Community Forums

GINAO · 09-30-2020, 05:46 PM

Hello gina here, i joined this forum hoping to find some helpful suggestions on which travel trailer might be a good fit for my family as we are looking to purchase one. My biggest fear is to purchase one with very little experience never owning one. I have viewed a few different travel trailers and have noticed heavy orders which got me thinking about toxic chemicals. If anyone has any helpful travel trailer recommendations with less toxic chemicals used i would truly appreciate any or all feed back thank you

scrapperjohn · 09-30-2020, 05:50 PM

Look at LANCE...

gotPilot · 10-01-2020, 12:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GINAO

Hello gina here, i joined this forum hoping to find some helpful suggestions on which travel trailer might be a good fit for my family as we are looking to purchase one. My biggest fear is to purchase one with very little experience never owning one. I have viewed a few different travel trailers and have noticed heavy orders which got me thinking about toxic chemicals. If anyone has any helpful travel trailer recommendations with less toxic chemicals used i would truly appreciate any or all feed back thank you

You did not mention other important factors like sleeping capacity, tow weight to match your tow vehicle, and other important amenities you'd like to have. Those info could give members here a better understanding of what you are searching for.

If you can afford it, try to search on tt rentals. Rent 1 or 2 that you think you'd be interested with. Have fun shopping your new tt.

RobbieH · 10-01-2020, 08:47 AM

And look at used. That way the trailer has had time to air out, and the first owner had to go through all the hassle of fixing the initial issues, not to mention the money you will save.

Desert Flyer · 10-04-2020, 11:48 AM

The only one I ever remember was Ever-Lite by Evergreen, which advertised eco and hypoallergenic. This was a decade ago and they are no longer in business. They shut down in 2016, but you can probably find used units. However, their techniques are used by a lot of other makers now with little to no wood (and formaldehyde) used in the frames, walls, and roof. Lance is one of those and high quality but very expensive. Check out www.certifiedgreenrvs.com.

HopsBrewster · 10-04-2020, 02:18 PM

Lots of adhesives, resins, plastics and laminates used in the construction of RVs. There will be off-gassing. Buying 1 or 2-year old used is a good way to avoid this issue.
It's a pity the RV shows are cancelled this year, you could get a better idea of what you might want to end up with. Make lists of your needs,;
Must have
Nice to have
Unnecessary/luxury
Costs
Size and weight
Look for the TT's that check your Musts and some of the wants, meets size and weight.
When it comes to your tow vehicle, I strongly recommend that you get a TV that exceeds the tow requirements for your desired trailer. The TV will have to work less hard so it should last longer with fewer mechanical problems, and you will be more comfortable.

Bob_C · 10-04-2020, 03:01 PM

Another thing......if there's a slide or two, make sure you can access the bathroom and fridge with it closed up......once you're on the road, you'll know why.....and if the one you choose, if it has what's called solid steps, you'll have to watch where you stop, and park......and you'll be cleaning them off after every use....

bneukam · 10-04-2020, 04:01 PM

Many US manufacturers of OSB, and Plywood like LP redesigned their formula back in 2009 using a less toxic phenol instead of urea formaldehyde.
I can remember when we bought a 5th wheel back in 2000, it was so toxic your eyes would burn. Today I don’t get that same level on new RV’s.
Luan comes from SE Asia, so not sure what they use.
Most trailer manufacturers are also now using non toxic glues for the lamination process.
So, trailers are less toxic today then past, and probably not anymore than newer homes.

garywilson · 10-05-2020, 01:20 AM

There are a few sites that have lots of RV search information that you can plug in what features you want and get a list of those that meet your specs.
I like https://www.rvingplanet.com/rvs.

You can also pull up specs for many different RVs at https://www.rvusa.com/rv-guide/specs-guide

MtCamper · 10-05-2020, 05:30 AM

Gina, I would strongly recommend that you look for a rental unit for a long weekend. You need to go on a few dates before you jump into a serious relationship. See how they tow, see how to set up in a campground, find out if you really like your family.

If, after renting, you want to pursue the relationship, try to find an experienced unit that would fit your needs.

NYJoe · 10-09-2020, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MtCamper

Gina, I would strongly recommend that you look for a rental unit for a long weekend. You need to go on a few dates before you jump into a serious relationship. See how they tow, see how to set up in a campground, find out if you really like your family.

If, after renting, you want to pursue the relationship, try to find an experienced unit that would fit your needs.

I agree because of the mistakes made with purchase of our first unit. Try out the rental, make notes of like and dislikes and walk around the campgrounds you visit to get ideas. RV's love to share and show off their 'mods'. One of the first mistakes we made was the floor plan. I'm not too crazy having the door near the bed because of all the dirt that get's tracked in. My next RV will have rear dining with the door in the back. Also consider the shower area. I prefer to use campground facilities because of the space and water issues. Even though ours is a 'dry bath' water still gets all over the place.

Goodspike · 10-09-2020, 10:46 PM

I agree with the rental comments, but . . ..

It would be useful to know your tow vehicle. Do not go by the max tow rating of that vehicle because you'll likely run up against other limits like payload or tongue weight before max tow.

Also, if you're looking at a trailer with a slide be sure to check out what it's like with the slide in. Some trailers are pretty useless with the slide in--some you cannot even get to the bathroom easily.

Also, I didn't notice this until I started camping this year, but by far the most popular trailer type at our state parks in the fall season is the tandem axle trailer. They have a lot of advantages and I think if I had not bought a tandem axle and seen how popular they are I would have regretted it. I'm assuming many of the owners upgraded to tandem axle at some point because they don't seem to be that high of a percentage of inventory on dealer lots.

CharlesinGA · 10-10-2020, 06:53 PM

Family, how many adults? kids? ages? animals? What do you intend to tow with. Long trips, short trips. Flat lands, mountains?

Charles

jnslprd · 10-13-2020, 08:39 PM

My wife had the exact same issue as you, and couldn't stay in the 50+ new trailers that we looked at. The final one was the Arctic fox and it was a reasonable temperature on a very hot day and there was no chemical odor at all. After doing some research we came to find out that the Northwood trailers use no artificial wood or flakeboard throughout the entire trailer. The only spot that has pressboard is the center console on the Thomas Payne sofa, which we never open now. The trailer has been excellent so far and still smells great.

Best of luck