Newb

[SamadhiAdam]

Hey all, I am a first time buyer. Travel trailer somewhere around 25' looks about right. Then will buy the truck that will tow it. I need some gear storage for a SUP, kiteboarding gear as well as a little counter space in the kitchen. I am 6'2" so something tall enough. Budget is $25,000 for a used one. Any thoughts?

 

[Jackiemac]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

I suggest you try to steer clear if anything manufactured during the pandemic. Our RV dealer told us the quality was exceptionally poor. Not that the year of model tends to be the year after it was actually made (I think). We bought ours in 2016 but it is a 2017...

Have a look at potential floor plans you'd like to help narrow it down. The website below is good for that.

Try to get a shower with skylight as you are tall. A separate bedroom is best and if there is space to walk around you can perhaps add an extension to let you get a longer mattress. We had a short queen but modified it to allow a normal queen which is so much better. Make sure the toilet bowl area is clear of shelves right next to it etc as that can be a nuisance.

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Good luck with your search.

 

[SamadhiAdam]

Great info. Thanks so much! What model did you end up with? How is it?

 

[Jackiemac]

We bought a Heartland Sundance 288rls back in 2016. Had a few issues but nothing insurmountable. We like it. It suits us for our 6 month visit.

 

[Adventurous Traveler]

Welcome to The Forum.

With a budget of $25K, just for the TT right?, you should be able to get a darn nice TT.

Try to visit as many RV dealers that you can, and starting in January there will be a lot of RV Shows, to walk through as many TT as you can. Even though you are not buying new, touching and feeling the many models of TTs out there will give a better idea how different companies go about building their units. A bonus is seeing first hand different floor plans. Most Mfg. continue successful FP from one year to the next.

As Jackie pointed out RV's of all shapes and sizes built between say 2020 and 2022 went through some really bad build quality, which that word alone is a misnomer. Cracked frames, wall seperations, utilities that don't work....... Moral of the story, look pre-2020, or 2023 on.

Price wise, whether you look from a private seller, or at a dealer, I can just about guarantee you that it will be way over priced. If you have a max of $25K to spend don't be afraid to look at rigs with an asking price in the $30K-$35K range at least.

 

[Firstime RVer]

I agree with what was previously stated about units purchased during covid.
We purchased our Aspen trail 1900RB with no slide outs at the end of October 2015, and are still using it. It has been very reliable and we have been very happy with it. We loved the floor plan and replaced the shorter mattress with a full sized queen, and replaced the single 12V battery with two 6V Golf cart deep cycle batteries.

We can boondock for a whole 3 day weekend without running the genny, in spring and fall. We can run on propane for hot water, fridge, heat, and the batteries power everything else including a 12V Television.

I give a lot of credit to the dealer, who took over an hour showing us that everything worked and how to operate it. They set up the weight distribution hitch, and worked with us to establish a good price. They were the fourth RV dealership we visited.

I'd have no problem working with RV Value mart in Manheim Pa on any future RV purchases. Their financing was very reasonable, and their after market service was very good as well.

Safe travels and all the best.

 

[gwinger]

You may want to look into a small Toy Hauler. Lot's of room to put your toys and easy to get them in and out.
If you can find one with an open floor plan, you will have at least 10 feet of floor space.

 

[MN Blue Skies aka Max]

We purchased a 2021 Jayco and have been disappointed with the quality. Our trusted RV repair and service shop explained that it is probably because it was manufactured during the pandemic. Unfortunately we didn't know to avoid that period. With your height you might want to consider a 5th wheel but that might mean more $$ and a bigger truck.

 

[CharlesinGA]

Buying the trailer, then the truck sounds simple enough............... butttttttt........... your "25 ft trailer" is right in the 6500-7500-8000 lb gross weight range, and picking the "wrong" trailer can force you into a 3/4 ton (250/2500) truck vs a 1/2 ton 150/1500 (so long as it is not so heavily optioned as to have very low payload capacity.

Many people do not want a 3/4 ton even though the cost is many times, very little more than the 1/2 ton.

When buying the trailer, you have to be thinking about the truck, and when buying the truck, you have to be thinking about the trailer.

On tow vehicles, ignore the "towing capacity" and look at the first number you will hit the max on, which is payload.

When looking at trailers, ignore "dry weight" and pay attention to the GVWR or Gross Vehicle Weight rating. If you don't find those numbers in the literature, take the dry weight and add the cargo carrying capacity to it, to arrive at (or close to) the GVWR.

Tongue weight of the trailer is payload on the tow vehicle. Ignore the manufacturer tongue weight, and take the trailer GVWR and multiply by 0.13 to arrive at a sensible estimate of tongue weight.

