Travel Trailers - RV-Dreams Community Forum

kimbrellsf · RV-Dreams Family Member

Travel Trailers

The Bear II · RV-Dreams Family Member

I've been reading RV related blogs for nearly 10 years. During that time, I have run across folks that are living in a wide variety of sizes and types of vehicles.

There is a whole website dedicated to people that live in vans or pickups with a cap (campershell) fulltime.

For a while I followed a blog of a guy travelling across the US in a Mini towing a teardrop trailer.

Another blog I read weekly, the couple is living and travelling in a 40 foot motorcoach bus they restored and continue to maintain as they travel.

It seems the majority of the fulltimers use an RV that is 30 feet or longer. This size provides the extra room needed for storage, a washer/dryer and other amenities that make the fulltime lifestyle as comfortable as possible.

There's no reason why a 31 foot TT would not work well as a fulltime RV as long as you have the right mind set. You know it's going to be cramped and you know you will be limited on storage...so you make the best of it you can. But if you can't get your mind set right then the 31 feet will get smaller and smaller.

There are times when our 400 sq feet of 5th wheel gets small even for just the two of us. We are just part timers, but when my wife spreads out her jewelry making supplies across a couple of tables in the dining and kitchen area and then I try to fix a meal, it's tough. But all I have to do is look out of the window at a beautiful view of the mountains, lake or ocean and I'm willing to put up with the inconvenience.

Try staying in your TT for an extended time even if it's at a nearby campground (or in your yard) where you can still do your normal living but use the TT as your home for a month or two to get a feel for what it would be like fuultime, then you can decide if it would work.

rclvnv · RV-Dreams Family Member

I'd echo what has just been said,based on our experience owning every type of RV (except pop-up & truck camper), in the past. We fulltime in a 35 ft 5th wheel, with 3 slides.We have two dogs,and frankly have lots of room for all of us. We spent a lot of time looking for the right floorplan and seriously considered the TT you have before we finally decided on the Open Range. Our plan if we had gone with the TT was to put a "cap" on the truck, thereby using the truck bed for storage. We finally went with the 5th wheel,simply because we felt it was the right "fit" for us. floorplan/layout is key. Let me give you an example.

Our 5th wheel is at the dealer for wnty work, right now. They will have it five days(I pray it will be done in five days).In the interim,we chose to rent a similar size motorhome to live in.The floorplan is totally different than my 5th wheel,and is very difficult to live in. Not at all comfortable.Looked like it would be. Not so. Storage can be solved/mitigated. Poor floor plan..not so much. The thought to live in what you have for awhile,even a week is excellent.

kimbrellsf · RV-Dreams Family Member

I wish we could have a 5th wheel, but our two 15' kayaks nix that concept. They ride on top of the truck, which does have camper cap. I love our trailer, but for FT I think more floor space would be needed to prevent insanity!

kb0zke · RV-Dreams Family Member

We're asking similar questions, and maybe next weekend we'll have more answers. When we started thinking about going FT when I retire in 2015, we were pretty much open to anything. We kind of ruled out pop-ups and pickup campers because of their (lack of ) size, but we were willing to look at just about anything else. As we researched, we were put off by the poor fuel economy of motor homes. There didn't seem to be any travel trailers that looked like they would hold up, and the fifth-wheels were really impressive. We bought our mpg partly on the idea that we would eventually trade up to a used Big Horn.

As we continued to research, though, we discovered that those FW rigs that looked so good are really heavy! All require at least a one-ton truck, and some of the nicer ones (DRV) really need more than that.

We also decided that, no matter what, we were going to have something towing something else. If we go with a TT or FW, there will be a truck pulling it. If we go with a MH it will pull a small car. That got us to thinking about the fuel use question. Most of the driving will be without the RV, as we go shopping, sight-seeing, to church, etc. We're now basing out fuel use numbers on 5000 miles with both parts together and 10,000 miles with the RV parked and the other vehicle running around.

About this time last year the local big RV dealer had a big deal with lots of manufacturers' reps there to talk to people. After 27 years of marriage, I found out that DW has always liked Airstreams (as I have). We talked to a couple of people at that show, and Airstreams now see like reasonable candidates for us.

I strongly urge you to visit the Airstream factory and as many other factories as you can. That will really tell you how the various rigs are put together. Only you can decide what will fit your personal mission, but if you do your homework prior to writing the big check, you won't be asking yourself one question over and over. Lots of questions prior to that time really helps, and this forum is one of the best sources of information.

