First TT - Help Us Decide What's Important

My family of four is looking to buy a travel trailer for both a cross country trip next summer and frequent local camping. We've been researching and visiting lots and have a few remaining questions that I don't feel we can have answered at a dealer, so if any of you have strong feelings, please feel free to say. Your opinions are greatly appreciated!

Our situation: our ideal RV is about a 25 foot slightly used fiberglass TT with a bunkhouse for under 15k that we intend to keep for about 10 years. We are yet to find this. We've found some used aluminum ones around 10, some new aluminum ones around 14, some used fiberglass ones around 15, and some new fiberglass ones around 17 and we 'like' all of them.

1. New, Used, or Very used? We want to buy a 2-5 year old used one, but are having a hard time finding a deal good enough to justify it. Some 2018s are only 1k or so more than 2013s, 2015s, etc. We're a little hesitant about buying older than that because neither of us wants a 'project'.

2. Aluminum vs. Fiberglass, and how important is this?

3. Slides? Worth it or not? Prone to breaking or not? I'm ambivalent, my husband wants one.

4. Should we buy bigger or smaller than we think we'll need? Did you buy too much, too little, or just right? We're trying to decide on size vs. towing ability, which brings me to my next question?

5. For a half ton pickup, what weight should we absolutely be staying under? We're getting different info from dealers vs. RVers. Some say 70%, some 80%, some dealers seem to be underestimating gross weight.

I think you'll find that people on here will need more specific info on your tow vehicle.  Make, model, engine, 2 wheel/4wheel drive etc. !/2 ton doesn't really mean a whole lot.

Go to "the RV forum" for this type info.>>>Dan

We don't have one yet. We're buying both at the same time, but my husband would like a good balance of decent mileage and towing capacity.

You have two situations here. The trailer you decide on will then determine how much truck you need. And the truck you decide on will determine how much trailer you can safely tow. Don't listen to the dealers when you are looking. They'll tell you that your "Prius" can tow that 30' bumper pull. (sarc). Remember, they are only there to sell RV's. Don't use the dry weight of the trailer in your calculations. Search these forums for more discussions on this situation.

25 foot seems pretty small for four people,imo.  We started with 25 ft for the two of us and I'm kind of glad we only spent one weekend in it before moving up to a fifth wheel.  I would say a slide out is imperative if you go smaller length. 

Consider being rained in for days.  Will there be any privacy?  Do the adults fit in the shower?

I would advise a 3/4 or one ton truck to give you the opportunity to have a bigger camper. 

Have you been watching Craigslist and RV Trader sites?

Happy trails!

What's important? Floorplan, floorplan, floorplan. Get the RV that fits your lifestyle, then get a truck to haul it around. Always, always, always use the trailers Gross Vehicle weight to judge your tow vehicle. Most salesman would lie to their mother to make a sale, feel free to listen to them, but take everything they say with a large grain of salt. Don't be surprised if the trailer you really like is bigger & heavier than you thought. You may need a 3/4 ton to haul it. I wouldn't have any RV without slides at this point.

1. New, Used, or Very used? We want to buy a 2-5 year old used one, but are having a hard time finding a deal good enough to justify it. Some 2018s are only 1k or so more than 2013s, 2015s, etc. We're a little hesitant about buying older than that because neither of us wants a 'project'.

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Used is better financially and there are many excellent 2-10 year old RVs out there, but you have to be prepared to do a lot of shopping and get shown some real duds.  Remember, you are looking at houses, not cars, so "previously owned" is the norm rather than second choice.

2. Aluminum vs. Fiberglass, and how important is this?

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Not really important. Fibergass is a bit more stylish (and priced higher), but both keep the weather out.    The structure inside the walls can be either wood or metal, with metal preferred somewhat because it doesn't rot if there is a water leak in the future sometime. The lowest priced rigs will be "stick & tin", meaning wood framing and metal siding.

