TOWING AND TRAVELLING

[Colliemom]

Getting to be that time of year when the itch starts to get on the road and off to new adventures, whether or not it's just a trip a few miles to the local campground or a cross country trip.

So it has got me to wondering here. Most of you know that I bought a new TT last summer and was able to try this RVing thing for the first time on my own. Due to work etc., I only took short trips to a few local state parks. But my dream is eventually to spend a summer traveling the western states especially CO and WY. This summer my plan is to get out with my TT as much as I can and see just how I really like towing and if I want to keep this TT for a trip out west or get something else.

I know that there's quite a variety of rigs in this group and gals who travel all over the country on a full time basis, some stay in winter locations and return home in spring and others like myself who camp when we can. So, I would ilke to hear from those of you who pull TT's all over the place. Are you comfortable pulling them on long drives, are they suiting your purposes, do you travel a lot with them or just park them for extended periods of time. Guess what I am looking for is, how many on this site actually travel with a TT as opposed to other types of rigs. I've sized up 5ers and also a model just one size bigger than the one I have. I'm the kind of person, who likes to park my rig and have a vehicle available for exploring the areas I am in. If I go out west, I might park central someplace and then spend time touring out from there and then move on to another spot and go from there type of thing. So how about telling me of your experiences out there. I know it's probably been gone over before, but there are a lot of new people on this site too who might be interested. Newbies still looking for ideas etc. Fire away folks. And those of you in MH"s, feel free to put in your two cents too if you want.

[Marslet]

Well Good Morning Sue,
I am one of the members who tows a TT. I have had everything but a motorhome. Would like to try that, but am pretty sure that I don't want to tow a vehicle behind it.
What you described is exactly what we do. We tow our trailer, park it, and then radiate out from it sightseeing in our truck. We love it. Sometimes we spend 4 or 5 days at a time somewhere (not full timers yet). We have a generator, which we haven't used yet to try the boondocking. Am going to try that this spring.
Hubby retired a year ago, had tthe excitement of a daughter getting married, then moving to Seattle area, etc. went to Arkansas GTG, left trailer there at park, drove up to Missouri to visit with son and grandsons, came back to trailer, spent 3 or 4 more days camping, then came on home to Louisiana.
This spring, we are planning our Big Trip. We are going to go to the Grand Canyon, Sequoias, Yosemite, Redwoods, Oregon coast, Crater Lake, Olympic Park, daughter's area, Mt. Rainier, Glacier, Yellowstone, Tetons, Rockies in Colorado, then home.
We plan to be gone about 3 months.
As far as gas mileage goes, depending on the size MH you get, it will be about the same for either vehicle. Cost is one thing we really considered when we decided on a TT as opposed to a MH. The ladies on the forum have brought up safety, but if you feel threatened and decide to drive off, unless you take in your water and sewer hose, you are gonna do some damage to your rig if you are parking. And as far as feeling threatened goes, we pull out too, before hooking up. Have been camping for 45 years, and have never pulled in but one place where felt threatened, and pulled out before we set up pop up.

Hope I am not being too long and rambling. To make it short and sweet, we like the convenience of having our touring vehicle with us, not dragging behind us.

[mitch5252]

..

Our little Mobile Marlin was our first ever RV. In my thought process, over about 18 months, I, too, determined that a travel trailer was the way to go for us - compatible with current van as tow vehicle, less expensive and less upkeep/maintenance than a small version of another class of RV, less costly insurance, touring vehicle readily available.

I think the MAIN deciding factor was having a vehicle easily available to run to the store or site-see (which translated to less cost in other areas, too), and also allow my husband to comfortably stay behind (with The Beast).

In the 3 1/2 summers I've had it, I haven't ever wanted another style of RV. Maybe a different layout now that I'm more familiar with George's needs, but still liking the trailer and what it offers.

..

[Bethers]

As I posted in the other forum - whether your truck is comfortable is really a personal matter. I'm really comfortable in my C (truck cab) but wasn't comfortable driving Jean's truck for an hour without towing. She was. Just like cars, they are all different, you need to know yours is comfortable to you.

[Bethers]

Another note - after traveling 5 years in a C vs those in tt or 5th wheels - I will not agree it's cheaper to do the tt and truck over a C with or without a toad. You're doing it because it's what you want and like. Don't start thinking of it as being cheaper. There are expenses either way - and can be more expensive either way, or less - depending on how you travel, etc.

