Should I? so confused and overwhelmed.

[Cuso]

Hey guys, 1st time poster here. For over a year I've been mulling around getting a trailer for me my wife and my 2 children. Currently I'm driving a 2017 yukon. I'm getting a little overwhelmed with the trailers size, should I buy I pick up truck should I buy a trailer under 20' a trailer that's 30' or a 5th wheel. My children are 8 in 10 years old right now in up until now we have not been a very adventurous family, I would like to change that. but after going through the RV show last week in Dallas I was just absolutely overwhelmed. I know I need a bunkhouse of some sort, I don't know should I get a 5th wheel a travel trailer I'm so confused. I don't even know if I'm actually capable as a driver to pull a 30' trailer or 5th wheel. I don't know if my Yukon is a good idea to pull a trailer. In addition to going camping on long weekends with my family, I need a trailer where I can spend 1 to 2 months during the summer time traveling around in. Also I am so confused with these trailers, some of These trailers are $20000 they look so cheap on the inside. The one that my wife light was a 30' grand design bunkhouse. Definitely better quality, but 12 to $15000 more. With something like this do you go for cheap do you go for quality do you rent it out? I would like to keep my Yukon if possible, or I was even considering getting a new escalade with the more powerful engine. Is a 30' travel trailer too long for me to pull for a first time situation? I know this is the world were you kind of need to just jump in, but I just wanna be as well prepared as possible before I just pull the trigger and do it.

[Lantley]

My thought is first are you fully committed to buying an RV? If you are get the RV that you love 100%.
It is a domino effect, If you get an RV to fit your current truck don't go too big but be sure you are 100% committed.
Be extremely aware of the costly upgrade game.
It goes sort of like this...Buy trailer to start with, you realize you need a better tow vehicle so you buy a new truck. New truck is more capable which opens the door to buying a new trailer. Each step cost money. Before you know it you spent a bundle figuring things out. People go through this cycle all the time, many don't even realize it.
If you are unsure rent for a weekend. From there make final solid decisions.
Spend your money buying what you really want, don't waste too much of it sorting things out.
RV shows are great for seeing lots of RV's in one location with no pressure.
Used vs. new. If you know what your looking at and are knowledgeable enough to recognize the pitfalls in used units. Then there are bargains to be found in the used market. If you lack the skills to buy used then stick with new.

[tatest]

You need to first think about how you plan to use the RV, whether living in it long term, making road trips, camping out on weekends, etc. How you want to use it will determine how big it might be. A couple full-timing might want a 38-40 foot trailer, and I've known many families (including mine when the headcount was 5-6) who enjoyed weekend to week-long camping in a pop-up with a 10-12 foot box. I also know many families that tent camp, with the amount of equipment that packs easily behind the second row seat of a full-size SUV.

To deal with tow vehicle issues, manufacturers today build many lightweight designs in a range of lengths. Lightweights are built by minimizing the size and weight of every component, every piece of building material. This, and efforts to hold down costs, make them look as cheap as they are. A well-built travel trailer of similar length and floorplan might weigh 50% more and cost more than twice as much (or five times as much). There is a market for that, as well, but this is a very small market.

If a travel trailer has to be really big to suit your needs, the Yukon might not be the best, or even an adequate tow vehicle. Escalade with more highly tuned version of the same engine is not likely to be much better as a tow vehicle, because the limiting factor is more chassis stiffness and how much weight you can put on the hitch and in the car, not peak horsepower ratings. But you have to first figure out how much trailer you really need, before you shop for the vehicle that can safely tow it.

There are dealers who rent out travel trailers and other camper types, usually smaller lighter ones, at least in Oklahoma and Kansas; probably also in Texas. That could be an introduction to the experience, and suggest whether or not you need something bigger. A trial or two with rentals might help you figure out whether this is the type of adventure that works for your family.

[Jebby14]

thoughts on a popup? great starter, low cost, easy to tow with your current vehicle. lots of room for the 4 of you.

[JimK-NY]

I have no idea what makes sense for your situation and preferences. I will just add some of my opinions for your consideration.

Most RVs, especially trailers, are cheap junk. They are poorly built and not built to last for long. At a minimum start by looking at the load ratings. Many have undersized axles, wheels and tires and can barely carry an empty RV.

Most new buyers buy RVs that are way bigger than they really need for the use intended. RV salesmen do not help in this regard. I recommend you look at the smallest RVs that fit your needs.

Lots of RVs are bought by families with relatively young children. The RVs sit unused for all but a few weeks a year. So the cost of use is high. There is another even bigger issue. By early teenage years, family RV trips are about the last thing the kids want. Many RVs are sold at that point.

