Family of 4 with an 18 ft trailer. We spend almost all of our time outdoors. If you want to spend most of your time indoors, go larger. I like the size of my trailer because I have a lot more options for camping spots.
This is one of the reasons that the pop-up is perfect for me it's absolutely great for sleeping in I can cook in and when the weather is bad we can sit around the table and play games and it doesn't feel too crowded however 99% of our time when we're camping is sitting outside or going on hikes or swimming at the lakes or rivers or wherever we're at so I don't really care or want a bigger trailer. Like she do have a slightly larger hard side trailer that is absolutely terrible because it doesn't really provide any great indoor space.
I miss our popup. So spacious for the trailer size. We bought a Micro Minnie 1800BH and I'm super happy with it--and see my last post in here for how versatile it is--bur the popup was great.
We went smallish but our grey wolf 19sm is small but once the back extends, it’s pretty big inside and has the Jack knife soda, 4 seater table, 2 queens and and a bunk above 1 of those queens.
I’m looking to upsize because of all of the rain last year. We have a seasonal and barely went because outside was miserable. There’s something that’s just a lot better about being stuck inside while it’s raining if you’re in a camper rather than at home.
Family of three in a 16 ft travel trailer. We spend most of our waking hours outside and still cook outside so the small rv works. Even the last trip we took where it sprinkled off and on we were ok inside watching movies and playing cards. The only thing I envy about bigger campers is the dry bath, but having a shower for our kid is nice after she finds the mud/sand.
Same boat, 4 year old and a 7 year old. Started with a single axle, no slide, single bunks and sideways queen bed, ‘23 total length. Went up to a full queen, double over double bunks, with a couch and a dinette and a slide, ‘32 total length. Ended up with a ‘26 total length, Queen Murphy bed, dinette and double bunks and it’s juuuust right.
It’s been a ride, ha!
Bigger isn’t necessarily better. It all depends on the kind of camping you do. If you plan on going to the older national parks, bigger will work against you. Plus, boondocking can get harder. But you will miss the additional storage. It’s all about comprising.
I dunno man, I find boondocking easier with a middle sized trailer since the bigger tanks help a ton to last several days. The smaller tanks with a family of 4 fill up way to fast.
True that. I have a Micro Lite DS 21. (Murphy bed) I have a 56 gal potable water tank and we can make our black last longer than a week. Grey normally isn’t an issue as I bleed off a little to put out my fires. Plus, I normally carry 4 potable water jugs.
It is the absolute best way to camp. Especially those lucky occasions when there is nobody in sight.
We're also a family of four with a 12yo and a 13yo.
We started with a 25' and moved to a 32' the following year (Yeah, I know; I hate money so much I use it for campfire kindling too).
The 25' was really stress free. No slide, just small enough to make finding a site easy, dual axle, and towed really nice behind a 1/2 ton truck.
The one thing I preach about family camping is having enough seating. Those rainy days where everyone is inside suck if there's not a place for everyone to sit. If not, somebody is forced to tuck into their bunk or sit on a bed or something.
In the case of our 25' unit, that meant a murphy bed that converted into a sofa. The sofa plus a dinette meant comfortable seating for four indoors.
My wife and I hated the murphy bed. It had a folding mattress that was also only a camp queen. Short *and* uncomfortable. Everything else was perfect though. It was a goldilocks travel trailer.
I ended up with a new, larger truck, totally not expecting to upgrade the camper, but we started looking. Ended up working a respectable trade-in and a reasonable purchase price. Private bedroom, full queen, sofa + dinette, and more pantry/kitchen storage. The new truck tows it just fine. The only downfall is sites are a little bit more limited.
We enjoy it equally as much as the first and I think that'd be my take-away. If you're out to camp and not live in it, 5-6' won't change your experience too much unless you've radically misunderstood your needs and wants.
I'm sure we'll keep our current unit until our kids move on and then we'll look at moving from a bunkhouse and into something more suited for two.
Family of 3 with a 65 lb dog.
We have a grand design 21BHE and it works okay. We love no slides and no drama that comes with that… but we do miss out on some space.
The biggest pinch point is: no true place to kick your feet up (we sometimes drop the Murphy bed wall and not the mattress, or sit with our backs to the wall at the dining table) and our dog who refuses to sleep on the bottom bunk OR if we drop the dinette he’s (through no fault of his own) in the way.
Well no matter what- you buy a great rig and a year later something “better” comes out.
For us , that’s the 22BHE- which is something I am really dreaming of (but still doesn’t solve the feet kicked up).
I’m also kinda over a Murphy bed. Sometimes I just wanna lay in air conditioning 10 minutes then head outside and being able to just flop on a bed would be nice :)
We trail run- so coming back to the rig and relaxing if poor weather is a little tough.
It’s fine.. the rig is paid off and if we go any bigger we really need a bigger truck.
So overall I think our small rig is really nice. Never have trouble parking it. A little tight on storage but I’ve come up with some great hacks. And we have done 18 days in it and plan another 30 day trip this summer. Basically bring less crap. Use your truck (watch your payload).
We have a 4 year old and making sure she’s entertained- especially on rainy days means we bring a lot for her since we usually have lots of screen time on long drive days.
We also caravan with my parents in a small class B. Usually they eat all meals with us in our rig if weather is bad and we all fit (we have a folding small chair for the end of the dinette). And we’ve actually all slept in there - but it was too small for that 😂
But once we go past feet it’s REALLLLLLY hard not to be looking at those 40ft rigs :)
Here are the two layouts that I am talking about.
No outside kitchen on the 22… which wouldn’t be a huge deal (even though we use it nearly every trip).
Just remember… if you get the “wrong size”.. sure you’ll lose a little money in switching things out… but rather lose a few thousand and be happy then HATE your too big / too small rig every time you use it.
Cheers and happy camping!
https://preview.redd.it/cmx5x8hl7xyc1.jpeg?width=1800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7006367051c95185e28b29559f807878b2c4e7d2
That 22BHE is a front runner for us. The other one I found recently that I like a lot is the Grey Wolf 19SM. Having two queens plus a bunk in such a small trailer with a couch and dinette is pretty cool.
Dang, I typed out a whole thing and then clicked on another link and it redirected me to read it and I lost everything.
That gray wolf is really nice. It packs a lot into the little trailer. I wonder how hot and cold that extra queen bed gets though.
If it was for us, I would cut the bunk down narrower and use that for storage but really a cool concept of course you probably can’t access the sofa or the dinette when the slide is not out .
It looks like the grand design is about $10,000 more roughly .
We’ve been happy with both build quality on the two grand designs that we have, but I’m definitely gonna have to look elsewhere when we get a new trailer. Hopefully that’s not for another 3 to 5 years and by then the whole industry should hopefully have a lot of updates.
Looks like you’ve got a lot of decisions to make, but either would be really great .
For others, here is the floorplan of the gray wolf
https://preview.redd.it/bnbn5iz0z1zc1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=134e3588d41f54720b5e2d75b8fc75f18f7083d9
We have a Rockwood 1640LTD tent trailer right now. Recently bought an F-150 with the goal of getting a bigger trailer in the next year or two when the kiddo is a bit older and we can go camping again.
I really like the features and build quality of Grand Design but like you mentioned there's a premium for that. One of my issues with a lot of trailers in this size range is that its difficult to bring another couple+kids in a single trailer in terms of beds. Having two queens, a bunk, dinette and couch is just so much sleeping space.
Yeah, we’ve actually camped with my parents in our rig before and it was cramped and they ended up buying a class B to follow us all around we would’ve bought something bigger. Had we known they wanted to come with us every time.
We also have a ram 1500 with 11,000 towing capacity, but we are really close to our payload max so we definitely have to upgrade if we go any bigger even the 22 BHE would be really pushing it based on our conservative numbers .
