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dream2rv · 01-16-2013, 04:55 PM

Hi, I have just joined this site after reading the various forums for weeks.
Lots of good info, for sure. I have finally talked the wife into considering going full time.

I would still work in Canada for 6 months and go south for the rest. I am considering a tt or mh to do so. I have had both before but only for a little camping. My budget is only around 30k for either choice, including toad or towing vehicle.
My question is what are some good used 4 season tt that are out there?
Some of the months will be cool in Canada so need good insulation,double pane windows, etc.
Question no. 2. Has anyone had any experience pulling such a tt with a
3/4 ton conversion van? Safe? Good or Bad?
Thanx in advance for your views.

baraff · 01-16-2013, 05:06 PM

Hi and Welcome to IRV2!
I am NOT a fulltimer, so my opinion is worth what you paid for it. That said, I think you would find that fulltiming in a TT would grow old very quickly; all that hooking up and unhooking, leveling, jacks, etc., would get real old, real fast.
You probably want a motorhome, and tow a vehicle. Some fulltimers can chime in here and I bow to their expertise.
Arctic Fox makes a four-season TT, I think.
Whatever you decide, have fun!

tuffr2 · 01-16-2013, 05:58 PM

If you go south in the winter months and back to Canada in the summer months you may not really need a 4 season rig.

There are nice 3 slide TT's that I considered pulling with a 3/4 ton truck with a cap on it. I did meet two full time couples that pulled TT's with 1/2 ton trucks. I did not go this route as I decided on a 5th wheel and bigger diesel truck.

30g's will buy a older class 'A' MH. If you look you may find a motivated seller and get an ok rig.

It might be easier to find a nicer class 'C'. But these will be small to full time in. Depends on the couple.

Go and look at units in all the categories and see what will work for you. One might be a clear winner.

Good luck

caissiel · 01-17-2013, 04:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tuffr2

If you go south in the winter months and back to Canada in the summer months you may not really need a 4 season rig.

There are nice 3 slide TT's that I considered pulling with a 3/4 ton truck with a cap on it. I did meet two full time couples that pulled TT's with 1/2 ton trucks. I did not go this route as I decided on a 5th wheel and bigger diesel truck.

30g's will buy a older class 'A' MH. If you look you may find a motivated seller and get an ok rig.

It might be easier to find a nicer class 'C'. But these will be small to full time in. Depends on the couple.

Go and look at units in all the categories and see what will work for you. One might be a clear winner.

Good luck

You get trouble with a 30k class c or a.
Go with TT that your van can pull if you trust your van. Can always trade for better truck later. I bought a $20k truck 6 years ago and plan on keeping it a while. Good 39 ft 5th wheel units like ours used go for 30k and will be best for full timing. We travel 2k miles south every year from Canada for 6 months every year.

SmokeyWren · 01-17-2013, 06:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dream2rv

My question is what are some good used 4 season tt that are out there?

Your budget doesn't allow a "luxury" TT, so I would stick with Artic Fox. They're not cheap, but a very popular 4-season full-timer TT.

Quote:

Question no. 2. Has anyone had any experience pulling such a tt with a 3/4 ton conversion van? Safe? Good or Bad?

Good friend of mine towed a big TT with a diesel-powered Econoline E-350 van for years. He loved it. Ford no longer offers a diesel in the E-van, but they have the V-10 gasser that's used in many class C and class A motorhomes. GM offers a diesel engine in their Express vans, either passenger "window" vans or cargo vans, and either regular (12 pax) or extended(15 pax) size. I'm sure you'd like one of those.

Way back when, I ordered a new E-van and converted it myself into a custom luxury van. It began life as a commercial cargo van but with the fanciest trim level, rear AC/heater, and windows with privacy glass all around. It had two optional Flexsteel reclining and swiveling Captain's Chairs in the front row. Behind the front seats was bare metal floor, but with finished insulated walls and ceiling because of the rear AC. I found two more matching Flexsteel Captain's Chairs in a bone yard, added plywood, high-density foam, and plush carpet over the floor, separate sterio with headphones in the rear so the kids could blow their brains out with rock music without disturbing the two old foggies in the front. The padded floor in the back end was plenty good enough for a comfortable bed for the adults, and a wonderful play or nap area for two kids when on long trips. (That was 1977 to 1981, before Big Brother decided to require seat belts to be worn by back-seat passengers.) We towed a tent camper all over the USA with that rig, and it was a really good and comfortable ride. We put about 150,000 miles on that rig before I sold it to a friend, who drove it several more years. It was an E-150, so it wouldn't be suitable for a big TT, but if I had ordered the E-350 instead of the E-150 I could have towed a medium-sized TT with that van.