Bill and Linda · RV-Dreams Family Member

As a perspective: My parents full timed in various Airstreams, from 31 to 34 feet, for over 30 years.

Airstreams, used ones as well, are extremely well built rigs. In fact, some long-time Airstreamers will tell you the older ones, that are refurbished, are better than the new ones. (I happen to agree with that.) But either way, they are a well build rig and were way ahead of their time in design.

I’ve owned two myself.

Bill

53 Merc · RV-Dreams Family Member

fraziers wrote:
I wish we could have a 5th wheel, but our two 15' kayaks nix that concept. They ride on top of the truck, which does have camper cap. I love our trailer, but for FT I think more floor space would be needed to prevent insanity!

You would have to lose the camper cap, but a lot of folks use an over the hood rack to carry canoes and kayaks. The rack is over the top of the pickup and hood. Works well.

As far as floorspace, square footage is square footage. A travel trailer of the same length would have exactly the same as a fiver. If you think you are going to feel constrained in 400 sq ft, you need to rethink your decisions. I fear it will lead to trouble. I do not feel constrained in our 35 ft fiver (but we have 3 slides. The couch/dinette and kitchen are on opposing sides and both slide out. Makes it 14 ft wide at that point.

You need to go to a dealership, and spend a LOT of time in different layouts. Take a deck of cards or games and sit in some selections for an hour or so (without a salesman) and get a feel for fivers vs TT of different lengths. Try a trailer longer than what you have, and a fiver of approximately the same length. Good luck in your search.

kimbrellsf · RV-Dreams Family Member

Let me restate, we are currently in a 31' TT with 1 24" slide. That probably is about 250 sf. I'm was asking for feedback from people living in trailers just to see how it was working for them. It is clear to me that when we go FT, we are going to need more slides. I could go many long trips in ours and be happy as a clam, but 24/7/365 for years is another story. 35' with 3 slides would be fantastic, but we are only looking a tts. Still hoping to hear form someone living in one....what size? Do you have pets?

Jim01 · RV-Dreams Family Member

Probably you're not hearing from folks living in travel trailers is because "most" travel trailers don't have much storage space or load carrying capacity and are not really suitable for full-timing.

Now, of course there are exceptions but for most folks they just don't work.

Hope you can find something that works for you.

Jim

kimbrellsf · RV-Dreams Family Member

Jim, you are so right. I have found something I'd like to look at, and as far as I can tell it's the only tt made for full-timers. http://www.excelrvs.com/5th-wheels/excel-winslow/unit?m=33RLE The frame is made in such a way that there is 1 step up into the bedroom, allowing for mcuh basement sotrage. Hoping to get a chance to see one sometime soon!

GENECOP · RV-Dreams Family Member

fraziers wrote:
Jim, you are so right. I have found something I'd like to look at, and as far as I can tell it's the only tt made for full-timers. http://www.excelrvs.com/5th-wheels/excel-winslow/unit?m=33RLE The frame is made in such a way that there is 1 step up into the bedroom, allowing for mcuh basement sotrage. Hoping to get a chance to see one sometime soon!

I spent a fair amount of time climbing around this unit, it was at the Hershey Show. The quality for the most part is good, that being said I am not sure it is worth $50,000. The real thing that sets it apart is the basement storage. You can look at a Komfort for $15-18,000 less. From a four season perspective I think the best TT out there today that is affordable is Northwoods, Artic Fox, around $45,000....G

kimbrellsf · RV-Dreams Family Member

Thanks so much for the info and suggestions! Ferreting out the right rv to meet our needs requires lots of time and research.

kb0zke · RV-Dreams Family Member

You might try asking on the Airstream forum, airforums.com. We're going to visit their Rally in Branson tomorrow afternoon, and will be asking these questions. I'll share what I learn when we get back.

Gary · RV-Dreams Family Member

I realize that this happened a while ago but, what did you learn regarding the Airstream David?

We won't be full timing but part timing for 3-4 months at a crack. However, the info could help in making our decision.

Thanks.

kb0zke · RV-Dreams Family Member

We toured the Airstream factory last summer, and attended a Rally in Branson last fall. Jo Ann hadn't had her foot surgery yet, so we were there (by design) only for the Open House portion. We saw a couple dozen coaches, from 60's vintage up to brand new. Most were for the weekend-to-a-month size, but there were a couple 30' coaches there. From what I've learned, both there and on airforums.com, an early 2000's 34' is the best one for full-timing. It is the wide body and has disc brakes on all six wheels. For some reason the factory went back to drums around 2005. The 34' isn't made every year, since they are rather expensive and there isn't a lot of demand for them.

