We are buying a travel trailer.

M

Mighty Sylvan

Active Member
My wife and I ( my wife really ) have decided to buy a travel trailer. They seem very well priced new and we are considering a Jayco or Coleman 26 bunkhouse with a walk around queen bed. What do you have and what do you recommend I look for when purchasing. My wife wants pantry space and I want the walkaround queen so I can get up in the morning without disturbing the family. I have two boys, 2 and 5 and a 2006 1/2 ton chev.

Thanks and take care.
 
I have heard great things about the Jayco trailers. Excellent warranty as well. A co worker of mine has one and everything he has made complaints about have been covered. Also came with a nice tv setup to boot.

I have a Wildwood Blitz made by Forest River. Quality is ok and the price is ok. warranty is not very good though!!!!
 
Buy a motorhome! Then you can tow a boat!

Picked up this old girl (my new mistress) a few months back.
Our 75' FMC! 003.jpg
 
The best advice I could give you is to check the tow rating for your specific vehicle to make sure that any trailer you buy will be SAFELY towable. A typical 1/2 ton does not have a very high weight rating so it's easy to buy too much trailer. Take anything the rv dealer says about your ability to tow a particular trailer with a grain of salt.
 
I agree with Clipper - check out your GVW and max towing weight first - that will save you replacing the truck so you can tow the trailer legally after the fact. Think about where the entrance is in relation to the washroom. You don't want the little ones having to pass the stove to get to it while Mum is cooking - a recipe for an accident. Good Luck!
 
Thanks for your replies.
The trailers we are looking at do seem big for my truck. The truck has a tow rating of 7700 lbs and the dry weight of the trailers are 5000 lbs to 5500 lbs. We are towing it to our spot to leave it for the summer so it is not as though we will be towing it all over ( not now anyway ).
I did consider a motor home because of the towing the boat thing but I will be leaving the trailer at the campsite so it will just mean two trips at the start and end of the season. The extra maintenance of the motor home was the deciding factor.
I did not think of kids through the kitchen. That is a good point. They are boys so they can pee on a tree most of the time but that will be something I look at.
 
we went with a smaller ultralight one...enough room that the family all fits, but still feels like camping. Has a bathroom though. But main thing was towing with a half ton, no real concerns about weight. Definitely check into the weight ... salesman will tell you "no problem" even if there is!
 
We spent the day looking and I just went back over the specs and brochures. I think we will go with Jayco because of quality. The salesperson did a good job convincing us they are a step ahead the competition. The size issue concerns me. My gut tells me to go with the FeatherLite. It is a little more compact but has all the same stuff except the main bedroom wall (it has a curtain) and a pull out. Common sense tells me 30 feet of trailer overall is too much for my truck.
 
I did a lot of research on this topic a year ago, and one thing to really consider is whether or not the studs are aluminum or wood. In the old days, all the trailers were built with wood 2 x 2's - not great if you have an accident. These days many builders use alum. studs/welded top and bottom and the whole unit becomes much stronger.
 
I feel much better looking at the aluminum framed ones too. I think they will hold up over the years. Of course our budget needs to be increased now.
 
Hey Mighty I did a ton of research on this topic last year when I bought my new fifthwheel. We bought new for one reason. If people do not reseal the units every 6 months to 1 year with a reciept ICBC will not cover any claims due to lack of mantenance. Another issue you need to be aware of is ICBC rates your tow truck at a certain allowable tow weight and it differs from the sticker on your vehicle. I learned this the hard way as ICBC said my insurance was void due to being over weight. I then had to add parts to my truck to satisfy ICBC that a 1 ton deisel could tow a 8000lbs fifth wheel.

Oh do I love ICBC...loosers!

if you need anything PM me

Cheers,
 
Mighty Sylvan said:
I feel much better looking at the aluminum framed ones too. I think they will hold up over the years. Of course our budget needs to be increased now.
Click to expand...

Aluminum would be a wise choice for weight and rot prevention over the years. Wish I went with aluminum :(
 
When we were looking bunk beds were a must - especially if you have kids they are great and dont take up much space
 
Thanks Cedarman, I will be looking into that. Did you make a claim through ICBC for an accident or was it water damage from a leak?

Nedarb, Thanks for the recommendation. I agree with you, bunk beds.
 
Hi guys.I also did a lot of research for trailers a couple years back. I also have a 1/2 ton, so weight was an issue. We have 3 kids, so i also wanted something big, but i didnt want to haul around a huge 30 foot trailer because its just a pain in the azz. We decided to go with a hybrid trailer. We totally love it. We bought a 21' trailer, and all 3 beds pop out like a tent trailer. Now we dont have to make tables into beds, or fold out couches and vice versa every morning. I looked at bunk bed trailers, but the single bunks were just too small. I have a king fold out, and 2 twins. It's not for everyone, but it really works for us, and a few of our friends have since bought hybrids aswell.
 
i think i got it
 

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Mighty I did and still do have a claim with ICBC, which has been ongoing for 2 years now. I am in court in a month for 2 full 8 hour days due to all the witnesses. I was driving at 100km/hour on the I5 coming home from seattle when I heard a bang. My old man was behind me honking like crazy so I pulled over and the whole bloody side of my fifthwheel ripped off.

I have been fighting ever since. My only saving grace is I have an inspection report stating no water dammage and also had the unit serviced prior to using it that weekend and again it says on the paperwork that no resealing needed. So I am crossing my fingers that I win.

The over weight claim was different, they tried to fine me for driving a over weight vehicle with out a proper lisence. Pain in the butt but I fixed that. Even though it was there mistake they said it was my fault as I am responsible.

Long story short before you sign your insurance papers read them carefully. ICBC managers get bonuses base on claims they do not have to pay out on.
 
Rico, nice trailer. We have not considered the hybrid because the spot we camp at has real small spots and the pull outs would take up too much outside space. They do have the best room for sleeping though.
Cedarman, Crap thats crazy! I'm glad you and your family and anyone on the road did not get hurt.
Clipper, great, just what I need ... another forum. ( haha )
 
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