"lite" trailers tend to be very flimsy and poorly constructed.

I tow with a older Dodge/RAM 2500 with the Cummins diesel. Its a stripped out truck. Manual door locks, manual mirror adjustment, crank windows, straight shift. However it does the job nicely. I bought it before the trailer(s) knowing I wanted enough truck. Current trailer and hopefully the last, is 7500 GVWR even though I am not fully loaded. It goes up and down mountain grades with that trailer with ease. You do not want to be struggling every time you go somewhere.

Your height will limit you, as many trailers are not designed for people over 6 ft.

If you want a decent trailer and want avoid junk, look for those made by Northwoods Mfg (Nash, Artic Fox) or ORV (Creekside, Timber Ridge, Blackstone, Back Country), or Lance trailers. I won't bother pushing the fiberglass trailers as (with the exception of Oliver) they will not accommodate your height.

Charles

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I think you will find trailers in the 25 ft range to be short on storage space, especially for bulky items, but you will easily be aware of that when you look at the various models. And your height too, but again that will be obvious when you go inside. Actually stand in the shower and sit on the commode before making any decision. Also consider mundane things like where to put a trash bag or dirty clothes, everyday needs that are typically ignored in RV floor plans. What seems like a minor inconvenience often becomes real frustration after several days of living onboard.

I don't think the tow vehicle payload will be a limiting factor for a travel trailer (TT). A TT only puts about 10-12% of its loaded weight on the truck and a 25 ft trailer will be in the 7500 ln range, so 750-900 lbs on the truck. A payload of 1500 or more should be plenty and most half tons can do that easily. But Charles' point is still a good one - check the specs for the specific truck you are planning to buy. For any given male/model there will be a wide range of GVWR, Payload, and towing capacity (GCWR), i.e. all F150/1500's are not the same. You want to learn about the specific truck before you sign the purchase agreement.

Trailers advertised as being ultralite typically skimp on the construction and trailer frame to keep the weight down. Do pay attention to trailer weight, but don't insist on extreme low weight. And remember that what you will tow is the loaded weight, close to the trailer GVWR.

 

[Firstime RVer]

One of the selling points that sold us on our TT is that it is rated to carry 3,400 lbs of cargo. We looked at smaller TT's. But going from single to double axles made up my mind for me, because of the big jump in cargo capacity from the single axle units.

With an empty weight of 4,400 lbs, add 350 lbs full water tank, 110 lbs propane tanks (4860 total), plus we've added about 1700 lbs of misc odds and ends. Fully loaded we weigh in at 6,600 lbs, at the scales which keeps us 1,200 lbs below the max cargo weight limit. With a weight distribution hitch, Our half ton Chevy Silverado with tow package, pulls it easily. We also replaced the original china bombs, with Goodyear Endurance tires, with a higher load rating, and pretty much travel worry free, or as worry free as you can be when towing a TT.
I do hope this helps.

Safe travels and all the best.

 

[CharlesinGA]

You may want to look into a small Toy Hauler. Lot's of room to put your toys and easy to get them in and out.
If you can find one with an open floor plan, you will have at least 10 feet of floor space.

This is an excellent suggestion. Just be aware that toy haulers are build with much heavier frames, suspension and the coach body is heavier too, plus larger fresh water and waste tanks. This will drive the dry weight up and the manufacturers will increase the GVWR accordingly. End result is, even with a fairly small toy hauler, you may need a more substantial tow vehicle than with a comparable ordinary TT. This thread gives some consideration to toy haulers and issues.

The nice thing about a toy hauler is that they are usually better built, and on the used market tend to be lower priced than you expect as specialty stuff is a harder sell and people just want it gone.

Charles

 

[gwinger]

This is an excellent suggestion. Just be aware that toy haulers are build with much heavier frames, suspension and the coach body is heavier too, plus larger fresh water and waste tanks. This will drive the dry weight up and the manufacturers will increase the GVWR accordingly. End result is, even with a fairly small toy hauler, you may need a more substantial tow vehicle than with a comparable ordinary TT. This thread gives some consideration to toy haulers and issues.

The nice thing about a toy hauler is that they are usually better built, and on the used market tend to be lower priced than you expect as specialty stuff is a harder sell and people just want it gone.

Charles

There are quite a few lighter weight toy haulers.
I have a 2018 KZ Sportmen 270 thle.
Under 5000lbs, with about 3000lb cargo capacity.
Though it does not have the fanciest appointments, it does the job.
I pull it with my 1/2 ton Silverado with no problem.
The only downside is it is only 6'5" interior height.