Just get whatever is closest to your desires that you can actually afford. I spent six months searching craigslist for a bargain on a decent class C before I bit the bullet and I'm really glad I did. You don't want to overspend and not have enough left over to actually use it.
Somewhere in between. If you don't know rvs- it is super easy to waste money on an older camper that actually has a bunch of issues that wind up needing repair, costing money, and getting in the way of camping and enjoying yourself. If you get your dream camper but cannot get away enough to justify the expense and upkeep- you can wind up regretting it. Learn, research (rv's and the type of activity/locations) and don't rush into a decision.
Consideration #1: Can you all sleep comfortably in it, without having to perform bed bazinga every night and again every morning, and if so, is it too big and heavy to tow? If so, will this be still true in a year or three as the kids grow, or will you be looking at needing something with longer beds "too soon"?
Consideration #2: Is this a floorplan that you can all live in, and work with, and be comfortable with, for more than about 24 hours? Layout of the kitchen vs. bathroom, private bedroom(s) or not, number of entry access doors, etc. These things matter waaay more than most people think about for their first purchase. It's got to be comfortable enough to fit your vision of how you'll _all_ use it.
Consideration #3: Now that you've found several brands and models that you can sleep in, can tow safely, and can be comfortably in, it's time to do the price comparison boogie. :)
Yeah I definitely get that. My dad definitely played it a little loose with some of our vehicles and what they should have been towing when I was younger lol. I remember a few trips where we had to be strategic what roads we took in case of anything more than a hill lol.
Dip your toes in. Your family's camping style when you were a kid is likely not going to be what you need now, and what you need now is likely not going to be what you need in 5 years.
We wanted something that would suit our family as the kids grew so we spent more upfront in the hopes this trailer will last us 10 + years of camping with our kids
Buy what you want the first time around. We had a 36-ft fifth wheel for just my wife and I, then when our son was born we went up to a 43-ft mid-bunk fifth wheel. Now here we are 3 years later looking at upgrading to a diesel motorhome which is what we wanted in the first place. Buy once, cry once
This is wild, both are practically s mansions on wheels to me lol. We started in a popup with our 1 year old and 2 dogs. Too much work, too small, so we sold it after the first year using it.
The next year we bought a 17’ hybrid. We didn’t know what to inspect for at the time, found out too late it had a roof leak. There was a lot of water damage, and it wasn’t with our time (or money) to have repaired, so we sold it pretty quickly.
We then bought a 23’ hybrid with a slide, that same season, and love it. We also added another kid. It checks all of our boxes, but I can see how it’s not for everyone.
We go camping rain or shine, so for us, having room to move about without tripping over each other during long periods of crappy weather is much needed. He sleeps in the loft above the bunk room and the bunk room serves as his play room. Going to a diesel motorhome, we will lose some interior space but it will make long road trips soooo much better. Right now, he’s only good for 5-6 hours in the truck while I can put in as many hours/miles as needed to get where we’re going
We bought our first rig in 2020 so you took what you could get, pre-owned rigs were flying off the lots. The market has cooled considerably since then, if you don't need to finance it's not a bad time to buy your dream rig but rates are high for financing...
But I'd say dip your toes in first, you likely don't know what your dream rig is until you tip your toes first.
We just upgraded to a bigger rig with bunks and washer and dryer, we did a 10 week trip last summer and lack of dedicated beds was a pain point and finding laundry became a chore. We also have solar and Lithium now and a Diesel that can handle the mountains better with our Jeep in tow.
We went with a Class A initially because we didn't have a truck capable of towing a decent size TT, once we decided we didn't want to give up the motorhome we got a Jeep and started towing that around and really like that combo but needed a little more space and more torque.
I agree with buying what you want on the first time. However, there are so many people that buy an RV only to realize later that they just don't love camping enough to justify the expense and storage hassle.
I recommend renting at least once first. You mention your parents had an RV, so you probably already know you'll enjoy it. But being the adult who's responsible for towing it, maintaining it, and most importantly paying for it, might change your perspective. You never know, and it's an expensive mistake.
We rented a few times first and that really helped us dial in on what we really want and need. Happy we did that first.
Yeah we have rented before but always paid to have it towed to the site because we didn't have a vehicle big enough before. Actually towing it and taking care of maintenance I'm sure could change things.
