Thinking of Buying a Travel trailer...any Thoughts, Good or Bad?

Yes, do it!! We have a travel trailer that we try to use about once a month. It is so much easier to camp with little ones. Also, with gas prices and all it is still cheaper then a hotel. There is a book called California Camping that is loaded with places, near and far, to visit. You won't regret it!

D.

We just bought a trailer a year ago and have already used it 5 times!! I absolutely recommend it. We have three small children and they also love it. It is a great way to spend quality time with the family, it is economical, and the kids get to get all of their energy out, outdoors. We have mostly done beach camping; Carpenteria, El Capitan, Doheny, & McGrath. On some of these trips we have seen Dolphins & seals, and we have been walking distance to the beach. We have had a blast! There are always kids that my kids have befriended, and it is an awesome way to get disconnected. Good luck and happy camping. i am not sure where you are located but there is a California camping website that you can access. www.parks.ca.gov

We have a 25' weekend warrior and love it! We go to the sand dunes with ours Sept-January. In the summer we go to Zion and California. We also love to go to the Oasis RV park down the street and just BBq and spend time at the pool. Yes, it does sit for quite a few months out of the year, but so does the boat. It is a lot cheaper than a week in a hotel and really convient since you can pack it to the max!! If you can afford it, I definately reccomend it.

We own one...and we have gotten more out it then we first thought we would. Our son is 5 and we have a daughter who is 4 months old both love it. Our son can't wait to get on the road. I've been told that he is a very well-behaved child. I believe that part of that is because we take the time to spend together as a family, and what better way than outside and away from it all. Our 4 month old, has only been once and she slept better than she ever has before in the past. We live in Nevada and we go every where....Two years ago we took a trip to Yellowstone for a week, we had a blast!! If you are worried about the power, water etc. There are camp grounds out there that are "Full hookups". It's as close to civilization as you can get but enjoying the great outdoors. Enjoy it, you won't regret it.

Hi! We have a motorhome,and we love going to the beach! Carpinteria is very family friendly! Also great places all up and down the coast! San Diego has great places and you can go to sea world and the zoo! We have small children and we love it and so do they! It is a great way to bond with your children! Fishing bike riding nature walks shell collecting! And just sitting by the camp fire cooking smores! Do it its great!!!

We started with a travel trailer and have upgraded to a little bigger one every few years, we now have a motorhome and we love it! But...it depends on what your family likes to do? We like to go to the lake in the summer and hiking & quad riding in the winter. It is great to have a trailer to rest, eat, let the kids play, have easy bathroom access, etc. We take our motorhome even if we are just going somewhere a little far so the kids have room to play, watch movies and we don't have to stop at a dirty public restroom! We have done weekend camping trip and 3 week long camping trips and they have all been fantastic! If you like the outdoors or even frequently go to places that are a long drive, I highly recommend a motorhome!

We bought one last year and my twins are 16! I wish I had done it when they were small. I think it's a great idea. We used to camp with tents and have great memories but the trailer makes it so much nicer and you don't have to worry about cold weather etc. Also, nice to have toilet, kitchen especially with small ones. We like the beach and go to San Clemente,Leo Carrillo (no hook-ups though.)Campland in San Diego has lots to do but you are parked close together. Friends of ours love Ventura and Pismo beach. We go for 3 day weekends and have really enjoyed it. If you won't use it much it might be better to just rent one. It's cheaper and you don't have to store it. If you buy be sure to bargain. We were told sales are way down due to gas prices so you should get a decent deal. Have fun making memories.

H.,

We have a "toy hauler" travel trailer and a Polaris Ranger (kind of like a 4 wheel drive golf cart looking thing) and a quad. We love to go out camping and it is great when we can do it. We have 2 boys - a 4 y.o. and a 1.5 y.o.

We bought ours used for about $17,000. New they go for $30,000 and up (for what we got). So not inexpensive by any standards. Some years we've used it a dozen times and the past 2 years (pregnant, shattered my knee cap and then had NO vacation time left, LOL) we've used it once.

I love it, love it, love it and I love camping in it. We have the best family time with it.

That said, we also pay $125 a month to store it (we don't have RV parking at our house). And we just spent $1000 fixing the generator and other misc things because it had been sitting for so long and that was right after we pitch out close to $1000 for new tires, etc... Plus it has to be registered each year, insured, etc...