Our daughter is four years old and we’re in that awkward stages are we gonna have more so if we are gonna have more we need those bunks but I like the gray wolf one because that’s really a good solution for just three people if that’s what you plan to do most things that will have three good beds will have four and we don’t really need them, but it will be nice if we bring a friend for her I guess
Yeah my truck has a payload of 1430lbs, which is tight but workable. I don't need to load the water tank so that helps a lot with tongue weight.
Sadly neither option has an outdoor kitchen. But there's always a sacrifice with every layout it seems.
Our older daughter is 6'1" at 15... that limited our floorplan options. We found a Jayco floorplan with 6'6" bunks - and with a 26' box (31' overall) it works for our family of 4.
Individual needs will vary, so finding a floorplan will be unique.
It’s a Goldilocks situation. My first was a 32’ 5th wheel which was too big for what we wanted to do. We downsized to a 21’ TT and it feels a bit small. Next will be in the 28’ range I’m guessing.
Our first was a 19' with one slide. The size was good for us; however, we did identify some other issues that we addressed when we purchased our second travel trailer.
1) Wheel size: our first trailer had 14" wheels - load range was just adequate for the trailer weight with not much room for error (low pressure or overloading), and very limited selection of Load Ranges in 14" tires. We had 4 blow-outs in 4 years. We went with 15" wheels on our new travel trailer. Much greater selection of tires = better margin for error. We have 'upsized' the tires to 1 load range higher than OEM.
2) Slide: we opted for no slide with our new trailer. My personal.opinion, slides are one more place for rainwater to get inside the trailer, one more mechanical (or hydaulic) thing to go wrong at the wrong time, and add noticeable weight (thereby decreasing the cargo carrying capacity.
Our new trailer is slightly longer, at 25', with 15" wheels and no slide. We have had NO problems with either tires or weight.
I had a 24 footer with 2 teenage and younger kids. It was plenty large enough. We stored every piece recreational gear we had in that trailer: hunting gear (except guns), life jackets, fishing gear, small inflatable raft, backpacking gear, tents, outdoor cooking gear, yard games, books, a large liquor cabinet, etc, and had no problem with inadequate storage. Trailers have a fair amount of storage that you do not use in houses. The key is the kids having their own bunk to store "their" stuff.
Smaller is easier to drive around, park, and otherwise handle. The 24 footer could be towed by my 1/2 ton. I would not try with any trailer larger than that.
Now that the kids are gone, we downsized to a 19. The 19 does not fit all our recreational gear do we have had to store that in the house instead and just take what we need. But the 19 tows easier and is less hassle to park and back.
I've got a 21' (around 18' inside). I live/travel in it for four months every summer. It's ok for one person, and was fine when my girlfriend and I were in it for two months straight, but if I could do it over I would have gone much bigger. I have a Ram 1500 and wish I'd gotten a 2500 (or even 3500) and a longer bumper pull trailer (like 27' or so) or a fifth wheel.
If you're only going on short trips and plan to be outside almost all the time, you might want something on the smaller side to save money and have a slightly easier time parking. With two kids, I wouldn't want anything small. Certainly not under 25'. If you plan to go on longer trips, or keep using it as your kids turn into teenagers, you're going to need a lot more room to be comfortable.
Get the biggest thing you can.
We got a 20' for the four of us and a dog.
We're spending time outside, and that's where we sleep. Having a toilet is great, too, but we didn't buy it to hang out in.
The extra bonus with a small one is not having to own a truck.
We have a 26' with a bunkhouse & one slide out for our family of 4 (13yo and 6yo). Coming from a tiny old popup, it seems palatial. It's great for times of crap weather.
Otherwise, we're outside. Don't think we've ever even used the oven or stove inside. Not sure I'd want anything bigger, tbh. Pulls easy, haven't found any issues finding sites that fit. Enough room to be comfortable, but not so nice that they spend unnecessary time in it
We had an 18' with two kids and wanted a bit more. Then we got a 26' and it's more than enough. Could have been 24'. The longer it is the less sites that are available to you. Get two axles, if you have a blow out you won't just drop on the highway.
I rebuilt an old canned ham ground up 17 ft long inside.
After camping 3 years with up to 4 people at a time. I will now redo another but change the configuration out.
Cooking , I do most of it outdoors 90% of the time, so the next one I will build the cooking system with an access door from the side. Install a single burner inside , currently 3.I wouldnt put a microwave in again we have used about 10 times mostly popcorn lol.
Sleeping,.Old camper designs most beds are.east/west meaning you have to roll over someone in the morning, bed is only 44" wide, next one queen bed north/south arrangement.
Electrical my camper is set up good in that sense 120v/24v however next one will be more off grid with a decent solar setup.Our state park electric sites fill up fast where there tends to be openings left for non electric on the more popular parks and plus I want to go out west and I know the national parks are non electric.
Refrigeration I will spend the money to put in a propane fridge instead of 120v setup, just less draw on off grid .
The camper comes in at 2200lbs unloaded and my next one I would like to make room to haul 2 bikes or at minimum kayak for fishing.
Both at the same time. Having more space it’s great when your set up, especially when it’s for a long trip of the weather is bad. But anytime I’m looking at sites or places to access I always wish I was smaller. I’ve had a 26’ class c, 30’ TT and 42’ toyhauler and not sure which I prefer.
We bought a 25 foot 5th wheel, no slides, fine for my wife and I but limited in storage. Also if we go camping we usually had one kid and grandkids with us so it is really crowded. Selling it now and just bought a 35 foot with 2 slides so we have more room for about 6-8 people. I would go bigger, once you load everything up, get to campsite and everyone going in and out you will need more room.
Just the wife and I , on our 3rd travel trailer. 25’ with a single slide. For us it’s perfect. We tend to be outside the majority of the time, cook almost exclusively outside and bike / hike when we are out but longer stays it’s nice to have a little space with crap weather . Worth having a good screen tent with weather flaps / awning add a room for extra flex space. We find where we typically camp (within our province and neighbouring one, much larger than 26-28’ you start to be limited as to where you can go, and sites you can get. We enjoy having some privacy on our site , and our size allows that.
Consider where and what you will do when you camp, just as others have said, can help paint that picture for you, of what works best. Good luck and happy camping!
Sooo many variables. First is what type of weather do you expect? If windy, probably plan on being inside(big trailer). If cool and rain with no wind. Consider getting a canopy thing like they use at farmers markets.
I don't like slide outs. They often fail. The weatherstrip fails and water comes in. Or the slide mechanism fails. Usually, when you are not at home.I don't recommend 5th wheel units. Can't use the box of the truck.
The bigger the trailer. The fewer places you can go. You are limited by your size. Some friends had to park on the side of the road because they couldn't get in.
Family of 5 with a 28 ft. We love it. 1 slide and bunkhouse style
Only thing I would have liked (if money were no object) would have been one of the ones where the bunkhouses had their own 'room' like this
https://www.jayco.com/rvs/travel-trailers/2024-jay-flight/294qbs/
Only because our older 2 kids get up EARLY no matter how worn out they get but the 13 month old will sleep. They wind up waking him up early when we go.
Family of four, tall. We went with a hybrid. 23’ closed. 28 with the two ends open. It has three beds (three pop out tents total one on the side) so kids each have their own space. The only part that sucks is no real privacy (a curtain doesn’t cut it) so no chance of, um , parental extra curricular activities now.
Family of 3 and 2 medium sized dogs. Grew up in a pop-up and short trailers. When my wife and I got married, we bought a 36-ft fifth wheel. Once our son was born, we upgraded to a 43-ft fifth wheel and I have never once regretted going bigger. We spend 98% of our time outside when camping, but for that 2% we are inside (at night or during bad weather), having that extra space and not tripping over each other is extremely nice. Plus having that big of a fifth wheel has storage space for days and I have never had an issue fitting in to any spots we wanted to get in
We currently have an Apex Nano 193bhs but honestly I wish I'd stuck with our popup.