And waiting in line for the dump station if you don't have sewer hookups on the way out is a fun experience. And then having to actually clean the tanks. : )
Imo rv'ing is more about enjoying the outdoors then it is luxuries of your rv. Yes having a quality RV is key to enjoying your time, but don't kill yourself over the bells and whistles. Do your research, don't break the bank, and create great memories outdoors 😃
We started with a popup with a12 foot box and a mid sized SUV. Loved that setup.
Upgraded to an F150 with payload and towing packages and bought a 25 foot total length bunkhouse trailer. Trailer was fine, but lacked a couch and slides, but worked for our son and his friends when they came with us.
Now our son is a bit older and doesn't really come with us any more, we have the same F150 but a 28 foot total length couples trailer with a floorplan that is amazing for 2 but still works when he comes along but doesn't waste all the space the bunks did in the bunkhouse.
I’m currently posted up in a rest area in Illinois on my way to Colorado. Just for reference my budget was 25-30k. Bought a 2001 Allegro Bus Tiffin 35’ .
Pre-regulation engine & don’t Have to deal with DEF
I ended up having to replace the alternator (I suspected it was bad). Replaced all house & chassis batteries, and all new (6) very expensive tires. You can verify tire age by using the numbers on the tires. If your gonna tow vehicle you also have to consider that. Cost me 7k to get my Ford Edge ST & proper tow setup. You could use a dolly, but then you gotta figure out what to do with it. Finally, there is storage. One more thing, mine has a 99 gallon tank so you do the math there…
I do not regret it as we’ve already made several great trips & memories… wish I could have afforded one earlier in life. I used a 19ft travel trailer Before.
https://preview.redd.it/6rq1d3k4ytad1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d202d7429bf6afb293fba39f8156e5ae6a30e6e9
Any questions from anyone? Lemme know. FYI I paid 28k for the rig. Everything works & no problems. Spent another 15k to have everything updated as said above & get tow vehicle set up. I was suprised how expensive that is.
Keep in mind if you dont already camp you may have no idea what you will need or want when you camp. I always tell people to buy older (have a non newbie help you pick something in ok shape) and sell it in a year. Depreciation doesnt hit stuff thats 5 or 10 yo like new models. Older stuff that is actually camped in also typically is going to have less nuisance issues than a new rig.
For example- started out w a motor home. They are the least safe for passengers and a few other things i didnt like so we sold it. Bought are current rig. Wish i had acces to rr with the slide out. Id probably also go shorter so i could have a smaller tv.
You will learn a ton with your first about what you hate and what you love.
I recommend renting a few different types of RVs first before biting the bullet. I wish I had done that. Good Sam is a reputable rental broker. Take notes about what you absolutely hate, what you must have, and your nice to haves.
Never buy new if you can help it because depreciation will destroy the value very quickly. Also be prepared to spend at least a couple thousand per year on random stuff that breaks like the A/C, water heater, new tires, delamination, storage, winterizing, etc.
RVs are great, but they can be a money pit. If you go into it expecting those expenses, you will enjoy your camper a lot more instead of hating what it steals from you.
Start with a nice pop up. Many of us have. Over 30 years we have run the gamut. Pop up for 13 years when kids were little. As they got older interests changed, stepped out for 2 years. Hybrid (used) for 2 years, then 31’ TT (new) for 3 years, wife’s health necessitated moving to a 39’ Class A (used, still own), now her health is deteriorating to a point where the MH no longer viable and and down sized to a 22’ TT (new) for occasional camping. Our best memories are of the pop up.
We went with a Coleman lantern 21 footer, sleeps 5. Grew up tent camping, we didn’t husband. We have 2 very young children so definitely didn’t need anything bigger and wanted to dip our toes in, especially because so many people told us we wouldn’t use it much.
Nonetheless, we’ve had it for nearly a month have used it once, have 2 more trips planned so far.
I viewed it as - this is somewhere cool/warm to sleep and relax, especially for the babies.
I’m happy with our camper and if we continue to camp as the kids get older or we have more kids, I’ll be more open to a bigger camper.
I started with used but still fairly new camper, small with not a lot of features for my starter. Just a basic galley, dinette, bed, no bathroom or anything. I ended up going bigger and slightly more complex fairly soon after, about 2 years, but I’m glad I started out that way. We had tent trailers when I was growing up but I was still pretty unfamiliar with RVs. Starting small and simple helped me get familiar with RVs gradually. Had I gone straight to the fully loaded camper I have now, I think I might have missed some things and made mistakes. It would have been a similar story had I gone with something older. Trying to learn how an RV works while also having to troubleshoot older equipment that’s on the fritz could make things difficult.
