joeburnes
McAllen TEXAS
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Joined: 08/09/2012
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I have been reading a lot of posts about which TT is best for fulltiming. I am a contractor and will be on the road about 7 months a year. Won't be moving it from place to place more than a handful of times each year. Won't be boondocking so big tanks aren't necessary. I am concerned about insulation as I primarily work in the south and from everything I hear, too much air conditioning is never enough.  I'm also smart enough to know that no matter how much research I do, I will not pick the exact match for me and therefore be trading up within a year or two. This means resale value is important to me. I'm not too concerned on price, but want to stay in the mid range -- not cheap and not customized pricey. What I would like from all you friendly folks out there is your personal recommendation and why you recommend it. And for the gift of your wisdom, I will love you forever and 37 seconds.
Keep in mind this is my first TT (and my first post on this forum)
PS I have bought the guides from RV consumer group as a start. Please don't tell me I wasted $139. I have read so many people bashing them, it gets on my nerves. I have only read about 30 pages of their download on How to Outwit the Dealers and I can tell you (as a very successful entrepreneur) that what I have gleaned so far is worth WAY more than a couple hundred dollars.
THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL YOUR HELP. After reading tons of posts, it appears that 95% of the people on here are friendly which makes this forum better than 100% of the rest of the world
Remember: If you light a man a fire, he's warm for one night....but, if you light a man ON fire, he's warm for the rest of his life!
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Pepperoni
Ypsilanti, Michigan 48198
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Joined: 05/01/2005
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or your purpose, I would suggest a toy hauler type unit.
EXAMPLE
You will have space to store tools, a drop ramp which can be fitted with a mosquito screen for comfort and ventilation. This one has a murphy bed, which frees space for office or work space, or entertainment.
The area inside the ramp can be fitted with various folding beds and tables, and even a large bed which can be cranked to the ceiling for storage.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE
McClain's has several stores in your area.
I would personally prefer the Work n Play unit
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RVJimofOregon
Central Oregon Coast
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Joined: 09/13/2003
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A motor home is easier to set up but for longer times like you said I would think a fiver is better (has good storage) if you can use a pickup for you travel car. Toy hauler is nice if you need storage for tools as can't have a canopy on your truck due to the hitch.
Some units that claim to be made for the cold/heat are just sales pitches.
Welcome to the forum and wish you luck in your search, and yes I think it takes a couple of RV's before you settle down.
I have went from a 16' travel trailer in 1980 to a 26 foot TT and them to a fiver onto a motor home. Now I am selling the motor home and will go down to a class C or 27' TT. Needs do changes. I also had a pickup camper in the mix. No perfect rig all have good and bad points.
RV Jim
Jim & Joyce
Central Oregon Coast
No RV at this time but looking!
Treat the earth well, It was not given to you by your parents,“It was loaned to you by your children”
Indian proverb
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Dksd392
Florida
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I am on my third TT and can only offer the following...study floor plans and make a list of must haves. If it will be just you or you plus 1 then focus on a bed bath layout that puts a priority on them. Speaking of the bathroom..it is a huge importance to make sure you get a nice residential sized one with a nice shower. My needs required a separate bedroom, large bathroom and good storage and I ended up choosing a Keystone Outback 260FL and could not be happier. Good luck with your choice 
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GeoBoy
Northeast
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Joined: 04/15/2006
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Joe, if you have enough truck get an Arctic Fox TT or Toy Hauler. They are rugged, insulated very well and hold their resale value. Another option would be the Nash line of small trailers. You can view them at www.northwoodmfg.com .
Good luck.
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Eycom
32043
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Joined: 09/12/2004
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I regard RV Consumer Group to be about the best information one can find in one place. Some don't. However, the Group's longevity lies in the fact that many do, year after year after year.
Your big challenge will be to choose the best RV to meet your needs, whether it's a TT, 5th wheel, toy hauler, etc. You'll need to consider size, storage, and layout for livability for 7 months out of the year. That's a long time... so you want to get it right. It goes without saying that you'll need the proper tow vehicle.
