A little discouraged

[drocknut]

I suppose I'm just looking for a little encouragement from those who have already been through the process of buying an rv and lived to tell about it.

I was looking a little last year but got more serious about it in the past few months. I was hoping to find something sooner rather than later but I still haven't found a travel trailer to buy. It's a bit daunting trying to sift through all the listings on Craigslist and look at all the various web sites like RV trader but since I'm not in a bigger town with dealers I figured it would be a way to start. I went to an RV show in Quartzsite but it was more like a county fair exhibition hall with the people on microphones hawking the latest kitchen gadgets along with a few big fifth wheels and motor homes. I know it's harder to find a small travel trailer but it's harder than I thought. I know what I want in a trailer but seems like it might not be possible to find one here. I'm shying away from ordering a Casita or Scamp trailer since they are higher priced and smaller in size than what I want. I saw a trailer on a lot in Quartzsite (not at the show) that might be good but upon further reflection it doesn't seem to be the right fit for me. It was a Jay Flight Swift 198RD, 2013. The salesman was nice and not at all pushy plus he told me his boss would be willing to do better on the price since he wants to get rid of it. Probably part of the sales pitch but he seemed legit. I liked the layout with the couch and the way the bathroom was set up but didn't like that the bed had a bunk over it (although he said I could remove that or use it for storage) and it was closed in. I noticed that the under seat areas and under bed area are just covered by simple plywood and the bed was hard to lift up since it didn't have lifts or struts. I know I'm being picky especially since I am trying to keep costs low but I am going to live in it full time so I want to be as comfortable as possible.
I've also been discouraged because of reading about the costs involved in living in an rv such as propane, dumping fees, water, gas for the truck, insurance, and registrations. I know there are ways to do this on a tight budget but it all seems a bit overwhelming. Guess I'm just a little afraid of diving into something only to find out the pool was empty (so to speak).
If anyone has an encouragement or advice I'd appreciate it.
Thanks.

[Gentleladybear]

If the TT that you get has electric heat or you have a good safe electric heater and you are in a campground with electric, no worry about propane. In the summer you will only need electric. Be sure whatever you get has a generator or you buy one. Talk with Mitch she is a good one to tell you how to make a TT work for you. You just haven't found what works for you, but when you do, I think many things will fall into place A lot of what you are worried about will make sense and you will figure a way to make it work.

[BirdbyBird]

And don't forget that houses and condo, etc. come with their own expenses. Many of the things you speak about are even more costly in Stick and Brick houses. Yes, there are costs involved but they can be kept lower by travel and parking options that you make. The benefit, is that you get to experience different parts of the county.

[VickieP]

Don't get discouraged by the search either! I'm guessing you didn't buy the first house or automobile you looked at, it takes time to find the perfect one, but you will!

[MelissaD]

In some ways buying used is a needle n a haystack depending upon how particular you are. The person selling the trailer bought it for their tastes and so you have to find that match. It's one of the reasons we bought new since we had a specific list of things we did and didn't want. We walked the lots and had little luck. Finally we stopped by a dealer we saw from the road. They had 3 lots full of trailers. Walked in and just said we were looking and they gave us he most junior salesman. Rattled off my list and told him I was not walking acres of trailers. He excused himself and searched through floor plans of what he had on the lot and narrowed it to 3 models. He nailed it on the 1st unit he showed us. The other 2 were nice but missed the mark.

Now don't get me wrong, this is not our perfect unit, but it is close. We have added things like a 2nd A/C (heat-pump) Modified the bed for my acid reflux, changed the queen size mattress and a host of other items to tune it to us. It's in the shop now getting some upgrades for the next season. Looking at a product called Cheap Heat http://www.rvcomfortsystems.com/ which allows me to use my furnace as an electric furnace. Since my furnace also heats my underbelly/tanks it would work better than a space heater for me. Like I said, its a process to make it yours.

If I had unlimited funds this would not be my unit but for the funds I have it gave me the best bang for my buck.

When you lift cushions/mattresses you will find plywood. They can add gas struts to help lift beds for easier access. They are affordable and easy to install. There are major dealers like RV Wholesalers that deal in volume and might of help to you. They have multiple locations and ship units as well. You can also search the manufactures websites for floor plans to see what appeals to you.

Hang in there

[snowball]

I'm here in Q out in BLM land sent you a pm so give me a call and we can talk
might be able to cheer you up
sheila

[Colliemom]

Trying to find a small travel trailer when you are in an area where there are no dealers around can be challenging. I went through the same thing. Did a lot of looking on the internet until one of the ladies who used to belong to another group I was in online (Open Road Singles) sent me a picture of her Rockwood Mini Lite. It was love at first site. So I then went on line to the Forest River site and found a dealer who carried them about 60 miles away and wound up buy a Rockwood Mini Lite> I have since sold it for financial reasons, but this is getting away from your issue.