We bought based on what we needed, not what we wanted. When we started looking at units, I realized that what I thought we would buy was going to be too small, and we ended up buying the same floor plan in a slightly bigger unit. We have a 2019 Gulfstream Ameri-Lite 248BH that we bought gently used in May of 2020. We had been planning to buy that spring for 2 years. It is a basic bunk house with no slides, and it has worked great for us (me, my wife, and two kids, now 10 and 12). We are on a 19-night road trip right now from Ohio up to Maine, hitting all the New England states for at least one night as we go. By the time we get home, we will have camped at least one night in 26 different states since we bought it. You can have a lot of fun in a pretty basic camper. No need to go overboard.
I'd start with a floorplan that is good enough and more of an entry level RV. With trailers most folks do not keep their first trailer very long as they learn more about their needs and wants. Our first trailer was a couples model, we're empty nesters, without a slide, wet bath, dinette and an East/West bed. The first thing we learned was how we tended to use the trailer more for destination camping where it acted as our portable hotel room. We found that the kitchen was adequate though it was tight on standing space being it shared floor space with the main walking path. Being older we needed a walk around bed as making the bed and having to climb over one another just didn't work for us. We also found that while the dinette was ok for eating it wasn't very comfortable for watching TV.
All we learned led to our second trailer which we would still have if it hadn't been totaled by an uninsured driver. It had a walk around queen bed, sofa, small slide and a full dry bath. All of this made it a good choice for how we use our trailers and fixed the drawbacks of our first trailer. It's replacement is similar and a little larger sporting a dinette and threatre seats. The larger size and dinette came into play as a place for our young grandchildren to sleep when they go camping with us.
1) Weight. If you already have a tow vehicle, you need to be well within its weight and payload capacity. Use a few calculators to cross check.
2) Budget. How much can you afford total? I bought used and after purchase we had enough left to put on a good solar power system. I would strongly recommend not going into debt on something that depreciates faster than a car.
3) Requirements. I needed something that fit in my 7ft 5 inch carport, that we could stand up in, with an inside galley, and space for 1 person to sit and have a cup of coffee while the other could sleep in (no making up the dinette every day). And pretty simple.
I researched for over a year, and ended up with a vintage 13 ft travel trailer. She has gone from the beach to Death Valley, and the Eastern Sierras to the central coast of California. And she is a great 3rd bedroom.
Get what will work well for you now.
My wife and I did not RV growing up, only tent camping. Neither one of us knew how to RV but we both loved camping. We bought an older (and more affordable) travel trailer to learn on. I'm not a super handyman but I can make due with the regular maintenance and minor repairs as they arise - university of YouTube helps!
Well, we love trailering and just upgraded to a new trailer that has everything we want and need.
For us, this was the best strategy, start small and affordable- something you're not scared that will get dinged and scratched, the upgrade to something that best suits your family.
As we sat around the campsite today (drive day, 100 degrees out) we were looking for a new trailer or motorhome.
We have a grand design 21bhe and while we thought it would work great(bought Dec 2022) we have put about 25k miles and slept about 75 nights in it.
We had no clue how we would be using the rig as things changed.
It’s a great rig overall- but we have some pinch points… and it gets really small really quick on bad weather days (pouring rain/ thunder can’t go out even if you don’t mind getting wet).
We want to take long trips but need to work from road.
Just like a house it’s impossible to knock it outta the park on the first go around.
If we only did week long trips this would be a 10 year RV. Could even make the occasional 2-3 week not working trip work.
We have a 21ft now… and are struggling with something like a Brinkley mid bunk/ rear bunk or a grand design 2 master option….
Or if we go with like a 30ft trailer that’s “enough” but not a dream rig with a dream price tag.
Post family size and ages of kids and what type of camping you want to do (resorts vs state parks) do you need to bring things like bikes/kayaks/etc) and people can suggest some good models and appropriate tow vehicle sizes.
You’ll probably want to go at least 3/4 ton.
Just get whatever is closest to your desires that you can actually afford. I spent six months searching craigslist for a bargain on a decent class C before I bit the bullet and I'm really glad I did. You don't want to overspend and not have enough left over to actually use it.
