Just getting started. Looking for suggestions

[Just_incredible42]

Hello all, 

My family and I are wanting to get into camping/rv’ing in the next year or two. 
We are doing a lot of research now so we can get the best tow vehicle for safety and reliability as well as the best size camper/rv for our family of 5. We have 3 young children ages 2,4,&6. I’d love to hear your do’s and don’ts when buying your first camper/rv. We have looked at 26ft rear hitch types and also 5th wheel types. Pros and cons to either? New or used for our first camper?  For the tow vehicle should we get new or used?  We would probably start out with weekend trips only, but my wife and I would love to venture out west for extended adventure/vacations in the next couple of years. 
I really appreciate your help and suggestions, and can’t wait to meet y’all on the road. 

(I have edited this post already because from the first couple of reply’s I received I realized there are 100’s of questions that go into just getting started. Thank you all.)

Edited January 18, 2021 by Just_incredible42
Great reply’s to my first post.

[Nwcid]

There is a lot to unpack here and a lot more questions that need answered.

Since you are looking at both a trailer and a TV (tow vehicle) you are off to a good start.  

In general 5th wheels will have more space for the same overall hitched length as a TT (tow trailer).  They will also typically pull nicer.  Something thing that may be a down side for you is that you lose a lot of bed space.  Also they typically have a higher price. 

In general TT are also nice, but again for the same length as a 5th have less living space.  You do gain your bed back.  

Before you get into any of that you really need to decide how you want to camp and where you want to camp.  Your needs will be different for short 2-4 day "weekend" trips vs long trips.  Do you plan on going to camp ground with full services, or state style parks with some services or completely off grid?  

For TV, it is often better to buy bigger than you need now incase you want to change later.  I know some of the new 1/2 ton trucks have nice looking numbers but I bet you would be surprised how quick you hit those limits.  If you do consider a 3/4 ton, often times you are better off with a 1 ton.  The price is usually close, the amenities are the same, but the ratings are much better on the 1 ton. 

I know that is a lot of broad information, but it is a very broad question. 

[Jinx & Wayne]

7 hours ago, Nwcid said:

For TV, it is often better to buy bigger than you need now incase you want to change later.  I know some of the new 1/2 ton trucks have nice looking numbers but I bet you would be surprised how quick you hit those limits.  If you do consider a 3/4 ton, often times you are better off with a 1 ton.  The price is usually close, the amenities are the same, but the ratings are much better on the 1 ton. 

There are five of you.  The children will be growing.  This makes a bigger truck now more important.  If you look at the threads in this forum Almost retired couple looking for advise on a travel trailer until we do go full time in a couple of years  and Undertrucked? you will find a some pretty good discussions of why this is true.  Pick out the RV you think you want first, and then decide on a truck.

Jinx grew up in a RVing family.  She tells me about her parents, herself, three sisters and a big dog camping in a 18' Mallard.  She and her sisters remember those times as "having a blast."  Enjoy.

Wayne & Jinx
2017 F-350 diesel, dually
2006 Carriage Carri-Lite 36KSQ

[Kirk W]

Welcome to the Escapee forums! We are happy to help abbynd will do our very best.

If you are not familiar with the various types of RV available and with the prices of them, I would suggest that you start by attending the largest RV show that is in your area. Since you have not said where you live, I can't suggest any specific ones. With the problems from covid-19 many of the shows have been canceled but some are still planned. Another option would be to visit some of the largest dealerships in your area and also any big consignment sellers as well. I would take some time to study the RVs before choosing a tow vehicle since you need to match the two. Budget is also a maior consideration for shopping as both two vehicle options and RVs have a very wide range in prices. If you plan to travel only seasonally and for vacations, one of the popup trailers or a hybrid RV might be a good option as those can be towed with an SUV which would have better seating choices for the 3 children. Another factor to consider is whether you will be using the tow vehicle as your daily driver or work vehicle, or possibly as a second car. With either a popup or a hybrid you get much more usable living space for the weight and physical size of what you will need to tow and the cost of them is also lower. But they are also seasonal RVs and do not serve well in extreme temperatures. 

We are pleased that you have come here so do not hesitate to respond with information to point us and our suggestions in the best direction for you. 

[fpmtngal]

As far as trucks go - buying a bigger truck than you think you need will save you money.

Why do I say this?  Needs change and you have a growing family.  

I’m single, retired and now on my third TV in 5 years.  

Tow Vehicle #1: I started off buying a vehicle (a JGC) with a vague idea that I might like to get a small trailer to travel with occasionally, but had no idea if I would like RVing at all - I’d never owned one.  I ended up several months after I bought the TV buying a small trailer (21’ overall, 5500 lbs GVWR) that I love.  It was within the capabilities of the vehicle, but was marginal for tongue weight and payload.  I worked at it and used that TV for 2 years and almost 30,000 miles (my “occasional” turned into multi-month trips 4 days after I retired).

