Buying travel trailer

[hlensavi]

I would also like to buy a trailer and travel sometimes, but I understand that I won't have enough time.

[kongyydy]

Hi! I have stayed in trailers numerous times when traveling and I can firmly say that they're highly overrated. Even if you're buying one and you think you're making a great investment, trust me, it's not worth it. Trailers are great for when you're young, carefree and if your back doesn't hurt all the time, lol My advice would be to stay in a house or villa if you want to keep that adventurous "no hotels" vibe without basically sleeping in a car. Plus, it would e a much better investment if you also buy one. I recently stayed at a few
and now I'm considering investing in one!

[Marker]

The trailer insurance goes normally under the car insurance, but I suggest you confirm that with your insurance co., don't get any trailer that does not come with the ownership document, after going down that road myself it can be a PIA to get the ownership transferred without it. Make sure your vehicle is rated to tow the gross trailer weight, if not and you get in an accident you could be facing some liability.

I have had a few small camp trailers and enjoyed the comfort they provide for longer trips (week or more), especially with non-campers.

[Species8472]

Make sure your vehicle is rated to tow the gross trailer weight

Even if rated i would never tow close to a vehicle's max. It can be done but really represents ideal conditions. Try it on a day with 70 or 80k wind gusts or see what happens when you blow a tire doing 100+ km/hour on the highway and the trailer pushing you from behind is loaded to the max. Myself i try to stay under 75% of rating and separate but related pay attention to the payload of tow vehicle as one can easily exceed the axle ratings on the tow vehicle even when well below the tow rating.

[Birdbuff]

Hi! I have stayed in trailers numerous times when traveling and I can firmly say that they're highly overrated. Even if you're buying one and you think you're making a great investment, trust me, it's not worth it. Trailers are great for when you're young, carefree and if your back doesn't hurt all the time, lol My advice would be to stay in a house or villa if you want to keep that adventurous "no hotels" vibe without basically sleeping in a car. Plus, it would e a much better investment if you also buy one. I recently stayed at a few
and now I'm considering investing in one!

I think the one advantage a trailer has over the “villa” idea is the adventure. You are not tied down to a single location. And if you are like me, and not into neighbours while camping, the vast amounts of crown land in Ontario can offer up some great potential getaways.

[ClarkVamasa]

If you have enough money to buy a tourist van from an official dealer, it is best to take it from him. However, if you don't have that much money for it, then buy from people. The main criteria for buying a car from people are the mileage of the car, whether the car was in an accident and whether the vehicle was repaired. Then decide at your discretion. I prefer to use ready-made tours, since I do not have my own transport. Fortunately, transport is already included in these tours and I don't have to think about it. For example, a week ago I went to "Garbage Deleted" and we were taken to the place of the tour in special cars, more like a cart. It was an interesting and funny experience at the same time. I hope you buy a decent van. Good luck!

[Sam Menard]

Start outside of the unit. Check the roof. Look at the sealant around vents, antennas, and other openings. The sealant shouldn’t be cracked or easily pealed. Keep an eye out for silicone as it’s a giveaway for a home patch (silicone shouldn’t be used on RV’s). Check all seams for water-tightness. Check sealant around windows and doors. Examine the condition of the siding, look for dents, holes, repairs. Look underneath the unit, check axel and tire condition. When were the brakes and bearings serviced? If there a battery and propane line, check condition. Inside: check for smells, look for water stains on ceiling, swelling of wall panels, discolouration, firmness of the floor. Check inside cabinets and cupboards for water damage or signs of rodents. Inspect around sinks, tub, toilet. Check function of oven/stove, hot water tank. Are there alarms, do they work? Look for signs of repairs and alterations.

Good luck.

[Stu]

Check the heater/AC vent system. When we sold our travel trailer in 2015 we did it as a consignment through a dealer. He turned the AC on and there was all kinds of toilet paper, grass and other crappy things flying through the air. We didn't know it but mice had built a huge nest in the ducts. We saw it with our own eyes. He sent me pictures and we drove to the dealer to see it. He also found out that the roof had a leak in it, The manufacturer hadn't sealed it properly and the summer heat made it fail.
We really enjoyed our trips we had and would love to do it again if life permits. All of the suggestions that everyone else has pointed out are valid.
I would also add that you should not buy the cheapest one you can find. Look for reviews of the company and talk to reputable dealers about their brands. Even if you don't buy from a dealer.
One last thing! Make sure that you buy toilet paper meant for use in a RV. Household toilet paper doesn't break down quickly and will plug the system. Don't ask me how I know.

[wheelie]

Just for a little though, the centre island in the kitchen, when wing/wings are folded in does it block the fridge from being used. On a raod trip it is nice that the kitchen is usable without having to open up wings if you make stops on trips to eat or you want to use bathroom. Insurance is about $250 per year. Mine sits in a park all year on a drivethru site but we do take it out of the park some weekends. 33 1/2 foot Keystone Montana Mountaineer. CHEERS!

[pics]

The newer ones have furion appliances which look good but that company is owned by lippert which churns out a lot of junk.. make sure the fridge can run on propane rather than just 12 volt and 120.. that company also makes frames for the big manufacturers and they have real quality problems