Community Forums

rveric · 08-08-2015, 08:18 AM

Hi:
My name is Eric and new to rving, meaning I have not bought one yet but hope to soon. I do have a lot of questions so would be nice to chat with someone who has some good experience. I would be buying a travel trailer with a dry weight of under 3000 lbs so if you own this type and love touring with it, then please connect with me. Thanks looking forward to chatting and learning more.
Eric

MSHappyCampers · 08-08-2015, 08:23 AM

Hi Eric! Welcome to IRV2! We're sure glad you joined us!

Good luck, happy trails, and God bless!

denlock · 08-08-2015, 11:31 AM

hal1phx · 08-08-2015, 03:16 PM

LynnD · 08-08-2015, 05:41 PM

TeJay · 08-09-2015, 05:07 AM

Eric,
Well if your budget and circumstances are such that you want a TT so be it. We've had 3 TT's and 3 MH's. We were not happy with any of the TT's and went back to a MH. That said, there are many out there who like a TT. They are inexpensive to get into and that's the main reason. It really depends on your situation.

Here's some of the down sides of TT's. Maybe you can find something that is better or at least realize what you are getting when you get it so you won't be disappointed or surprised.

Only one axle out there that is an independent suspension and that's made by Dexter. It's called a Tor-Flex axle. We had one and I liked it. With a straight axle when you hit a bump it effects the other side as well. I doubt you'd find a Dexter axle on a 3,000 lb TT. That's way to small.

Most TT's will not have self adjusting brakes and they will be all drum brakes. Disc brakes have taken over all other vehicle markets. Also in the small TT's (less than 6-7,000 lbs there will be no shocks. Even in the 6-8,000 lb range there will be no shocks. If your TT is in the very small range maybe brakes will not be that big of an issue. Maybe those tear drop units would work??

TT's have a lot of BLING and little quality. In most cases after the newness has worn off most TT's set beside the garage or barn and only get used maybe 2-3 times a year. Yes there are exceptions but the TT manufacturers are willing to build a cheap unit with low quality because the actual numbers of TT's that are used a lot are very low. That translates into fewer numbers of TT owners that will use, wear out and then complain about the poor quality before the warranty runs out.

Sorry to be the bearer of such bad news but it is the reality of the situation. If I were you I'd try to find one of those seldom used TT's and get it cheap. Then if you have the mechanical abilities you can fix things up to make it a decent TT. I had to put wet bolts, and shocks on our units. The first one we had wore out the suspension bushing within the first 2,000 mile trip. Also upgraded the tires and wheel bearings before we left town on the first trip. The tires will just barely carry the max load and the TT itself was rated for 7,000 lbs but it only had 2 axles rated for 3,000 lbs each for a total of 6,000 lbs of capacity for a 7,000 lb TT. That makes a lot of sense.

I've read stories on the Heartland Forums of guys spending $8,000 to $12,000 upgrading their TT's just so they could safely carry a load both with the axles and tires. I consider that as, "Building a unit on the edge of destruction." There are some decent units out there but I doubt you'll find it in a 3,000 lb unit. Anytime you make something small and light you have to sacrifice in a quality thick frame and that's asking for trouble.

Check the Heartland forums. You'll find guys complaining of cracked frames with under 10,000 miles. Ultra-Lite means ultra cheap. They are trying to get into the one-ton class of pickup as the TV (tow vehicle). That's under 8,000 lbs. Also when looking for a unit never go over 80% of your actual safe towing capacity. Our F-150 could tow a max of 10,000 lbs and our biggest TT was 7,000 lbs. Still a handful to pull.

TeJay

twinboat · 08-09-2015, 05:46 AM

I have met some couples who enjoy full timing in small travel trailers. It keeps the tow vehicle smaller and fits their budget. They were outdoors type people and didn't need a ton of space inside.

I started with a tent and moved slowly thru the pop up, travel trailer and now motorhome phase. Campground are full of popups and smaller trailers, with great people using them. Most State and County parks will let you tour the campground areas. Find a setup that you like and strike up a conversation. Boy, we love to talk about our rigs.

