Things you wish you would've known~

My husband and I are currently in the market for a travel trailer. We have it narrowed down to two. A keystone Premiere 36' & a Crossroads Sunset Grand Reserve also 36'. We are trying to educate ourselves on rvs so we dont end up with a huge mess. I would really appreciate some honest opions on what to do, what not to do, what you wish you wouldve known or what you would do different.  Any and all information to help us would be greatly appreciated even if its something small.  Im sure this question has been posted before but I could not find it. We just want this to be an enjoyable experience and not a nightmare. If it helps we have 4 kids all together ranging from 2 to 14 and a dog.  If anyone has input on the Brands as well please throw that in! Thanks in advance and Happy Camping! 

Finding an RV that can hold six people and a dog is going to be very difficult. Most RVs are designed for a couple and maybe a grandkid or two. You are going to need a very expensive one ton truck to haul it around with. Anything smaller will not handle the weight of the trailer, the people, the animals and all their stuff. RV salesmen will lie to their own mother to sell an RV so don't let them tell you your current truck will pull one of these trailers unless it is a one ton.

We have found a 36' with 4 bunks, a couch that has a sleeper and a full size bed for me and dad. So plenty of sleeping space. The rv is roughly 35 grand and our truck has the tow package.  We knew going in with 4 kiddos we would need a bunker.

What truck is it?

The best advice I can give you is to relax, take a deep breath and have fun.  What may seem perplexing now will become clear in no time.  If you have the room on your property I'd also suggest you bring that beautiful new RV home and play with it, sleep in it, cook in it and all that other good stuff - keep notes too.
What I wish I'd known is how much we love camping/traveling in our TT - we would have done it years earlier! 

HappyCamper27 said:

My husband and I are currently in the market for a travel trailer. We have it narrowed down to two. A keystone Premiere 36' & a Crossroads Sunset Grand Reserve also 36'. We are trying to educate ourselves on rvs so we dont end up with a huge mess. I would really appreciate some honest opions on what to do, what not to do, what you wish you wouldve known or what you would do different.  Any and all information to help us would be greatly appreciated even if its something small.  Im sure this question has been posted before but I could not find it. We just want this to be an enjoyable experience and not a nightmare. If it helps we have 4 kids all together ranging from 2 to 14 and a dog.  If anyone has input on the Brands as well please throw that in! Thanks in advance and Happy Camping!

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Yeah,what truck.  Tow package doesn't mean it will haul any trailer.

But to your questions.  Wish I had known more about how much storage space you need.  Beach gear,kitchen appliances,camp chairs.  If you can find a slightly used rig,you can get a lot more for your money.  Just take time to look for water damage.

How about privacy and room for changing clothes?  Slideouts are great for a little more breathing room.

x2 on looking for gently used rigs.  Maybe money is no object for you, but $35k is an awful lot to spend on something new that is going to immediately and continuously drop in price.  Like a rock.  Trailers hold their value a little better than motorhomes, but still.

My 2008 travel trailer (32' model, 35' actual length with the tongue) has the exact specs you described... it is a fairly roomy rear quad bunkhouse model, full/queen bedroom on the other end for the wife and I, and a dinette + couch in the middle living area that both turn into beds if needed.  Not much has changed in RV floorplan designs in the last 10 years.  If you want something with some of the newest features (exterior kitchen, U-shaped dinette, remote control operation of many electric features), you can find those in a 4-5 year old model most likely.

Don't get hung up on a particular make/model.  Budget, floorplan, options, and condition (if used) should be your decision-makers.  Research, research, and research some more!  Don't be in a hurry.  As Seilerbird said, 6+1 people and animal(s) is going to be a tight fit in any RV... certainly many people do it, but just be prepared to be up close and personal (anytime you're stuck in the RV for extended periods of time).

You need to gain some understanding on RV weights and truck towing capacities.  Tell us more about your truck (year, make, model, options) that make you think it can handle a trailer that size.  Then we can tell you more. 

I have always bought new. The wife and I just like it that way. The first TT we had was a 26' Layton. Bought it at a show, and had the manufacturer do a few custom things for us. The one thing that I wished I knew was that a "RV Queen" bed is shorter than a regular bed. I am 6'-1" and could never get comfortable on the bed. I wound up having to slide the mattress down about 6" and stuffing pillows in the gap so I could get enough room to stretch out. 

It also had a slide out. The inside roof clearance was short, and I was constantly banging my head on it.  Other than that it was a good entry level TT. My next rig after that was a 30' fifth wheel. 

By the way, I didn't know how addicting the RV lifestyle would be. I have been doing it for 20+ years now, and am on my 9th RV....... 