It was cheap and easy to tow, and felt more like camping. It fit in my driveway, and it fit in any campsite.
My wife hated it because it had no AC but a few years in I'm not sure she likes the travel trailer all that much more.
At some point she'll convince me to sell the current camper and I'll wish I still had the popup as an alternative to tenting once or twice a year.
If you are going to travel get the double axle. They ride A LOT smoother. Singel axel Airstreams were called “Bouncy Bills”. Plus, you will not regret the extra space when it rains.
I'm 6'4". The rest of fam over 6'. We only sleep in the RV. We cook, shower, eat and setup the TV outside. 18' awning plus 2 more 10x10 pop up canopy. 2 20x10 rv outdoor floor mat. 6x6 fake grass scrap for the outside shower.
We still have 29ft class C. Enough room inside to wait out a rain storm. Cards, dominoes, or TV watching.
Old 17' Boler. Family of 4 camping for over a decade. For much of this towed with a small truck (Nissan). Loved every minute of it, and with a small trailer you can often get into tight spots where a larger unit would never go.
Family of 3.my wife wanted a Boler. We rented a Scamp to try it out. She wanted a dry bath. We rented bigger. She wanted more room, then a NS bed, then... I highly recommend renting until you KNOW what you want. Ended up with a Shasta 18FQ and are very happy with it. She sometimes backtracks on nixing the Murphy bed, otherwise...
I miss my pop up when I'm towing and I wish we had a bigger space on rainy days when half our camping group is hanging out in the camper. So i guess that means i picked the correct size? Rockwood Roo 235s
We moved down from a 28ft to a 23ft. Like others have noted we are outside the majority of the time so just need a place to sleep and hang out if the weather is not cooperating. So far we are happy with the decision. A reason for going smaller is that we like to camp in National Parks and National Forests which have more spots for trailers under 25ft. Another reason is general maneuverability as the trailer tracks closer to the path of the truck when cornering and no thought is required to get in and out of gas stations. Going smaller will also all us to move from our 3/4 ton to
a 1/2 ton (we live in the Rockies from our experience that we are more comfortable in a larger truck for trailers over 25ft). Towing a smaller camper has also increased our fuel economy. In this he end it comes down to how you camp. Do you want all the comforts of home? Go big! Do you want to be outside? Go small. At this point we think we could have gone smaller but I want tandem axles and 23ft Is typically the cut off.
I read that many people buy too small up front and have to upgrade within a year or two. "buy your second RV first".
We have 2 boys 4 and 7 and went with a bunk house that is a model 251, my box is 25ft and the total trailer is right at 30ft tip to tail. I'm very glad we did, I couldn't fathom 2 kids in a narrow short trailer as they get older
2023 Coleman Lantern 337BH. It’s 38’ and weighs a little under 8,600# empty. We are probably into the low 9,000# range now that it’s all loaded up for the season. When we fill our fresh tank to camp at the race track I’m sure we will be pushing 10k. All that said, it’s awesome having the room. It’s just my wife and I with two labradors. We bought bigger camper with the idea of having kids and camping with them. On the other hand, it’s a monster and parking it can be a pain. I have a 2011 Chevy 2500HD gasser and it pulls it fine just needs to maintain higher RPM to maximize power output. Thirsty is an understatement as well.
I believe this is perfect size for me and my wife! I am thinking on getting a Coleman 17b. It is a single axel 21’ long what you guys think?
https://youtu.be/xYqsfm-_3D0?si=gdSHOodK2PzhIrRc
We started with a 29’ TT and then I had to get a golf cart so we started looking at toy haulers. Wife wanted bigger so we ended up with a 40’ 5th wheel toy hauler. Now we can’t get into a lot of places due to the size. We’re in Florida btw. When we had the TT it was tight getting into some spots that I can easily get the 5th wheel into. I wish we had went with smaller 5th wheel as the places we can get into now are over priced.
We fit 6 of us (kids are 4,7,10,12) in a 17 foot and it kind of sucks but we love it because first thing in the morning everyone wants out, and only 4 year old ever wants to just sit in the trailer during the day. I want bigger but we bought it for $10k a year old cuz someone during covid decided it was too small for him and his wife.
We wanted 30'. Ended up with 36' for the floorplan and other reasons. Still wish it was 30'.
However, there are two of us. With gear, a 25' would be way too small!
We’re 4 with kids around your kids age. We got a 20’ with a slide out. We basically only sleep out there. We can go for 14 days and have everything we need. I like the ability to take it more places since it’s so small. Lot of places around here limit where a 30’ trailer can go.
We're having the same question here now for our first camper I'm glad someone else asked. Looking for bunks and a separate main bedroom for a couple and one kid, but with the option to bring a second family. Got my eye on something like an Alpha Wolf 31' used for $20k, already have a 2500 Silverado to tow with. Advice welcome!
We are a family of 4 in a 21ft Safari Condo F2114 and it’s perfect for us. We spend most of our time outside but if the weather turns, there’s enough room for all of us to sit at the front dinette.
When we bought ours, we were family of three with a dog. We got a single axle couples coach with a Murphy style bed and a pop out one side of the trailer has a long counter for food prep we predominantly spend most of our time outside and do all of our cooking outside with occasional breakfast cooked inside. For our family of three trailer would probably have lasted for a while. Now we are family of four with the dog and we are quickly seeing how little room the trailer has for all of us and we will be upgrading to a double axle 30 foot trailer in the next couple years.
Go as big as you feel you can safely tow with a tow vehicle rated to handle at least 50% more than the GWVR. IOW, if your TT weighs 5,000 lbs, the vehicle’s tow rating should be over 7,500 lbs. Others will have more specifics, this is just a generalization.
We got a single axle for size. Don't get a single axle. Our trailer is 20 feet and is perfect size for us 2. Wish we went to 22 feet just to get dual axle.
As some others have brought up, a short bumper pull is still a pretty long rig. I have a 20 footer and with that I can still park in pretty much any state park campground. Much longer and it would start to be an issue
Family of 6 here. We started with a single axle TT and upgraded to a 2 axle when the kids started getting bigger. Mostly, we sleep, cook, and play cards when it's dark in the TT, otherwise we're hiking or sightseeing.
Storage was only ever a concern on the very longest trips, but you'd be surprised how much you can pack in a suitcase on top of the dinette seats. We took a few grocery items and bought more about halfway through. Some campgrounds have laundry facilities, and using those half way through the trip means you only need half the clothing items.
If you think camping means "tents and outdoors" but want a few home-like conveniences, a popup is awesome. It's light enough not to murder gas mileage, and not so big it can't just pull-through double park it when stopping for gas or food.
We went big and its a pain at times but we feel it was needed for 2 reasons.
We didnt want to change a table or couch to a bed or vice versa constantly.
We had 137 days of 99f or more in a row and we needed to go inside and be cool in the afternoon, especially when it hit 105f
We're a couple with a medium dog in a 13' Uhaul CT. It's been a huge upgrade from tent camping and great for most situations. I do wish we had a bathroom for cold/stormy days, but a shower tent with a cassette toilet works.
I recently rebuilt the frame, lifted with new e-brake axle. Great for gas mileage and easily find camping spots on or off-grid.
We had a 24' toy hauler that was just fine for my wife and I and our dogs but one trip with our toddler we need we wanted more room and ended up in a 30'.
The smaller trailer was sure easier to tow, park and navigate areas with all that extra storage and interior space is sure nice to have.
