Advice for family vacation with first TT

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
Status
Not open for further replies.
its not just accidents its being pulled over and hassled - made to leave trailers and sled and atvs at the side of the road, they often use mobile scales to weight vehicles, also who wants the hassle. The BC  police are famous for pulling over people = its happened to people i know who have had vehicles impounded for being over weight - happened 2 years ago to a friend in IDAHO for pulling a 5er too big for his 2500 had the trailer impounded till he could unload stuff 400lbs worth of stuff
you need to look at the BIGGER picture 
 
  I'm so thankful I don't live there.  Here in CA it's ....if there ain't no problem... then there ain't no problems.

hell,  1/2 the people driving are uninsured and can't speak English anyway.
 
What would that 'IDAHO' cop say... if you taken your whole F150 body complete with the yellow door sticker and everything... and put it on top of a 2-1/2 ton military chassis ?

In America, You are allowed to modify a non commercial truck (or car) to do whatever you want.

do you think that dumb cop would still make you unload 400 lbs ?  ;)
 
Obviously you dont get it and never will

That dumb cop as you call him has a portable set of scales and is there to enforce the law and in my friends case he was overweight his trailer was too heavy on the pin and was over his yellow label by 400 lbs - he was told to park and unhook - they then calked a towtruck and impounded his trailer he them removed stuff from the trailer and bought it to indian creek campground and then went back to pay the fine some $600 plus the tow bill about another $200 and was allowed to take off with his now lightened trailer.

This arguement is not ever going to end because you think because you drove a tractor trailer you know all the rules and maybe you do know something about the commercial world - this is not that world its kinda like saying because dope is legal in california and im from california i smoke dope legally in new york. They are worlds apart and i am relaying real world rv experiances and knowledge. As more and more places seek avenues for revenue you will see things like this occur. The legallity is only a part of the issue and you my friend dont get it and probably never will. Its got nothing to do with right or wrong its about money bottom line. So why temp fate if you do you pay its like speeding your gonna get caught sooner or later ( i hate speed limits when driving sports cars designed to do 200 mph and when i get caught which i eventually do i pay the tickets)
 
Welcome to the forum. In response to your original question, I personally don?t think the trip to Disney World you were considering is unreasonable at all. As suggested by other responders to your post, two or three trial runs close to home would benefit your setup times and how the TT you buy and your tow vehicle handles.
  I don?t have nearly as much experience as many of the other folks on this forum, but because of that I can still remember the nervousness I felt when we took our trailer our the first few times....and all the mistakes we made. Lol!
  One thing I learned right off the bat was all miles are not created equal. When I plan a trip, instead of deciding on how many miles I need to go per day, I look at what is in between my starting point and my final destination. Big cities, heavy traffic, mountains, bad weather......all these things affect my driving plan and the amount of fatigue I experience. I usually have alternate routes planned for ?just in case scenarios?. For example, if I was planning the trip you originally posted about I would have planned stopping the first day just short of Atlanta and buzzing through there early the next morning before rush hour. That?s because I know how the traffic in Atlanta can be. Next, I would have made another stop short of Disney World....like Valdosta, Lake City, somewhere like that. The last day you can leisurely cruise into Disney World with plenty of time to get set up and still have some time to explore the park if you wanted. On trips home, seems like I?m out of vacation mode and always seem to be able to make better time and travel further for some reason.
  Most of our trips are out west where the traffic is lighter and the roads get nice and straight. Wind can be an issue for sure, but in general it is a much more relaxing driving experience than anywhere in the east or southeast. But there are tons of really great campgrounds and things to see in those areas of the county, so we just sometimes suck it up and deal with it. ?
  Happy travels to you and your family.
 