[kdmac]

A TT is a great choice: I believe you have a light-weight Rockwood, that will save you gas money and your transmission will love you. it will be a breeze to handle. All RV's will feel a difference when tanks are empty or full (sometimes porpoising a bit). I like to travel with all tanks empty (except three gal in black tank so you can use it on the road) then fill fresh water just prior to my boondocking place. Obvioiusly that way you aren't paying gas money to haul heavy water and your handling is even.

A sway bar is a good thing for these lightweights, mainly for the big semi that pass. I generally don't drive in the far right on the freeway when in high-merge traffic area (most drivers don't look til that last second and just may not see my TT and no sense putting yourself in a dangerous situation) ...I will get back to the far right when out of high merge activity.

Backing up is a breeze (place your hand at the "bottom" of the wheel; move your hand/wheel the same direction you want the back of the TT to go) The TT allows you the freedom to unhook and have your vehicle. With a class C or MH and a toad you have two engines to maintain and more tires to buy. I am on a fixed income and can't afford that....Hooking and unhooking is just a breeze (with a C or MH and toad you still have "hook up") I have to admit that I get in and out of the truck more than once to see my line up, but you get good at it. I put corresponding targets on my truck tailgate and the TT for lineup (skinny strip of tape) OR, you can buy the "mirror" that fits onto the trailer hitch and faces down so you can see the truck ball approach the hitch...cool idea.

I bought a 30 footer because I live in it year round and just knew I wanted the "small apartment" feel. Sometimes I regret that because I love to go down roads no one else goes down much and find wonderful places to boondock. and many of the forest service or state campgrounds only have room for 25 ft, or so. So, you have it made. You can take yours with you instead of leaving it behind in an RV park, (that's up to you, of course, but you really do have that freedom to go into these national parks with trailer in tow and fit into the various campgrounds) that way you continually move your "camp headquarters" as you explore.

The sun is out today and I wan to hook up and go...but sisters are coming for a visit so guess I should be here when they arrive.

[Birdie]

Sue, I started out in a small TT, 17' Casita. I wasn't sure what I was doing at that time and I figured that if I didn't like traveling I could sell the Casita, fairly quickly for very little depreciation. After a small time of traveling, I decided that I wanted to do that all the time. So I moved into the Casita in August of 2009 and decided in October that it was way too small to full-time in it. I was driving a Toyota 4Runner with a tow package and that made pulling the TT with a sway bar only, an easy thing to do. Hookup was no biggie and backing in was no biggie after I did it a lot of times. I was intimidated by the 5er's and driving/parking them. I had not done it and looked at those huge things and shuddered in horror at the possibility of my doing that. Today, I look at it and say it's just another pickup and trailer. You just deal with it a little differently. You can do either .... you are a woman!

I disagree with Beth's statement about looking at cheaper. You must know what you have available to expend on a monthly basis and must stay within that. The duplicate of tags, tires, insurance, gas, oil, maintenance (and for some of us payments) is of great importance. Also, if you don't maintain both of your rigs you will be stranded on the road side one day. That's defintely a consideration anyone thinking about getting a toad needs to make. A pickup that gets 16 - 18 or 14-16 mpg pullling a TT or 5er would be more attractive than a truck getting 6-8 or 8-10 mpg. That is just the way it is with $3 a gallon gas. Add to that equation if you are keeping your house, you have utilities, maintenance, insurance, taxes, and normal upkeep. So your expenses have made a change probably significantly from the house and weekend camping.

An important item is how are you going to use the TT? If you are going to full-time, your requirements might be different than if you are going to part-time, or weekend/extended weekend. Right now one of my thoughts on going to Alaska for 3 months is "wish I had my Casita and Toyota". I will love having my Jamboree, but the gas cost will be double. Instead of looking at 4k in gas I will probably be looking at 8k. That's a big difference no matter the gas cost it will be double. That same thing may happen to you. If you get a heavier TT you may have to change the truck. See what the weight factors are all the way around before you decide.

So I would say that you need to decide what your goal for camping and traveling with your crew is going to be. If you don't know, then don't do anything until you decide. Buying bigger then trading back down can be an expensive proposition. The Escapees RVer's Boot Camp folks say: Buy your third rig first. But hey I didn't hear that until I was in my second rig. So you have an inquiring mind and will continue with your questions both to us and to others. Just gather it all up and use it for fodder!!!

Okay, that's my story and I ain't changing it!!!!!