Good luck and remember, "You read it on the Internet"

rveric · 08-09-2015, 05:53 AM

Tejay:
Thanks for all the info, but I know I will have to get a tt for the first one so hopefully it is a decent one which I can pull a long ways. Your insight is much appreciated so please stay in touch with me as I will have many questions for you and looking for good guidance. I only have a montana van which can probably pull a 3000 lbs unit so I know my choices will be limited so any suggestions are welcome.

rveric · 08-09-2015, 05:57 AM

Hello Twin Boat:
I need to hear more about your adventures and what type of TT you had. I need to know if it held on long trips or did you experience lots of defects during your trips, eg:-axletroubles, tires wearing out, or damage from leaking water during storms?
Please stay in touch with me as I would appreciate more information.
Thanks Eric

rveric · 08-09-2015, 06:04 AM

Hello to the others who welcomed me as well please stay in touch and help a newbie out as I will be trying to gain more information over the next few months or over the winter before diving into this. I hopefully will be able to purchase a decent TT maybe around spending under 12,000. It will only be my wife and myself travelling in it so a queen size bed, sitting area and a full bathroom would be the features I am looking for and last a TT which we can travel with for long distances. The TT will have to be in the lite class so hopefully there is one out there for me.
Thanks Eric
P.S.- Also want some information on how to know which campsites are better to stay at and which offer good services at a reasonable prices.

twinboat · 08-09-2015, 06:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rveric

Hello Twin Boat:
I need to hear more about your adventures and what type of TT you had. I need to know if it held on long trips or did you experience lots of defects during your trips, eg:-axletroubles, tires wearing out, or damage from leaking water during storms?
Please stay in touch with me as I would appreciate more information.
Thanks Eric

My trailer days were in the late 80s, while still working. I picked up a used 24 footer for the 4 of us to weekend at the beach and week long summer vacations, a few hundred miles away. It was old and had a few small leaks that I sealed up.

The only real work I did was moving the axles under the springs for more ground clearance, while towing it in the sand of Long Islands outer beach's. Aside from yearly brake adjustments, I never had a flat or any breakdowns for that matter.

My daughter, grown now, had a smaller 2005 trailer with fold out ends, with large beds in them. She never had any issues with the suspension or brakes in the 6 or 7 years she owned it. ( Dad was the repair man, so I would know ). As a matter of fact, everything was working, when she sold it two years ago.

If you read this board, you will read about problems because people without problems don't post what didn't happen. With the thousands of trailers rolling all over the country, I can't believe they are built with lower quality then entry level motorhomes. You are not going to get robust cabinets and heavy duty anything, in a light RV.

LarrytheBear · 08-09-2015, 07:34 AM

We had a TT and really enjoyed traveling in it for about 3 years. We made three long trips before we bought our MH. Like others we started with a tent, pop-up, TT and now MH.
Ours was a 2009 Trailsport TS25 by Rvision and dry weight was 3780 lbs. (I think.) From bumper to tongue the length was 29.5'. The box length was about 25'. We bought it used in 2011 for $10,000. We got $12,000 on trade in 2014.
I don't necessarily recommend this trailer but it was light-weight and we never had any serious problems with it. I pulled it with a 2006 Tundra that had a tow capacity of 7200 lbs.
After each trip (and sometimes during the trip) we would have to fix something that had come loose on the inside. The inside cabinets and trim we usually the problem.
The biggest expense we had was new tires in the second year while we were on a trip. If I had rotated the tire sooner I might have avoided this. Four tires cost about $450.
I'm not sure what you will find in the 3000 lb range, but you will want to be no more than about 80% of your tow capacity (maximum).

Medico · 08-09-2015, 08:38 AM

Welcome, glad to meet you!

rveric · 08-09-2015, 08:42 AM

Hello twin boat:
thanks for replying back and giving more of your insight into rving. I am enjoying chatting and receiving all this good information here with everyone so please share more as I am completely new to this and also want to know about campgrounds to stay at which are close to major cities so my wife and I can stay for a good week and then explore these great cities in Canada and the States. I live in Ottawa Canada which is in Ontario so my wife and I are interested in going down the eastern part of the States and heading down to the keys but stopping along the way to explore different cities like Boston.
Cheer everyone please keep Replying: Eric