Any of you have travel trailers?

90Xjay · #1 (**permalink**) 03-04-2007, 04:51 PM

My wife and kids have been after me to get a small travel trailer.

Our big thing as a family has been campouts and trips to the mountains to wheel. I am looking at some smaller travel tailers and some pop-ups.

I have to have something under 18ft long in order to park it in my back yard, so in that regard a pop-up would be great, but pop-ups, even slide outs can be cramped and the shower/toilets leave a little to be desired. I have found some nice 2 - 4 year old ones for 3-5 K though.

A smaller travel trailer, although it would be more of a pain to get parked and tow, would let us stay out longer, I think due to the comfort factor.

I wondered what rigs some of you have and how they work for your family.

redrooster · #2 (**permalink**) 03-05-2007, 03:00 PM

I want one, but just don't want it sitting out in my yard all year long. My thoughts are that if you don't have a legitimate bathroom and shower, then you have little more than a tent with wheels (referring to pop-ups).

Wrangl3r93 · #3 (**permalink**) 03-05-2007, 04:20 PM

How many kids? My family is big into the RV scene. From personal experience don't get a pop-up you will be way happier with a travel trailer. If you have the money i recommend a slide out too you will slap yourself in the face if you have to make the decision between one with one and one without and don't get it. But beware these things are like jeeps they're addicting and always leave you wanting more.

90Xjay · #4 (**permalink**) 03-05-2007, 09:11 PM

Just me, wifey, and two small kiddos.

I want to be able to sleep 6 adults. I hear what you say about pop-ups.
Even the ones with the shower/poopy shooter combo kind of turn me off.

I can't picture doing my business about 3 feet from where we are cooking bacon for breakfast with nothing between but a thin plastic shower curtain.

Yeah, I started out considering a pop-up, but I have talked myself right of of it.

I found a really clean 2002, KZ today, fiberglass, 20 ft, hybrid, with both ends having queen pop-out beds, but the lady wants the note paid off and she owes $8800. I was going to offer her $7000, but she said she had to get it paid off.

She bought it the bad way. No money down and financed it for 10 years. Now she has a 5 year old travel trailer she can't even sell for what she owes on it.
Not my fault, I'll keep looking.

Wrangl3r93 · #5 (**permalink**) 03-06-2007, 10:46 AM

6 adults? definitely gonna need a slideout then. We used to have a 37ft class a motorhome without a slideout and with my parents and my 2 siblings it was cramped. It pooped out on us in the middle of a vacation in florida so we went to the closest RV dealership and traded it in on a 34ft class a with a slideout. The most we've ever had stay in it was 8 and it was pretty cramped with 2 per bed and 2 on the floor. My aunt and uncle used to have a 20ft trailer with their family of 4 and did ok till my cousins grew up now they've upgraded to a 5th wheel with an electric slideout. What kind of floor plan are you lookin at?

90Xjay · #6 (**permalink**) 03-07-2007, 12:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by red93

6 adults? definitely gonna need a slideout then. We used to have a 37ft class a motorhome without a slideout and with my parents and my 2 siblings it was cramped. It pooped out on us in the middle of a vacation in florida so we went to the closest RV dealership and traded it in on a 34ft class a with a slideout. The most we've ever had stay in it was 8 and it was pretty cramped with 2 per bed and 2 on the floor. My aunt and uncle used to have a 20ft trailer with their family of 4 and did ok till my cousins grew up now they've upgraded to a 5th wheel with an electric slideout. What kind of floor plan are you lookin at?

with just out two small kids, the floor plan I like has a queen on the end, near the bathroom with a small bunk over it. Then of course the table makes a small bed and then the sofa makes another bed. So we are looking at a total of 6-7 bodies.
I would love a bigger, 22-25ft but I just can't park one that big.

1989hog · #7 (**permalink**) 03-07-2007, 02:13 AM

I have a 32 ft class A motorhome and use it almost every other weekend for something if not only for a guest house for visitors that may come out my way for a weekend. I like Motorhomes due to the fact you can tow your toys, Jeep , motorcycles and in the sumer the boat with out haveing to take another vehicle. As with me and all my friends we have always started off with one thing (trailers, motorhomes, tent trailers) and then changed a year or so later, so buy cheap if its totally your 1st time and find out what your likes and dislikes are. One of my friends got a tent trailer and had a blast in it for a few years settin up a tent also but he has 6 yes 6 kids but they all had a blast out with our group in that old tent trailer. Now he has a big motorhome.

TwistedCopper · #8 (**permalink**) 03-07-2007, 04:23 PM

90, have you seen the movie RV? I'm thinking you should sell the house and get one of those nice shiny old classic motorhomes like in that movie

Funny movie by the way

firemanharry · #9 (**permalink**) 03-07-2007, 05:37 PM

I've got a 93 Gulfstream 32' Class A - The family loved going out in it but our situation has changed and I'm going to sell it come spring. It's perfect for pulling toys and the rear camera kicks butt.

90Xjay · #10 (**permalink**) 03-08-2007, 07:32 AM

I'm real close to buying a new 20 footer that sleeps 7.

I found it on the internet, it's 150 miles away at a big RV dealer.
I can't get the local dealers to come down on price, so I'm headed there on Friday.

90Xjay · #11 (**permalink**) 03-09-2007, 08:12 AM

well.... I messed around and bought me a rig yesteday.

Its a 19 foot Palomino Puma, really nice and the perfect size for us and I can still store it on my own property.

we are going to take her for a shake down cruise tonight at a near by state park.
Oh yeah, I'm RVing.....

1989hog · #12 (**permalink**) 03-09-2007, 09:51 AM

right on .... have a good time in it

Wrangl3r93 · #13 (**permalink**) 03-09-2007, 03:16 PM

The double windows in the back those aren't bunk beds are they?

TwistedCopper · #14 (**permalink**) 03-09-2007, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 90Xjay

well.... I messed around and bought me a rig yesteday.

Its a 19 foot Palomino Puma, really nice and the perfect size for us and I can still store it on my own property.

we are going to take her for a shake down cruise tonight at a near by state park.
Oh yeah, I'm RVing.....

That's great! Enjoy the good times with your kids while their Dad is still considered "cool"