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Old 07-01-2018, 04:02 PM   #1
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Head is spinning

We have been looking for a long time now at RV travel trailers. So much to look at and so many differences I don't know which travel trailer is the best for the money. So many different brands and so many reviews good and bad. Any suggestions ?? Checking new and used. We want a good deal and something that will last.
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Old 07-01-2018, 04:06 PM   #2
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Don’t buy used. Trust me don’t do it.


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Old 07-01-2018, 09:13 PM   #3
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Start by asking yourself how you plan to use it? Are you living in it in AZ during the winter? Just weekends at the state park 10 miles from your house? Cross-country family vacations with 7 kids each summer? Crash pad for skiing all weekend? Where will you camp? And what will you tow it with? We got through those questions and ended up with three models to choose from, even before we got to price and features...
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Old 07-01-2018, 10:40 PM   #4
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Just pick the one with the best floor plan and the coolest graphics.
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Old 07-01-2018, 11:01 PM   #5
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You are in the RV mecca of the country. No wonder your head is spinning. Buying an RV is like buying a boat. It is a terrible way to spend money. There really is no easy way to get bang for the buck. Probably the less you spend the less you will lose. In 3 years you will lose 50% in 5 years you will lose 60%. Now if you like RV'ing it is worth the cost.

To learn about trailers you need to look at a lot of trailers. Not sure if you go up to Lazy Days RV in Tampa if you can find an salesman to explain all the differences. I know Lazy Days will put of a few seminars. Maybe sign up for one of those.

I am looking now to buy my 4th trailer. I like to lose money but enjoy RV'ing.

Anyway

I like the following 3 trailers:

1. Artic Fox and all its sisters and brothers meaning from the same builder Outdoor RV. These are heavy well built trailers from a west coast USA builder. Not easy to find these in Florida, or east of the Mississippi.

2. Lance, these are light(ish) well built trailers. West coast of the USA builder. There is a dealer in St. Augustine.

3. Winnebago Mini and Mini Plus. There is a dealer in Daytona Beach. And many other places in Florida. Builder is in Indiana.

Indiana is the hub for 85% of all RV's built in the US. So they all use the same work force thus quality is all about the same. The RV's being built in Indiana pretty much use the same suppliers for frames, axles, refrigerators, hot water heaters, air conditioners, water pumps, windows, etc.

Take a look at the Lance 2385 and the Winnebago Mini Plus 27 RBDS. These are trailers I like.

I like the Lance fit and finish better than the Winnebago. But the Winnebago will cost less and is bigger.

To start out with your 1st trailer a red Winnebago Mini makes sense.[emoji4]



Also what shane_the_ee said.



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Old 07-01-2018, 11:19 PM   #6
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X2 on Shane’s comments. How you use it, how much, what amenities you want, dry camping vs RV park vs State parks because of size limits and water capacities. If you are not sure about some of those I would recommend a good used unit for starting out then after a few years you will know your likes and dislikes. You can then trade to get what fits your camping style without costing an arm and leg.
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Old 07-02-2018, 06:02 AM   #7
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I would recommend buying a used RV right out of the gate. If you have not camped before, one of two things will happen. You will not go near as much as you thought you would and the RV will end up a yard ornament that you will finally sell. And if you buy new, you will take a serious loss. Or (the more likely situation), you will find you love it, and go on a regular basis. You will also discover there are things about your RV you wish were different. Such as the rear kitchen model you bought is not as user friendly as you thought it would be, or the outdoor kitchen you thought you would use often doesn't get used at all and takes up a lot of internal space, or the queen bed you thought you won't mind not being able to walk all the way around is getting on your nerves. So now you have a new RV that you want to change several things about, but you are terribly upside down on. Buy used, run it for a year or two. See what floorplan works best, what options you find you would love to have or options you really don't use. The size (25' seemed okay, but now you really could use another 10'). That way when you go to trade up (which happens all the time) you won't be in the hole so bad because the dealerships will not give you a good trade-in value. Do a close inspection on the used unit, buy from a locally owned RV dealership if possible. The big chains (read camping world here) will stick you and not provide good service once you leave the lot. A lot of used units have already had the kinks worked out. As far as buying new, it seems that it depends on what day yours rolled off the assembly line. You just never know what you will end up with. Manufacturers like Arctic Fox and Airstream seem to usually have a solid following and reputation. But, you will pay dearly for that name. Also, DO NOT listen to the dealerships (either RV or vehicle) when it comes to towing. The RV dealer will look at your Nissan Frontier and say, "Sure you can tow that 10K lb TT, no problem.". The truck dealer will assure you the vehicle you are looking at can tow a house. If you have your tow vehicle, know going in you are maxed out at 6K, or 8K, or whatever it is. DO NOT look at the dry weight, look at the max weight of the RV with it loaded to the gills, which is exactly how you will run it. Don't fall for the "I'll pack light" thing, it won't happen. A rough estimate is to take your vehicles towing capacity, minus 20%, and make that your max weight for your fully loaded RV. That way when you look, you know up front what RV you can and can not tow and you don't get your heart set on a model that will cause you to have to buy a new tow vehicle next week because you barely got it home in one piece. There are a lot of knowledgeable folks on here, just give us your tow vehicle and they will tell you down the the pound what you can pull safely. Good luck, see you down the road!
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Old 07-02-2018, 08:49 AM   #8
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I'm on my 3rd trailer now and the next will probably be a 2-3 year old used one.
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Old 07-02-2018, 09:16 AM   #9
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I agree that the more info you give the better recommendations you will get.