Really climb in the trailer and pretend you live there. Sit on the toilet. Climb in the shower. Imagine where your clothes and shoes will go X6. What kitchen items do you want, and is there room for them? Then check the tow capacity of your truck. With a family of six you will quickly max out the capacity of your truck because the weight of all the people. I would imagine you need at least a 3/4 ton. My neighbor next door has a family of six and a 32' quad bunk trailer. He has a Ford 250 V10 and says it is underpowered for the trailer. Also remember that kids do nothing but get bigger so make sure you think of that too.

There will be something that will work for your family, your budget, and your truck, but there may be some compromises needed. We towed a pop up with a 7 passenger SUV when we had four kids still at home. Friends of ours, also with four kids, have a hybrid that opens up into a huge space. They pull it with a Suburan. Just don't get too much trailer for your truck or the entire thing will be painful.

SargeW said:

By the way, I didn't know how addicting the RV lifestyle would be. I have been doing it for 20+ years now, and am on my 9th RV....... 

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Hmm, are you sure you really qualify as an "RV veteran" yet?  ??? ;D

Geez, I hope so.  The budget can't take much more.........

SeilerBird said:

Finding an RV that can hold six people and a dog is going to be very difficult. Most RVs are designed for a couple and maybe a grandkid or two. You are going to need a very expensive one ton truck to haul it around with. Anything smaller will not handle the weight of the trailer, the people, the animals and all their stuff. RV salesmen will lie to their own mother to sell an RV so don't let them tell you your current truck will pull one of these trailers unless it is a one ton.

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SeilerBird and the other posts in this thread are giving you excellent advice.  Lots of people have bought expensive, very fine trailers only to discover they need to spend as much again, or more, to get a truck that will safely tow them.  The basics:  Use the trailer GVWR (not the dry weight) for figuring this out; don't use up all your truck's towing/carrying capacity (keep some reserve for safety); and look at a truck's door sticker for its specific towing and carrying capacities.  Assume 12-15% of the trailer GVWR for weight on the hitch, and add passengers, the weight of the hitch and cargo weights, then compare to the truck's stickered payload capacity.

All this is not difficult - but it is extremely important.

For a trailer for that many people, you're likely to need at least a 1-ton and even then, you might need a 1-ton with dual rear wheels.  Better to have too much truck than not enough.

At my RV park I see more and more large families towing these large travel trailers with diesel or V10 powered 15 passenger Vans.

This one family had 8 kids and a dog here on a vacation to Disneyland form Quebec.

A large pickup truck is not mandatory.

TonyDtorch said:

A large pickup truck is not mandatory.

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Agreed, although trucks are probably most common.  But my sister's family and mine are both non-truck examples.  We pull our 32' bunkhouse TT with a 2500 series (3/4 ton) Suburban, which are rare but they are out there.  They pull their 29' bunkhouse TT with a 3500 series (1 ton) 12 passenger van.  Both arrangements work out great for our families.

I had a 9 pass. 3/4 ton Suburban, it was a perfect vehicle for our large family.

That 454 was great engine,  it got 11 mpg.... it did't mater if you were empty, or towing the Queen Mary.

First thing is teach everyone to pack in one small soft sided back pack.

Show everyone the public showers and bathrooms at the campground.

Send kids on errands like hauling out small bags of garbage. Keeping everybody out of the trailer as much as possible other than sleeping is huge boon.

Get a few outdoor chairs, and a few nylon hammocks. They make great swing chairs as well as a place for a kid or adult to lay down and relax with a book or electronic gadgetry.

Better get everyone drinking water and not a mountain of assorted drinks. The fridge is only so big. If you must have tons of drinks, you may need a cooler and ice for outdoors. Can't keep food outside, or you'll end up with raccoons shopping there too.

I use a portable Berkey water purifier, so I always have delicious water without spending a dime on bottled water.
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=as_li_ss_tl?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=berkey+water+purifier&linkCode=ll2&tag=recreationalvehicles-20&linkId=6a09926ba8d53e5fc7530a651c3863a8

I see many families arrive with bicycles and bike racks. It's a fabulous family pastime and it keeps the kids out of your hair (and out of your rig!) Some even bring the bikes inside the trailer while traveling. Lock all the bicycles up at night.

Doggy needs two water bowls, inside and outside. Also an  outdoor longer tether so he can enjoy being with his family outside around the camp.

Buy things that are going to stay with the trailer, so you aren't moving this mountain of stuff back and forth every time you travel.

Keep some extra cans and ingredients on hands that can make a complete meal in case plans go astray and you're camping 40 miles from a closed store.

I see loads of families enjoying their camping. Many train the children to do a lot of chores to make it a team effort.