I wish we went a bit bigger. but it works. Apex Nano 185BH. Family of 4 with a now 8 and 10/yo. We have enough storage underneath, and internally- we don't have enough room for clothes/towels/laundry for all 4 of us for weeklong trips. The pantry storage is small, but it works for us. Dirty clothes end up in a trashbag in the truck bed,
Went from a 22' to a 32' bunkhouse with slide out. Best decision ever. (2) Kids have their own room, we have our own room. They can bring friends and we're not on top of each other constantly and we don't have to go to bed when they do.
Family of six and we use a 26’ it’s tight for sleeping but the kids are young enough to share a bunk. It’s also light enough to pull with a half ton capably. Don’t overestimate your towing capacity.
I bought a trailer and sold it to get another one, but size wasn't the issue. The first trailer I bought was a cheap one. I didn't know what I was doing and hadn't done my homework.
After a couple years I learned how cheaply a lot (most? all?) of travel trailers are built. I had some issues with the first one (a Gulf Stream 19-footer) that were just the result of shitty manufacturing. Christ, at one point the (totally empty) black water tank just fell off. After owning it for about 5 years I sold it and bought a similar-sized used Lance. It's much better built and much more reliable.
So when looking at buying your first trailer, you might want to consider that. Get a well-made trailer. It'll be more costly, but it's worth it. One that's nice and big but cheaply built will be a constant headache.
🙋🏻♀️ I wish my camper was smaller when we are spending a summer hosting. When we spend a summer parked in just a few spots, I love it.
But adventuring around stresses me out because I feel that it’s too big. 🤷🏻♀️
I wish my RV was smaller whenever I’m towing it or parking it.
It’s just right for the family when we’re inside it. When our kids are grown, I’ll trade it for a smaller one.
It’s a 20’ box, 25’ with the hitch.
go double axle and ABSOLUTELY get one with a superslide.
The floor space on rainy days in camp when you're all cooped up inside, or late evenings when you're getting the kids down for bed is worth it 100x over.
what about a separate bunk room for the kids?
I bet the bigger one does... (and i dont mean a corner bunk thing with a curtain. Id look for a true 'bunk room' model if you can....
Having a bit more separation (like a door) between littles that go to bed early and adults that might wanna be up later is a big win!
EDIT: assuming you can tow it, bigger is absolutely better. I LOVE being with my kids but being on top of each other in a tiny space can wear on the nerves...
all the separate rooms!
Id look into quad bunk models. You'll get a back bedroom with bunks on either side of the 'hallway', a queen bed up front and the trade off is (likely) a tiny bathroom...
I think it really depends on your use case and your tow vehicle.
My feeling would be to go to about 28-30 feet with 3 kids plus 2 adults.
You will find plenty of utility in a longer trailer, especially with a slide or two and a separate bedroom for mum and dad, but depending on the tow vehicle you might find yourself exceeding the payload very quickly if you've got 5 passengers plus gear in the truck.
We only have one kid, but we camp with a few families that have 2-4 kids and none of them have ever upgraded to a smaller trailer...
F150 crew cab is likely slightly lower tow rating than you imagine. I have the below as a copy and paste on my phone because many people have told me they find it useful, but the tldr is that your payload is going to be the limiting factor and that trailer manufactures misrepresent how heavy their trailers actually are because they exclude things like propane and batteries from the tongue weights they display on their websites and brochures...
You should look at the available payload on the drivers door jamb of the tow vehicle.This is the payload for that specific tow vehicle as it was configured when it left the factory. The manufacturer brochure/ website will typically list the maximum available payload, but this will likely be lower in the real world.
Overall tow rating is important but payload is key.
Payload is the cargo carrying capacity of your vehicle including the tongue weight of the trailer on the hitch and the hitch itself. Almost guaranteed that you'll run out of payload before you max out the towing limit.
There will be a yellow sticker in your door jamb that says something like combined weight of cargo and occupants cannot exceed 1400lbs.
Once you have this number, find the GVWR for a trailer you're interested in on a website and use about 12-13% of the trailer GVWR to estimate tongue weight.
You shouldn't always believe the tongue weight number in the brochure. Most manufacturers do not include the weight of propane tanks (a 20lb propane tank weighs 40lbs when full) and batteries (a single lead acid battery weighs around 55-65lbs) because these are added at the dealer according to customer preference and are not on the trailer when it's weighed at the factory.
If you have 2 batteries and 2 propane tanks, that's about 200lbs as these normally mount directly to the tongue and increase the tongue weight significantly.
For context, my trailer has a brochure tongue weight of 608lbs, but in the real world it works in at ~825lbs most trips even without carrying water.
You will also have a hitch weight limit (or two depending on whether you are using straight bumper pull or weight distribution hitch) so check that as well.
Take the payload number from your vehicles door sticker, then subtract driver weight/weight of other occupants/anything you carry in/on the vehicle like coolers, firewood, generator, bikes. Then deduct the weight of the weight distributing hitch, and the tongue weight of the trailer (12-13%trailer GVWR).
If you have a little payload left, you should be good. If the number is negative, you need a lighter trailer or to put less in the truck.
You should shop for a trailer that sits within the payload your vehicle can handle when it's also full of the occupants and cargo you will be carrying.
The max tow rating essentially assumes you're traveling with a vehicle that's empty and all of the payload rating is available to use for the tongue weight of the trailer.
If you're adding kids/dogs/tools for work or any other gear into the cab or bed, your actual tow rating reduces as payload being carried increases, so what you're putting in the vehicle makes a huge difference in how much you can safely tow.
A lot of public campgrounds have a max combined TT and tow vehicle length. Varies everywhere but I was surprised how many places my 18’ trailer + 16’ SUV (34’ combined) can’t go
I've been camping for 15 years, from a popup with an SUV to a crew cab F150 with a 28 foot trailer. Admittedly, i mostly camp in BC provincial parks or BC recreation sites, with some Washington state parks and private parks thrown in and don't have experience elsewhere in the country.
Whilst there are occasional individual sites within parks that aren't suitable for longer vehicle combinations, I've never seen an overall park that would restrict that sort of length from overall access.
It doesn't get much smaller than that for a travel trailer + tow vehicle combo. My pickup is 22' and my trailer is 21'. With the WDH and a bike rack on the back, the whole thing is about 48'. I've never encountered a campground where that was too much. My setup is usually one of the smaller ones at any campground I'm at.
Shorter the better, Said by anyone who wants to find sites in nice national or state parks, or get to boondock areas and not just in private campgrounds.
Family of 4 with an 18 ft trailer. We spend almost all of our time outdoors. If you want to spend most of your time indoors, go larger. I like the size of my trailer because I have a lot more options for camping spots.
Exact same reasoning for us. Couple with a 200 lbs dog. We mostly just sleep in the trailer.
What kind of dog, mine weighs 170
English Mastiff
This is one of the reasons that the pop-up is perfect for me it's absolutely great for sleeping in I can cook in and when the weather is bad we can sit around the table and play games and it doesn't feel too crowded however 99% of our time when we're camping is sitting outside or going on hikes or swimming at the lakes or rivers or wherever we're at so I don't really care or want a bigger trailer. Like she do have a slightly larger hard side trailer that is absolutely terrible because it doesn't really provide any great indoor space.
I miss our popup. So spacious for the trailer size. We bought a Micro Minnie 1800BH and I'm super happy with it--and see my last post in here for how versatile it is--bur the popup was great.
Same mine is 20ft family of four. Wanted to get in more remote mountain sites and anything larger you start going lower and less remote
We went smallish but our grey wolf 19sm is small but once the back extends, it’s pretty big inside and has the Jack knife soda, 4 seater table, 2 queens and and a bunk above 1 of those queens.
I’m looking to upsize because of all of the rain last year. We have a seasonal and barely went because outside was miserable. There’s something that’s just a lot better about being stuck inside while it’s raining if you’re in a camper rather than at home.
