Anyone have a travel trailer?

[fullhouse]

DH and I have been considering it for about 2 years. We have 5 kids and a SUV capable of towing about 6,000 pounds. With 5 kids getting a hotel room is pricey at best

. We have kinda looked. We know we want a quad bunk style 8-10 passenger. We know nothing else about them really. Do you know of good brands, websites with info, etc? One nice, affordable 1999 came up locally and I guess it time to get serious about what we want. Please help!

 

[jessupfamily]

We have 6 children and we use a pop-up camper and tents. We used to live in an Airstream travel trailer, but only had 1 child (and I was pregnant!). We refer to that as one of the best periods in our lives! The only thing we have big opinions on is the power sources. Having the power available at all times is super important to us. If your driving, being able to use the power from the vehicle. When you're at a camp ground, being able to plug in and use the power from there. If you're camping in nowhere land, using battery back-up and/or your propane for power. This is mostly for lights and refrigerator purposes. But sometimes it's important for heat or air as well. Good Luck! And enjoy! We LOVE, LOVE traveling!

 

[gumpsgirl]

My sister has seven kids and they have a Dutchman 5th wheel that they pull to the lake and beach all of the time. We have 5 kids as well and have been looking at pop-up tent trailers. We had one when I was growing up and it was wonderful! I like that it is compact enough to still see out the back window, it will also take much less gas to haul around, easy to set up, and would be easier to store. They have some very nice ones now with toilets, showers, and pop-out sides. We've been looking at the Starcraft and Coleman pop-ups. Here's a link to the Starcraft website. You'll have to check them out! http://www.starcraftrv.com/

 

[chick_newbie]

My brother has the popup campe type and he only has 2 boys, but it works very well for them anyway. Personally I like to tent it when we camp out. I have 3 not so small children and we use 3 tents. Each of the girls has their own and the youngest sleeps in with us. It is cozy bt still works really good and the tents will fit in the back of the pickup or minivan to help with the gas money also.

 

[ams3651]

I dont have much experience with them but my mom has the 5th weel type they keep at a campground. Its older and from their experience I would just say to check well for leaks and ventilation. They have a "pop out" in their living area and it leaks, they have patched it several times. Have you considered renting to see what you like? A lot of dealerships offer rentals and would still be cheaper than a hotel room and you could try it out.

 

[Bi0sC0mp]

airstream is the top of the line bascily.. jayco is another nice make fleetwood also a realy good make..

www.airstream.com

www.fleetwoodrv.com

www.starcraftrv.com

www.trailmanor.com

 

[fullhouse]

The one here is a Dutchman 31' quad bunk.

We tend to do vacation for 10+ days and I take my mom (sometimes dad) and one of dd's friends. A pop-up would be too small given the time we are gone and number of people. Most places we go don't allow tents, so we have to be "big".

 

[I have WHAT in my yard?]

We have a Coachman travel trailer that we bought used. We have loved it! Pros, roomy full bed for kids, decent sized fridge and oven. Lots of storage!

Cons, DHs feet hang off the double bed, but at least we are in a bed! The bathroom is full with a tub, but again dh has to duck!

We love it when we have power and sewer! It holds a good amount of water if you won't be getting a hook up, but it doesn't hold much "black" water so if you don't get sewer you need to use the facilities offered or dump every couple of days.

I really love ours! No packing and unpacking! There are SO many models out there, but if its your first buy used so you can change your mind if you want and not lose too much to depreciation!

 

[CarriBrown]

If you want to get one, get one now. They are cheaper than dirt because people are trying to offload them.
We don't have a travel trailer, but we have a toyhauler (which can be hooked up or self contained). One thing I can say is make sure you have plenty of storage space and plenty of counter space in the kitchen!!! Also, if you can get one with a FULL oven, not a teeny one that won't even fit a cookie sheet, bonus points for you.
Also, make up your mind now as to whether you are always going to hook up, or hook up occasionally. Otherwise, a travel trailer may not fit your needs, unless you are ok with only 30 gallons of water in one weekend!

Toyhaulers hold 100+ gallons of water as well as 5+ gallons of propane.

 

[nnbreeder]

If you do get it make sure to have the weight distributing hitch on the SUV and trailer plus good quality tires too, 10ply LTs at least. If you don't already have it make double sure to install a brake controller in the truck and keep the trailer brakes in top notch condition. A 31' trailer hooked to the rear of anything without the proper equipment is nothing more than a wreck that has not yet happened. I rig-up p-ups and trailers for a living and have done my share of wreck repairs due to trying to save a dollar.