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Old 04-04-2023, 05:51 PM   #1
jenfraz
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Which model is best for 50+ new solo fulltimer?

Which one do i go with to keep it light weight, short and fat? Considerations.. I'm going solo, aged 50+, female and 110lbs. Not as scrappy and ballsy as i used to be, but still a tough cookie. I want to Boondock a lot.

-- Needs to be comfortable with towing, set up, etc.--

**Short & Lite - 23' range. 25' feels too long and 20' seems a bit confining. Shorter would be easier for me to handle. After reading about towing capacity, I need a lightweight trailer for 1/2 ton. I'll be running around in truck after RV is set and really don't want a diesel.

**Fat - I really won't be comfortable living full-time in a narrow RV, I need at least one slideout for elbow room.

**Ability to Boondock
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-- DON'T Need/Want --

Bunkhouse, bunk beds, or full bathtub as a shower is fine. I'm not high maintenance!
No outdoor shower-stove needed.
Prefer reg. bed instead of Murphy. I'm too old!
The dinette areas I always see as the first thing to get yanked out. Wouldn't use it. Just a comfy couch.
Don't care about a wall/partition to the regular bed.

Not a ton of things, just short, fat, lightweight and no frills. The fun stuff will be outside the RV with the sun in my face!

Thanks in advance for any suggestions or experiences as a solo full timer!
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Old 04-04-2023, 06:14 PM   #2
wiredgeorge
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You are zeroing in on the right questions! I had a 23' Sunnybrook with one slideout. It was "almost perfect" for a single person as I stayed in it full time for a number of months while undergoing med treatments in Houston. I soon discovered that the lack of counter space was really annoying. It also had a sofa bed couch that had the TV hanging 90 degrees and you had to lay on the couch to watch TV. The couch was really uncomfortable. The only real storage for canned goods was in a small pantry that was in the back of the entertainment center and was about 4' deep and 10" wide and I had to get down on my knees to find anything using a flashlight.

For all these carpings it was a wonderful well built trailer and had a great walk in shower and with a mattress change, a comfy bed. It worked but it made me think of what it would be like to live there full time and I would likely look elsewhere. I towed it with a clunker F250 and could have towed with a 1/2 ton.
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Old 04-05-2023, 05:07 AM   #3
CedarCreekWoody
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If you are looking at full timing be especially diligent about insulation and cold weather protection, especially if you plan to stay north. Terms like "artic package " don't necessarily mean much. Others can advise you on good units to consider.

PS: Automatic leveling is handy if you plan to move frequently.
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Old 04-05-2023, 06:34 AM   #4
sourdough
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You want a trailer approx. 23' long, is that with tongue length included or not? If it includes the tongue you are looking at a pretty short trailer box....maybe 19'. That's not much to fulltime in for sure.

For fulltiming you are going to appreciate the higher level trim trailers which will usually include weather protection packages (such as they are), interior materials, suspension, finishes etc. In my experience Keystone offers the best interior layouts of any of the RV manufacturers. To me they seem like someone was actually thinking about how you are going to use the space vs placement of nearly everything that makes you shake your head. On the Keystone website (keystonerv.com) they list their trailers by comfort, premium and luxury with comfort being entry level and luxury being top of the line (more or less). Here is a link to the Cougar line of 1/2 ton travel trailers;

https://www.keystonerv.com/product/c...ers/floorplans

They have some pretty short trailers and looks like the only trailer in the luxury line that does. You can back up a page and look at the various lines of trailers.

Since you are going to tow with a 1/2 ton, travel and boondock you want the setup to be right. To that end what does the sticker inside the driver door say the payload of your truck is - should be yellow/white? Matching the trailer to the truck capabilities is paramount for a safe enjoyable RV experience.
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Old 04-05-2023, 10:35 AM   #5
dutchmensport
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There are a LOT of different campers available that will meet your criteria. What you need to do is go to any local RV dealership and talk to the salesman and have them show you what you get for what you are asking. Inform them right up front, you are looking and comparing makes and models and gathering information, not actually buying yet until you've explored different options .... and then HAVE TIME to process it all in your brain. The campers you see will speak for themselves, what looks good to you and what does not.

Every one on these forums can give you their thoughts. And every one will be different. But in the end, you need to step inside them and judge for yourself. So, go window shopping now. When you narrow your list folks on these forums will be able to give you their thoughts on the specific models that appeal to you. Then you can either eliminate or keep them on the list of your choices.

