First travel trailer

ESOXangler · #1 07-15-2018, 12:42 AM

Well kids are finally old enough and mama wants a trailer. I've been a tent guy for awhile so I'm looking for some opinions. Biggest thing is I'm pulling it with the 1/2 ton for now. If it all goes good I'll truck up. Tow rating on the truck is 9100 gvwr and a 1700# payload.
So far I'm thinking hard shell instead of tin. Needs bunks, doubles preferably. And the debate right now is on whether we need a couch too or can just get by with the kitchen table. I'd prefer to skip the couch as it adds length. Part of me thinks it'd be good to have it though but really dislike having a long trailer.
What are thoughts and opinions?

Thanks

fishead · #2 07-15-2018, 01:13 AM

Hard shell, pull out if possible, good fridge/freezer, maximized sleep set up as you are size restricted. Cooking is better done around the fire and campstove anyways so inside amenities meh.

Rastus · #3 07-15-2018, 05:53 AM

I agree, campfire and cooking outdoors is fine, but not for the cook. I went through the campfire thing as well. Got a canvas top (21 ft) and thought I had the world by the, you know what, wrong. Went for an fully enclosed trailer with the seating divided, bed in back and seating up front, wrong. Ended up with a fully enclosed trailer with all of the seating up front, right. Here is my reason, as much as we do not like the rain it is there. All of the seating up front you have everyone together, and cooking is at hand. You can still have a fire outside and sit around the campfire and cook, but when it rains. Also that canvas top must be folded down and when you get home that canvas must be put up and allowed to dry. Now money was no object, within reason, but this was the way I decided to go.

bloopbloob · #4 07-15-2018, 06:36 AM

Definitely hard walls. I have a 27' that is just a little too big for my liking. 1/2 ton truck, still very towable though. If i could do it again, 25' would be better, maybe even a 23'. Backed up tight to the garage, the tongue is maybe an inch from the sidewalk. Stove is never used, just to store pots. Slideout is nice, adds a lot more room than you may think. Couch turns into a double bed, not sure why you wouldn't want a couch? Generally, the couch is adjacent to the table, so shouldn't add length. A/C has never been used, as I never camp anywhere with full hookups anyways.

calgarygringo · #5 07-15-2018, 07:22 AM

Watch your trailer weight as that GVW number doesn't mean much. You will probably run out of load weight long before. That 1700 lbs will disappear fast. Your weight, mama and the kids and your fuel, crap in the back of the truck comes off of that first. That will leave you what is left for pin weight on your trailer which will probably be 15% or so of the loaded weight of the said trailer.

Those bunk trailers especially with couch and dinette get long as you say but the weight goes up too and can be overweight quickly on a half ton. And also don't believe the weights you see advertised as most find out when they take their units to a weigh scale they are always way more especially tongue weights once water, propane etc. is added.

Lefty Bryan · #6 07-15-2018, 07:35 AM

I would really watch the payload with a 1/2 ton and hit a self weigh. 1700lbs payload sound like lots - but if you think 500lb - 1000lbs (9-15% of the gross trailer weight) dry trailer tongue weight, add 150lbs on the tongue for propane and batteries, 100 litres of water in the water tank (225 lbs) another 100lbs of gear in the trailer in front of the axel leaves you 225 - 725lbs for a family of four (500lbs?), dog (?) (50 - 100lbs), fuel (75lbs) and any other gear in the truck. Chances are you'll never get pulled into a weigh station in AB but it is a safety consideration as well.

Most guys just take the payload from the spec sheet of the dealer / manufacturer which is different from reality, so weighing your actual truck as set up is the key.

Lefty Bryan · #7 07-15-2018, 07:37 AM

Calgarygringo typed faster - same points.

270person · #8 07-15-2018, 07:36 AM

I picked up an older trailer early part of the year for a really good price. It's a 22 ft and had exactly the layout I was looking for. Wanted one myself and two hunting buds could comfortably overnight in without stepping on one another's faces if we had to move around. Bunkhouse layout was exactly what I was looking for providing 3 separate sleeping locations and some distance in between. Granddaughter makes a beeline for the top bunk every time of course.

Davenport folds down into a queen, dinette's are really only for one, then a set of bunks at the rear. Brother is a seasoned rv owner and helped point out the good and bad when I was viewing. I wouldn't have paid much attention to things like the rear sink being outside the washroom but it's actually a really good feature. Told me this 22 had as much or more storage than his 27' and that I'd come to appreciate "storage space".

Has everything I needed for options, the AC was a bonus for the once a year you need it in Ab but I wasn't looking for it, and so far everything works 100%.

Grabbed an inverter generator, a two burner camp chef with griddle and bbq off kijiji, changed out the 12v battery for two high end 6v's, slapped on 4 quality tires and so far I'm really happy.

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