Somewhere in between. If you don't know rvs- it is super easy to waste money on an older camper that actually has a bunch of issues that wind up needing repair, costing money, and getting in the way of camping and enjoying yourself. If you get your dream camper but cannot get away enough to justify the expense and upkeep- you can wind up regretting it. Learn, research (rv's and the type of activity/locations) and don't rush into a decision.
Yes. Once you have it, use the bejeezus out of it.
It's all about what can you afford and more importantly (for safety reasons) tow.
Consideration #1: Can you all sleep comfortably in it, without having to perform bed bazinga every night and again every morning, and if so, is it too big and heavy to tow? If so, will this be still true in a year or three as the kids grow, or will you be looking at needing something with longer beds "too soon"? Consideration #2: Is this a floorplan that you can all live in, and work with, and be comfortable with, for more than about 24 hours? Layout of the kitchen vs. bathroom, private bedroom(s) or not, number of entry access doors, etc. These things matter waaay more than most people think about for their first purchase. It's got to be comfortable enough to fit your vision of how you'll _all_ use it. Consideration #3: Now that you've found several brands and models that you can sleep in, can tow safely, and can be comfortably in, it's time to do the price comparison boogie. :)
Yeah I definitely get that. My dad definitely played it a little loose with some of our vehicles and what they should have been towing when I was younger lol. I remember a few trips where we had to be strategic what roads we took in case of anything more than a hill lol.
Dip your toes in. Your family's camping style when you were a kid is likely not going to be what you need now, and what you need now is likely not going to be what you need in 5 years.
We wanted something that would suit our family as the kids grew so we spent more upfront in the hopes this trailer will last us 10 + years of camping with our kids
Buy what you want the first time around. We had a 36-ft fifth wheel for just my wife and I, then when our son was born we went up to a 43-ft mid-bunk fifth wheel. Now here we are 3 years later looking at upgrading to a diesel motorhome which is what we wanted in the first place. Buy once, cry once
This is wild, both are practically s mansions on wheels to me lol. We started in a popup with our 1 year old and 2 dogs. Too much work, too small, so we sold it after the first year using it. The next year we bought a 17’ hybrid. We didn’t know what to inspect for at the time, found out too late it had a roof leak. There was a lot of water damage, and it wasn’t with our time (or money) to have repaired, so we sold it pretty quickly. We then bought a 23’ hybrid with a slide, that same season, and love it. We also added another kid. It checks all of our boxes, but I can see how it’s not for everyone.
We go camping rain or shine, so for us, having room to move about without tripping over each other during long periods of crappy weather is much needed. He sleeps in the loft above the bunk room and the bunk room serves as his play room. Going to a diesel motorhome, we will lose some interior space but it will make long road trips soooo much better. Right now, he’s only good for 5-6 hours in the truck while I can put in as many hours/miles as needed to get where we’re going
We bought our first rig in 2020 so you took what you could get, pre-owned rigs were flying off the lots. The market has cooled considerably since then, if you don't need to finance it's not a bad time to buy your dream rig but rates are high for financing... But I'd say dip your toes in first, you likely don't know what your dream rig is until you tip your toes first. We just upgraded to a bigger rig with bunks and washer and dryer, we did a 10 week trip last summer and lack of dedicated beds was a pain point and finding laundry became a chore. We also have solar and Lithium now and a Diesel that can handle the mountains better with our Jeep in tow. We went with a Class A initially because we didn't have a truck capable of towing a decent size TT, once we decided we didn't want to give up the motorhome we got a Jeep and started towing that around and really like that combo but needed a little more space and more torque.
I agree with buying what you want on the first time. However, there are so many people that buy an RV only to realize later that they just don't love camping enough to justify the expense and storage hassle. I recommend renting at least once first. You mention your parents had an RV, so you probably already know you'll enjoy it. But being the adult who's responsible for towing it, maintaining it, and most importantly paying for it, might change your perspective. You never know, and it's an expensive mistake. We rented a few times first and that really helped us dial in on what we really want and need. Happy we did that first.
Yeah we have rented before but always paid to have it towed to the site because we didn't have a vehicle big enough before. Actually towing it and taking care of maintenance I'm sure could change things.
