[cathyfrn]

My husband and I are planning to return to camping after 30 years (we used to have a popup when our kids were little and we were young and on a tight budget).
Now we are retired and would like to drive across the country and hopefully through Canada. We are starting from scratch and are looking for a good used truck (w/ class 3 hitch) and then get a 20-27 foot travel trailer. If anyone has suggestions as to what makes and models they have found and are happy with or wish they had bought please let me know. We don't want to get something so big that we can't get it set up or handle it comfortably (we are both in our 60's and remember when we used to be a lot healthier!). Anyway, thanks in advance for any advice.
Cathy

 

[Crazy4Camping]

Just my two cents worth!

I would consider a small motorhome, towing a small vehicle or motorcycle behind it for daytrips or quick runs to the market while camping. The other possibility is a truck camper....hardly any setup for you.

If you definitely want to go with the truck/camper combo I would consider a fifth wheel for its ease in cornering but you do lose storage space in the bed due to the hitch.

After travelling all over you may want to make one of those campgrounds your permanent "summer home" thus a camper you can leave at a seasonal site might also be something to consider and I have seen everything from popups to truck campers to motorhomes left behind at seasonals; although to make it really "home" I would imagine travel trailers or fifth wheels would best fit that profile.

Highways magazine, sponsored by Good Sam Club, had some great articles recently about RVing fulltime or at least for a period of time and how to keep your mail following you, where you can work to get campsites for free or at a discount, info like that so you may want to look into that.

I wish I could help with the specifics but my husband and I still popup and my parents have a fifth wheel and Dodge Dually but they are both very old and larger than what you would probably feel comfortable with.

May I wish you lots of luck in pursuing this dream that I also share with you! I hope that we can afford to retire some day and can also travel all over.

Good Luck!

 

[artmart]

If you are looking for that size of a Travel Trailer you're gonna probably need a Class IV hitch. Don't squander on hitch hardware or you'll run into some trouble.

There are many possibilities. You might find that while it doesn't seem so a fifth wheel is easier to tow than a travel trailer mostly because the trailer overlaps and sits on the truck making it not only easier to tow, but a shorter overall length because of the overlap.

There are different sizes and lengths of trailers that you can find.

Motorhomes are easier to set up, but there ends the advantage. They are very expensive to buy and maintain compared to a trailer. The truck you use for towing can be serviced just about anywhere, but a MH needs an RV expert and this will raise the price just because. But it's about what you can afford too. MH/Toads are great for full-timers because of their convenience. Since you don't have the price and maintenance of a house, you can use this for RV warranties and insurance to take care of your rig.

Ask lots of questions and as things come up, there are plenty of answers and options to consider. Try and avoid a hasty decision with a lot of investigation. There's a good question you don't even know what to ask right now, so please be patient