Trying to find a small TT on Craigslist if very hard is not close to impossible depending on where you live. I also know that there are a number of manufactuers who don't makes small TT's too much either. Forest River is one that does and I would suggest you check their website out. Jayco Jay Swift Is a nice little TT, but I understand it has been prone to roof leaking issues. I would suggest that you check out Sportsman as well as they make some small TT's . I for one am planning on going back to Forest River as I like the quality of their TT's. Either the Rockwood Mini Lites or the Flagstaff Micro Lites. If weight is an issue for you, check out the Sportsman. You may have to drive a bit to find a dealer for these models, but it will be worth it. Just my two cents worth.

[dayspring39]

Oh discouragement is a tough place to be... my suggestion would be make a list of must haves... In the early 80s my husband and I purchased a used tt that had been stored in a barn and used very little... it was a Coachman and perfect for us... 17.5 ft... we lived in it for 4 months one summer while visiting children in the north... at that time we lived in FL... we had no problems other than usual maintenance..
I purchased a class A MH in the early 2000s... it was a used 1990 and a disaster... I now have a class C 27 ft Jayco Eagle and love it... it is a 1998... cute as a button and CLEAN...
Discouragement is usually the place one is when they have way too much information... just ask questions here and there are so many knowledgable ladies they will help you...
Best of luck on your search for your dream tt
Kathleen

[chalet05]

Being overwhelmed is no fun!

Have you visited dealers in Phoenix? Once you can pick a model or two, perhaps it will ease your mind a bit.

I agree with Tina about expenses - they are there no matter how you live. As a fulltimer they will vary depending on where and how you live. I am in a park right now that is $260 a month plus electric for peak season - it will drop to $240 in April. If I had signed up for 6 months, I would have paid $1400. However, I am in Salome in the middle of nowhere. You would pay more in Wickenburg. If you boondock, you can stay for free or sometimes a small fee, but you will use more propane and have to pay dump fees. However, there are free dumps in some places.

Just keep plugging away and eventually things will fall into place.

[MelissaD]

Hope this helps sort things and not add to the sense of discouragement. For me, facts help, as numbers remove emotion. If not please ignore

Now that you have looked at a few maybe it's time for a list. Make a list of what you want and what you don't want in your RV. There are so many pretty RV's out there and a list help cut through the "flash" and overload of options to what's important.

You have not said what you have for a vehicle/tow vehicle (TV). Find out how much you can safely tow so you will know the size of the trailer you can tow. If you have a low weight limit that may help you narrow your list. If you have questions about that, I can help you with that just send me a message. We did not have a TV (truck) when we bought our camper. That way, we found the camper we wanted, then I bought the truck to tow it. We had a place to store the trailer and the dealer delivered it for us as part of the sale.

Do not relie on a dealer for what you can or can not tow with your vehicle often times they don't know and are just worried about making a sale. The only way to tell is read you owners manual and look at the driver's door sticker. Often it includes a trip to a truck scale to actually weight your vehicle. There are many people pulling campers too heavy for their vehicles. Sorry I digress.

GVWR (off door sticker) - Vehicles actual weight, with you, full gas tank and loaded for trip = what's left is for the trailer tongue weight. Truck stops have scales you can do this at.
GCVWR (owners manual) what truck and trailer can weigh combined - Vehicles actual weight with you, full gas tank and loaded for trip = how much your trailer can weight or GVWR of trailer.

Example:
My GVWR is 11,500# - 8,200# (truck weighed with us, fuel, etc.) = 3,300# that I can carry. The 5er has a 2,600# tongue weight (5er's average 20-25% tongue weights, mines about 22%)
GCVWR is 20,000# - 8,200# = 11,800# of trailer GCVWR = Gross Combined Vehicle Weight Rating = total truck and trailer
When I weighed it all (truck and trailer) I weighed 20,000# so I am at my limit for this truck. I have to be careful how much stuff I put in my trailer to stay at my limit. My trailer is actually rated at 14,000# GVWR so if I stuff my camper I can overload my truck. That's why I say look at the Gross weight of the trailer when shopping.

My trailer dry weight was 10,400# we added 1,400# to ours with an extra A/C unit, our stuff, food, propane, etc......... it adds up fast.....

One dealer even said all I needed was a F250. I'm at the limit of a 2004 F350 dually. Don't listen to dealer. The 2010 and newer trucks are rated to tow more so a 2010 or newer F250 might.