So, in the grand scheme of things, I love it but it is a total money pit. For no more often than we really get to use it, I think it would be much more cost effective to just rent one (the rent isn't cheap but you then don't have to maintain it or store it or make payments on it when you aren't using it - so unless you are going to go a huge amount, renting is probably more cost effective). If you do buy one, buy used and not from a dealer. It is a lot like a car in that if you do buy a new one, the second you drive it off the lot, it loses half or more of its value.

My dad bought a regular travel trailer, a really nice one. He's used it a couple of times (I think it is a 2005 and I think he's used it a total of 3 times) and it is in perfect shape. I think he paid right around $30,000. Now he's trying to sell it and he's got it listed for $13,000 and has had NO calls. All I can say is buy used (just make sure it is in good shape - like my dad's is barely used and you can find those deals if you look) or you'll lose your butt on it.

All that said, if you are going to buy one, get one with a generator already in it. To add them after market is really expensive (like around $5000). If you are going to be anywhere that you can't plug into power, a generator is REALLY nice. We have a microwave, a tv/dvd player, an air conditioner, etc.. in ours (and you have to run the generator or be able to plug in to run them).

I think ours is about a 26 footer and that is a nice size. It holds our toys and is still small enough that it isn't a nightmare to pull or try to park. If you are going to do any campground parking (especially up in the mountains) if you get a really long one, you'll have a hell of a time finding a space you can get into.

And obviously you have to have some sort of a vehicle that can pull it.

Happy camping!
:-)T.

DO IT!!!! You'll be amazed how many places there are. You can go just for a weekend and it's enough to make you feel like you got away. We use ours at least 2X a month in the winter and then we usually go for a week in the begining of the summer and a week at the end of the summer. It's a lot cheaper than a hotel and it's handy.
Before you decide on exactly what you want. Decide and research where and what your going to use it for. Look at your current vehicle for towing make sure that it can handle "loaded weight" of the trailer. Look into anti sway bar for the trailer and possibly air bags for the truck.
My husband and I did a lot of research and wrote down our uses and really got the perfect 5th wheel for us and our family. We bought it 4yrs ago and no regrets. A lot of people just go buy what they think they want and end up getting the wrong one for their needs...do your research. You might even be able to rent one, it's worth a look. Their's lots of different brands with a lot of different features and set up. Look at them all, that way you get the best set up for your family
T. H

Hi H.,
My husband and I have a travel trailer and before that we had a motorhome. We absolutely love to go camping with our kids. We have 5 kids total but lately it's been just our 2 youngest who we take. They are almost 7 and almost 2.(The older kids are teens and they don't always want to tag along). We have camped as far away as Lake Havasu in AZ.(we go boating too). And we have camped closer to home like up the CA coast. All the beach campgrounds are so much fun for young families. My kids talk about it for weeks afterwards and can't wait to go back again. I think it's one of the most fun and affordable trips you can take with little kids. I hope this helped you with your descision.

T. F.

Hi H. C,

I have a 4-year-old son, and we have a pop-up trailer we bought when he was around 1. We just returned from a 3-day trip yesterday and have camped with the trailer on average 3 times per year. We've gone as far as about 300 miles away, but are lucky that many attractive camp sites are within 100 miles.
I say if you enjoy camping, don't hesitate. We also wanted to extend our fond memories of camping with our son. He is already a seasoned camper and absoultely loves it.
I also recommend a pop-up because you usually don't have to pay to store them, and they are much less intrusive sitting on your driveway. The best feature is that when you have all the canvas unzipped you can really enjoy nature while inside the trailer. We looked at some stationary trailers, but felt like we were hanging out in a box.
Happy camping.
S., Zack's mommy