But you really need to go and see any of them in person. It doesn't matter where you start your search, a Forest River or an Outback. What's important is where you end up. You may start out thinking travel trailer and end up with a CLASS A diesel motor coach! When you see them in person, your conceived "vision" takes a new form.... it's called ... reality!

And don't forget to ask about hook ups, where are the holding tank dump valves, and is the camper functional when the slides are in? How do you winterize it, how do you change a tire? What has to be done to operate off-grid as well as full hook-ups? Don't overlook anything and don't let the saleman blow you off either. Get answers and don't leave until you have them. Get prices, ask about warranties, extended coverages, and all of that. Get price lists and even check into the cost of insurance, financing, and what is the current rates for different repairs. Understand the electric systems, the brakes, water system, batteries, and propane. Leave nothing uncovered. Keep a note book, take lots and lots and lots of photos. Compare, shop, draw conclusions, and then go to the next dealership and start all over. Eventually, you will eliminate and narrow down your own list.
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Old 04-06-2023, 06:55 AM   #6
notanlines
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To mirror what has been said, 23 feet is VERY short and small. Just four more feet would mean a world in comfort to you. Follow up with the ‘’max cargo capacity’ as asked and then go from there.
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Old 04-06-2023, 08:16 AM   #7
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Like already said. Look around check for a rv show that way u can see different brands n different set ups in one place. Don’t let a salesman talk u into anything. If u have a friend who is rv savvy take them along. Remember what a salesman says is 1/2 ton towable doesn’t mean anything. 1/2 tone tk can pull a lot. But is it safe Pulling is one thing stopping is another.
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Old 04-06-2023, 04:43 PM   #8
JRTJH
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For me, it's "all about floorplan and quality" when it comes to how livable a trailer is or can be...

I've been in 30' trailers where you had to go outside to change your mind and I've been in 24' trailers that seemed much more spacious and were much better laid out for living or "existing on a rainy day"...

I'd look not at length so much as I would look at floorplan and the ability to use the trailer for "my personalized lifestyle"... As an example, a trailer with two "very large windows in the living area" is great for someone who is claustrophobic, but terrible for someone who plans to be in "cooler temperatures for much of the year"... Same with holding tank capacity. Small tanks are great (or make no difference) for someone who travels from full hookup to full hookup. On the other hand, someone who plans to boondock much of the time, having larger tanks is not only a necessity, the smaller tanks may prevent you from even being able to travel to some of the places you want to travel and boondock.

Then there's the "tradeoff" of quality furnishings to consider. Ultralite and "half ton towable" trailers often have "low density foam cushions that are extremely thin (to save trailer weight) and become uncomfortable after sitting an hour or so. Mattresses are the same, and if you are "typical" then after a couple of nights on the lightweight RV OEM mattress, you'll be looking for a better mattress so you can "at least get some sleep in this thing"...

RV floorplans vary greatly from brand to brand and some are significantly better to "live in for an extended time" while others are "OK for short trips, but no way to survive for the long haul.... Just things as simple as having to turn sideways in your RV chair so you can watch TV can make it impossible to have a "enjoyable evening" when you have to compromise by accepting a sore neck from the contortions or seeing the end of the program.... In other words, things that are often overlooked, like where the main seating faces and where the TV is mounted can make a floorplan a bad choice for some people but of no consequence for someone who NEVER even turns the TV on....

So, I suppose, "One person's Perfect trailer is the same one that someone else would walk out of after opening the door to peek inside. "
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Old 04-06-2023, 07:35 PM   #9
sourdough
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I would add to John's observations; to in the trailer, walk thru it, pretend you are using the appliances....the stove.

I had my eye set on one particular Cougar 5th wheel based on my walk thrus and experiences with them. Had thought it was "the one". The new year model came out and we did a walk through - they had moved the island about 6" toward the stove/oven. That was a no go for us, you had to side step to open the oven, if the stove had a fire going and you turned around, bent over and did something at the sink you would light your bum up - my preferred model became something we wouldn't consider.
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Old 04-09-2023, 07:44 AM   #10
Domino3665
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Decisions, decisions…
1. There are things you WANT.
2. There are things you NEED.
3. And there are things you can have.

You have done a good job of prioritizing. In the end, you won’t get the perfect trailer. You will get the BEST available trailer in your area that will fit your budget. And you can expect your comfort priorities will evolve. So be ready to throw some more money into your trailer living later on. Good Luck. ��
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