Thinking of getting a travel trailer.

[DJINCO]

Originally posted by mtgianni:
Talk to a Highway Patrol man. Most will tell you, at least out west, that the rollovers, wrecks and sidewinder accidents are 9-1 more often committed by tow behinds rather than 5th wheel's. A good class C or small class A can be found cheap also.

Stupidity when pulling a trailer and stupidity when driving a car is still stupidity. The difference is that when one is stupid with a 2500 lb auto, the auto can USUALLY overcome the driving mistakes. Now drive a 6000 lb truck pulling a 7000 lb trailer and act stupid... well, the result is critical.

Same effect driving a Class A, B or C RV. 5th wheel trailers are more stable for many reasons, but stupid still kills.

The above quote is akin to saying semi-auto handguns kill more people than revolvers; at least out West...

 

[lcdrdanr]

My wife considers "roughing it" to be slow room service.

Soon after we got married, I took her to my favorite camping spot with my 2 large tents, big ice chest, blow up mattresses, and coleman stove, new fishing rods, etc. Ah, South Padre Island in the Summer, with the constant wind blowing the fine sand into everything, the heat, the flies, the aroma of rotting kelp and dead fish....... What could be more conducive to a long lived marriage?.

Soon after that, the tents were donated to the Boy Scouts and we became the proud owners of a 28 foot Winnebago Chieften.

Over the last 20 years we have moved between pop up campers, 15 foot trailers,and Pick-up shell campers but never, never, ever went back to tent camping.......... !!!!

Look into the fifth wheel rigs, easier tow, safer way to go AND the opportunity to put a boat, small car or dirt bike trailer on behind.

Dan r

 

[Sven]

We have pulled our 16' Scamp for about 30K miles from flatlands through mountains. Scamps will only sleep up to four, but can have a nice sized fridge, potti/shower, water heater, furnace, A/C, etc. Come with electric brakes and pull great. The 13" Goodyear Marathon tires are the best! We've spent up to a month at a time in ours. The only thing I don't like is I can't pull the boat and camper at the same time. We sold our '73 Champion 24' motorhome for the Scamp when the kids left home.

Good luck.

 

[The Highlander]

Mr. Bass (Mr. Army?), anyhoo...

You are are on the right track. Actually, I have a similar 4Runner. They are much more capable tow vehicles than what I started with, a Jeep Cherokee with 4.0L six-banger. And the Jeep did acceptably well with an ultra-light 24' TT. The key word there is "ultra-light."

A salesman wanting to sell you what has been sitting on his lot might assure you that you can safety tow a 9000 lb. 30' TT if that is the one he needs to move. DO NOT believe it!

Know your vehicle's weight capacity. And build in a slush factor when looking at the trailers weight rating. Incidentally, all of them, whether TT, 5th Wheel or whatever, have a weight sticker inside a cabinet. Usually in the kitchen, but may be about anywhere. Since you are going to be looking at the storage and build quality anyway, make sure you find that sticker. Then take it with a grain of salt. Once you load in all your stuff, you will be quite a bit higher than the unloaded weight.

For your 4Runner, you are looking at a popup, either hard or soft sided, or an ultra-light tt. So, either limit your looking to those types of vehicles, or alternatively, look at the camper you can afford and really like, then go trade for the tow vehicle you need to pull it.

The pop-ups today are not what they were 25 years ago, many have slideouts, bathrooms, etc. The hard-side folding campers are pretty cool too. The ultra-light travel trailers would be where I would steer you. They come in sizes from 18' to probably 26' or so.

The couple of things you MUST have are a weight-distributing hitch and tow mirrors.

I have a whole range of items I'd recommend owning, because you will find all sorts of neat things you can't do without once you start camping! In that respect, my family's camping lifestyle is very much like my gun affliction!

And again, check out rv.net. Joinup and I'll see you there.

The Highlander

 

[Seaforth]

I have had 6 travel trailers. Started with a Tear Drop and had a great time when just wife and I. There was an addition to the family.Needed another bed, so went to a Pop-Up was ok, but like most camping trips, it was a rascal to put away in the rain. A pop up would be the last trailer on my list if I had a choice. 2nd child and now need another bed - went to a 5th wheel. That was a real trailer, towed it all over the country with a ton pickup. Then kids started declining in number, and desire to go, so went to a used Air 18 foot Air Stream and a with a used suburban as our tug. Can't begin to tell you the camp sites we enjoyed with that one. Travel time was great, never knew when we had it on the tail. Then went into an Award trailer, 28 footed. It was deluxe living. This size really kept me on my toes while driving it. More so than any other trailer I ever had. Wife and I decided to spend winters south and live in it. My wife passed away one year later. I Sold it. Lived trailer-less for several years and then back at it with a 24 Nomad. Then at 75 years of age, I figured I better stick to motels and make travel for others on the road a little safer.

RV'ing is the greatest. My wife and kids loved it. We still talk about it. ADVICE - Match your needs to size and style and go for it. Just be sure you have enough tow vehicle, that has the proper hitch and brakes that are what is recommened by a proper installer you trust with you and your familys lives. It is a great life.