For two people going 3-4 months at a time I would think that a 30-34' Airstream widebody would work just fine. That's actually what we're looking at for full-time. The newer 34' coaches have a GW of around 12,000, while the 30' ones are at 10,000. I would think that a one-ton truck would handle any Airstream just fine.

Gary · RV-Dreams Family Member

Thanks Bill.

Still in the investigation phase. The truck, rig are still being debated. If a 5er, most likely a toy hauler so we can configure the back end as we desire. If a TT, an Airstream will be the pick.

Now, the only thing we need to do is make a decision. The truck won't be bought for at least 6 months, if not a little longer. The towable, not for a little while longer after that. We just want to make sure that when we make the decision about the truck, we have enough to tow what we need to tow. Which is also why the 350/3500 may or may not be enough. If not, there's always the 450/4500 or above.

Always better to have too much truck than not enough.

-- Edited by Gary on Tuesday 22nd of May 2012 10:12:29 AM

Gary · RV-Dreams Family Member

kb0zke wrote:
We toured the Airstream factory last summer, and attended a Rally in Branson last fall. Jo Ann hadn't had her foot surgery yet, so we were there (by design) only for the Open House portion. We saw a couple dozen coaches, from 60's vintage up to brand new. Most were for the weekend-to-a-month size, but there were a couple 30' coaches there. From what I've learned, both there and on airforums.com, an early 2000's 34' is the best one for full-timing. It is the wide body and has disc brakes on all six wheels. For some reason the factory went back to drums around 2005. The 34' isn't made every year, since they are rather expensive and there isn't a lot of demand for them.

For two people going 3-4 months at a time I would think that a 30-34' Airstream widebody would work just fine. That's actually what we're looking at for full-time. The newer 34' coaches have a GW of around 12,000, while the 30' ones are at 10,000. I would think that a one-ton truck would handle any Airstream just fine.

Thanks! Appreciate the word. Haven't had a chance to really look at them as of yet. Looked at a few at a dealership in NJ but it felt like I had to pry the salespeople out of their chairs.

Need to take the wife with me one of these days to see if she considers an Airstream an option. She seemed interested but I think she really needs to look around a few.

Once again, thanks!

Bill and Linda · RV-Dreams Family Member

Gary:

My family has 30+ years of experience with Airstreams and full timing in one. FWIW, the “cookie cutter” 34’ Airstream rig is usually pulled by a ¾ ton truck. Whatever brand floats you boat. A one-ton is fine but not necessary. Many will tell you that you need a Suburban or a bed shell on a pickup and that was the configuration that we used. You need the enclosed and lockable (to some degree) space in the tow vehicle. Airstreams have a lot of advantages, but lots of “bulk” storage isn’t one of them. So I strongly recommend this type of tow vehicle “configuration” for your consideration.

We spend some time in an Airstream “Land Yacht” park in Florida; have for years, and for the most part the guys who actually travel in them like the ¾ ton with the topper. Seems to work well for those that actually move the trailer.

Bill

Gary · RV-Dreams Family Member

cejones,

That's exactly how we'd use it. A few months here, a few there, home in between. Wife and talked this over, weighed the goods and others for our lives and came up with the part time option, which opened the possibility of the Airstream up.

Once again, nothing final but weighing options.

Thanks for the view from life experience though. It's always good to learn from someone who's already taken that path.

-- Edited by Gary on Tuesday 22nd of May 2012 06:25:36 PM

cejones4210 · RV-Dreams Family Member

We currently have a 1974 25' Airstream, it is being refurbished right now, hoping it will be finished by mid-June. Up until Nov 2011, we also had a 31' Classic Airstream. We have been camping in them for the last eleven years and I love them and we will always have the 74. But....full-time in them, NO! I would Not have enough storage and I would like a recliner to sit in, not just a sofa or the bed. There is not enough room for "living". Would I live in one for a few months at a time, yes, definitely, but full-time, no.

Technomadia · RV-Dreams Family Member

Just to add another perspective....

We started out full timing in a 16' T@b clamshell (teardrop travel trailer) with 45 sq ft of living space, towed by a Jeep Liberty. We did that for a year. It was fabulous to really see just how much 'stuff' we could actually do with out, after years of house dwelling. Great reset experience.

Next, we moved up to a humongous 17' Oliver Travel Trailer (fiberglass egg, made to be of Airstream level detail & thought). That put us at about 80 sq ft of living space, and it was awesome. We happily full timed in that for 3 years.