We have 3 kids and we've had it all - tent, tent trailer, travel trailer, motorhome, and now a travel trailer. If your trip requires a lot of travel and you'll be staying put when you get there, then a motorhome is great. You have the flexibility of using it while in travel - nursing, changing diapers, going potty, getting snacks, etc; but once you set up camp, it's a pain to go anywhere, unless you tow a vehicle with you. If you're not going far and you like to take day trips, then get a trailer. You can setup camp and have a vehicle to go do things. Plus a trailer is cheaper on the upkeep and insurance. Our first travel trailer was too heavy for our Blazer and we never went far in it. My husband did a lot of research because he wanted a lightweight trailer that would be easy to tow behind my Expedition and we bought a Keystone Outback. It has a lot of really nice features and is lightweight, we love it. The convenience of being able to bath the little ones, not using a public toilet or the bushes, and having the ability to cook without fire is so nice. We have so much fun and the kids just love it. I usually will not bring a TV and have a no TV rule while camping. But when we camp in the winter months when it's colder outside, I will bring it and we'll all snuggle up and watch a family movie together at night. I love that time together. We don't use it as much as we'd like because our kids are older and busier. But, at your kids ages, we used it 6-10x a year.

Yes yes yes. My little family of 3 had a toy hauler up until a year ago, when we switched to a motorhome. We switched to the motorhome because it's easier to travel longer distances with our 3-year old. Although she still needs to be in her carseat, it is easier to get up and move around if absolutely necessary. There are so many places you can take a travel trailer that are fairly inexpensive. A good reference site for traveling is www.koa.com Also, if you haven't found the exact trailer you're looking for, there's an auction site that has some GREAT deals www.crankyape.com click on the "RV's" link. This is where my husband found our motorhome and it was a steal! Good luck and happy traveling!

We bought a hi low travel trailer prior to our second child being born 9 months ago and have been camping in it 3 times since and have another vacation planned later this summer. It is a blast! My husband and I have always loved to camp, it gets harder with kids but the trailer makes it so much easier to cook, bathe and contain the kids at night. My second son's first camping trip was at 2 months and my older son just turned 3. I don't think you can go wrong raising kids who love and respect the outdoors.

Hey H., I see nothing wrong with you all traveling as a family, these are the years to do tha before they are in school, I'm sure you will see to it that you pack for everything they will need, I say go for it. J.

Hi H.,

We bought our 21ft travel trailer a couple of years ago. We definitely use it. However, we used it more the first year. Our family looks foward to camping at the beach every year. My kids are always so excited. They are now 9 and 6 1/2 and the just love it! It makes cooking and sleeping easier while camping and it gives you a place to get out of the sun or cold for awhile. Good luck with your decision!

Hi H., A travel trailer is a great way to spend quality time with your family! And it makes camping with kids much easier. I suggest getting one with at least 1 pop out. We used ours a lot, but now with fuel so high we don't take it as much. It does serve as a nice guest room when we have company.
Dana
southernlivingathome.com/danacarey

Hi H.,
It really does depend on how much traveling you do now? If you are able to make the time to travel a pop-up, tent trailer is the best way to start. It's not such an expensive first time investment to start. My son was 6mo old when we went on our first camping trip. We go camping to Lake Nacimiento,CA every summer. Unfortunately, with gas prices our camping trips have dropped a bit. I'd say if you can justify taking a trip at least 3-4 times a year then it's probably a good investment, start creating great memories, great bonding with the kids as everyone helps out with cooking , cleaning up, sleeping together, late night games, etc.

Best wishes,
C.~

http://www.ToxicFreeFamily.net
http://www.HelpUStayHome.com

We also own a motorhome and go camping once a month. We've been camping with my son since he was 6 weeks old. With the twins, we waited a little longer as it's a little bit more diffucult with three kids (two of which are infants!). My son LOVES our motorhome and is constantly asking to go in it and go camping. I think you'll make TONS of great memories. The other people have really given you some good advice. I just wanted to mention two things: 1.) Gas prices. We average 8 mpg with the motorhome. So just be prepared. We use to fill it up for about $90, not it's more like $200. We do have a 75 gallon gas tank but at 8mpg you need a bigger tank. 2.) RV parking restrictions in your city. A lot of cities are cracking down on RV owners. My city (Buena Park) just passed an ordinance. I have to now call the police department and get a 48 hour permit to park it on the street. Since we can not fit it in our driveway, every time we take it out of storage, we have to do this now. Oh yeah, another thing, if you don't have RV parking at your house, you'll have to pay for storage (from $100 up). So maybe if you have room but can only fit a 25' trailer or motorhome there you might want to go for something smaller. That's what our friends did. Well, good luck! Having a trailer/motorhome is a great family activity to do together and still cheaper than flying anywhere and paying for hotel rooms (even with gas being so expensive). And I bet you find lots of great deals right now!! Have fun!!!

