Help! I need a trailer that can be pulled by a Sienna and sleep 6!

So, I have my wife and four kids to accommodate, and I'm 100% new to this.  I work full time in IT, and I also pastor a smaller church.  The oddness to this is that the church is 1.5 hours from where I live.  I've been doing this for 5 years, driving to the town every weekend.  We used to stay with members a lot, and we had plans to work something out with a local hotel to stay, but it just hasn't worked out.  We also don't want to avoid wearing out our welcome.  I'm not opposed to moving to that town, but I'm the sole breadwinner, so uprooting the family with a new job and new home is a hard mix.  Therefore, I'm thinking of using an RV as a compromise for now. 

I own a 2015 Toyota Sienna XLE, and I understand it has what it needs to haul.  I just need to have a tow bar added.  It has a 3500lb limit, so I need a trailer that can be hauled by the Sienna.  However, the hard part is also needing to sleep 6.  I have seen some newer Coleman trailers that just do meet this, but I was hoping to find something used.  I want to just try to park it in that town at an RV park, and use it mostly on the weekends. 

Any information would help appreciated! 

Welcome.

I think you would be looking at a pop-up trailer at most.

Another option is to see what kind of rates you can get for a year round site.  You don't say where you are,so the weather,either heat or cold,may make an rv unusable year round.  You could get something bigger and have it delivered to a camp ground.

When you say these trailers meet the 3300 lbs,where are you getting your numbers from? 

I found this.

https://rv.campingworld.com/rvdetails/new-travel-trailer-rvs/2018-coleman-coleman-lantern-lt-17fq-bunkhouse-10k-ORV1481254

You should be looking at tents. There is too much weight in six people and their gear to be safely pulled by an SUV. You need a big truck and a huge RV or tents. No getting around it.

You cannot tow 3500 pounds and 6 people with gear.  You need a larger vehicle or a new plan.

SeilerBird said:

You should be looking at tents. There is too much weight in six people and their gear to be safely pulled by an SUV. You need a big truck and a huge RV or tents. No getting around it.

Click to expand...

While I?m sure you don?t want to use a tent, Tom is correct, the math doesn?t work. That trailer weighs 3200 empty and by the time you add passengers to your vehicle and gear to your trailer you?d almost certainly be overweight. I realize this isn?t the answer you were hoping for.

When we were first married, 1973, we camped with my wife?s parents in a pop up camper. With my wife?s sister and her husband there were six of us. It was comfortable enough. We showered and used the toilet at the various campgrounds we stayed at. It can be done. Your other option is to purchase a large self contained RV and leave it at a location where the church is. Is the church parking lot large enough that you can leave an RV there during the week? I?m sure you could find a way to run power and water to the RV from the church. There are ways you can dispose of the grey and black tank contents. Food for thought.

Another option ....
Get the size trailer you need and have it delivered to church parking lot or close by.
Perhaps the church may purchase the RV?
We have a church close by that does this with its pastors. They usually bring in 5th wheels for the duration of the stays of the visiting pastors.

That Sienna isn't going to be able to pull anything that can house 6 people, not even for a weekend. The weight of people and gear in the van decreases what it can tow, and even the full 3500 would not be adequate.  What you could do, maybe, is have a trailer delivered to the chosen campground by someone else (the seller?). Or tow it there yourself, with the trailer empty and only you in the van.  And just park the trailer at the cg and leave it there.

There are plenty of used trailers around but you need to devote more than casual effort to finding one that fits your needs and budget and also in good condition.  A large pop-up trailer can sleep six for a weekend and provide the basics while using the campground bath and such. A 12 foot pop-up opens to about 24 ft and has beds for 6, a modest galley, etc., and is well within the Sienna's tow capacity at around 2300 lbs empty (under 3000 lb loaded).

http://www.forestriverinc.com/camping-trailers/flagstaff-tent

Welcome to the Forum from another minister!