Oddity: When you look at the tow guides, older trucks all had a 20,000# GCVWR max limit. It's kind of weird that all of a sudden no matter the option added it just stopped at 20,000#. The "tow wars" started of who could tow more (picture Toyota and space shuttle advetisement) and newer trucks get credit for the diesel engines, the duals, and lower gear ratios, up to 26,000# GCVWR or so. While I respect the 20,000# GCVWR of my truck I believe if they completed the tow guide in 2004 like the do today I'd have a higher limit. Point is: age of vehicle is important. Tow ratings change year to year.

Dry weights are useless numbers. Look at the loaded of GVWR of the trailer. The hitch weight will be about 10-15% of that (use 15% to be on safe side). There is a yellow sticker on the outside front left corner (also on in a door jam or under the sink) with the weight it left the factory and tire information. That often does not include propane, batteries and any dealer upgrades. The average person adds 600-1,000# of stuff to their camper, more if they full time. So looking at the max weight or Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) is important. If you can haul that you are good to go, no worries.

A trailer fully loaded to say 5,000# will have a 500-750# (10-15%) tongue weight.
A trailer fully loaded to say 3,500# will have a 350-525# (10-15%) tongue weight.

To heavy or too light and it will not tow nicely. Larger trailers or trailer close to a vehicles limits will also require a special hitch called a weight distribution hitch (WD hitch) to help balance the trailers load between the front and rear axles of the tow vehicle. Since you are looking at small trailers and if you had a pickup or larger SUV you might be able to skip the WD hitch.

Like I said, if you have questions or need help figuring it out just drop me a note. I like figuring this stuff out.

Don't overthink it. It will all be worth it when you are on the road. When I'm sitting in a campfire surrounded by family and friends, well, life is good It was worth every minute of it.

[drocknut]

Thank you all. I knew this was the place to get some encouragement. It helps.
Melissa, lots of good information, thanks. I do have some idea about weights and checked into what my truck could tow before I bought it knowing that I wanted a small travel trailer. The truck is an F150 V8 4x4 with a towing capability of 11,000 lbs. I want to keep the trailer well below that and the ones I've looked at weigh in around 3500lbs dry weight so probably under 5000lbs loaded. I know I will probably need an anti-sway hitch for safety sake but hoping not to need too much extra equipment for towing since the truck already has a towing package with electronic trailer brakes. It is a good policy not to rely on the dealer for towing or weight information so thanks for the reminder. I also know I want to keep it under 20' in length because I want to be able to park it or go most anywhere with it since I plan on boondocking as much as possible.
Chalet05, no I have not been to a dealership in Phoenix yet but intend to do so in the next week or so. I went to a few in Quartzsite when I was there but only found the one trailer that even came close to the right size for me. By the way, I know where Salome is since I am visiting my mother in the middle of nowhere too, (actually just east of you near Aguila).
Kathleen, thank you, I agree, discouragement is a tough place to be.
Thanks Colliemom I will definitely check out those brands you mention. I appreciate the heads up on the Jayco roof issues.
Sheila, got your pm, thanks.
VickieP, you are right it does take time, although I don't know about houses since I've never bought one. In effect this travel trailer will be my first "house".
BirdbyBird, thanks for the reminder. I'm not planning on traveling around the country but being mobile will have it's advantages for me. I don't know what the future holds as far as work (long story) but I also know I don't want to live in Helena so figure this is a way I could travel around and feel out other places.
Gentleladybear, I'm sure you're right that it all will make sense or I'll figure a way to make it work eventually. Is Mitch her username on here?

I'm a little less discouraged now thanks to you all.

[MelissaD]

Saw this and wondered if this was similar to what you are seeking http://www.bobhurleyrv.com/rv/tulsa+ok/heartland+traveltrailer/1328/heartland+edge+m18

Looks like its in Tulsa OK.

[drocknut]

MelissaD, yes sort of what I'm looking for but would rather the bed not be tucked in a corner. Thanks for thinking of me though.

[MelissaD]

So maybe like this http://www.heartlandrvs.com/index.php?p=35&c=lightweight&sc=WD&i=WD+2775+RB&view=floorplans&fcmd=showfplan

This one has a bike storage area http://www.heartlandrvs.com/index.php?p=35&c=lightweight&sc=NTTT&i=Focus+Edition+FX23&view=floorplans&fcmd=showfplan

This ones interesting that it has a couch as well as a booth in this size.

I like looking at floor plans. So many options but some of them make me scratch my head.

Artic Fox built a 4 season TT that might be of interest to you. http://www.apachecamping.com/arctic-fox-travel-trailers.htm There are very few TT built for 4 season use. They are rated very high on RV.net for there durability and 4 season use.

Yes, I am board tonight and surfing

[Gentleladybear]

Yes that is her name...she has been in baha Mexico.