Tow vehicle? Use?

We bought a small Lance because we love the outdoors. Rain, or shine we aren’t happy sitting in a trailer. So a good bed, easy tow, storage, and function was important. But, we just have a dinette which is not all that comfortable for very long. The TV has been turned on once just to make sure it worked. Everyone has different ideas of what camping is.
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Old 07-02-2018, 09:37 AM   #10
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We had never camped before. We didn't know if we'd like it or not. Or what kind we'd prefer. We set a budget and bought a camper within that budget. Didn't care about brand. Didn't care about what it was made of (aluminum vs laminate vs fiberglass). I learned all I could. Hooked up and went. Got hooked and upgraded to another used one (again, driven by budget). Each style will have its issues. Each brand will have problems. New ones could be amazing or complete crap. Learn to do little things on your own. At the end of the day, find one that will fit the type of camping you'll be doing, will be well within the limits of your tow vehicle, buy it and enjoy it and deal with any issues that may arise. For us, I don't think I'll ever buy new - I'm letting someone else absorb the depreciation.
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Old 07-02-2018, 09:57 AM   #11
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Regarding tow vehicle and towing capacity-
The first and most important thing to look at is payload capacity for your tow vehicle. You need to know this. It is usually located on a yellow sticker on the driver's door jamb. It will have info about the tires and a statement that says
"the combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed _____lbs" or something to that effect. This number varies from vehicle to vehicle depending on options, etc. Do not go by a factory number found on the internet or a brochure. Go by what's on the vehicle.

Next you need to know the GVWR of the trailer. Pay no attention to dry weight or dry tongue weight. 10% to 15% of the GVWR will be the tongue weight you'll be working with, I usually use 13% That 8000lb dry weight trailer with the nice 800lb advertised tongue weight will likely be 1300lbs when loaded near its 10000lb GVWR, and it will be. Don't plan on "packing light, never carry water". Ok, you just put 1300lbs on the truck. If you throw in another 700lbs for people, pets, stuff in the bed of the truck, weight of the hitch, etc., you need 2000lb cargo carrying capacity. Plug in your own numbers and determine what you need. If you pay attention to payload all the rest usually falls in line. If you go by towing capacity you could be screwed. For example, my truck is rated to tow 17,500lbs. At 13% tongue weight plus hitch, two fat old people and "stuff" like the tonneau cover, running boards, etc., I'd be way over my payload.
Use these parameters and you should be golden. You don't want to be white knuckling an overloaded tow vehicle your first time out. And has been said, pay no attention to RV or truck sales people that tell you "no problem, it'll tow that just fine." Do your homework first, then go shopping!
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Old 07-02-2018, 10:01 AM   #12
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Go used on the first for sure, my dad purchased his first travel trailer a 26' Jayco stick and tin model that weighed about 7k and was told by the sales man his 2001 chevy 1/2 ton would be fine . Wrong, so he trades for a new 21 ft trailer (took a beating on it) . My mother hated it (called it rinky dink). fortunately a neighbor took it off his hands with a minor loss. He then purchased a 5 yr old 26 ft aluminum structure TT and a 3/4 ton chevy, kept the camper for 6 years and sold it for $1500 less than he paid for it. ( go figure)
I purchased my first camper from an individual a 29Br Work and Play that weighed bout 10K loaded , I pulled it with a f250 with no problem Let a salesman talk me in to a 1/2 with a HD towing package (major screw up). So back to a 3/4 ton I go (talk about cry) and all was good again.
My wife and I recently sold the Work and Play 29BR to an individual and after 3 years took an acceptable price that yielded some equity. We purchased a used 2017 Launch 26rls from a dealer that met all of the requirements for our next travel trailer.
Probably only 50% of all TT see any appreciable use , this is particularly true with older folks who in my opinion take the best care of their stuff and it is not uncommon to pic up a mint condition 5-6 year old TT that was shed kept its entire life for half of a new one.
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Old 07-02-2018, 12:44 PM   #13
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I had a bad experience searching for used. As in - this #$@# is so popular right now, used trailers are difficult to find!!!

We were looking for a bunkhouse model. The wife had a bunch of requirements. I really only had one or two. Maybe your area of the country is different, but here in AZ, gently used, newer bunkhouse inventory is dang near squat.

As always, YMMV.
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Old 07-02-2018, 01:55 PM   #14
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What are you currently planning on towing with and what do you think at this time you Ansley must take with you in the tow vehicle, like a large family or a bunch of kayaks and accessories? This one factor alone might help you narrow things down quite a bit, or not, but it is an important starting point.

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