Bad news first - that Sienna will NOT pull ANY camper that will comfortably house 6 people.  Here is why.

That 3500# Tow Capacity assumes ONLY two passengers at 150# each, a full gas tank, and nothing more!  No cargo, no tools, no extras equipment, like hitches and receivers.  For every added pound of passengers and cargo, subtract a pound of tow capacity.

The camper you referenced is 3200# Dry weight, or EMPTY.  Add sheets, blankets, pillows, soap, shampoo, towels, clothes, pots and pans, games for the kids, ...  and you are well above 3500#, probably above 4000#, and THAT is the weight you are actually towing.

That is a nice camper and about as small as you could go and still be somewhat comfortable.  It is just way too big for your van.

Suggestions:  I hope you planned to leave this parked somewhere near the church - maybe the church parking lot.
Negotiate for the seller to deliver the camper to the site it will stay.
Is there a church member or friend with a truck that would pick it up and tow to the permanent site?
You could pull the camper with the Sienna - ONE TIME - from the dealer to the site IF - NO passengers, EMPTY TRAILER and carry the necessities to the TT on other trips.
Used TT are a much better deal for many reasons.  Look on line at RVTrader, E Bay, PPL  and local camper dealers.

Be aware that TT, especially entry level are horribly insulated and near impossible to heat in cold winters.  If you are on the coast, it may not be an issue.  If you are in higher elevations, it could render the TT unusable for a couple months a year.

Trust the Lord.  If this is part of His plan, it will happen.  If it is not His plan, you will hit stumbling blocks holding up more stumbling blocks.

no. not with 6 people. no pup - even the little 1480 lb one I was thinking, will work for you with that many people.  people always forget about the weight of the tv with the people, thats what got you there. pickup truck time, the good news? you dont need a full size. I tow with a nissan frontier - the best 6 cylinder on the market. 6800lbs, 450 tongue max. THEN you get a popup. they are famous for having silly huge amounts of sleeping space. and with 6? you got plenty of helpers!! good luck. get a truck!

dave

The price of the trailer you linked to is listed at just under $12K. That much (even much less) would buy a nice used class C that could easily sleep 6. Generally speaking, it doesn't cost any more to park a motorhome at an RV park than a camp trailer.

I would say either a class A and tow the Sienna (if towable) or something else if you need transportation to and from the church. Or getting a trailer or 5r, find a place to park it semi-permanently and have someone else put it there.

Even if you can park it at the church, you will still have to have it towed to a dump site to dump the waste tanks, unless the church is willing to put in a septic dump for you there.

I agree with all above. You can?t tow what you need with your SUV.

Buy the right trailer. Have it towed to the RV Park by someone with the right truck (RV sales can sometime do it and the are pros who do it all the time).

Thank you all for the replies and information.  It just confirms what I've been reading and watching on youtube.  The Van just isn't going to cut it.  We like the idea of a cheap trailer, but also don't want to be miserable trying to cram us all in a little place every weekend.  We apparently have several dealerships around that town since we are off the interstate.  We went to one dealership (Mid State RV in Byron) Saturday and actually got into several different kinds.  My wife wasn't sure about this, but as she started looking at what a travel trailer can be she was a lot more enthusiastic about it.  So far, here are some options and I just don't know what is best.  Also, My wife really doesn't want to part with our Sienna, but I don't want to take on another 500-600 a month on top of that payment. 

Option 1.  Keep the van, Buy a cheaper truck (12-15k) and buy a travel trailer.  This is what I'm looking at more closely.  I am currently driving my parents 99 Camry to avoid another payment, but I know it won't last forever.  I really would like a truck, but I really don't want another vehicle payment.  In this scenario, we gain insurance for both another vehicle and trailer.  This seems to be the most expensive option, but gives me a truck to drive that would eventually be paid back off. 

Option 2.  The second most likely option is to just buy a class C or A, and tow the van.  We would use this often, but not to travel as much.  When we do, we like the idea of having the back open as needed, but I don't know if I like having to tow my Van.  I've read it can be dangerous to do that due to debris and stuff hitting the van.