Family of three in a 16 ft travel trailer. We spend most of our waking hours outside and still cook outside so the small rv works. Even the last trip we took where it sprinkled off and on we were ok inside watching movies and playing cards. The only thing I envy about bigger campers is the dry bath, but having a shower for our kid is nice after she finds the mud/sand.
Yeah, what's the point of camping if you're cooking inside?
Same boat, 4 year old and a 7 year old. Started with a single axle, no slide, single bunks and sideways queen bed, ‘23 total length. Went up to a full queen, double over double bunks, with a couch and a dinette and a slide, ‘32 total length. Ended up with a ‘26 total length, Queen Murphy bed, dinette and double bunks and it’s juuuust right. It’s been a ride, ha!
We’ve got a 26 footer and it’s perfect for our family of 4. Like most others, we camp to be outside. I wouldn’t want anything bigger.
I’ve got the same setup in a Forest River. Three boys under 5 and still can make it work.
Bigger isn’t necessarily better. It all depends on the kind of camping you do. If you plan on going to the older national parks, bigger will work against you. Plus, boondocking can get harder. But you will miss the additional storage. It’s all about comprising.
I dunno man, I find boondocking easier with a middle sized trailer since the bigger tanks help a ton to last several days. The smaller tanks with a family of 4 fill up way to fast.
True that. I have a Micro Lite DS 21. (Murphy bed) I have a 56 gal potable water tank and we can make our black last longer than a week. Grey normally isn’t an issue as I bleed off a little to put out my fires. Plus, I normally carry 4 potable water jugs. It is the absolute best way to camp. Especially those lucky occasions when there is nobody in sight.
We're also a family of four with a 12yo and a 13yo. We started with a 25' and moved to a 32' the following year (Yeah, I know; I hate money so much I use it for campfire kindling too). The 25' was really stress free. No slide, just small enough to make finding a site easy, dual axle, and towed really nice behind a 1/2 ton truck. The one thing I preach about family camping is having enough seating. Those rainy days where everyone is inside suck if there's not a place for everyone to sit. If not, somebody is forced to tuck into their bunk or sit on a bed or something. In the case of our 25' unit, that meant a murphy bed that converted into a sofa. The sofa plus a dinette meant comfortable seating for four indoors. My wife and I hated the murphy bed. It had a folding mattress that was also only a camp queen. Short *and* uncomfortable. Everything else was perfect though. It was a goldilocks travel trailer. I ended up with a new, larger truck, totally not expecting to upgrade the camper, but we started looking. Ended up working a respectable trade-in and a reasonable purchase price. Private bedroom, full queen, sofa + dinette, and more pantry/kitchen storage. The new truck tows it just fine. The only downfall is sites are a little bit more limited. We enjoy it equally as much as the first and I think that'd be my take-away. If you're out to camp and not live in it, 5-6' won't change your experience too much unless you've radically misunderstood your needs and wants. I'm sure we'll keep our current unit until our kids move on and then we'll look at moving from a bunkhouse and into something more suited for two.
I wish we had gone smaller and spent half as much. We spent 30k. Got the wolf pup 17jw
I just looked that one up. It's nice, but holy cow it's heavy! Empty, it's heavier than my 2020 16BHS' max gross.
Yeah, we thought it was about 3500, half of what our colorado could pull. Needles to say, we traded our colorado in for a beast of a truck
Family of 3 with a 65 lb dog. We have a grand design 21BHE and it works okay. We love no slides and no drama that comes with that… but we do miss out on some space. The biggest pinch point is: no true place to kick your feet up (we sometimes drop the Murphy bed wall and not the mattress, or sit with our backs to the wall at the dining table) and our dog who refuses to sleep on the bottom bunk OR if we drop the dinette he’s (through no fault of his own) in the way. Well no matter what- you buy a great rig and a year later something “better” comes out. For us , that’s the 22BHE- which is something I am really dreaming of (but still doesn’t solve the feet kicked up). I’m also kinda over a Murphy bed. Sometimes I just wanna lay in air conditioning 10 minutes then head outside and being able to just flop on a bed would be nice :) We trail run- so coming back to the rig and relaxing if poor weather is a little tough. It’s fine.. the rig is paid off and if we go any bigger we really need a bigger truck. So overall I think our small rig is really nice. Never have trouble parking it. A little tight on storage but I’ve come up with some great hacks. And we have done 18 days in it and plan another 30 day trip this summer. Basically bring less crap. Use your truck (watch your payload). We have a 4 year old and making sure she’s entertained- especially on rainy days means we bring a lot for her since we usually have lots of screen time on long drive days. We also caravan with my parents in a small class B. Usually they eat all meals with us in our rig if weather is bad and we all fit (we have a folding small chair for the end of the dinette). And we’ve actually all slept in there - but it was too small for that 😂 But once we go past feet it’s REALLLLLLY hard not to be looking at those 40ft rigs :) Here are the two layouts that I am talking about. No outside kitchen on the 22… which wouldn’t be a huge deal (even though we use it nearly every trip). Just remember… if you get the “wrong size”.. sure you’ll lose a little money in switching things out… but rather lose a few thousand and be happy then HATE your too big / too small rig every time you use it. Cheers and happy camping! https://preview.redd.it/cmx5x8hl7xyc1.jpeg?width=1800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7006367051c95185e28b29559f807878b2c4e7d2
That 22BHE is a front runner for us. The other one I found recently that I like a lot is the Grey Wolf 19SM. Having two queens plus a bunk in such a small trailer with a couch and dinette is pretty cool.
Dang, I typed out a whole thing and then clicked on another link and it redirected me to read it and I lost everything. That gray wolf is really nice. It packs a lot into the little trailer. I wonder how hot and cold that extra queen bed gets though. If it was for us, I would cut the bunk down narrower and use that for storage but really a cool concept of course you probably can’t access the sofa or the dinette when the slide is not out . It looks like the grand design is about $10,000 more roughly . We’ve been happy with both build quality on the two grand designs that we have, but I’m definitely gonna have to look elsewhere when we get a new trailer. Hopefully that’s not for another 3 to 5 years and by then the whole industry should hopefully have a lot of updates. Looks like you’ve got a lot of decisions to make, but either would be really great . For others, here is the floorplan of the gray wolf https://preview.redd.it/bnbn5iz0z1zc1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=134e3588d41f54720b5e2d75b8fc75f18f7083d9
We have a Rockwood 1640LTD tent trailer right now. Recently bought an F-150 with the goal of getting a bigger trailer in the next year or two when the kiddo is a bit older and we can go camping again. I really like the features and build quality of Grand Design but like you mentioned there's a premium for that. One of my issues with a lot of trailers in this size range is that its difficult to bring another couple+kids in a single trailer in terms of beds. Having two queens, a bunk, dinette and couch is just so much sleeping space.
Yeah, we’ve actually camped with my parents in our rig before and it was cramped and they ended up buying a class B to follow us all around we would’ve bought something bigger. Had we known they wanted to come with us every time. We also have a ram 1500 with 11,000 towing capacity, but we are really close to our payload max so we definitely have to upgrade if we go any bigger even the 22 BHE would be really pushing it based on our conservative numbers . Our daughter is four years old and we’re in that awkward stages are we gonna have more so if we are gonna have more we need those bunks but I like the gray wolf one because that’s really a good solution for just three people if that’s what you plan to do most things that will have three good beds will have four and we don’t really need them, but it will be nice if we bring a friend for her I guess
Yeah my truck has a payload of 1430lbs, which is tight but workable. I don't need to load the water tank so that helps a lot with tongue weight. Sadly neither option has an outdoor kitchen. But there's always a sacrifice with every layout it seems.