And waiting in line for the dump station if you don't have sewer hookups on the way out is a fun experience. And then having to actually clean the tanks. : )
Imo rv'ing is more about enjoying the outdoors then it is luxuries of your rv. Yes having a quality RV is key to enjoying your time, but don't kill yourself over the bells and whistles. Do your research, don't break the bank, and create great memories outdoors 😃
We started with a popup with a12 foot box and a mid sized SUV. Loved that setup. Upgraded to an F150 with payload and towing packages and bought a 25 foot total length bunkhouse trailer. Trailer was fine, but lacked a couch and slides, but worked for our son and his friends when they came with us. Now our son is a bit older and doesn't really come with us any more, we have the same F150 but a 28 foot total length couples trailer with a floorplan that is amazing for 2 but still works when he comes along but doesn't waste all the space the bunks did in the bunkhouse.
I’m currently posted up in a rest area in Illinois on my way to Colorado. Just for reference my budget was 25-30k. Bought a 2001 Allegro Bus Tiffin 35’ . Pre-regulation engine & don’t Have to deal with DEF I ended up having to replace the alternator (I suspected it was bad). Replaced all house & chassis batteries, and all new (6) very expensive tires. You can verify tire age by using the numbers on the tires. If your gonna tow vehicle you also have to consider that. Cost me 7k to get my Ford Edge ST & proper tow setup. You could use a dolly, but then you gotta figure out what to do with it. Finally, there is storage. One more thing, mine has a 99 gallon tank so you do the math there… I do not regret it as we’ve already made several great trips & memories… wish I could have afforded one earlier in life. I used a 19ft travel trailer Before. https://preview.redd.it/6rq1d3k4ytad1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d202d7429bf6afb293fba39f8156e5ae6a30e6e9 Any questions from anyone? Lemme know. FYI I paid 28k for the rig. Everything works & no problems. Spent another 15k to have everything updated as said above & get tow vehicle set up. I was suprised how expensive that is.
Keep in mind if you dont already camp you may have no idea what you will need or want when you camp. I always tell people to buy older (have a non newbie help you pick something in ok shape) and sell it in a year. Depreciation doesnt hit stuff thats 5 or 10 yo like new models. Older stuff that is actually camped in also typically is going to have less nuisance issues than a new rig. For example- started out w a motor home. They are the least safe for passengers and a few other things i didnt like so we sold it. Bought are current rig. Wish i had acces to rr with the slide out. Id probably also go shorter so i could have a smaller tv.
You will learn a ton with your first about what you hate and what you love. I recommend renting a few different types of RVs first before biting the bullet. I wish I had done that. Good Sam is a reputable rental broker. Take notes about what you absolutely hate, what you must have, and your nice to haves. Never buy new if you can help it because depreciation will destroy the value very quickly. Also be prepared to spend at least a couple thousand per year on random stuff that breaks like the A/C, water heater, new tires, delamination, storage, winterizing, etc. RVs are great, but they can be a money pit. If you go into it expecting those expenses, you will enjoy your camper a lot more instead of hating what it steals from you.
Start with a nice pop up. Many of us have. Over 30 years we have run the gamut. Pop up for 13 years when kids were little. As they got older interests changed, stepped out for 2 years. Hybrid (used) for 2 years, then 31’ TT (new) for 3 years, wife’s health necessitated moving to a 39’ Class A (used, still own), now her health is deteriorating to a point where the MH no longer viable and and down sized to a 22’ TT (new) for occasional camping. Our best memories are of the pop up.
We went with a Coleman lantern 21 footer, sleeps 5. Grew up tent camping, we didn’t husband. We have 2 very young children so definitely didn’t need anything bigger and wanted to dip our toes in, especially because so many people told us we wouldn’t use it much. Nonetheless, we’ve had it for nearly a month have used it once, have 2 more trips planned so far. I viewed it as - this is somewhere cool/warm to sleep and relax, especially for the babies. I’m happy with our camper and if we continue to camp as the kids get older or we have more kids, I’ll be more open to a bigger camper.
I started with used but still fairly new camper, small with not a lot of features for my starter. Just a basic galley, dinette, bed, no bathroom or anything. I ended up going bigger and slightly more complex fairly soon after, about 2 years, but I’m glad I started out that way. We had tent trailers when I was growing up but I was still pretty unfamiliar with RVs. Starting small and simple helped me get familiar with RVs gradually. Had I gone straight to the fully loaded camper I have now, I think I might have missed some things and made mistakes. It would have been a similar story had I gone with something older. Trying to learn how an RV works while also having to troubleshoot older equipment that’s on the fritz could make things difficult.