Boonieman said:
Welcome to the forum. In response to your original question, I personally don?t think the trip to Disney World you were considering is unreasonable at all. As suggested by other responders to your post, two or three trial runs close to home would benefit your setup times and how the TT you buy and your tow vehicle handles.
  I don?t have nearly as much experience as many of the other folks on this forum, but because of that I can still remember the nervousness I felt when we took our trailer our the first few times....and all the mistakes we made. Lol!
  One thing I learned right off the bat was all miles are not created equal. When I plan a trip, instead of deciding on how many miles I need to go per day, I look at what is in between my starting point and my final destination. Big cities, heavy traffic, mountains, bad weather......all these things affect my driving plan and the amount of fatigue I experience. I usually have alternate routes planned for ?just in case scenarios?. For example, if I was planning the trip you originally posted about I would have planned stopping the first day just short of Atlanta and buzzing through there early the next morning before rush hour. That?s because I know how the traffic in Atlanta can be. Next, I would have made another stop short of Disney World....like Valdosta, Lake City, somewhere like that. The last day you can leisurely cruise into Disney World with plenty of time to get set up and still have some time to explore the park if you wanted. On trips home, seems like I?m out of vacation mode and always seem to be able to make better time and travel further for some reason.
  Most of our trips are out west where the traffic is lighter and the roads get nice and straight. Wind can be an issue for sure, but in general it is a much more relaxing driving experience than anywhere in the east or southeast. But there are tons of really great campgrounds and things to see in those areas of the county, so we just sometimes suck it up and deal with it. ?
  Happy travels to you and your family.
Click to expand...

I certainly agree with most of the above. The one minor thing I like to do differently is to travel just past a major city at the end of my day. That way, in the morning, I am headed out of town unlike the zillion cars heading in.
 
Lynx0849 said:
I certainly agree with most of the above. The one minor thing I like to do differently is to travel just past a major city at the end of my day. That way, in the morning, I am headed out of town unlike the zillion cars heading in.
Click to expand...

I completely agree.  Also, avoid major cities if you can
 
Well the OP should have a good idea of what to look for.

My 5000 lb. TT crosses the CAT scales at 6200 lbs. and 750 tongue weight when loaded for the road. My F-150 max cargo is 1411 lbs. so with two adults, a dog and some gear I am maxed out.

The thing to keep in mind is that everybody camps differently. Some use KOA or other full service camp grounds with pool and game rooms, others find State Parks with electric only suitable not to mention the boon dockers. 

But a few things are fairly common.
* Expect 10 mpg for gas mileage perhaps a but less at times.
* 250 to 300 miles a day are the norm. Some folks on a tighter vacation schedule push for more.
* 55 to 65 mph is also the norm. I find a sweet spot at 62 mph.
* You will be assed by everything on the road; nobody likes to follow a trailer, even other folks pulling their camper.
* Wind and passing truck buffets are normal. Annoying at time but part of towing.
* Everybody's idea of RV camping is different. So one person's perfect spot may not appeal to another.

As I suggest previously, rent a TT with the size and floor plan you think you want. If it is a good fit you can buy your TT with confidence. If your rental is not a good fit you have no spent the big bucks. Renting goes a long way towards preventing buyers remorse.     
 
Ryan F said:
We are a family of four and looking to purchase a TT this spring. We are thinking about going to Disney World this summer, taking the TT and staying at Fort Wilderness campground. We live in Ohio so it?s about a 900 mile drive each way.  We would be in the Orlando area around 2 weeks.  Have some concerns that this trip might be too long (miles and time) since we have no previous TT experience. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!
Click to expand...

