Newbie help with travel trailer and pickup

The 1500 vs 2500 thing.....about that: 

With a newbie who lacks experience towing, I always recommend overkill on the truck for the simple reason that a big truck is more forgiving should something go wrong.  Blown tire, sudden crosswind, loss of trailer brakes....in any of these scenarios, a bigger truck gives a newbie a far better chance of gathering things up than if they're on the ragged edge of the tow vehicle's capabilities. 

"Long long trailer" and "RV" are both pretty hilarious depictions of camping, and will be even funnier after you do it for awhile and have experienced a few speedbumps of your own.

There is a good recent thread elsewhere on finding campgrounds & making reservations... I'll try to find the link.  The forum's Destinations, RV Parks, Routes section is a good place to ask about that. 

I realize MI is your origin and maybe not your destination, but we love Covert Beach & Campground in Covert, MI during the summer months.  Great weather, amazing sandy beaches along a stretch of Lake Michigan, and nice local sites and festivals in the South Haven area.  It's the closest that we can get to an oceanside beach destination here in the corny (as in cornfields) Midwest, within reasonable driving distance. 

scottydl said:

There is a good recent thread elsewhere on finding campgrounds & making reservations... I'll try to find the link.

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Here it is... Reservations required?

There's nothing like spending all night with two sick crying and screaming toddlers then waking up to a group of AWESOME people taking their time out of the lives to give a complete stranger great advice. Thank you. You guys made my day.

I am going to ask my dealer to show me used units today and really emphasize on the floor plan. Like I said before, I feel like I am sacrificing for the bigger trailer with more storage, bunk house without the pull out, and no outdoor kitchen and entry to the bath. But the other one seems So much homier because it's 4 feet longer and the living space and bathroom is so much bigger - along with the full size fridge. I guess I'm torn because I want both but there are no floor plans with both.

For sale purposes, I'm not going to be in a hail area - hopefully it doesn't happen by chance, but do people veer away from aluminum if there is hail damage on the aluminum? or does the buyer know it's just a little cosmetic and no big deal? The reason I ask this, is because I  saw a used unit that I want (2015 instead of 2016) and it's got "slight hail damage" so the dealer knocked it down to $12,999 (instead of $19,999 new). It's halfway across the country and I think it'll cost close to new if I ship it to here so I'm not entaining the idea, but the hail made the price so much lower from a dealership than I thought it would be.

Thank you in advance! I will reply tonight after seeing some more models today.

Minor hail on an aluminum skinned trailer won't hurt a thing other than cosmetic.  Getting it shipped halfway across the country will likely negate any savings you get.  If it was on your dealer's lot, it could be a bargaining chip....but I wouldn't look at one from a distance.

Although I was planning to buy a used trailer, they didn't have anything I wanted and my husband didn't want to think about trailers any more. So - we just put your deposit down on our 2016 Wildwood 36BHBS
and will be closing on Monday.

Could you guys give me your opinion on the truck? I am definitely NOT buying new. What year and how many miles do you guys consider when you are buying? I saw a 2005 ford 2500 for $10k. But my husband said he was looking for something a little big newer and with less miles. I read that trucks are good for over 200k but I don't know what good mileage is. Is there a certain year span you guys would consider good and mileage good? I was thinking anything from 2010 - now and with less than 100k miles. Maybe around 80k?

Just so you guys know, we paid $21,115 total ($19,999 without tax) - for anybody who is researching and wants that brand. And that's with them delivering it to my home since I don't have a truck. I wanted to state the reason we did buy it so quickly was because my husband wanted to save money on renting the next 5 months were living here ($5k) and if any problems do arise, we will stay with our parents until the trailer is fixed. You guys did warn me about problems in the beginning. That way all the problems will be fixed while we are living in it for the next 5-6 months before we start our trip.

Kapron82 said:

Although I was planning to buy a used trailer, they didn't have anything I wanted and my husband didn't want to think about trailers any more. So - we just put your deposit down on our 2016 Wildwood 36BHBS
and will be closing on Monday.

Could you guys give me your opinion on the truck? I am definitely NOT buying new. What year and how many miles do you guys consider when you are buying? I saw a 2005 ford 2500 for $10k. But my husband said he was looking for something a little big newer and with less miles. I read that trucks are good for over 200k but I don't know what good mileage is. Is there a certain year span you guys would consider good and mileage good? I was thinking anything from 2010 - now and with less than 100k miles. Maybe around 80k?

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diesels will regularly run 200,000 miles not a gas jobby Ram Ford and Gm all make comparable trucks there are many discussions here lol

that's all I'm saying _ SELF IMPOSSED SILENCE LOL 8)

steveblonde said:

diesels will regularly run 200,000 miles not a gas jobby Ram Ford and Gm all make comparable trucks there are many discussions here lol

that's all I'm saying _ SELF IMPOSSED SILENCE LOL 8)

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You?  Silent?  What has happened to my Canadian partner in crime?  I know....it was the Mallard thing, wasn't it?  You're DUCKing the debate LOL.

Trucks. 

If you're shopping for a 2500/3500 diesel, you'll want to avoid the infamous Ford 6.0 (AKA "Sick" liter) Powerstroke (Late 2003-2007).  Research it on Google if you want to know why.  Beyond that, look for service records and overall condition.  The earlier or later Powerstrokes are good, as are the Duramax (GM) and the Cummins (Dodge/Ram).  A well maintained diesel should run well beyond 300K miles.