Option 3.  Trade in the Van on an SUV and buy a trailer that fits under the weight capacity.  We could likely get what we needed, but SUVs can't tow as much as trucks (total weight is higher).  My wife also hates SUVs, and to get into something that would tow a larger trailer, the MPG takes a big hit.  We travel a lot (200 miles every weekend at least) so this could have a huge impact on our finances outside of towing. 

I have a Class A license, so I'm good for whatever size I assume, however, I don't like the cost of maintenance on Class As.  I just don't see enough benefit to trade over into an A from a C if we went with a motorhome.  Also, to add more confusion to this, my wife is very late(and I don't mean to work...).  Tested negative several times, but if it hasn't changed by Thursday she will see a Dr.  So, we are hinging on a possible child number 5.  That means a Truck is no longer an option.  Class C sounds more like an option, IF I can haul our Sienna with it the few times a year we would use it.  In fact, as few times as we would use it, it might be easier to just drive the van alongside the RV. 

Also, the travel trailer we found we liked the most was called Light by Open Range.  Not sure the year or other details (salesman were not too interested in us with it being 1hr tell closing, so we just walked around and looked).  It was amazing and could sleep 8-9.  We loved the openness and the back bedroom with 4 bunk beds.  That's really what we are basing other options off of, we would like something like that. 

I don't recall you saying what part of the country you're in which is important because of the heat/cold factor.  Most travel trailers are meant for summer vacation travel and very hot or very cold weather can be difficult because they aren't very well insulated as a rule of thumb.  Are you in a moderate climate?  With poorly insulated RVs of any type you can spend a lot on propane trying to keep the place warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

Have you considered what we call a mobile home?  These are the ones that usually are driven to a mobile home park/trailer park and placed on a site more or less permanently.  If there's a mobile home park near your church this might be a viable option because you would drive to it, live in it for the weekend, and drive home.  With a mobile home you wouldn't have to worry about dumping waste tanks because they usually are hooked into a sewer system.  They also tend to be better insulated than a travel trailer so can handle temperature extremes better.  If there is a mobile home park in the area it might be worth driving through to see if there are any For Sale signs.  Owners tend to sell mobile homes in a manner more similar to houses than RVs because they usually stay in place.

ArdraF

I live in south GA. 

Yes, I've considered just buying a mobile home in the area for cheap as a second home.  My hesitation was how permanent it would be.  I would have a home in one town, and another.  I rather liked the idea of being able to take the "second home" with me, as well as use it at other times. 

Right now, I'm on the "trailers are junk" youtube train.  I assume there are better-made trailers that don't have as much trouble, but it does concern me to buy used.  I need to figure out which is which. 

None of your options included parking the camper near the church.  Is this not a viable option?  You keep the van to use as you do now.  No need to drag the camper with you 200 miles every week.  If / when you wish to go somewhere else with the camper, THEN you find a truck that can tow it.  If the other trips are reasonably short to not very often, pulling the TT with the truck and carrying the family in the van may be preferable to other choices.

You typed while I typed.

For your definition of all trailers are junk, you may not be too far off if you expect a $12,000 new entry level camper to last 15 years, being used to live in every weekend plus vacation time.  Brand does not matter.  No $12,000 camper will survive that usage that long without LOTS of maintenance.

A more expensive camper will survive much better.  The added expense is for things like better fabric on the dinette and couch that is not worn out in 3 years.  Thicker plywood in the floors and roof that do not flex as much.  Better quality cabinetry in the kitchen, bath and bedrooms.  Better insulation.  Better flooring - longer lasting.  Better bedding.  Bigger water heater and holding tanks.  I realize a NEW $60,000 TT is completely out of the question, but a 7 year old TT that sold new for $55,000 may now sell for only $20,000 and serve your needs better and longer than a new unit of the same price.

Food for thought.