Travel Trailer for a family of 5 from Norway.

[Scandinavian]

My family have decided on taking a 6 month leave of absence from our jobs in Norway to come visit the US the "real way". We have planned on staying at a relatives place for 2 week periods, therefore we decided that a TT can give us the ability to travel as well live on their premisis.
I have 3 children aged 5-3-1, so our need is for a queen option with bunk beds in the back. We are VERY uncertain what type of truck/car/SUV we should buy. I assume we can afford 16k-20k total for both a truck/SUV and trailer. I have looked a bit on-line and it seems we could get a TT for 6k -12k that is in very good condidtion. The vehicle on the other hand is what really scares me, last thing I want is too be stuck at some repair shop with 3 kids and a Euro accent. I feel I would be taken advatage, but what I do know is Americans have always been hospitable people wherever I have been around them, which Is why I want to take my family and embark on the great usa.
My questions are:
1) What sort of vehicle should I target (keep in mind 3 kids)
2) What type of TT makes sense for us? (vague question I know)
3) What sort of resale values do TT have?
4) Any models or brands I should stay away from?
　
I apologize for my novice questions, but being a Norwegian I feel there is nobody better to ask then the RV'ers themself. I am open to any ideas and or opinions.
I appreciate all the help and want to say thanks to all the troops out there fighting to not only keep the USA free, but Scandinavia as well.

[450Donn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scandinavian My family have decided on taking a 6 month leave of absence from our jobs in Norway to come visit the US the "real way". We have planned on staying at a relatives place for 2 week periods, therefore we decided that a TT can give us the ability to travel as well live on their premisis. I have 3 children aged 5-3-1, so our need is for a queen option with bunk beds in the back. We are VERY uncertain what type of truck/car/SUV we should buy. I assume we can afford 16k-20k total for both a truck/SUV and trailer. I have looked a bit on-line and it seems we could get a TT for 6k -12k that is in very good condidtion. The vehicle on the other hand is what really scares me, last thing I want is too be stuck at some repair shop with 3 kids and a Euro accent. I feel I would be taken advatage, but what I do know is Americans have always been hospitable people wherever I have been around them, which Is why I want to take my family and embark on the great usa. My questions are: 1) What sort of vehicle should I target (keep in mind 3 kids) Your choices are,,, A full sized van, but they are getting hard to find. A Suburban or a 3/4 ton crew cab pickup. Personally I would look at a 2500 Series Suburban. Lots of room and a good 6L motor for towing. 2) What type of TT makes sense for us? (vague question I know) As for trailers? As vague as that sounds probably your best choice will be a used model in year range 2000/2005. Stick with around 25 feet in length and try and find one with rear bunk beds. 3) What sort of resale values do TT have? Given the current economic situation in America all RV's are going very cheap. If you can buy at a low price, you should consider it a bargain if you can recoup 75% of your investment. This all depends on the time of year you ant to buy/sell. 4) Any models or brands I should stay away from? Brands from Fleetwood tend to have a poorer reputation that many others. I think your best options would be to look at towable RV's from manufacturers like Keystone, Forest River and Northwood. While the latter is much smaller they generally have a good reputation and build a good product for the price. 　 I apologize for my novice questions, but being a Norwegian I feel there is nobody better to ask then the RV'ers themself. I am open to any ideas and or opinions. No need to apologize. All of us were new at one time and have asked the exact same questions, some of us more than once. I appreciate all the help and want to say thanks to all the troops out there fighting to not only keep the USA free, but Scandinavia as well.

Bye the way, welcome to the forum