Tow Vehicle #2: Then someone asked me if I wanted to caravan with them to Alaska - my bucket list trip.  I knew we would be dry camping so I needed more battery power.  Adding a second battery to the tongue would immediately put the trailer’s tongue weight over the TV’s tongue weight rating, so I special ordered an F150, max tow package with over 1700 lbs payload and went to Alaska without any problems.  Nice truck, a well matched TV for my little trailer for the most part, though I had added enough extra equipment for the Alaska trip that I was getting close to both the truck and the trailer’s GVWR.  I happily towed with it for almost 2 years.

Tow Vehicle #3: After 4 years of preferring to be on a trip than at my house, I decided that my little trailer was more my home than the house I had owned for 20 years, so I went full-time.  As hard as I tried to not add anything to the truck and trailer, there were things that crept in and I had a tough time trying to keep the rig under their respective GVWR (still well under the F150’s gross combined weight rating - my trailer is small).  I was now tired of chasing payload figures so traded in the F150 for an F350.  If I decide at a later date to get a bigger trailer, I’ll have a truck I can tow it with.

I could have saved myself the cost of 2 vehicles if I had bought the 1 ton right off.  But then, I had no intention of becoming a full-time RVer when I bought TV #1.

IMHO, towing with a big truck is a lot easier and more comfortable than towing with a marginal vehicle.  At least, that’s been my limited experience.  If I were in your shoes, I’d start off looking at 1 ton trucks.

[Barbaraok]

10 hours ago, Just_incredible42 said:

Hello all,

My family and I are wanting to get into camping/rv’ing. We are doing a lot of research now so we can get the best tow vehicle for safety and reliability as well as the best size camper/rv for our family of 5. We have 3 young children ages 2,4,&6. I’d love to hear your do’s and don’ts when buying your first camper/rv. We have looked at 26ft rear hitch types and also 5th wheel types. Pros and cons to either? I really appreciate your help and suggestions, and can’t wait to meet y’all on the road. 

Is this for weekend camping, 1-2 week vacations or full timing?

If for weekends, have you considered a Class C motorhome?

 

[sandsys]

There are four things I would consider first given the ages of your family:

1. Seats for the kids while traveling. Room plus anchors for child seats is mandatory for me and few Class C motorhomes allow for that.

2. Sleeping arrangements. How good is your two year old at staying in bed? We camped with one family who didn't get any sleep because the little one crawled all over everything all night. A bunk bed on which you can install a side rail might help with that.

3. Bathing. Toddlers are not very good at taking showers.  

4. Grow room. Kids require stuff. Sometimes less as they grow from toddler to child but sometimes more and larger as they reach school age. Bicycles?

Thinking about those items can help define what you need in both a trailer and a tow vehicle.

Linda Sand

[2gypsies]

8 minutes ago, sandsys said:

There are four things I would consider first given the ages of your family:

1. Seats for the kids while traveling. Room plus anchors for child seats is mandatory for me and few Class C motorhomes allow for that.

 

They're looking at trailers or 5th wheels so the children will be riding in the truck.

[sandsys]

6 hours ago, 2gypsies said:

They're looking at trailers or 5th wheels so the children will be riding in the truck.

Right. But Barb suggested they consider a Class C so I thought seating was an important thing to discuss.

Linda

[2gypsies]

1 hour ago, sandsys said:

Right. But Barb suggested they consider a Class C so I thought seating was an important thing to discuss.

Linda

Your last sentence mentioned 'trailer' and truck so that's what I thought you were talking about.

[Barbaraok]

Linda, our Class C and 6 sets of seat belts for passengers, for in the dinette area (booth) and 2 sets on the couch.   

My daughter, as a toddler,  took 'baths' in the shower on my parents sailboat.  Had a lip around the shower base, covered the drain, ran in water and sat her down, and scrubbed her, then she stood up and giggled as she got to pull up the drain cover and watch the water go down the drain as we rinsed her off.   Children are very, very adaptable.   Even tent camping, she'd usually go swimming during the day instead of a shower at night.   

As for not sleeping in a bed, all kids adapt to a routine and sleeping on a pallet next to mom and dad is  perfectly accessible at that age.  And they will do it, especially if they have been busy all day.    That's why I asked the parents if this was for weekends, short vacations, or were they planning on full timing.  

[sandsys]

On 1/19/2021 at 9:29 AM, Barbaraok said:

Linda, our Class C and 6 sets of seat belts for passengers, for in the dinette area (booth) and 2 sets on the couch.  

How many of those seats were forward facing with accessibility to the back for modern child seat anchors? In my most recent research into class C motorhomes I have never found more than one place for a child seat anchor if any at all. As mandated security becomes stricter, it also becomes harder to meet. I remember when lap belts were not even a thing yet. And lighted turn signals were an option with stick your arm out the window to use hand signals were standard.  

As a child, I took baths in a wash tub set in a shower and at a kitchen sink. It's still something that needs to be considered. It's not that it can't be done; it's how will it be done? I like your method with your daughter.

Linda

[JimK]

Due to Covid, there is a shortage of both new and used RVs.  You might want to wait a bit.  In any case, definitely buy used.  RVs depreciate rapidly.  A lot of people also buy them and then realize that they don't really like camping that much.  Kids grow up rapidly and many teenagers do not want to go family camping.

