One Happy Camper!.

I'm not going to say a great deal about our RVing, this being primarily a repository for images, but I will speak briefly about the choice of trailer versus motor-home and factors that weighed in our decision of what to buy. Most everyone suggested we buy a class "A" - the big units that typically look like a shoebox on wheels. The logic was that "everyone ends up there eventuially" so why not start there and save the cost of depreciation? We (my wife and I) studied long and hard before purchasing what we did; I can only say that two purchases of virtually identical trailers (from different manufacturers for quality reasons) should demonstrate to you what we know for certain - the mid-size tow behind is the perfect choice for us. We looked at everything, at every show, for over a year - until we literally couldn't find something we hadn't seen before. This is what we determined:

First, understand that we are a couple with a small dog. We try to go once a month one long weekend and 10 days to two weeks each Fall. If your family size or itinerary is different, your needs will be also.

We considered a small trailer 15 - 20 foot, but dismissed these as, while some have adequate living space, none have storage enough for more than a long weekend. The mini refrigerators, shallow cupboards, and minimal closet areas just don't provide space enough to provision for more than a few days. Yes, you can stop at stores and yes, you can build or buy additional storage, but as a class of trailer they weren't a good fit for us.

We considered larger, the 35 - 45 foot 5th wheel has much to offer. Full-sized refrigerators, multiple slide-outs, recliners and built in vacuum cleaner systems are attractive features, but these behemoths don't fit just anywhere. Finding parking in state or county parks is less common; RV parks are built to accommodate these rigs, but at sometimes twice or three times the nightly rate. Again, there are exceptions and anyone preferring or requiring these larger units will find accommodations.

Overall, we're very happy with our choice. It fits in 81% of National Parks (What is the Best RV Size for National Park Camp Sites? - Camper Report [external link in new window]), it holds provender enough for a week or more with only a small cooler for additional refrigerator space, has a modest, but comfortable bathroom, and tows easily "uphill and down, all around town". Lastly, the tow behind style lets us drop our trailer at basecamp and use our tow vehicle as inter-trip transportation - without paying maintenance on a second vehicle.