We live in Delaware and made the trip to Disney, towing our little 17' TT, in Nov 16. It's about 950 miles. We drove about halfway then stayed at a Walmart parking lot. We got to Orlando a day early and stayed in a hotel checking into Ft Wilderness the next day. Checking into Ft Wilderness was a goat rope. They didn't seem to have their act together. We parked the trailer in overflow and went to the park and checked into the CG later. Do not purchase tickets to Disney on the road. Go online and purchase your tickets. we were sent our armbands and reservations at restaurants via mail. You can take food and drinks into the park. We packed a lunch each day. Take some kind of wagon or other vehicle to tote your stuff around. I use a walker if I have to walk much so we carried our bags and lunches on the walker. My wife did not take her purse into the park. I carried her ID in my wallet. You will not need money in the park. Everything can be purchased via your armband. If you are going to be there 2 weeks you will be able to easily plan for going to the park on some days and then relaxing in the CG on other days. Believe me when I say you spend a day at Disney, you are going to be beat the end of the day. We purchased a four day park hopper. There are several parks within Disney. Each one easily takes a day, maybe more, to get through. Plan, plan, plan. This is an expensive vacation that can be ruined by not planning correctly. Be aware, you go in the summer and there will be a lot of folks at Disney. We are not planners. We like to do things last minute. I would not do that for Disney. I hope you go. I don't think you will regret it. Have fun and happy trails!
 
Ryan F...

Good luck with your new TT purchase.  I, too, have the Open Range 2802BH and couldn't be happier.  We bought it November 2016 and camped 12 times in the first year.  My opinion is similar to others.  If you can make a quick local trip before heading to FL, that would be great.  Otherwise, enjoy your 2 weeks and go make some great memories with your family.
 

Attachments

  • 2018-01-01 15.58.16.jpg
    2018-01-01 15.58.16.jpg
    300.9 KB · Views: 21
Whenever I read comment like this is unsafe or illegal or dangerous I can only shake my head.

I learned a long time ago that one person's "white knuckle scary ride" is another annoying wind or road or truck or whatever condition.

Novice or seasoned driver, the rig combo is bad when it is bad for you. It may be perfectly acceptable for the next person.

We hear horror stories about driving in the mountains, deserts, wind, snow etc. They can be a challenge and some will prefer to wait it out, while other prefer to drive out of it. My tolerance for conditions is pretty high but I am not pulling a 13 ft. high 40 ft. 5ver. When it is bad I slow down when it is very bad I stop; but that is based on my comfort zone no someone else's.

Be safe

 

     
 
Yes, Whenever I read about the intolerance of a different opinion ...I can only shake my head.    (ie. The last election  ;) ).

If it ain't illegal,  then it's just someone's opinion. 

Heck,  I see traumatized people get off of  'white knuckle scary rides'....  at Disneyland. 

Everyday car drivers..(even the ones that live and breath every Govt. Safety Sticker)  need to remember ! .... An RV is not a large Minivan.

Slowing down is the safest thing you could ever do.....you do not need to be going 70+ mph in any large RV.

Be safe no mater what you drive... :)

 

Attachments

  • rv label.png
    rv label.png
    13 KB · Views: 10
This used to be such a nice forum, free of fighting.  This is the second thread that I've read that makes me wonder why to bother. 

Ryan,  I'm in a similar boat.  I have two young kids.  I bought a 13 F-150 with the max tow package a couple years ago with the intent of eventually buying a travel trailer.  I've towed my father in law's 28' bunk house a couple times.  It's not bad, but with two kids under 3 years old, I'll have little ones for a while to come.  I'm leaning towards nothing over 24' and around 4500lbs dry.  Well under what I'm comfortable with. It will also be easier to maneuver at gas stations, easier to park on sites, and easier for me to set up. 

Whatever route you go, I would strongly suggest a couple short excursions to get comfortable with setting it up, and figure out whatever extra tools and wares you may need or what gets packed and becomes dead weight that never gets used.
 
I am glad the OP seems to have done his homework on tow vehicle. As for taking a TT that far, you should be fine as long as you have taken a couple of weekend trips before hand. You want to get used to towing, backing, and setting up the trailer in a low risk environment. You definitely don?t want to drive the TT off the lot and straight to For Wilderness. Find a nice state park, make reservations now, and then buy the TT. Have fun, and ignore the obnoxiousness. My guess is some of the comments will be gone soon.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest posts

Members online

Total: 1,262 (members: 22, guests: 1,240)

Forum statistics

Threads
131,999
Posts
1,388,851
Members
137,743
Latest member
Stark Fire
Back
Top Bottom