I also recommend you look at trailers.  They are typically much less expensive.  Be aware that RVs are typically of abysmal quality.  You can almost count on initial repairs and defects for a new unit.  For a used RV, I highly recommend you find a reputable 3rd party to inspect the unit.  You can do better than buying new since the initial issues will be resolved.  In addition to finding an RV that suits your needs, do your research.  Start by looking at the specs for the suspension and tires.  With passengers, food, cooking gear, clothing, personal items, etc you can easily at at least 1500# to the base weight.  If you add extra batteries, solar panels, a generator, lawn chairs, bicycles, you can easily add another 500# or so.  Research will show that a great many RVs are not able to carry that sort of weight and the tires will be overloaded and unsafe.  I do not mean to discourage you but avoid buying until you have done the research to get a decent unit that will last and be safe.  Many buyers are blinded by dreams of vacations and travel and they make poor choices.

[kb0zke]

You are a long way from looking at something to buy. You have a lot of research to do. Prices are high right now, but will eventually come down. If you spend your time now doing the research and getting finances in order, you will be ready to jump when the right rig comes along.

1. Start by going into every single RV you can. Doesn't matter the price, condition, or type. You are looking at two things: floor plan and quality. There are only so many ways you can arrange a box to make living quarters out of it, so you will begin to notice the same plans over and over. Details will vary from one manufacturer to another, but you will soon learn which ones will work and which ones won't. As you look at older rigs you can tell how they hold up.

2. While you are doing the above you should also be talking about how you plan to travel and camp over the next 3-5 years. With the ages of your children, you are most likely looking at weekends and short (2-3 week) vacations. You won't be carrying as much stuff as if you are fulltiming. Do you want to go to commercial campgrounds, State or Federal campgrounds, boondock? Your choices here will determine how much water capacity you need.

3. My suggestion is to buy your trailer and truck used - for now. Look for something that is fairly new, say less than 5 years old, so that the bugs are worked out but it isn't completely used up yet. Keep in mind that entry-level trailers don't have the quality that more expensive ones do, because they aren't intended to be used more than about a month in a year. On the other hand, the damage a toddler can do to them isn't going to be all that noticeable, either. You might just decide to buy one that is functional (everything works) but doesn't look the best and figure that you will junk it in a year or two. The cost of that trailer is the price of your education.

4. This isn't for everyone, but IF your work permits you to work remotely at flexible hours, you may want to consider road-schooling. Same idea as homeschooling (you teach your own children), but you do it while traveling. Spend a week at The Alamo, for example, learning what happened there and seeing it, then go down to San Jacento for a week to see part two. If you think this might be for you, I'd suggest you buy a fairly good-sized truck to start with (F350 class) because you will need it to tow a larger trailer. Start with the smaller one first, and learn whether the RV live is even for you.

5. TT vs 5'er is a tossup. The TT doesn't have as much outside storage, so more stuff will have to be in the bed of the truck. It also will have fewer stairs to climb. The 5'er has more exterior storage because the truck bed is pretty much taken up by the hitch. Going from outside to the bathroom is usually 8-9 steps up. That's quite a hike for a toddler.

6. Weights and abbreviations. GVWR = Gross Vehicle Weight Rating = the maximum the vehicle can weigh. GAWR = Gross Axle Weight Rating = the maximum amount that an axle can carry. GCVWR = Gross Combined Vehicle Weight Rating = the maximum weight of truck and trailer. Tongue (hitch) weight = the weight that goes on the hitch from a travel trailer. Normally that will be 10-15% of the trailer's gross weight. Pin weight = a 5'er's weight that goes on the hitch. That is normally 20-25% of the trailer's gross weight. Examples: I'm looking at a TT with a GVWR of 11,000 pounds, so I can expect that 1100-1650 pounds will be on the hitch. I'm also looking at a 5'er with a GVWR of 18,000 pounds. That means that the hitch in the bed of the truck has to be able to handle 3600-4500 pounds. The sales people will quote dry or empty weights to you. That number will help you calculate the carrying capacity of the trailer, and that's it, unless you don't plan to put anything in the trailer. The difference between GVWR and dry (empty) weight of a trailer is how much food, water, clothing, cooking stuff, propane, etc. you can carry.

[lappir]

I have read the initial post, but only skimmed the replies. If this is a repeat, sorry. 

I didn't see where you have "Camped" before. It's truly different in a tent, pop up, pull behind, 5th wheel, Class A, B, C, D and all the others. 

Before I "Went Full Time" I borrowed/rented my brothers trailer and spent 3 months living in it in Florida one winter. I have traveled a lot,  but never taken my home with me. I found out I could in fact live in a home on wheels and have not looked back since. I have heard stories of others not having the same positive experience. 

My suggestion is to rent first, borrow if you can and just make sure to return it in the same or better condition if you borrow. 

It's hard to decide what vehicle you want to tow with, I thought the F350 long bed dually I bought would be fine, my brother towed the same trailer with  F250 short bed and said it was fine. When he drove my F350 back from Florida a couple years later he liked it much more than his newer F250. I have an HDT and have never regretted it's purchase either. 

Good luck with your search for what works until you don't regret your purchases too. 

 

Rod