Well H.;

I grew up trailer camping and loved it! It is incredibly much easier than tent camping. In a trailer you store you pots, pans, silverware etc. and when getting ready to go away, you only pack clothes, food and go. Well, we always hooked up the electical to the house the day before to cool down the refrig before putting the cold food in it. But very simple.

I won't lie to you that traveling with little ones, no matter what, is more work than when they are older. I have 3 and still remember the first day when I didn't have to take a diaper bag with me for anything!

The really only down side I see to camping, now a days, is the reservation system. For the better places especially along the beach you need to call 6 months in advance for a reservation and then only take what is available. There are some places that are first come first serve or that you can direct. Also there are private campgrounds, which are really nice but more expensive. Regular site runs around $20-$25 per night, private can be $50+.

My husband is not a camper no mechanical. I started taking the kids out, joining my parents when they were; 5, 2 & 1. I started tent camping until my dad gave me his old trailer. I set up the trailer and actually pull it too with my expedition. Presently, I still use my parents 30 footer which is way over due for retirement at 35+ years old. Actually we won't use it any more because I feel it is unsafe because of propane line leaks. I am looking at picking up another one used this spring or summer. Now is the time because with the recession and gas prices people or getting rid of them.

My kids, 15, 12 & 10, love El Capitain beach above Goleta. I prefer Refugio Beach but it is almost impossible to get a site there. There is Emma Woods above Ventura, right on the beach, trailers on black top, but the train tracks are right there and go through every couple of hours. Now my kids love that but it isn't for everyone. The sites are small too so I usually rent 2 so we can spread out. There is also a beautiful private campground across the freeway with grass and a swimming pool. The one down side to camping with little ones is the dirt. My dad use to bring a roll of artifical turf and place it infront of the trailer door for my smaller siblings to crawl and play on. Or a tarp to play under the playpen to help corral the little ones when you are setting up camp.

Oh my dad and I just went to Lake Piru to check it out. They are under new management and making all kinds of improvements. They have over 200 sites and about 20 with water & elec. hook up and another 30 with elec. hook up only. Sites are somewhat small and top of each other, but there were some great corner spots. You can call them direct for a reservation and you can swim in the lake, besides boating fishing etc. With kids it is really important to camp some place where they can get in water to cool down if it is hot. Otherwise every one will be miserable.

If you are interested in some more places or tips just let me know! We have camped in most of the ventura & santa barbara county campgrounds. I get nervous pulling the trailer further than that, by myself!

Good Luck,

S. Chase

PS - we store ours at Westlake RV & storage for approx. $100.00 a month. Where we live I can't park it on the street in front of my house for storage and don't have the space on our property either. Just a cost you need to consider.

Go for it. That's how old our kids were when we bought ours. My suggestions on what to get... Get a sofa that folds out for the kids, easier than messing with the table folding down. Get an outside shower (great for beach camping and rinsing things off). Buy a generator orbatter electrical converter-the battery goes fast with little ones. A microwave won't run off the battery-needs electricity. Don't fight with your hubby when backing it in-not a good way to start a trip-just be patient.
happy Camping. Be sure to go to Yosemite and sequoia when they are a little older.

Dont know where you live to tell you where to go, however there are spots everywhere, check The Auto Club. My daughters first trip in our 5th wheel was when she was 4 weeks old. We have a 7 yr old too and they love, love, love it. Its a good time to get away with your family and we have wonderful memories to show for it.

H.,
That is an excellent idea!! There is a campground that I am a member of that is very clean and well kept. There are activities for the kids on the weekends, miniature golf, playroom, kids pool and jacuzzi. What area are you in?

We love our trailer. We have used our trailer with our two boys and have used it a few times with our baby girl, also. Unfortunately we have to sell ours. So if you're in the market we have a 26' Weekend Warrior for sale. It has been very good to us and we have taken very good care of it. If you are interested, please check it out at www.rvtraderonline.com and look at ad listing #92318645. It is a great deal especially compared to the others like ours that are listed. But I do highly recommend a travel trailer. We have enjoyed our family time using it. The boys love camping. Good luck in your decision making.

