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I had a very general question from a YouTube viewer recently about buying an RV…
Diana V’s Question:
I was hoping on advice on which trailer to buy. We need your thoughts on it.
John’s Answer:
It depends on several factors you should consider including tow vehicle capacity, budget, how you plan to camp, how many people would be normally traveling with you, etc. For me, I have a 1/2-ton truck, so I have a bunch of options in terms of size of trailer. I usually camp at state parks with water and electric, so I don’t need an RV to boondock off the grid. I work a lot remotely, so I need comfortable seating. So hopefully this gives you a starting point – think about how you want to camp and what you need, and what you have in terms of a tow vehicle, then look at budget. This will filter down your options pretty quickly. Thanks!
This question highlights a common issue many first time RV buyers face, specifically what RV should we buy. My response outlines some of the main issues anyone should consider before RV shopping:
Camping Style – It makes a big difference if you plan to stay at full-hookup sites or want an RV to do off-grid boondocking. Likely a 40’ Class A motorhome won’t work for serious off-grid travel. This highlights the largest single consideration for a newbie – how do you want to camp? Do you want to stay mainly at campgrounds with full amenities or just need a base to sleep in while exploring the outdoors? Once you focus in on how you want to camp, you can then look at what type of RV would best facilitate your camping style. For me, I work remotely quite a bit and like to do extended trips to escape the harsh winter weather up north. I like state parks as I think they give a very good return for the cost. Because I work remotely, I am inside the trailer a lot. This is very different from summer camping where a trailer may only be used to sleep in, use the bathroom occasionally or cook the occasional meal. For my style, I need a larger trailer but one that doesn’t require more than my ½ ton Toyota Tundra can pull. This led me to the 29’ Keystone Bullet 243BHS I currently own.
People – A great question to ask is who will be regularly traveling with you. If you are single, you likely can get by with less space than a family of four. If it is you and your significant other, a couples-camper or small Class B may work fine. If every trip will be two adults and two kids, then you may consider a bunkhouse model travel trailer. The point here is that the RV choice should be informed by who will normally be traveling with you.
Frequency – One thing to consider is how often and for how long you plan to travel by RV. I’d argue that your RV needs should be determined by both how often you plan to use the RV and for how long during the average trip you plan to be out in it. If for example, you only plan to use your RV for a few weekends a year and for maybe one other week-long trip, you may be willing to buy a less expensive model or smaller RV vs if you plan to full-time in an RV. The more often you are out and the longer time per trip, likely means you’ll want a larger, higher quality RV.
Tow Vehicle – As mentioned, if you do go with a travel trailer vs a Class A, B or C motorhome, you will need a vehicle to pull it. Do you already have a truck or SUV that can tow significant trailer weight or are you starting from scratch? Also, depending on travel preferences and budget, it may be that you really would be better suited in a Class A, B or C that doesn’t require a tow vehicle. An entry-level trailer may only cost $20k but if you don’t have a tow vehicle, it gets expensive pretty quickly. If you have a small SUV, you’ll be limited on the size and weight of trailer you can tow safely. These tradeoff considerations should all play into your purchase decision.
As you can see, there is a lot to consider when buying an RV and you’ll want to think about these things before taking the plunge. One thing to remember is that you can always sell your RV if you missed it on what you thought you wanted. Often RV newbies try out a small entry-level RV only to find what they really wanted was something bigger or something more suited to off-grid camping. Part of this equation you just won’t know until you try – often you just don’t know your camping style until you’ve tried things out. Adjustments are okay.
All the best in your camping endeavors!
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