HELP! How can I find a good TT for under $3k

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Hey Y'all. I'm new, extremely new. That's my problem. Where can I find a decent TT that I can live in year round for under 4k? I'm a disabled vet and at times things get rough. I need to find a TT that I can live in all year and be towed by a 2012 nissan pathfinder sv 4x4. What do i do? Any help or advice will be greatly appreciated. Email me. I don't even know how to get back to this forum. All I know is that I have been watching the cheap rv living off and on and have been searching for a video on how to find a good TT for cheap but none seem to exist. Anyway, lost and nervous.....

 

[rvwandering]

Welcome to the CRVL forums Jayson! I don't have any advice but hopefully some of our members can give you an idea of where to look.

To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips, Tricks and Rules" post lists some helpful information to get you started. We look forward to hearing more from you.

 

[[email protected]]

Thanks!

 

[John61CT]

Build one is the best way.

See TNTTT.com, including the Foamie section.

 

[bullfrog]

First don't panic, think about what you need, then let us know. It is unrealistic to think anyone here can give good advice to someone we know little about. So much of this process depends on you and how well you know yourself. Simple answer to your question from my point of view is look at the vehicle you intend to tow with. Very little towing capacity and very little space to carry necessary gear. It might help to know where you are and where you plan to go. Along with that how disabled are you? Are you unable to workcamp or work seasonally? Do you have any tools or skills? How much experience do you have camping or living outside of a sticks and bricks house? Do you require air conditioning or will you try to follow the seasons? A couple years ago my wife and I sold a 1991 18' Ajo camper trailer for $2,800 we had lived in it for 6 months while workcamping. I had to modify the front bed because at 5'10" it was too short for me to get comfortable. How big are you? Will you be by yourself, have pets or require help to bath or get into bed? Older conventional campers are heavy. I was barely able to tow it with a built 1988 V8 Jeep Wagoneer. As John mentioned above is what I ended up doing. But there are lots of options but they may not be for you, give us a hint so we maybe can give you some better answers.

 

[maki2]

I would suggest you join the Fiberglass RV forum. You do need to sign up to participate. They are focused on travel trailers. They do have a sales page where people frequently post small trailers. You can also post a want ad for what you want to find. Of course the vintage aged ones will be closer to your budget than anything recently made. But there are some vintage trailers that are in good condition available in your price range. There is also information in the forum giving the weight of the various brands and models of fiberglass travel trailers.

Here is a link to that forum:
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/

 

[jimindenver]

First thing is to figure out how much weight the truck can handle. That way you do not find a wonderful deal on the trailer your truck can't pull.

 

[ckelly78z]

Your 2012 Pathfinder will (according to the factory manufacturing specs) tow 6000# with the V6 motor, or 7000# with the V8 motor. I would stay 25% below this figure to tow something safely, so this gives you a useable tow rating between 4500# and 5250#. This will most likely keep you to a TT smaller than 25' long, and a lightweight one at that.

Being a disabled vet (I thank you for your service), are you physically able to do some of the work yourself, because there are deals out there on fixer-uppers that need some effort to get road worthy ?

 

[highdesertranger]

x2 on going by the weight rating of the Pathfinder. wow a 25ft long trailer behind a Pathfinder, I don't know about that. highdesertranger

 

[bullfrog]

It would pay to check your weights before making your purchase. Put most of what you will be taking in a day rental trailer then add a couple hundred pounds and pull it down the freeway to a truck stop with scales with your vehicle. Your opinon of what you feel safe to tow will likely be much less than the factory, unless you have done a lot of towing. Be aware of motor and brake temperature at the end of the run. Higher temps mean problems. Much better to gain this knowledge before purchasing. Don't ask the hundreds of people that have ruined their vehicles or sold at a loss because of over weight conditions then not listen. Big weight difference between weekend trips and full time living in a camper trailer.

 

[ckelly78z]

The weight of the empty (dry) trailer should be in the 3000-3500# range. When you start adding water, cookware, clothes, supplies, food, and other neccesities, the weight will be in the range I described above. There are not many quality travel trailers that are also light enough to be pulled by your SUV.

 

[John61CT]

With that vehicle I would shoot for well under 2000# dry weight.

An aluminum chassis/frame would help. I doubt if you'd find anything OTS light & strong enough in your budget, need to DIY I think.

Can sometimes find heavy-duty boat trailers for say $2000 that would make a good safe starting point.

Length itself is not such a critical safety issue, as long as weight is kept down, most added weight (tanks, batteries) is kept in the middle near the axles, and balanced so towball is ~10% of the total while on the road.

And keep speeds down of course.

 

[crofter]

This one weighs 950 pounds and can load in another 2000 pounds. It's new for $2700 and then you would have to build out whatever you want inside. Bumper pull.

https://www.trailerworldoforegon.co...o-mate-bl58sa-5-x-8-single-axle-cargo-trailer

 

[Mechelle]

El Paseo Texas has good prices for trailers on CraigsList, and no rain...