Once you define your needs, use the consumer reports to home in on the manufacturers who come closest to meeting them. Just realize that quality usually translates into weight. You might consider gently used units to offset depreciation. With proper diligence, I wouldn't be opposed to choosing one.
RVn Full-time
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boosTT
Milwaukee
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Joined: 03/03/2012
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Keep in mind, the showers in RV's are not as nice as a shower in your house. The water pressure is not as strong, water heaters are small and overall space is small. If I was dirty from working, I would want a nice size shower.
I would look into 5th wheels. They feel more like a house to me.
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Air E Dawg
Georgia Coast
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I am a little biased, of course, but take a look at some late model Airstreams. They age very gracefully and the resale is pretty strong. If you buy a unit a few years old, you can maximize the high resale to your advantage.
The trick will be if the floor plan/storage will be enough for what you are going to use it for. My airstream is a 34' model and is 30 years old. There are a few model years...2007? that offered slides in the 31' and 34' models.
Good Luck!
1982 Airstream Limited
Ford Excursion V10 4x4
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anaro
Mebane, NC
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Joined: 01/16/2011
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Lets start with what you are towing with. We need to know what your TV is, what it's towing capacity is, its payload capabilities, what rear and what engine it has. GAWR, GCWR are helpful #'s also. We don't want to excite you with something outside your capabilities. A rear living or rear kitchen floorplan might be nice for you. Maybe something with a slide and in the 26-30 ft range. You are really the only person that can decide what floorplan will work for you. You need to go look at some trailers and really think about your use. Think about what you will want to do in the trailer and how much time you will be spending in there (ie do you want a sofa to watch TV on). Think about where you will be putting things (ie clothes in this cabinet, tools in that cabinet etc). This will help derive a floorplan and storage space need for you to start out with.
2009 Ford F250 Lariat Crew Cab 6.4L diesel 4WD
2011 Crossroads Zinger ZT26BL
Reese Dual Cam
4 nights camped in 2013!
21 nights camped in 2012!
27 nights camped in 2011!
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sndman7
Solomons Island MD
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Hello joeburnes
First of all welcome to the forum, a lot of good info here.
Just an FYI there are only a few manufactures that are truly all session and good for full time use.
I am a contractor as well (AV Systems) and found my self in the same situation a few years ago. I was in search of a travel trailer only because of my tow vehicle (Ford Excursion)and researched a lot of RV sites and and owners forums looking for a layout I thought would work. The layout I wanted was a front bedroom with doors, a toy hauler area at the rear with a door so that we could have two separate bedrooms. The rear room could haul the AV gear and tools, used as a mobile office, kids room when RVing.
I found a Keystone 301 RMP side load toy hauler and it served our needs for a very short time, to many things to list here but the bottom line, it was not a four session unit as advertised and the bathroom and front bedroom were to small.
Most mass produced RV's are not built for four session use.
No matter what floor plan you select the most important thing will be function and room, as mentioned previously the bedroom/bathroom layout is a big deal. A nice bedroom with ample closet space and a comfortable bathroom is essential for extended stays.
As you have mentioned insulation is very important in the build quality, dual pain windows as well as attic space in the ceiling should be on your short list too.
If you are in a position to purchase a 5th wheel then IMO that would be a good choice. If you need to stay with a travel trailer (bumper pull) then your choices are limited.
I searched for about 3 years before setting on our current rig. and we are very happy with it. As you can see we bought used and I'm not sure if I would ever purchase a new unit, there are just way to many good quality previously owned units on the market these days.
One site I looked at almost daily is in your home state, PPL Motor Homes. A great site to see a lot of different floor plans.
I'm sure you will be given a lot of opinions on what trailer to buy and I could certainly give you mine but take your time and relax and have fun with it, it can be very frustrating.
2006 Titanium 36E41 MPRV
2006 F350 6.0 PSD QC King Ranch
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