Travel Trailer Gurus Needed

[StickFlinger]

Looking for some advice on campers as it is a whole new world to me and no one in my immediate family has ever even owned one. I'm looking into buying a used camper, and I will be living out of for the foreseeable future. What are some things to avoid, look for, etc. when looking at these things? Brands? Styles?

[perow]

I would make a list of what’s important to you

King or queen bed
I would try and get a full size shower
Where will you be living in it at
Can you do a fifth wheel

[StickFlinger]

Definitely bumper pull mode, I'm not buying a new truck to pull this thing in the current market lol.

I'm a pretty simple person, queen bed is plenty. All I need is room to hold my bow and fishing gear inside and I'm a happy camper. I'll be living between Rayburn and Toledo just north of Jasper.

[MAP]

Hold out for one with a full size walk in shower. The more windows it has the harder it is to keep cool. These things get really hot in summer and really cold in winter. Make sure you have ac vents spread across the ceiling and not just coming out of the unit. If its a small trailer a window unit type of setup is ok for keeping it cool

[S-3 Ranch]

Traveling or parking on your property?
I think a roof over a trailer is mandatory , we use a 24 airstream ? with 2 twin beds and a kitchen + 3/4bath it’s IMO perfect for 1-2 people and a 1/2 ton truck , but it’s a little small during rainy weather and more refrigerator space would be nice , but a small refrigerator + freezer outside works out ok.

[brokeno]

Not a good time to get into a trailer. They all are a piece of junk

[Sackett]

Not a good time to get into a trailer. They all are a piece of junk

If he was buying new, I’d agree with you, but he said used.

Op, keep it less than 10 years old but made “pre-COVID” 👍

[StickFlinger]

Traveling or parking on your property?
I think a roof over a trailer is mandatory , we use a 24 airstream ? with 2 twin beds and a kitchen + 3/4bath it’s IMO perfect for 1-2 people and a 1/2 ton truck , but it’s a little small during rainy weather and more refrigerator space would be nice , but a small refrigerator + freezer outside works out ok.

I'll be at a RV park, uncovered. Taking a new job so I can help out with my grandfather, don't really wana buy property at the moment with the market as is and uncertainty of how long I'll do this. I'm in a unique situation where my old job is always available should I decide this new gig doesn't work out.

[captainsling]

I would buy one 2019 or older. Ones made during the pandemic are junk.

[StickFlinger]

If he was buying new, I’d agree with you, but he said used.

Op, keep it less than 10 years old but made “pre-COVID” 👍

Been looking at 2016-2018 models

[Oleman]

15,500 Air conditioner
a slide or two
Ck roof for leaks
Ceiling A/C ducts in each room
The more accessories as possible
Hitch w/sway
electric jack

[Voodoo]

How many are living in it?

[Quackerbox]

At least one slide and large shower

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

[StickFlinger]

How many are living in it?

Me myself and I

[91cavgt]

I live in an RV so I have some first hand knowledge.


Absolute must haves for full timing:

1. Dual 15k BTU roof top ACs. This is Texas and no one has ever said “we have too much AC”.

2. Fiberglass sidewalls. They are insulated better than the cheaper “stick and tin” models. Models that have Azdel walls will hold up better over the long haul as they are a composite that won’t delaminate if it gets wet.

3. Get a good insurance policy. It won’t be cheap, but the good policies cover pretty much everything. Our policy is through Progressive and they cover full time RV living, cover the entire roof, cover water leaks as well as the other damage they can cause, cover rodent problems, and we even have an extra $15k of coverage for belongings/valuables inside the rv.

4. Whatever RV you end up with, get some things to protect it. Things like a good water filtration system(we have a 4 stage system that I put together that filters down to 0.2 microns), get a surge suppressor that protects the entire RV and goes on the power breaker box outside, get some Happy Camper black tank treatment powder, get at least a couple of extra propane tanks as you always run out at the worst time possible.

5. Tower fans that oscillate are your best friends in the summer.

6. VERY low wattage space heaters will be your friend in the winter. NEVER plug a 1500 watt space heater in your RV as most times it will trip a breaker. We use a 500 watt unit in the bedroom, a 250 watt unit in the bathroom, and a 400 watt unit for my daughters room. Having an RV with a factory electric fireplace is VERY nice in the winter and also cuts down on propane useage.

7. A heated and enclosed underbelly is really nice on the off chance it does get really cold.

8. If you get one that has a gas/electric fridge then look at getting an auxiliary fan that goes in the outside vents for the fridge. It will help it work better when outside temps are high, and it will help the fridge stay colder when it is hot outside.

9. During the summer time, cooking meals on a grill outside helps keep the inside temp down. If it is 100+ degrees outside and you decide to cook a meal inside, expect the inside temp to raise 3-5 degrees.

10. Expect the air conditioners to run nonstop the entire day when it is really hot outside.

11. Choose the RV park you stay at carefully. Drive through it first late in the evening on a weekend. Pay attention to the vehicles parked there. Are they oil field vehicles? Are there a lot of modded trucks? If so then chances are it won’t be a quiet place to stay. Look at the condition of the RVs. A lot of older RVs that have a lot of rubbish around and it will likely have problems with theft. If you want a quiet place, look for a place that has a lot of retirees.

I’m sure there is more but these are the big ones that I can think of. Feel free to PM me any personal questions you may have, or don’t want to discuss here.