[Bethers]

Nancy, you might have misunderstood me. But it can be cheaper OR more expensive EITHER way - depending on how you travel, what you do. It's not necessarily cheaper either way. You have insurance on 2 items whether 2 vehicles or truck and tt. My insurance on 2 vehicles is cheaper than some pay for truck and tt. How you travel can make a BIG difference in what it costs. Kind of like is it worth it to get diesel over gas? You have to really look at longterm for that to pay off. The extra costs upfront, and then for dieselgas, might make it less attractive to some, not to others. Again, it's why this is such a personal issue for all. You must maintain, whether a car/mh or truck/tt(5th). Yes 2 engines - but there are expenses to both ways. No one way is right or wrong - each of us is different. And no one way is necessarily going to be less expensive than another. I remember being told it would cost me a minimum of $3k to be fulltime (per month). If it did - I'd have not made it my first year. If it was 2k per month I couldn't do this. But for some it is 3 or even 4 k a month. Probably even some on this forum. For others of us - no where near that.

KD, it's been shown that many rigs travel better with water in the holding tank - giving them a little added weight to help with some of the sway, etc. So, again, empty isn't always better. On the rv.net forum, there has been so much discussion (and arguments) about this over the years. But like many with C's and A's - sometimes gas mileage doesn't change by that. I can travel with a full or empty water tank and not have a difference in mileage (which is also true with many tt's). I was told to expect a big difference when I started pulling the toad - and am only seeing a minor difference. Am hoping I'm lucky there. But again, many on rv.net post that they see no difference.

[Colliemom]

Thanks Beth. Very insightful info. That's another thing I was wondering too and was going to ask later. About how much one should figure a month to full time or even part time. But I"m sure it boils down to how much you want to spend too. Like stay in top rated campground as opposed to boondocking etc. And then your rigs. Some eat gas more than others etc. Your mentioning not losoing much gas mileage pulling a toad. You probably won't. If you C's engine is big enough to pull the extra weight, it won't make much difference cause the engine isn't straining to pull it and the size of the MH over the toad acts as a wind barrier, so the toad isn't causing a drag like a TT would behind a truck. That is one of the sacrifices I had to make getting into this RV stuff. The truck I orignally had when I started, had a 350 V-8 engine and was rated for the size of the TT I bought. It also go good gas mileage even pulling the TT. But it was lacking in power despite that. Acceleration speed just wasn't there for merging on the freeway, but it did a good job on hills for the most part. So when it was time to turn it in (leased), I ordered the same truck with a bigger engine (6.2) liters and all the bells and whistles necessary for trailer towing, whether it be TT or 5er. Now I have more than enough power, which is good, cause my future plans call for going west and "thar's mountains out there". But I know this truck can handle it. But I've lost gas mileage in the process. But for this year I will travel with my TT and worry about down ther road later. From the sounds of some of the info I'm getting back, my choice is probably the right one for me right now in the style I want to travel. As to cheaper, nothing is going to be cheaper unless we just stay home and forget about it. Perhaps someday it may come to that if gas gets way too expensive. But for now, we bite the bullet.

[mtngal]

Just a thought Sue.....the Casita TT forum is very active, you might find their travels similar to what you would experience in your rig.

[kelpie]

Just my two cents worth on the expense part - I agree with Beth that it's all about the choices you make that are right for you. But never forget when the costs seem to be going up and up, compare it with staying in even the cheapest motels and eating out every meal! Besides the aggravation of having to drag suitcases in and out, never being sure how clean things are and having your pets with you.

[OutandAbout]

[quote="Colliemom"] But my dream is eventually to spend a summer traveling the western states especially CO and WY. This summer my plan is to get out with my TT as much as I can and see just how I really like towing and if I want to keep this TT for a trip out west or get something else.

Sue, I don't have a TT,5W or MH, so have no comment on that. I do think that getting out locally and doing a long trip are two different things. To me, the local trips are more about the destination. The longer trips will have more to plan for, as in how long the stay, sight seeing, getting to the destination, etc. I guess what I'm getting at is if you have the TT set up for towing the way you want, why trade it in before a long trip? I would think that would be a really good indication if you would indeed like all the towing and setting up required such a trip would demand. It would be a good opportunity to list all the pros and cons of this way of traveling as well. After your trip, you can always trade in the TT for a larger TT or a MH if that is your decision. Just my 2 cents. Linda