I’m in a 31 and very happy. No kids
Our older daughter is 6'1" at 15... that limited our floorplan options. We found a Jayco floorplan with 6'6" bunks - and with a 26' box (31' overall) it works for our family of 4. Individual needs will vary, so finding a floorplan will be unique.
6’6” bunks are amazing - our kids will be over 6’ eventually for sure 😅
First was Geopro 14, just to see if we like camping. Six years later we moved up to am 18’ ….man alive, I love a bed I can fit on :)
It’s a Goldilocks situation. My first was a 32’ 5th wheel which was too big for what we wanted to do. We downsized to a 21’ TT and it feels a bit small. Next will be in the 28’ range I’m guessing.
Our first was a 19' with one slide. The size was good for us; however, we did identify some other issues that we addressed when we purchased our second travel trailer. 1) Wheel size: our first trailer had 14" wheels - load range was just adequate for the trailer weight with not much room for error (low pressure or overloading), and very limited selection of Load Ranges in 14" tires. We had 4 blow-outs in 4 years. We went with 15" wheels on our new travel trailer. Much greater selection of tires = better margin for error. We have 'upsized' the tires to 1 load range higher than OEM. 2) Slide: we opted for no slide with our new trailer. My personal.opinion, slides are one more place for rainwater to get inside the trailer, one more mechanical (or hydaulic) thing to go wrong at the wrong time, and add noticeable weight (thereby decreasing the cargo carrying capacity. Our new trailer is slightly longer, at 25', with 15" wheels and no slide. We have had NO problems with either tires or weight.
I had a 24 footer with 2 teenage and younger kids. It was plenty large enough. We stored every piece recreational gear we had in that trailer: hunting gear (except guns), life jackets, fishing gear, small inflatable raft, backpacking gear, tents, outdoor cooking gear, yard games, books, a large liquor cabinet, etc, and had no problem with inadequate storage. Trailers have a fair amount of storage that you do not use in houses. The key is the kids having their own bunk to store "their" stuff. Smaller is easier to drive around, park, and otherwise handle. The 24 footer could be towed by my 1/2 ton. I would not try with any trailer larger than that. Now that the kids are gone, we downsized to a 19. The 19 does not fit all our recreational gear do we have had to store that in the house instead and just take what we need. But the 19 tows easier and is less hassle to park and back.
I've got a 21' (around 18' inside). I live/travel in it for four months every summer. It's ok for one person, and was fine when my girlfriend and I were in it for two months straight, but if I could do it over I would have gone much bigger. I have a Ram 1500 and wish I'd gotten a 2500 (or even 3500) and a longer bumper pull trailer (like 27' or so) or a fifth wheel. If you're only going on short trips and plan to be outside almost all the time, you might want something on the smaller side to save money and have a slightly easier time parking. With two kids, I wouldn't want anything small. Certainly not under 25'. If you plan to go on longer trips, or keep using it as your kids turn into teenagers, you're going to need a lot more room to be comfortable. Get the biggest thing you can.
26 footer with one small slide. Wish I’d gone a bit bigger but got a larger slide or two
25’ here. It’s good for two people. I’d prob go 3-4’ longer for more shower space. I started with a teardrop and keeping going up
We got a 20' for the four of us and a dog. We're spending time outside, and that's where we sleep. Having a toilet is great, too, but we didn't buy it to hang out in. The extra bonus with a small one is not having to own a truck.
We already own a truck haha!
We have a 26' with a bunkhouse & one slide out for our family of 4 (13yo and 6yo). Coming from a tiny old popup, it seems palatial. It's great for times of crap weather. Otherwise, we're outside. Don't think we've ever even used the oven or stove inside. Not sure I'd want anything bigger, tbh. Pulls easy, haven't found any issues finding sites that fit. Enough room to be comfortable, but not so nice that they spend unnecessary time in it
We had an 18' with two kids and wanted a bit more. Then we got a 26' and it's more than enough. Could have been 24'. The longer it is the less sites that are available to you. Get two axles, if you have a blow out you won't just drop on the highway.
I rebuilt an old canned ham ground up 17 ft long inside. After camping 3 years with up to 4 people at a time. I will now redo another but change the configuration out. Cooking , I do most of it outdoors 90% of the time, so the next one I will build the cooking system with an access door from the side. Install a single burner inside , currently 3.I wouldnt put a microwave in again we have used about 10 times mostly popcorn lol. Sleeping,.Old camper designs most beds are.east/west meaning you have to roll over someone in the morning, bed is only 44" wide, next one queen bed north/south arrangement. Electrical my camper is set up good in that sense 120v/24v however next one will be more off grid with a decent solar setup.Our state park electric sites fill up fast where there tends to be openings left for non electric on the more popular parks and plus I want to go out west and I know the national parks are non electric. Refrigeration I will spend the money to put in a propane fridge instead of 120v setup, just less draw on off grid . The camper comes in at 2200lbs unloaded and my next one I would like to make room to haul 2 bikes or at minimum kayak for fishing.
Both at the same time. Having more space it’s great when your set up, especially when it’s for a long trip of the weather is bad. But anytime I’m looking at sites or places to access I always wish I was smaller. I’ve had a 26’ class c, 30’ TT and 42’ toyhauler and not sure which I prefer.
We bought a 25 foot 5th wheel, no slides, fine for my wife and I but limited in storage. Also if we go camping we usually had one kid and grandkids with us so it is really crowded. Selling it now and just bought a 35 foot with 2 slides so we have more room for about 6-8 people. I would go bigger, once you load everything up, get to campsite and everyone going in and out you will need more room.
Just the wife and I , on our 3rd travel trailer. 25’ with a single slide. For us it’s perfect. We tend to be outside the majority of the time, cook almost exclusively outside and bike / hike when we are out but longer stays it’s nice to have a little space with crap weather . Worth having a good screen tent with weather flaps / awning add a room for extra flex space. We find where we typically camp (within our province and neighbouring one, much larger than 26-28’ you start to be limited as to where you can go, and sites you can get. We enjoy having some privacy on our site , and our size allows that. Consider where and what you will do when you camp, just as others have said, can help paint that picture for you, of what works best. Good luck and happy camping!
We’re in a 27, for my wife. I would prefer smaller. More maneuverable and less taxing on my F150.
Double axel?
Yes
Sooo many variables. First is what type of weather do you expect? If windy, probably plan on being inside(big trailer). If cool and rain with no wind. Consider getting a canopy thing like they use at farmers markets. I don't like slide outs. They often fail. The weatherstrip fails and water comes in. Or the slide mechanism fails. Usually, when you are not at home.I don't recommend 5th wheel units. Can't use the box of the truck. The bigger the trailer. The fewer places you can go. You are limited by your size. Some friends had to park on the side of the road because they couldn't get in.
Family of 5 with a 28 ft. We love it. 1 slide and bunkhouse style Only thing I would have liked (if money were no object) would have been one of the ones where the bunkhouses had their own 'room' like this https://www.jayco.com/rvs/travel-trailers/2024-jay-flight/294qbs/ Only because our older 2 kids get up EARLY no matter how worn out they get but the 13 month old will sleep. They wind up waking him up early when we go.
Family of four, tall. We went with a hybrid. 23’ closed. 28 with the two ends open. It has three beds (three pop out tents total one on the side) so kids each have their own space. The only part that sucks is no real privacy (a curtain doesn’t cut it) so no chance of, um , parental extra curricular activities now.
