School me on buying a Travel Trailer

[Tbuddyandroby]

I'm seriously thinking about buying a travel trailer. Below is the link to the trailer me and my wife really like; But, I don't think the asking price is even close to what it should be. With TTL and warranty, it would be $40K for a bumper pull. What makes this trailer worth anything more that $25K? We like the bunkhouse, double entrance/half bath, and one entrance into the half bath. The salesman said hung walls vs laminated walls make a huge difference. This one has laminated walls. Also, for the Asking price, I'd think there would be auto stabilizers? Also the fiberglass is better than corrugated metal because it's easier to clean, but don't all calk need to be maintained/replace regardless? Below, the first link is the coach we like, and the second is a much cheaper option. Whatever I buy will be sstored Inside covered storage. Feel free to offer other options of trailers my 1/2 ton can pull with the options we like. Sorry for the long post. Thanks

https://www.exploreusa.com/product/new-2019-highland-ridge-rv-silverstar-lite-st3310bh-975645-29

https://www.exploreusa.com/product/new-2019-crossroads-rv-zinger-zr298bh-1012943-29

[Mayhem]

Neither link work for me, but as far as travel trailers go I say buy used.

[Tbuddyandroby]

Neither link work for me, but as far as travel trailers go I say buy used.

Thanks, try them now.

[Mayhem]

My camper is much like the first one. Mine is a jayco jayflight G2 32bhds.

We bought our after it was traded in at 3 years old and paid 18k for it. Just something to think about. Ours is metal not fiberglass and like it a whole lot better than the fiberglass one I had before.

[hgiles]

Call Chris at Family RV in Sweetwater. He beat everyone’s price on my 5th’r toy hauler a few years back. Only other comparable price I found was all the way in Florida.

[friscopaint]

there's a 2016 28 footer in classifieds asking $18,000

[Traildust]

Unless your living in it traveling for work.....Holiday Inn is X10 cheaper......thats all I got.

[Quackerbox]

at one time the advice I got was don't buy anything that walks, crawls or flies (mallard, prowler etc).

That said a close friend bought his 'mobile mansion' last year in august. It was a brand new 2018 they needed off the lot. It was 25k less than the original asking price

I may be looking in a year or so and it will be used

[Mike D]

I agree with others, buy used.

While that’s a nice looking trailer but they still drop like a rock in value and they are still a manufactured home built with cheap materials.


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[Texastaxi]

On the list of "buying new is a stupid idea" RVs are #1 on my list.
Boats are #2, cars are #3.

[doublearrow]

We bought new strictly because we couldnt find the floor plan we wanted used. The floor plan we bought is the first one you showed, we love it. We paid alot less than the asking price your link shows. We bought from family fun in sweetwater. We spent 60 nights in it last year after buying in March and have plans to spend 70 nights or so in it this year. We bought it knowing the value would tank, but hope by the time we are done its wore smooth out. All about the memories camping for us.

[Sackett]

My $.02 on a couple things:

MOST importantly, I don't care what half ton truck you have or how it's geared/rated, it will hate life and be borderline dangerous towing the trailer in the link. 900 lbs tongue weight when dry is going to be well over 1000lbs loaded. Factor in gear loaded in the truck and you will be way over GVW. Don't ever listen to a camper salesman on what your truck can/should tow.

Like others have said, campers/RV's, boats, etc...are items A TON of people buy every year thinking their going to use them, only to pay $100/month on storage fees for a year or two before they realize it ain't being used as much as they intended. You should EASILY be able to find a similarly equipped camper to what your looking for at HALF the cost of new and still get a good finance rate, if you are financing.

[Capt Glenn]

I think the fiberglass exterior is not a big deal. We have had both. Both get dirty. Both are a pain to wash. I wouldn't pay $10k for a fiberglass exterior. Same for the interior walls. If you were going full time I'd tell you shop it hard and buy the highest quality you can find because most are not up to the beating of full time living. But for a weekend here and there deal, they are all built pretty crappy honestly. Just slightly different levels of crappy. It's a box to keep you and your stuff dry and warm/cool. I'd worry more about the bathroom setup, the bed and how much AC you have than I would what kind of interior wall material you have. I've been in a number of different RVs and I can't remember looking at the interior walls and thinking, "dang, those are some nice walls".

Buy used. There are lots of nearly new rvs that people bought and found out it isn't their thing. It isn't that hard to find a solid deal on a really clean used rv.

Only other thing I'd tell you is really think on the bunkhouse. That is what we had and I wouldn't go that route again. You give up some living space to get the bunkhouse. We did that for our kids and their friends. Well, then they all end up fighting over who was going to sleep on the couch and would even sleep on the floor in the living room area. They hated sleeping in the bunkroom. So I ended up with a big storage space that could have been a big window and a couple comfortable chairs for momma and I.

[Mayhem]

I think the fiberglass exterior is not a big deal. We have had both. Both get dirty. Both are a pain to wash. I wouldn't pay $10k for a fiberglass exterior. Same for the interior walls. If you were going full time I'd tell you shop it hard and buy the highest quality you can find because most are not up to the beating of full time living. But for a weekend here and there deal, they are all built pretty crappy honestly. Just slightly different levels of crappy. It's a box to keep you and your stuff dry and warm/cool. I'd worry more about the bathroom setup, the bed and how much AC you have than I would what kind of interior wall material you have. I've been in a number of different RVs and I can't remember looking at the interior walls and thinking, "dang, those are some nice walls".

Buy used. There are lots of nearly new rvs that people bought and found out it isn't their thing. It isn't that hard to find a solid deal on a really clean used rv.

Only other thing I'd tell you is really think on the bunkhouse. That is what we had and I wouldn't go that route again. You give up some living space to get the bunkhouse. We did that for our kids and their friends. Well, then they all end up fighting over who was going to sleep on the couch and would even sleep on the floor in the living room area. They hated sleeping in the bunkroom. So I ended up with a big storage space that could have been a big window and a couple comfortable chairs for momma and I.

My kids as totally opposite. we have the bunkhouse with its own slide out and its like a huge bedroom. Each kids has their own bed with plenty of space for there stuff. I wouldnt have one that isnt a bunkhouse.

[Capt Glenn]

I thought it was a great idea for the kids. A place for all their stuff, bunks for them and their friends, a place to go play games and watch what they want to on tv, etc. My kids never liked it. I don't know why. It ended up being wasted space for us.