This may be an option also...….

 

I (seriously over) built my TT rear hitch, it's fully welded and bolted in double shear to the trailer frame in 32 locations. It has 3 receiver tubes, the center for a bike rack as shown and the two outside ones for a yet to be build platform to hold the 2 small Honda generators and marine fuel tank for them, all to be fully secure and enclosed on an aluminum box.

Attachment 283568

 

We ended up with plenty of rain today, but as the sun peeked through late this afternoon we were blessed to see a gorgeous rainbow with a faint second for a rare double rainbow siting. Needless to say my kids were excited to see it. Happy Good Friday to all! -Kevin

 

i would not recommend anything bolted to the center of the original box tubing bumper no matter how well the bumber is attached. with out additional bracing there is just too much flexing force on the thin walled 4" box tubing. i replaced mine with 1/8 or 3/16" walled box tubing and it it still flexed too much. i think i finally have a setup i like. i was able to tie it in in 2 spots.
new setup ready for florida run

hitch mount is in the middle of bike rack and on the inside Kindof cross member

 

I might be getting a travel trailer soon, I know nothing about them. The reason is a new job is going to be too far away to just commute daily, and it appears 2-3 nights hotel is roughly a monthly TT payment so the economy is there. Eventually theoretically our house will sell and we'll move closer and then I won't need the TT as a home away from home, but the wife has ideas that it would be cool for vacations and stuff in the future. I'm not positive about that as we have 3 kiddos right now, that seems like it would need a lot of TT, but I don't know.

Ultimately if I just have it for a while and resell it it seems the economy is still there, but then again I know nothing about TTs!

Any input? It would be behind my X, that's about all I know I'm not even sure what questions to ask myself to make the right choice, lol.

 

Wow! You will be jumping into a whole different world with a travel trailer, there is a lot to learn.

Tell us about where it will be (state), size of camper desired, age of kids, etc. Campers range from small teardrops to 38' units. There are 4 season and 3 season campers. Quality and price do not necessarily go together. Than there is the dealer. Repairs, tires, weight distribution, toppers, solar, ......

We can help but be prepared to be overwhelmed.

 

Thank you! I'm already overwhelmed, lol.

My son is 3 and my girls are both 1. Then it would be my wife and I as well. I'm 6'4" so inside height is a thing. As far as length I've towed enclosed trailers as long as 30' before. We're in Texas, moving to Dallas and initially that's where I'll use it.

My neighbor recommended this, and at a glance it looks great and the wife agrees. But hell, we don't know enough to have opinions on this kind of thing.

https://www.mhsrv.com/2019-cruiser-r...1nBFZLOmmmsBJ4

 

Worth a look... wife sent it to me


The Optimal U.S. National Parks Centennial Road Trip Dr. Randal S. Olson


The Optimal U.S. National Parks Centennial Road Trip | Dr. Randal S. Olson

 

My opinion is to buy something used as your first camper. The odds of you picking the right one to fit your needs when you have no idea what your needs are don't seem good. If you buy something a few years old, you won't lose much on a resale 1 or 2 yrs later when you decide you no longer like the floorplan/brand/color/size or whatever. Happens to most first time buyers. There are plenty of very lightly used trailers out there on the market.

I would also say don't skimp on the hitch, especially as you get past 30' long. It's only the family in the truck.

 

Absolutely I think buying used makes sense. I used an equilizer on the 30' and it was okay, anything larger than that and I'd want a hensley for sure.

I guess I just need to start getting in them and looking at them. Any pitfalls to always avoid or must-haves? Where would you look for a 1-2yr old TT?

 

I agree, we made the mistake and took a bath on our first camper.

Bunkhouse trailers are fine for young kids, teenagers outgrow the beds. Bunkhouse trailers also lose living space. Our daughter has an air mattress in our living area and when our 20 year old son comes along his will fit there too. Without a good usage of space campers become very cramped.

Look for a curved ceiling in the camper, it will be easier for you to stand up. At 6'4" the bed length may be a challenge too. With 2 ladies in the house a bathroom with space is a plus. Our first camper had a tiny bathroom, hard to even get dressed in. Ours now has plenty of room.

Are you going to use it in the winter?

 

I don't see a reason to plan on using it in the winter at this point.

Reading the internet on used TTs is horrifying. How much do I really need to worry about a "poop pyramid" ??

 

I would not be as concerned about a Poop Pyramid, that can be cleaned but with a used trailer leaks and water damage are a definite no. Indications of a leak are wall repairs, soft floor, stains, mildew smell and unusual inside repairs. The RV roof must be checked at least every 3 months and any suspect area sealed wit dicor. Run, don't walk away from a water damaged RV. Also check the suspension and frame on a used unit. An absorption fridge can be expensive to fix. A/C units are often time replaced rather than repaired (Dometic makes a sorry A/C). Plan on replacing the campers tires right away even if they look good. Read up on "China Bombs".

Personally I would go to a reputable dealer that sells new and look at their used inventory. Stay away from Camping World. If you have a friend who knows RVs have them look at a unit or find an independent RV tech to look it over.