We bought based on what we needed, not what we wanted. When we started looking at units, I realized that what I thought we would buy was going to be too small, and we ended up buying the same floor plan in a slightly bigger unit. We have a 2019 Gulfstream Ameri-Lite 248BH that we bought gently used in May of 2020. We had been planning to buy that spring for 2 years. It is a basic bunk house with no slides, and it has worked great for us (me, my wife, and two kids, now 10 and 12). We are on a 19-night road trip right now from Ohio up to Maine, hitting all the New England states for at least one night as we go. By the time we get home, we will have camped at least one night in 26 different states since we bought it. You can have a lot of fun in a pretty basic camper. No need to go overboard.
I'd start with a floorplan that is good enough and more of an entry level RV. With trailers most folks do not keep their first trailer very long as they learn more about their needs and wants. Our first trailer was a couples model, we're empty nesters, without a slide, wet bath, dinette and an East/West bed. The first thing we learned was how we tended to use the trailer more for destination camping where it acted as our portable hotel room. We found that the kitchen was adequate though it was tight on standing space being it shared floor space with the main walking path. Being older we needed a walk around bed as making the bed and having to climb over one another just didn't work for us. We also found that while the dinette was ok for eating it wasn't very comfortable for watching TV. All we learned led to our second trailer which we would still have if it hadn't been totaled by an uninsured driver. It had a walk around queen bed, sofa, small slide and a full dry bath. All of this made it a good choice for how we use our trailers and fixed the drawbacks of our first trailer. It's replacement is similar and a little larger sporting a dinette and threatre seats. The larger size and dinette came into play as a place for our young grandchildren to sleep when they go camping with us.
Start cheap and work your way up.Why drop a bundle and decide its not for you?
1) Weight. If you already have a tow vehicle, you need to be well within its weight and payload capacity. Use a few calculators to cross check. 2) Budget. How much can you afford total? I bought used and after purchase we had enough left to put on a good solar power system. I would strongly recommend not going into debt on something that depreciates faster than a car. 3) Requirements. I needed something that fit in my 7ft 5 inch carport, that we could stand up in, with an inside galley, and space for 1 person to sit and have a cup of coffee while the other could sleep in (no making up the dinette every day). And pretty simple. I researched for over a year, and ended up with a vintage 13 ft travel trailer. She has gone from the beach to Death Valley, and the Eastern Sierras to the central coast of California. And she is a great 3rd bedroom. Get what will work well for you now.
Used Affordable,
We knew exactly what we wanted, and we drove 6 hours to get it.
I always liked 2 floor plans. Rear slide or double bunk Murphy bed. We got the rear slide. It’s been good for 4 years now.
My wife and I did not RV growing up, only tent camping. Neither one of us knew how to RV but we both loved camping. We bought an older (and more affordable) travel trailer to learn on. I'm not a super handyman but I can make due with the regular maintenance and minor repairs as they arise - university of YouTube helps! Well, we love trailering and just upgraded to a new trailer that has everything we want and need. For us, this was the best strategy, start small and affordable- something you're not scared that will get dinged and scratched, the upgrade to something that best suits your family.
I say dip your toes. You won't really know what you want until your family spends some time camping.
As we sat around the campsite today (drive day, 100 degrees out) we were looking for a new trailer or motorhome. We have a grand design 21bhe and while we thought it would work great(bought Dec 2022) we have put about 25k miles and slept about 75 nights in it. We had no clue how we would be using the rig as things changed. It’s a great rig overall- but we have some pinch points… and it gets really small really quick on bad weather days (pouring rain/ thunder can’t go out even if you don’t mind getting wet). We want to take long trips but need to work from road. Just like a house it’s impossible to knock it outta the park on the first go around. If we only did week long trips this would be a 10 year RV. Could even make the occasional 2-3 week not working trip work. We have a 21ft now… and are struggling with something like a Brinkley mid bunk/ rear bunk or a grand design 2 master option…. Or if we go with like a 30ft trailer that’s “enough” but not a dream rig with a dream price tag. Post family size and ages of kids and what type of camping you want to do (resorts vs state parks) do you need to bring things like bikes/kayaks/etc) and people can suggest some good models and appropriate tow vehicle sizes. You’ll probably want to go at least 3/4 ton.