For gas pickups, as long as the maintenance was done, 200K isn't unreasonable.  All of the Big 3 offerings are good, find a nice one with maintenance records and take it home with you. 

There are at least 11 gas powered pick-ups with over 200,000 miles on them in the department where I work. The one I drive daily has 258k and doesn't use a cup of oil between changes at 5000 miles. Yes, the front end on mine is getting a little loose, but mechanically that's about all that is wrong with it.

Like water off a ducks back 

FIRST  Only consider 2500 / F250 / F350 / 3500 pickups!!  I strongly suggest diesel.

The Ford 6.0L diesel was problematic, so you would be wise to avoid them.  I believe that includes 2006 - 2010 models.
Drive all three, then flip a 3 sided coin.  A diesel under 150K miles should be fine.  Obviously, you will need a crew cab to have room for the family.  Crew Cabs are actually easier to find than any other cab.  You may prefer a long bed and cap just for the storage space.

STEVE  Please chime in as needed!!  You are our truck expert - and you know what an expert is!

grashley said:

FIRST  Only consider 2500 / F250 / F350 / 3500 pickups!!  I strongly suggest diesel.

The Ford 6.0L diesel was problematic, so you would be wise to avoid them.  I believe that includes 2006 - 2010 models.
Drive all three, then flip a 3 sided coin.  A diesel under 150K miles should be fine.  Obviously, you will need a crew cab to have room for the family.  Crew Cabs are actually easier to find than any other cab.  You may prefer a long bed and cap just for the storage space.

STEVE  Please chime in as needed!!  You are our truck expert - and you know what an expert is!

Click to expand...

He's our fine feathered friend!!

steveblonde said:

Like water off a ducks back 

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Crew cabs are roomy, definitely the best choice.  Availability depends on where you live.  I bought new in 2014 because I couldn't find a decent used diesel.  All of them were 250K miles and beat to parade rest by the oil field guys, and they still wanted $25K for the truck.  I figured for that much cash, I'd throw in a bit more and buy it new.  But that's here...some places, you can find nice used 2500/3500's.

Gordon gordon gordon my brother from a different mother . Ford Ram or Chevy/ Gm  have since 2010 picked up their game - personally i love the pavement princess Chevy dispite having the least power of the three its the smoothest ride the most expensive with the highest resale value but im not in the least bias , Ram has the most power - but the highest cost of ownership - Ford is the work horse but rides like a lumber wagon. BUT all three are very good it depends on personal preference. I will now retreat to my hole lol 8) Flame suit on 

We have a 2008 Ford F250 and it does not have the 6.0 engine.  I thought 2006 was the last year for the problematic 6.0.

2002- was the pre-emission 7.3l
2003-2007 is the 6.0l
2008-2010 6.4l
2011+ 6.7l

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Super_Duty

Is this (attached image) the model/floorplan you ended up with?  Very similar to my Wildwood (except yours is 8 years newer ) although our bedrooms are reversed... master bed/bath in the front and bunkroom in the rear.  And we don't have the sliding doors, which for your temporary fulltimer purposes I think will really work well.  Congrats on the purchase!  Considering your circumstances and the somewhat-rush to buy, I think you made a good choice and got a decent price.

** Since you don't have a truck yet, try to negotiate with the dealer to come pick up the unit for any near-future warranty repairs **
I'm not sure if they will agree to that or not... and realistically, many issues with new rigs may not crop up until you hit the road to go somewhere and everything starts bouncing/shaking around.

I'm more familiar with the gasoline GM platform for 3/4-ton trucks, after researching them for many months when shopping for my suburban.  There are 2500-series Suburbans out there with the 8.1L engine (which you'd want over the older 6.0L) with 4:10 gears up to 2010 I believe, and then the top engine offering became the reformulated 6.0L with higher towing limits.  Max tow capacity should be around 12,000# with the old 8.1L or the new 6.0L but don't quote me on that.  The next set of publications you'll want to become familiar with are the Trailer Life Towing Guides, where you can look up factory tow ratings on just about any truck you are considering.  The usual conditions are engine, gear ratio, and tow package... the combination of those factors = the total towing capacity.  You want to try and max out on everything; biggest engine, biggest gears, etc.  They all get terrible gas mileage so just be prepared for that. 

Congratulations on your new trailer.  I hope you absolutely love it and have many great adventures.  Don't forget our National Parks and State parks in your travels.  So much to see out there!!

Robin

I'm an idiot. I didn't realize there was a page 2.
Another dummy question, What is the difference between a 150/1500 10,000 capable truck and a 250/2500 10,000 capable truck? I'm getting the 250/25000 but I was wondering the engine? I don't know anything about trucks. Why do you prefer gas or diesel and why. I hear diesel cost more but lasts longer, drives better and gets better mileage but gas is cheaper, doesn't last as long mileagewise. Is that right?

Yes, that is my layout. I didn't know I could attach pictures. That would've been easier, huh? Lol. I also for some reason thought that I could haul the family in the trailer but have been reading it's outlawed in a lot of states. When buying something for the first time, you don't think to consider if there are seat belts in the trailer. Sad, because I wanted my kids to be comfortable. Didn't even think about the safety options/hazards. That was my big - you are an idiot moment.