is better than the corrugated aluminum. Painted exterior graphics are better than stickers. Two AC units are better than one. Ducted AC is better than an AC that just blows strait down. Shower doors are better than curtains. A full bath is better than a wet bath. The size of your tanks is very important. Depending on whether you have full hook ups, just water and electric, just electric, or dry camping. You really have to own about three of them before you figure out exactly what you can and can’t live without in an RV because you can’t have everything. What’s essential to one person is superfluous to the next. Pretty much all RVs are owned by three companies so “Brands” aren’t necessarily what your looking for.

 

[Dawgbite]

Add that a 50 amp system is better than a 30 amp electrical system. A 30 amp is one leg of 30amp power. A 50 amp system is two legs of 50 amp power for a total of 100 amps. In a 30 amp unit you’ll probably have to turn off the AC to use the microwave and your wife can forget a curling iron plugged in with the hairdryer running.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

Also if you’re going with a travel trailer, depending on the size and what size your pickup is I’d recommend a weight distributing hitch like this:

 

[macdaddydawg]

I have just done tons of research and upgraded my old deer camp camper to something nice enough to take the family camping but not too nice to keep at deer camp. I have been on message boards, read blogs. Lots of commentary on TT manufactured from 2020 to present. 2020, demand was much higher than supply and then materials became scarce. So quality has been down for about 4 years.

I settled on an 8 year old ultra lite that's 30ft., Its a good size and still 1/2 ton towable. Much more room with 2 opposing slides compared to the 24ft. I had that did not have any slides.

A properly adjusted WDH is essential for towability. Be sure whatever you get does not exceed, your tow vehicles capabilities. Tongue weight and payload are key.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

As I near my golden years I'm thinking of getting a travel trailer to pull behind my pickup truck so the wife and I can do some traveling in our early retirement years.

It would be only me and the wife. And probably just me solo a lot of times.

I'm thinking 20 foot or so, queen size bed, maybe a single slide out. Not a 5th wheel.

Let me know brands you would recommend or advise against. Thoughts on used vs new. Thoughts on the RV lifestyle. Etc.

Thanks!

Rent a few times and try it before you commit to buy.

 

[Dawgbite]

You want a bed that you can access from both sides. A bed bumped against a wall is a witch to make up.

 

[Dawgbite]

Electric stabilizer jacks are a must also. You can carry a cordless impact wrench for the manual jacks but that still involves squatting down at all four corners. Thor has an awful reputation and this subsequently affects their resell. Yet Thor industries, the parent company, owns Tiffin, Jayco, Airstream, and probably a dozen other brands

 

[PooPopsBaldHead]

#1. Get something that makes the wife happy. If she's not happy you'll never get your money's worth because she'll resent it and you for buying it... Then you'll have to sell it.

#2. You want more room than you think. Never put yourself in a situation where you have to convert a sofa or table to a bed. If you need 2 or 3 beds, get one with 2 or 3 dedicated beds

#3. Lighter means less durable in most cases. So many RV manufacturers are cutting weight to make more RVs half ton towable. That means they are going to fall apart every time you take it in the road.

#4. Know your tow vehicle. Payload is critical. A half ton can probably pull it, but when you tow you need excess payload for tongue weight, gear, fuel, and water... Having excess payload is what keeps you from losing control of the vehicle/trailer at highway speeds. My airstream is 7500 lbs dry and pulls perfectly fine with just a straight ball behind my 3/4 ton. You put it on a half ton you are going to want air bags/timbrens, a weight distributing hitch, and no wind if you want to go over 45-50 mph.

#5. Stear clear of stick and tins. They are not going to hold up to highway travel.


Brands I would consider for your scenario:

Airstream
Lance
Grand Designs

If you're more interested in dry camping out west and hitting the trails:

Outdoors RV
Black Series
Ember

ETA: I have pulled my Airstream for over 15,000 miles in the past 2 years. On some of the gnarliest roads and over the steepest passes (Teton, North Cascades). If you are planning on coming out here, 3/4 ton and slotted rotors are a must or you will destroy your tow vehicle brakes or lose control coming down the passes. Not a single issue other than a blown tire on Vancouver Island. It's an airplane without wings and will last 100 years.

That said, I would never own one in hail country unless I had an RV garage to keep it in. Insurance won't cover hail damage to an airstream apparently.