[Grit_dog]

ppine wrote:
There is no perfect RV.
All have pros and cons. It is hard to tell what will be a good fit until you try one. Find a decent older rig that has depreciated but is in good shape. Then take the plunge and get out there. If you don't like it, you can sell it for close to what you paid for it. It will help remove your anxiety.

^ This. Low price of admission, may get all the hitch stuff with the used camper (save more $).

Your biggest challenge, is if you're nervous towing, is to get a handle on that. 30'+ 5 ver and a huge pickup maybe isn't the best place to start. Small/med TT behind the Yukon and get some miles under your belt before going big time.
Another plus for the used reasonably priced trailer, won't hurt so bad when or if you goof up while learning and put a whisky dent in it!

On the upside, it's fun and IMO camping isn't as much about the camper, but where you're headed and what you're doing when you get there!

[roadrat2]

I'd consider a pop-up. Plenty of room for sleeping 4 of you. Very easy to tow, especially if you don't have prior experience. More of a camping experience than an RV experience though, but young kids won't mind. It's all an adventure for them.

[K3WE]

We took a LLLOOONNNGGG time picking out our first camper...Lengths, floor plans, brands, tank sizes...Heck, we're a year into picking out our SECOND camper...same issues, lots to choose from AND lots of wants lots of needs and lots of ways to camp.

[ppine]

There is no perfect RV.
All have pros and cons. It is hard to tell what will be a good fit until you try one. Find a decent older rig that has depreciated but is in good shape. Then take the plunge and get out there. If you don't like it, you can sell it for close to what you paid for it. It will help remove your anxiety.

[old_guy]

one thing for you to look at is the rule of thumb for tow vehicle wheel base. at the top of the page there is a rv faq's section. somewhere in that section,(you will have to look for it) there is a section on wheel base and tow vehicles. your yukon will not tow a 30 ft TT very well at all. maybe in the 20 to 24 ft maybe. good luck and I will say do not do over kill, I would hate to see you and your family be unsafe

[2edgesword]

As others have mentioned find out what the tow limits are for your truck. Nothing worse then falling in love with a particular trailer only to find out your tow vehicle is no where near capable of towing it.

Once you know the limits of your tow vehicle check out models that will not exceed those limits but meet the living space needs for your family.

I understand why some people advise not to buy a new trailer but if you decide to go the used routine know that if you're not able to fix what breaks you'll be paying someone else to fix it. An RV is combination house and vehicle. If you're handy working on both have at it.

I would second all of those that said rent an RV for a long weekend and take a trip with the family to get some idea of the pros and cons of RVing. That was how we got started. Took a long weekend trip to Lake George and the first thing my wife said when we got back were "where are we going next". That's when I got serious about looking.

[el_jefe1]

I also buy new, and I kept our new TT for 7 years before selling it. Did not make money off the deal, but I at least reached the point it wouldn't cost me anything to sell it. So if you buy new just know that's what you're looking at, 5-7 years before you can get out of it. You can make your determination of new vs used from there.

Taking a rental trip isn't a bad idea of you've never camped before. I think a lot of us (but certainly not everyone) probably start small. We camped a pop up for a few years before going to a hybrid, now onto a 37' TT. It's a process:) But some people buy a brand new trailer, take off down the road and then find out they absolutely hate camping. Then you're stuck.

I'd say start with what your vehicle can pull. Get the VIN and see if someone at a dealership can run it for you to get your specific specifications. If it is enough to pull a decent size trailer, then that will give you a place to start considering different models in that weight range.

[PastorCharlie]

If you have no experience in towing a trailer the best money spent would be to rent a 12-14 foot U-Haul cargo trailer and practice backing it until you master the art. Be sure to purchase their insurance on it. Much better than destroying a new travel trailer of your dreams.

[Terryallan]

In my humble opinion. If I was in your shoes. I would keep the Yukon, and not buy a Trailer. I would get a Motor Home to fit your needs. By the time you buy a travel Trailer, AND a proper truck to tow it. You will have spent more than enough to buy a suitable Motor home.

There are many nice Motor homes in the $75,000 or less range that will do what you want. There a re few if any Truck, and travel trailer combinations that will do what you want for less than $75,000.



And BTW. I always buy new. I don't want some one else's junk. I want the bed to be fresh, I want any scratch on the paint to be mine. I don't want to find the leak they couldn't, or the mess they left in the tanks.

[theoldwizard1]

Optimistic Paranoid wrote:
First of all, you do NOT want to buy a new trailer. Depreciation on RVs is absolutely BRUTAL.

I agree 100% !

Second, start small. How long do you think your trips would be ? How about a pop up ? How about a hybrid ?

A year or two and you will know it you like camping and have a better idea of what floor plan you suite your family.