Full Time: Trailer or Class C?

[Aragorn]

Howdy all. I'm an artist and at the moment an art teacher at a high school. Seriously thinking of leaving teaching to do my own art: murals etc. and full time in an RV or camper. RIght now I have a Toyota FJ Cruiser, which I really like and do not really want to sell.

Back in 2016/2017 I spent a year in California getting my masters degree and boondocked for the most part towing a small camper trailer. As much as I loved it, towing wasn't always that great of an experience: it was difficult to park often, because backing up was a major pain. Also, the wear and tear on the FJC and the fuel consumption was an issue.

One thing I don't like about trailers is that if there's an issue while sleeping, you have to go outside to get in the drive vehicle to leave, exposing you to whatever is happening. I think I woul drather tow a drive vehicle with a small Class C than tow a travel trailer.

So my dilemma is; would I be able to tow the FJC? Can't flat tow it, and wouldn't want to, so that adds more complication and weight with a trailer for the vehicle. I'd like to be able to travel the country: maybe doing murals and props etc. and it would be nice to have a work area in the RV.

I guess I am babbling but just trying to get my thoughts straight. I guess I could keep the FJC here in Arizona when I travel in the RV, and live out of the RV here while parked at a campground. There are several 55 and over campgrounds that seem nice.

I've also thought of getting an old CJ5 or even a Mahindra as a tow vehicle. They are super light and I can still go exploring the backcountry in those.


Anyone dealt with this dilemma before?

 

[Ray-IN]

Welcome to the discussion forums!
Decisions, decisions. Take one step at a time. There are many things to consider before deciding to tow a trailer or drive a class C motorhome/MH.
First, use this online towing calculator to actually see how much weight your Toyota can safely tow and handle.
You will note the calculator requires some actual weights instead of mfgrs. published figures.
This calculator removes all guesswork and salesman hype from the equation.
When you have that completed, then you may begin searching the internet for a travel trailer that falls within those parameters.
I do not think your Toyota is capable of safely towing a very long travel trailer, perhaps 20' long.

When considering a class C motorhome/MH, how much weight it will safely tow is vital, I can say it is usually not over 5,000# maximum-IF the class C MH is under its GVWR.

 

[PaulBates]

Hi and welcome!

I've recently rejoined the RV world after a hiatus and also wanted to find the balance of functionality, requirements and constraints of my tow vehicle.

What really helped me was visiting a decent sized RV show with multiple dealers showing their stuff. A related story is I went to one near me in suburban Detroit a year ago, helping a friend sort through class B's he was thinking about. Since I had spent the $12, I walked through the rest of the show. I walked by the pop ups.... at 6'5" I never remotely considered one, and found they had them hard-sided with 80" queen beds that fit me and over a foot of headroom for me.

I'm not suggesting you get a pop up. I'm suggesting you go to a competitive multi-dealer show and see what surprises you, see what dealer listens to your requirements helps you with the complications and imagine how it would work for you.

 

[RV_Lee]

If its just you, do you really need a tow vehicle? I was in the same predicament myself and realized a sprinter based 25 footer with slides is ample room and good fuel economy and I would not need to tow a vehicle. Also, not sure about the cruisers but most Toyotas cant be flat towed, I know my 4runner can't, and you would want to flat tow, it's way less stressful on the RV versus an actual trailer.

 

[Kirk]

Seriously thinking of leaving teaching to do my own art: murals etc. and full time in an RV or camper.

There is a lot more to consider in addition to what sort of RV you would want. Will you keep your present house or sell it and then what would you do about an address for registering your vehicles, insurance, driver's license, and mail? Where will you claim as your domicile, as AZ does not accept the use of a mail service as your legal address? There are states that will and the most popular ones are TX, SC, & FL because none of them have any state income tax, or requirements of a physical presence and all 3 allow the use of a mail service as your domicile address. What about banking, health care, voting, and a host of other issues? If you have not considered these things I suggest that you start by reading The Issue of Domicile to help with the answers.

 

[Isaac-1]

Consider a short class A, they tend to have a lot more cargo carrying weight capacity than a similar length class C.

 

[PancakeBill]

Big issue not mentioned is budget. Based on budget your choices will align. Low budget is a small trailer you could pull with the FJ. Bigger and you could find a used C, but not one that will pull a trailer with an FJ on it. Bigger newer and you might find a short A, but the trailer with FJ, still likely out. I remember the FJ and not being able to be flat towed, I had considered buying one.
You need to start by getting the weights written down, what does the FJ weigh and how much does a car carry trailer weigh. Lots more than you will want, I am sure.
The Sprinter type units are nice but pretty closed in, not sure I could use other than for travel. Full time living in would require really nice weather.
Just took quick peek, FJ depending on year rated for 5000 down to 4700, the later years lost 300 pounds and they weigh approx 4500 lbs.
Many C's I have seen usually had about a 3500 to 5000 tow capacity.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

It sounds as though a motorhome is the right choice to address your personal safety concerns, but the FJ may be an issue. It can be 4-down towed if it is a true 4WD model (most are not), but the AWD models need a trailer (not a dolly). The rear-drive 2WD model can be dolly-towed. But its heavy, so not towable by all Class C coaches or small Class A's. You may have to part with the FJ. Some people driving class C's do away with any towed vehicle, but that's a personal convenience choice.

A motorhome isn't going to do anything for your fuel consumption concerns either. Fuel economy and bulky, heavy vehicles don't go together.

Your budget for both the RV and your travel is a major factor that we can't really help you with. Older Rvs are fine as long as the condition is OK, but that's hard for a newbie to judge. Even with a professional inspector to help (recommended).

 

[jackiemac]

Check out the available storage in whatever you look at. Some of us take more "stuff" than others.

 

[PancakeBill]

The available storage in most C's is small, yet if filled up will likely still get you pretty close to max.