Retired and thinking travel trailer

[jack89]

Hi,
I'm new to the forum and looking for ideas on how to start RV living.  I'm retired military and have a pretty good pension with virtually no debt.  I'm 54, don't have to work, and have options.  I can buy a house or apartment near family, or get an RV.  Can't really swing both and leaning toward an RV.

I have a 2002 Chevy Silverado 1500 already set up for towing so I'm thinking a travel trailer would be my best bet for an RV.  It'll just be me so a smaller trailer, under 22 feet, may be best but I know next to nothing about it. 

I recently thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail and the Camino de Santiago so I'm used to living with less.  I actually prefer it. 

Any thoughts or ideas would be appreciated.  Cheers.

 

[Cammalu]

Great idea! They aren’t all made the same for sure. Some of the fiberglass trailers are nice and hold their value. You might also want to look for a four season trailer since you’ll be living in it. Bigfoot is a great brand

Lance is a good model also.

I’d stay away from anything by Fleetwood, Forest River or Thor. Their record is abysmal.

 

[dellaterra]

I have a 19 foot A frame (Forest River Rockwood, Highwall). I recommend it! Its easy to tow because the walls fold down into a 'camper-trailer' but when its up, its really solid. I camped in wind and snow with it. The high ceiling of the A-frame make it feel really big inside, plus lots of windows. There's lots of storage. It can be a little tricky putting the first wall up because you have to squeeze into the half-length door and basically do a squat and bench press to push up the first wall. But after that, putting the other walls up is easy. Makes sense once you see the trailer put up. But I'm really close to fitting all my stuff into my tow-vehicle (van) so I'm considering selling it.

 

[rvwandering]

Welcome to the CRVL forums Jack! Your plan sounds good! Go to a few RV dealers and look at what they have to offer. Buying used can save you quite a bit of money but make sure that everything works and that there's no water damage from leaks.

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.

 

[tx2sturgis]

What engine is in that 1500?

With a V-8 engine, a 22 footer is no problem, but if you have the V-6 you might need to either downsize your trailer a bit or upsize your tow vehicle.

Presumably your 2002 P/U has 100,000 miles or more, so if it's a V-6 with a 4 speed you might be disappointed with its ability to drag that trailer up and down mountain grades.

Quality trailers are not cheap, if you have the funds, look at nice ones like Casita, Scamp, and maybe even a good used, or new, smaller Airstream.

You can add a topper to the pickup bed and have a lot of storage for provisions and supplies, so you can downsize the trailer to 16-19 feet, and still be able to haul everything you need.

 

[Bobflhtc]

I'm full-time over 5 years now and I pull a 23 foot Layton Skyline trailer. It's held up well but you have to do maintenance on anything you buy.

I would recommend

double axel,
a decent sized bed,
a decent sized refrigerator that runs on electric and propane,
at least 30 gallon tanks
Shower and toilet
a oven with burners
Led lights
Stereo
TV but you can install one easily
Storage


Just some things to consider

 

[RoadtripsAndCampfires]

If you are new to trailers be sure to check the Cargo Carry Capacity, or CCC of each trailer. I've seen some with as low as 550 lbs. CCC which means you can almost bring nothing (water is 8.34 pounds per gallon, add food, toys, etc.). So first figure out what your needs are. Great on the Silverado - a solid tow vehicle.

Really do your research, esp. if buying new. New loses $$ quickly and many flaws are often hidden. Problems can mean months in the shop and no driving time for you while you continue to pay interest and payments.

This is why we are building our own.

Also note, from what you have said about your previous adventures it sounds like you would be happy fitting in smaller campgrounds from time to time so first determine the ideal size and then figure out if you and your stuff fit well in it or is it too crowded or just too wide and long? Widths are usually 8 foot and the smaller 7 (we were looking at 7).

We looked for 4 years before we chose to build the one we are working on. In the past we've owned Class C, 2 class B's, an Aliner and some assorted other things (started regular camping at age 17 and now we're above mid-60's). At the end of those 4 years the 2 models we liked one was the shorter less-wide Minnie Winnie with the bunks in back (forget the bunks - I saw tons of storage options here) and another one called a Nano - forgot at the moment who makes that one. Both were 2018 models and on the shorter side (we were looking for 25 foot and under).

 

[ckelly78z]

I would go solo RVing in a small class C, possibly towing a small enclosed cargo trailer with my dirtbike, hiking gear, fishing, gear, and kayak. You sound very active also, and possibly a 7x16 converted cargo trailer would serve your purposes.....Welcome.

 

[tripper]

If you are really into backwoods camping and hiking you will find the trailer no matter how small to limit the places you can go, such as deep forest and in the cities. If you can find a lightweight smaller truck camper or get one of those taller camper shells and build it out you will be free to go almost anywhere. If your plan is to do a lot of wide open boon docking then a trailer is fine,