 

As was said above, buy used first.
Also as was said, water damage is a deal breaker on ANY used TT. Any soft floor areas are another concern.
ANY Chinese ST tires (besides the Sailun S637s, but they are 16" and most TT don't have tires that big) are junk, PERIOD! For good quality ST (Special Trailer) tires you will want to go with either Goodyear Endurance, Carlisle HD, Maxxis M8008 or a name brand LT of the correct size and rating. This is if you plan on traveling with the TT, if running no-name China Bombs expect to have tire failures on the road before they are 3 years old.
When you look at TTs move around in them everywhere, seriously. Get in the shower, sit on the John, sit on the sofa, dinette, ETC, get a feel for how much room you have everywhere and see what's comfortable and what's not. The curved ceilings will absolutely be better for your height and depending on the floorplan some models can have the room to swap out the RV mattress for a normal length one, we installed a full Queen in our bedroom slide out.
Look at A LOT of trailers and take notes of what you see and like and what you don't like, make a list of "must haves" and "would like to haves" and keep looking to find something that ticks off the most of those items. When we were shopping for our current (second) TT we made up a list of our "Must haves" and "Would likes" along with a long list of other checks that I looked at like all storage compartment measurements and access, hitch, frame and suspension checks, tires and wheels, propane system check, appliance features and access, slide mechanism types and operation, electrical panels and circuits, cabinet construction, fit and finish inside and out, all plumbing components, and the roof along with it's access. I had 3 different salesmen at various dealers tell me that I was the first customer they ever had that came with a checklist in hand and they had never had a customer climb up onto the roof of a new unit before.
Nearly all manufacturers will have an escalating series of product lines, each with more features and higher prices, some are actually a bit better built as they go up, others simple have more lipstick, a good look inside cabinets and under things will tell the tale.

 

I'll probably repeat some of what's already been said above. I bought brand new thinking I was going to avoid any pre-owned surprises that were not discoverable during pre-purchase inspection. While I am very happy with my new purchase, I am still wading through poor quality control and fit and finish issues. I'm down to my last issue of the windshield leaking from the top when washed, or towed into the rain. I don't have any interior damage, and this was discovered after my first use of the T/T when the interior of all 3 windshield panels had beads of water running down them, and the countertop had tablespoon puddles. With that said, I skipped the dealer crap, and decided to work directly with the warranty department of the manufacture, who is communicating with the engineering department. I have taken parts of the interior off to better understand the source and solution of my problem, and in short I am better educated than the manufacture as to how my T/T is constructed. Other things that I have corrected were mis wired grey tank level indicators on my convenience panel, mis labeled exterior decals on my black tank, and sewer connections. My black was labeled as a grey. Again contacting the manufacture direct, sending pictures, they sent me all new exterior decals. My bathroom is small, but fine with me, the toilette is tucked in the corner and awkward when you sit on it, I was able to loosen the flange bolts, and rotate the toilette into the room more which changed the entire dynamic. I found all 110V electrical lug connections in the converter panel were loose, even though I had checked the shore connection J box, tightened all the loose wire nuts there, I never removed the wire nut to see that not enough wire casing was stripped causing a poor connection within the wire nut. This led to a burning smell at the end of my first trip out, The current from the electric water heater was enough to melt the neutral wire nut connection.
Since your duration of usage will be short term, decide what you want out of a T/T, and how you want it to fill your short term needs. I chose mine solely on the retro look, and interior layout. For me my interior layout is perfect. I've used my T/T twice since it's purchase, Feb, & March, each time I have commented to myself that I am pleased with the way it camps. I am an outdoor type, hate to be inside, so the sleeping arrangements are the least important for me. I'm not a big cook at home, but prefer the kitchen space over dining space when camping. My trailer only offers a gas cook-top & microwave inside, but I make good use of the awning, and have multiple out door appliances, like a gas range, butane burner, & electric induction plate. The use of the outdoor awning area for cooking allows for less congestion inside, which was another important factor for me. It's a good idea to know if your interior space will comfortably host all your guest (family) without being crammed in. I have what I call 3 zones in my T/T that allow up to 5 people to have sitting space, converse as a group, and just hang out comfortably. My T/T has 8' ceilings which makes it feel really roomy in there. I think my layout was well planned, and the overall construction is solid. I sold a 30' Class A, that I had bought used 6 months prior. I found rear wall water damage from the roof leaking, the sealant around the roof ladder failed, and was allowing water to enter and run down the interior of the rear wall. It was never noticed till I was making the bed and bumped up against the rear wall, and felt the damage. I fixed the roof issue, and sold it with the disclaimer of rear interior wall damage. I have heard that slide outs require regular maint such as lubrication of the seals and or mechanisms, I prefer to not have slides due to the extra moving parts, just my opinion there. Fortunately I usually know what I want, I only looked on line for about a week, I drove to Camping World an hour away to look at a used 2018 retro trailer like mine, this satisfied my interest, and I traveled to a large dealer where I made my purchase. When you start looking in person as mentioned above, move around in them everywhere and get a feel of the space, understand if there are enough cabinets, outlets, and power ports in wise and usable locations. Know if your black, white, and grey tank sizes are enough for your needs too.