Last year, we we decided we were ready for something bigger.. and got a 1961 35' vintage bus conversion. It's only 96" wide and has no slides. We still have empty cabinets. Loving it.. and the space feels absolutely open and comfortable to us.

There really is no general minimum size as to what is workable for full timing.

It really is a very personal decision as to what is going to work for you. And quite often, you really don't know until you've been out there living in a mobile space for a while and get a feel of what your travel groove is.

- Cherie

kb0zke · RV-Dreams Family Member

"Last year, we we decided we were ready for something bigger.. and got a 1961 35' vintage bus conversion. It's only 96" wide and has no slides. We still have empty cabinets. Loving it.. and the space feels absolutely open and comfortable to us.

There really is no general minimum size as to what is workable for full timing.

It really is a very personal decision as to what is going to work for you. And quite often, you really don't know until you've been out there living in a mobile space for a while and get a feel of what your travel groove is."

You said it! Part of the reason that and Airstream is still in our list of "possibles" is that it is forcing us to let go of more things. If we bought a 40' widebody 'Bird, for example, we'd have both the space and weight capacity to take a lot more "stuff" with us. If we keep thinking about full-timing in an Airstream, for example, we are asking "Do we really need this?" more often, and usually deciding that we don't need it.

Another major factor for the Airstream is that, being lower to the ground, it has fewer steps to go up and down. That could well be THE deciding factor. We're going to spend a day at PPL, looking at as much as we can see in a day, and by the time we quit I suspect that we'll be thoroughly sick of steps.

Gary · RV-Dreams Family Member

For me, two RV's are my tops right now. That would be any Airstream over 25' and the Heartland Cyclone Toy Hauler.

The Airstream is self explanatory.

The Cyclone because of the garage door. They set that up now where you can use the door as a patio vice a ramp and there is a rail system around it, glass doors can be put up in the garage opening and an awning can be placed above the garage door. Pretty sweet set up actually.

Now, all I need to do is get off business travel sometime in the near future and have the DW look at both types of units to see what she thinks, cuz we all know that if Mama ain't happy ..........

Once again, THANK YOU for all the input! It hasn't made the decision any easier but it has brought more things to light!

Chele11 · RV-Dreams Community Member

I read some of the posts and skimmed over others since this thread actually is helpful for our situation... And have a few questions/comments.

Definitely, the mindset helps - and in my opinion - can make or break your living space. We currently live in a 2000 sq ft house but only actively use about 250-300 sq ft, including the kitchen/excluding the 3/4 bathroom(s).

We are buying land (9.5 acres) and are looking for a camper to live in while we build a house on the land.

We've found (we think) a camper within our small budget and it is a travel trailer. During our search, we considered 5th wheels but they all seemed to offer less space than travel trailers. So, after reading some posts here, I was surprised that the majority think the 5th wheels are better suited for long term living. Why is that?

As for Airstreams. oh, from your mouths to God's ears! There are a few here in our area but we do not have the time or the finances to restore one and these are just... they need to be completely rehabbed. :(

I suppose my husband and I are lucky. We aren't the kind who spend time apart much. This house or any other house, we are rarely in separate rooms, except when cooking/cleaning and/or showering. Living in a cramped space, for us, will be more difficult only because we have a child and 2 dogs, than any other reason. I'm in the process of retraining said dogs to become outside canines instead of the spoiled rotten beasts they currently are!

And our daughter would prefer to be outside or right there with us, so space only become an issue in the winter... and she will be in preschool 3 days a week then.

We've thought long about this venture. I hope others find it in their spirit to push forward with their dreams and JUST DO IT instead of dreaming it. Before long, your dreams fall to the side for what is "proper" - get out and live it and jackslap the idiot who says ya can't!

Just sayin'.

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

Michele,

First of all, welcome to the RV Dreams forums. You will find that it is a good source of information about all kinds of RV's. We welcome your questions and comments as we all tend to learn from each other.

As for fifth wheels being used more for full time (as opposed to travel trailers), I think it is more for the extra storage space that is available in them. However, if one is talking about small fifth wheels, there might not be much difference from a travel trailer. At least, I don't remember our 26 foot fifth wheel having much storage space, even though it did have more than the 26 foot travel trailer we had before it.

Since you are building on property, should you have an outbuilding for keeping tools and other things needed for that, you would likely have a place to keep a lot of things that those of us that are full-timing don't have available to us.

Terry