Roof material is of some importance, with the better roofs made of TPO, fiberglass sheet, or aluminum. EPDM rubber is the least expensive and least desirable because it holds dirt in the pores of the membrane and sheds a dirty, chalky powder that puts streaks on the sides of the trailer as rain or dew runs off. Most travel trailers have EPDM rubber roofs, though, so your choices in this is likely to be limited.

3. Slides? Worth it or not? Prone to breaking or not? I'm ambivalent, my husband wants one.

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Slides are excellent for making a smaller rig larger when parked.  Slides that make an RV wider than the highway width limit (8.5 ft) can really open up the "livability" of any size rig.  Front or rear slides can make a short rig longer on the campsite and give additional bedroom space.  You should base your choice on your space needs, not just slide vs no slide.

4. Should we buy bigger or smaller than we think we'll need? Did you buy too much, too little, or just right? We're trying to decide on size vs. towing ability, which brings me to my next question?

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Bigger - most newcomers underestimate space needs, both storage and people-room.  That cute galley and tiny bath gets old real quick if you are in it for more than a weekend, and kids take up a lot of space once they come inside (nights or bad weather). Also think about space for Mom & Dad once the kids go to bed.

5. For a half ton pickup, what weight should we absolutely be staying under? We're getting different info from dealers vs. RVers. Some say 70%, some 80%, some dealers seem to be underestimating gross weight.

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I assume you are talking about the truck max tow capacity?  With a family of 4, I would say 80% of max tow rating.  You also need to be concerned about truck payload (cargo capacity), because 4 people plus some gear or toys in the truck bed are going to eat up a chunk of cargo payload and you might come up short for the weight the trailer places on the hitch.
RV sales people often cite trailer dry (empty) weight, but ignore that. Use the trailer GVWR in all your estimates.  For tongue weight, use 10 of trailer GVWR as the estimate. The actual will probably be more like 12% (more is better) of the actual loaded trailer weight, but that loaded weight is probably a bit less than the GVWR.

25' usually means bunks OR master bedroom. You're probably going to be more in the 27' to 29' range. It doesn't sound like much difference but those extra couple of feet usually allow for both bunks in the rear AND a master bedroom area up front.


We are a family of four as well. Our first TT was a 27' bunkhouse with no slide. We liked it and owned it for 5 years but when we moved up to a 29' with one slide (same overall layout otherwise), we could not believe the difference in room. I vote for slides! We owned the 29' TT for 7 years and the only "problem" we had with the slide was it needed an adjustment in year 5 or 6. When extended, the floor stopped about a 1/2" short of full deployment.


I'd also recommend double/full sized bunks. The single bunks work fine but doubles allow friends to stay over and just generally give the kids more room for those rainy days others have mentioned.

With kids - one thing I would look for is a layout where no one is sleeping on the dinette.  Kids sleep in and adults want coffee 

We bought within our budget which meant no slide.  I would LOVE a slide to open up the walkway a bit but being within budget was and is still more important.

We already had the pickup, so bought with that limitation in mind.  If you are buying both, I wouldn't rule out a 3/4 ton pickup.  Compare gas mileage and prices and I bet you will be surprised.  Our 1/2 ton gets a whopping 8 mpg when we are pulling the trailer!

We have aluminum.  You would have to ask, but I think fiberglass is lighter so you may be able to buy something a little longer with that skin, but the aluminum is just fine - keeps the rain out.

We love our electric tongue jack.  We love the air conditioning. 

And finally - remember that the price of the trailer and truck are just for starters.  You'll need a weight distribution hitch and sway bar, probably a generator (or two), various hoses, leveling blocks, chocks, camping chairs, and potentially a million other gadgets and doo-dads that you never knew you "needed".

Have fun and good luck!

Your first RV is rarely your best choice or your last RV, I think.  Just remember it will be a great adventure and learning experience but don't break the bank on your first one because you WILL be looking to "upgrade" within' the first two years most likely.  At least that is my limited experience.  We just bought our third in 7 years and plan on it being our last. Ha!  We'll see!

Good luck and get those kids out doors!