M.

It could be the best investment you make! We started out tent camping when my son was first born. By the time he was a year old we upgraded to a motorhome. That was the best thing we've ever done. Instead of confining our camping to summer, we now go camping year round. We try our best to go away at least one weekend a month. And, in summer we now make plans to take a 3 week trip (yes, we're lucky my husband can get the time off!). Last year was our first long trip and we visited the whole northern coast of California - WOW!!! This year we're doing the whole state of Oregon. We've also done other longer trips which included the Grand Canyon, ghost towns/gold rush mines, and Mammoth. What great educational opportunities! Plus, you can't beat the family memories. We swim, hike, cycle, fish, dirt bike, explore, etc. Just look at the great memories your husband has when he was a child. I don't think there is better emotional strength you can give to your kids than creating lasting memories. By the way, my kids are now almost 7 and almost 3 and we've had a motorhome for almost 6 years now.

Now, the difference between a trailer and a motorhome is up to you. There are benefits and negatives to both. I highly recommend getting something less than 30'. California campgrounds have a lot of length restrictions, so the shorter the better. But, be careful not to compromise your comfort. Our motorhome is actually 32' (with 2 slide outs), but we can fit into a 30' space. Regardless, we have limitations. Our best friend's (with a 9 year old son) thought they would never give up tent camping (which they only did in summer). They finally upgraded to a pop-up trailer about 5 years ago and they swear by it. They now camp year round as well. And, because it's short, they have very few campground limitations. Other things that are important to me is fresh water, grey water, and black water capacity. I also personally need to have a gas oven because we rarely use the generator for other appliances (although most of our cooking is done outside). You also need to consider gas prices. We're complaining, but not giving up on creating strong family memories. Finally, I love a book called "California Camping" by Tom Stienstra and published by Foghorn Outdoors. Although it's not specific to families, it has been the best resource I have used in researching campgrounds in California. We've used it throughout the state and it's very user friendly. Also, most reservations for state and national campgrounds/parks are done on Reserve America (www.reserveamerica.com). Some locations are very popular so it's important to learn the system and book sites 6 months in advance. But, we planned our NoCal trip last summer with absolutely no reservations giving us freedom to stay as long or as short as we wanted.

There are lots of options! How much you use a trailer is up to you. You have to make it a priority and not let it sit!!! Feel free to email me if you'd like more information/opinions. I'm happy to share.

Happy camping!!!

Oh my gosh do it!!

Those things are SO much fun...and give many memories to come.

Wendy

We have had a travel trailer 25 foot for 4 years. We loved it when it was just the two of use and now that we have a child it is even more fun. It is so much fun to see new places and experience new things. We just went camping this weekend for the 1st time with our 5 month old. It was a blast. I have to say camping is probably the cheapest for of vacation you can find. The most expensive thing right now is the fuel. But there are many places to stay close to Reno. You can travel just 2 hours into California north and go to Lassen National Park. Or there are many palaces in Tahoe.

Our family has a 27' trailer & we also have 2 kids - 2 years & 2 mos. old. We get a lot of use out of it - right before the end of my pregnancy we were using it about once a month. There are plenty of nice campgrounds in So Cal that are close - try rvparkreviews.com for places to go & reviews. I'm glad that we didn't go bigger than the 27', because the larger you go, the less options you have for campgrounds. This weekend we are going on the baby's first trip. I have the trailer packed up with necessities at all times, so I love the fact that it's pretty much ready to go.

We had a 27' travel trailer for about five years or so. The "master bedroom" was at the front, with a queen size bed. The middle had a fold-out loveseat, the kitchen and a table with bench seats that folded out into a bed. The back had a closet, bunk beds and the bathroom. The sides were made of fiberglass re-inforced plywood, instead of metal (aluminum?) that dents. We made sure the roof (at the back) was able to hold the weight of a couple of adults, so we could sit up there. We mostly camped at race tracks because my husband used to have a racecar. We did take a nice trip to Yosemite once and another trip to the Monterey area. We stopped getting a lot of use out of it when our kids were both in elementary school and we didn't want them to miss too many days. Also, my husband started working on a lot of weekends. It was nice because we could bring our Golden Retriever with us, instead of having to board him.