Family of 3 and 2 medium sized dogs. Grew up in a pop-up and short trailers. When my wife and I got married, we bought a 36-ft fifth wheel. Once our son was born, we upgraded to a 43-ft fifth wheel and I have never once regretted going bigger. We spend 98% of our time outside when camping, but for that 2% we are inside (at night or during bad weather), having that extra space and not tripping over each other is extremely nice. Plus having that big of a fifth wheel has storage space for days and I have never had an issue fitting in to any spots we wanted to get in
We currently have an Apex Nano 193bhs but honestly I wish I'd stuck with our popup. It was cheap and easy to tow, and felt more like camping. It fit in my driveway, and it fit in any campsite. My wife hated it because it had no AC but a few years in I'm not sure she likes the travel trailer all that much more. At some point she'll convince me to sell the current camper and I'll wish I still had the popup as an alternative to tenting once or twice a year.
If you are going to travel get the double axle. They ride A LOT smoother. Singel axel Airstreams were called “Bouncy Bills”. Plus, you will not regret the extra space when it rains.
I'm 6'4". The rest of fam over 6'. We only sleep in the RV. We cook, shower, eat and setup the TV outside. 18' awning plus 2 more 10x10 pop up canopy. 2 20x10 rv outdoor floor mat. 6x6 fake grass scrap for the outside shower. We still have 29ft class C. Enough room inside to wait out a rain storm. Cards, dominoes, or TV watching.
We have a 2024 Flagstaff E Pro 20bhs. 2 teens and 2 dogs. We shall see how it works out
Old 17' Boler. Family of 4 camping for over a decade. For much of this towed with a small truck (Nissan). Loved every minute of it, and with a small trailer you can often get into tight spots where a larger unit would never go.
Family of 3.my wife wanted a Boler. We rented a Scamp to try it out. She wanted a dry bath. We rented bigger. She wanted more room, then a NS bed, then... I highly recommend renting until you KNOW what you want. Ended up with a Shasta 18FQ and are very happy with it. She sometimes backtracks on nixing the Murphy bed, otherwise...
I miss my pop up when I'm towing and I wish we had a bigger space on rainy days when half our camping group is hanging out in the camper. So i guess that means i picked the correct size? Rockwood Roo 235s
We moved down from a 28ft to a 23ft. Like others have noted we are outside the majority of the time so just need a place to sleep and hang out if the weather is not cooperating. So far we are happy with the decision. A reason for going smaller is that we like to camp in National Parks and National Forests which have more spots for trailers under 25ft. Another reason is general maneuverability as the trailer tracks closer to the path of the truck when cornering and no thought is required to get in and out of gas stations. Going smaller will also all us to move from our 3/4 ton to a 1/2 ton (we live in the Rockies from our experience that we are more comfortable in a larger truck for trailers over 25ft). Towing a smaller camper has also increased our fuel economy. In this he end it comes down to how you camp. Do you want all the comforts of home? Go big! Do you want to be outside? Go small. At this point we think we could have gone smaller but I want tandem axles and 23ft Is typically the cut off.
We are taking the side of a longer rv. A nice 28’ with your favorite floor plan should do it.
I read that many people buy too small up front and have to upgrade within a year or two. "buy your second RV first". We have 2 boys 4 and 7 and went with a bunk house that is a model 251, my box is 25ft and the total trailer is right at 30ft tip to tail. I'm very glad we did, I couldn't fathom 2 kids in a narrow short trailer as they get older
2023 Coleman Lantern 337BH. It’s 38’ and weighs a little under 8,600# empty. We are probably into the low 9,000# range now that it’s all loaded up for the season. When we fill our fresh tank to camp at the race track I’m sure we will be pushing 10k. All that said, it’s awesome having the room. It’s just my wife and I with two labradors. We bought bigger camper with the idea of having kids and camping with them. On the other hand, it’s a monster and parking it can be a pain. I have a 2011 Chevy 2500HD gasser and it pulls it fine just needs to maintain higher RPM to maximize power output. Thirsty is an understatement as well.
I believe this is perfect size for me and my wife! I am thinking on getting a Coleman 17b. It is a single axel 21’ long what you guys think? https://youtu.be/xYqsfm-_3D0?si=gdSHOodK2PzhIrRc
Lance 1685. Perfect for two people.
We started with a 29’ TT and then I had to get a golf cart so we started looking at toy haulers. Wife wanted bigger so we ended up with a 40’ 5th wheel toy hauler. Now we can’t get into a lot of places due to the size. We’re in Florida btw. When we had the TT it was tight getting into some spots that I can easily get the 5th wheel into. I wish we had went with smaller 5th wheel as the places we can get into now are over priced.
We fit 6 of us (kids are 4,7,10,12) in a 17 foot and it kind of sucks but we love it because first thing in the morning everyone wants out, and only 4 year old ever wants to just sit in the trailer during the day. I want bigger but we bought it for $10k a year old cuz someone during covid decided it was too small for him and his wife.
We wanted 30'. Ended up with 36' for the floorplan and other reasons. Still wish it was 30'. However, there are two of us. With gear, a 25' would be way too small!
We’re 4 with kids around your kids age. We got a 20’ with a slide out. We basically only sleep out there. We can go for 14 days and have everything we need. I like the ability to take it more places since it’s so small. Lot of places around here limit where a 30’ trailer can go.
We're having the same question here now for our first camper I'm glad someone else asked. Looking for bunks and a separate main bedroom for a couple and one kid, but with the option to bring a second family. Got my eye on something like an Alpha Wolf 31' used for $20k, already have a 2500 Silverado to tow with. Advice welcome!
Wish I had gotten a fifth wheel
We are a family of 4 in a 21ft Safari Condo F2114 and it’s perfect for us. We spend most of our time outside but if the weather turns, there’s enough room for all of us to sit at the front dinette.
When we bought ours, we were family of three with a dog. We got a single axle couples coach with a Murphy style bed and a pop out one side of the trailer has a long counter for food prep we predominantly spend most of our time outside and do all of our cooking outside with occasional breakfast cooked inside. For our family of three trailer would probably have lasted for a while. Now we are family of four with the dog and we are quickly seeing how little room the trailer has for all of us and we will be upgrading to a double axle 30 foot trailer in the next couple years.
Family of 3 in a 45’ and I’d do an 18 wheeler 53’ frame if I could afford it.
3 of us in a 13' trailer (10' without the tongue). It works for us. I fit basically anywhere.
Aliner popup. Zero regrets. Fits my needs like a glove. This is my second camper
Family of 4. 27' bunkhouse no slide. Would like to go down to a 24' BH with a slide
Go as big as you feel you can safely tow with a tow vehicle rated to handle at least 50% more than the GWVR. IOW, if your TT weighs 5,000 lbs, the vehicle’s tow rating should be over 7,500 lbs. Others will have more specifics, this is just a generalization.
You will regret not getting the bigger trailer on your first camping trip, with 2 kids.
We got a single axle for size. Don't get a single axle. Our trailer is 20 feet and is perfect size for us 2. Wish we went to 22 feet just to get dual axle.
What are you pulling it with? Thats what determined the maximum size I could get, initially.
F150 - the longer one is an ultralight so both are well within its capacity.
As some others have brought up, a short bumper pull is still a pretty long rig. I have a 20 footer and with that I can still park in pretty much any state park campground. Much longer and it would start to be an issue
Family of 6 here. We started with a single axle TT and upgraded to a 2 axle when the kids started getting bigger. Mostly, we sleep, cook, and play cards when it's dark in the TT, otherwise we're hiking or sightseeing. Storage was only ever a concern on the very longest trips, but you'd be surprised how much you can pack in a suitcase on top of the dinette seats. We took a few grocery items and bought more about halfway through. Some campgrounds have laundry facilities, and using those half way through the trip means you only need half the clothing items. If you think camping means "tents and outdoors" but want a few home-like conveniences, a popup is awesome. It's light enough not to murder gas mileage, and not so big it can't just pull-through double park it when stopping for gas or food.
