Looking for a new trailer or 5th wheel and a tow vehicle

Hello all.  We currently have a 96 Coleman Niagara pop up. My wife is tired of all the setup time and we are starting to look at upgrade options. It is a bit overwhelming. We are not in a big hurry to buy. I'm just starting to do research but we hope to get a truck by next May and the RV at the Pomona RV show the following October. 

Here is a little background on us.
We have 6 year old twins so we want bunk beds.
My wife and I are teachers so we love to travel over the summer. (We are currently on a 6 week 7500+ mile road trip from CA to Acadia NP).
We love to visit state and national parks.           
We would like a slide and an outdoor kitchen.
I don't want something too big so we can find spots in smaller state parks.
We want it to last

My brother-in-law is the GSM at a large Ford dealership in Denver so we will likely get a truck from him.

Our debates:
Trailer vs. 5th wheel
1/2 ton gas truck vs. 3/4 ton diesel

The tow vehicle will be my wife's daily commuter car and kid hauler. She travels about 50 miles a day to/from work.

We really like the new F150 Supercrew, but we are concerned that it may not hold up to 25,000 plus miles per year with about 8 total weeks of towing about 8,000lbs of loaded trailer.  We frequently get to fairly high elevations on our travels.

My first thought is to get the F150 and about a 30ft trailer. I have seen plenty at about a 6,000lb. Dry weight.

We have limited experience towing. Our pop up is only 19 feet long when towing so we know this will be a big change.

I'm pretty overwhelmed with all the choices. Any direction on what brands to look at for best track record/reliability, ease of towing (least sway), build quality, used vs. new, brands to avoid, etc.

I'm not exactly great at fixing things so I want something that requires the least maintenance to keep it functional.

Any guidance will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for reading my story

Welcome to the Forum!

That's quite a laundry list but you are doing your homework and there should be some trailer and fifth wheel advice coming your way shortly.

As you shake through your want list, you will find a need to sort it into "must have", "would like to have", and "oops, that conflicts with the other lists".

Enjoy the search and I hope we can help in the long run. Happy hunting!

Kim

Welcome!  And yes, you are definitely thinking about all the options WAY in advance of buying... which is a great thing.  I'm going to move this thread to "Towing and Towables" because you'll get a lot more views and responses there for this particular topic.

The size of your potential new-to-you trailer will have the largest impact on what kind of tow vehicle you look for... I see that you are planning to buy the truck first, but sometimes it makes sense to go the other way.  Especially since you have family at a truck dealer and can probably get the same deal any time.  I didn't see you mention something on a 3/4-ton GAS chassis which may be a good in-between for you.  That's what I'm buying (a 3/4 ton used Suburban) for our future TT towing experience.

Do not be locked into the idea of buying the trailer at an RV show.  You can get the same deals year 'round, just have to ask for them (no matter what a salesman at the show tells you.)  And there are many, many quality used trailers on the private-seller market that can save you a bunch of cash too.

Just keep researching and learning, and you'll find the right camping combo for you, your family, and your budget! 

30 foot trailer - dry weight 6K...man, that is light..and I expect very optimistic. My AF is 12K..31.5 foot but it is winterized. Newer units of mine are heavier.

I think I would want the trailer weighted..and then add the weight of all the stuff you are going to pack into it,..then look for a truck. I am thinking that you would want a max of 26 foot TT with a 150...

I should mention that being able to pull isn't the problems..it is the stopping and handling..especially in non normal conditions that is important.. and you have 2 little ones..

grassy

If you get a half ton you will instatly eliminate fifth wheels. So, lets stick to the TT option.  There are lots of choices that you could safely pull with a half ton.  Not all of them will fit your wish list though.  Personally with a loaded half ton I would be shoping in the under 25 foot range andmkeep your GVWR under 7000 pounds.  Both Forest River and Thor make many models that would fit your needs.  In my area we are seeing a lot of R Pod's in the camp grounds.  Not overly expensive, roomy, and easy to tow.  As an example the Rpod model 182 could fit nicely into your wish list

You may find it interesting that all manufacturers except Nissan now meet the
SAE J2807 standards.

The links below explain the standards and what to expect in towing, towing speed,
breaking, etc.

I found it interesting that now some of the PR magic will be taken out of comparisons.

http://www.trucktrend.com/features/towing/1502-sae-j2807-tow-tests-the-standard/

http://www.automotive-fleet.com/fc_resources/pdf/j2807.pdf

http://www.edmunds.com/car-reviews/features/no-go-for-standardized-tow-ratings.html