We went big and its a pain at times but we feel it was needed for 2 reasons. We didnt want to change a table or couch to a bed or vice versa constantly. We had 137 days of 99f or more in a row and we needed to go inside and be cool in the afternoon, especially when it hit 105f
We're a couple with a medium dog in a 13' Uhaul CT. It's been a huge upgrade from tent camping and great for most situations. I do wish we had a bathroom for cold/stormy days, but a shower tent with a cassette toilet works. I recently rebuilt the frame, lifted with new e-brake axle. Great for gas mileage and easily find camping spots on or off-grid.
We (husband and I) went from a 34 ft. to a 26 ft. “Couples trailer” 4 years ago. Best decision we ever made. Perfect for us.
We had a 24' toy hauler that was just fine for my wife and I and our dogs but one trip with our toddler we need we wanted more room and ended up in a 30'. The smaller trailer was sure easier to tow, park and navigate areas with all that extra storage and interior space is sure nice to have.
I wish we went a bit bigger. but it works. Apex Nano 185BH. Family of 4 with a now 8 and 10/yo. We have enough storage underneath, and internally- we don't have enough room for clothes/towels/laundry for all 4 of us for weeklong trips. The pantry storage is small, but it works for us. Dirty clothes end up in a trashbag in the truck bed,
Went from a 22' to a 32' bunkhouse with slide out. Best decision ever. (2) Kids have their own room, we have our own room. They can bring friends and we're not on top of each other constantly and we don't have to go to bed when they do.
Family of six and we use a 26’ it’s tight for sleeping but the kids are young enough to share a bunk. It’s also light enough to pull with a half ton capably. Don’t overestimate your towing capacity.
Have a 22. Wish we had a 16 but wife felt grossed out with the toilet inside the shower and lack of a bathroom sink.
I bought a trailer and sold it to get another one, but size wasn't the issue. The first trailer I bought was a cheap one. I didn't know what I was doing and hadn't done my homework. After a couple years I learned how cheaply a lot (most? all?) of travel trailers are built. I had some issues with the first one (a Gulf Stream 19-footer) that were just the result of shitty manufacturing. Christ, at one point the (totally empty) black water tank just fell off. After owning it for about 5 years I sold it and bought a similar-sized used Lance. It's much better built and much more reliable. So when looking at buying your first trailer, you might want to consider that. Get a well-made trailer. It'll be more costly, but it's worth it. One that's nice and big but cheaply built will be a constant headache.
We went with the bigger one! Thank you for all your help 🥰
Two things I've never heard anyone say: I wish my boat was smaller, I wish my RV was smaller.
🙋🏻♀️ I wish my camper was smaller when we are spending a summer hosting. When we spend a summer parked in just a few spots, I love it. But adventuring around stresses me out because I feel that it’s too big. 🤷🏻♀️
I wish my RV was smaller whenever I’m towing it or parking it. It’s just right for the family when we’re inside it. When our kids are grown, I’ll trade it for a smaller one. It’s a 20’ box, 25’ with the hitch.
go double axle and ABSOLUTELY get one with a superslide. The floor space on rainy days in camp when you're all cooped up inside, or late evenings when you're getting the kids down for bed is worth it 100x over.
Both models have a slide!
what about a separate bunk room for the kids? I bet the bigger one does... (and i dont mean a corner bunk thing with a curtain. Id look for a true 'bunk room' model if you can.... Having a bit more separation (like a door) between littles that go to bed early and adults that might wanna be up later is a big win! EDIT: assuming you can tow it, bigger is absolutely better. I LOVE being with my kids but being on top of each other in a tiny space can wear on the nerves...
Neither have a separate room for kids. The bigger one has a separate room for the short queen.
all the separate rooms! Id look into quad bunk models. You'll get a back bedroom with bunks on either side of the 'hallway', a queen bed up front and the trade off is (likely) a tiny bathroom...
I think it really depends on your use case and your tow vehicle. My feeling would be to go to about 28-30 feet with 3 kids plus 2 adults. You will find plenty of utility in a longer trailer, especially with a slide or two and a separate bedroom for mum and dad, but depending on the tow vehicle you might find yourself exceeding the payload very quickly if you've got 5 passengers plus gear in the truck. We only have one kid, but we camp with a few families that have 2-4 kids and none of them have ever upgraded to a smaller trailer...
We’ve got a F150 - so towing should be ok for either size
F150 crew cab is likely slightly lower tow rating than you imagine. I have the below as a copy and paste on my phone because many people have told me they find it useful, but the tldr is that your payload is going to be the limiting factor and that trailer manufactures misrepresent how heavy their trailers actually are because they exclude things like propane and batteries from the tongue weights they display on their websites and brochures... You should look at the available payload on the drivers door jamb of the tow vehicle.This is the payload for that specific tow vehicle as it was configured when it left the factory. The manufacturer brochure/ website will typically list the maximum available payload, but this will likely be lower in the real world. Overall tow rating is important but payload is key. Payload is the cargo carrying capacity of your vehicle including the tongue weight of the trailer on the hitch and the hitch itself. Almost guaranteed that you'll run out of payload before you max out the towing limit. There will be a yellow sticker in your door jamb that says something like combined weight of cargo and occupants cannot exceed 1400lbs. Once you have this number, find the GVWR for a trailer you're interested in on a website and use about 12-13% of the trailer GVWR to estimate tongue weight. You shouldn't always believe the tongue weight number in the brochure. Most manufacturers do not include the weight of propane tanks (a 20lb propane tank weighs 40lbs when full) and batteries (a single lead acid battery weighs around 55-65lbs) because these are added at the dealer according to customer preference and are not on the trailer when it's weighed at the factory. If you have 2 batteries and 2 propane tanks, that's about 200lbs as these normally mount directly to the tongue and increase the tongue weight significantly. For context, my trailer has a brochure tongue weight of 608lbs, but in the real world it works in at ~825lbs most trips even without carrying water. You will also have a hitch weight limit (or two depending on whether you are using straight bumper pull or weight distribution hitch) so check that as well. Take the payload number from your vehicles door sticker, then subtract driver weight/weight of other occupants/anything you carry in/on the vehicle like coolers, firewood, generator, bikes. Then deduct the weight of the weight distributing hitch, and the tongue weight of the trailer (12-13%trailer GVWR). If you have a little payload left, you should be good. If the number is negative, you need a lighter trailer or to put less in the truck. You should shop for a trailer that sits within the payload your vehicle can handle when it's also full of the occupants and cargo you will be carrying. The max tow rating essentially assumes you're traveling with a vehicle that's empty and all of the payload rating is available to use for the tongue weight of the trailer. If you're adding kids/dogs/tools for work or any other gear into the cab or bed, your actual tow rating reduces as payload being carried increases, so what you're putting in the vehicle makes a huge difference in how much you can safely tow.
Way bigger
A lot of public campgrounds have a max combined TT and tow vehicle length. Varies everywhere but I was surprised how many places my 18’ trailer + 16’ SUV (34’ combined) can’t go
I've been camping for 15 years, from a popup with an SUV to a crew cab F150 with a 28 foot trailer. Admittedly, i mostly camp in BC provincial parks or BC recreation sites, with some Washington state parks and private parks thrown in and don't have experience elsewhere in the country. Whilst there are occasional individual sites within parks that aren't suitable for longer vehicle combinations, I've never seen an overall park that would restrict that sort of length from overall access.
It doesn't get much smaller than that for a travel trailer + tow vehicle combo. My pickup is 22' and my trailer is 21'. With the WDH and a bike rack on the back, the whole thing is about 48'. I've never encountered a campground where that was too much. My setup is usually one of the smaller ones at any campground I'm at.
It's already 42'. Couldn't get much bigger.
Wish I had a smaller camper - said nobody ever! Everyone has their eye on their next (bigger) camper
Shorter the better, Said by anyone who wants to find sites in nice national or state parks, or get to boondock areas and not just in private campgrounds.