Looking for a small TT as we start RVing

[Mommacita]

Thanks for all the suggestions! Sailorpat, I would love to find a similar Skylark like the one you found; good bones and a good way to start inexpensively. The good thing is we aren’t in a rush and are able to do dig deep on researching. Buying your second camper first makes sense, but we hope to stay with our current truck for awhile and that does limit us somewhat in terms of size. Again, thank you all!

[Murff]

If you could find a 2015, or older, Jayco White Hawk 20MRB, it may work for you. GVWR of 5950 lbs. Slide out dinette. Murphy Bed up front. This trailer seems spacious when the Murphy Bed is up. Large rear bathroom with, what was refered as, a fifth wheel shower.

23 feet long tongue to bumper in length. 8 feet wide.

https://www.jayco.com/tools/archive/...te-hawk/20mrb/

One for sale:

https://www.rvtrader.com/listing/201...yco-5015127600

Murff

[Hollander Mutthaulers]

We tent camped for 50 years, mostly primitive. Then we got older and tried a pop-up which I called a struggle-up. It was nice and simple to tow, but a lot of work that one summer. We now have our 2017 16XRB which we really like. Part camper, part tent, lots of room, very airy in nice weather and plenty water-tight in rain. Big enough for two oldsters and a 50 pound old hound.

We spent three years finding what we still believe is the perfect rig for us and we have customized it and improved it to suit us just right. At 7' we can put it anywhere. We have twice been allowed a tent site in filled-up camp grounds. We have around 44,000 miles on it, had a few issues, but have never seen a rig we'd rather have.

You are doing the right thing. Research, research, research, pick brains, read, check videos and don't allow anyone to sell you anything except what you want. We wanted a 16' and the dealer wanted us to buy a 17'; he gave us an inflated price for a 16'. We went to the Jayco factory, ordered what we wanted and dealer lost out. Keep up the great work and you will have a rig you really like and you'll find RVing is more fun and exciting than you could ever imagine. And the same type people on this forum are those in the camps you stay in. Pretty good company!

[CBCOCRBO]

Originally Posted by Mommacita

Hi all,

I am new to the forum and posted originally in the regular TT section. I thought I should cross post here due to the need for a lighter/small trailer.

I just want to say thank you in advance for all the great information you provide! We are just beginning to look into traveling with a small camper and would love to get your feedback as we start researching.

We have a 2018 Chevy Colorado LT V6 3.6L short bed crew cab truck which would be our tow vehicle. It does have the tow package, so from my initial research it "can" tow 7000 lbs, but obviously we want to stay way under that. It will just be the two of us, our two small dogs, and occasionally one of our adult kids, but probably not both. We want to start purchasing a used model, hoping to stay around the 15k range. I have been looking at small towable trailers like the Jayco Jay Flight SLX 195RB and the Forest River Cherokee Wolf Pup 16FQ. Also looked at the Lance 1475/1575 and the Micro Minnies but they are going to be out of our price range I believe. I have also looked at the Escape, but they are so hard to find and are also $$.

I know these are small units, but with my husband not being one to embrace the idea of towing (in other words he's a bit nervous about it actually) I think we need to stay narrow, light and easy to tow. I have entertained the idea of a pop up as well. We have an area to the side of our home that would allow a 7 foot wide to fit perfectly, so there is that lol. The Forest River High Wall pop up looks nice, but I wonder if it is too much on the set up/take down for our liking.

What do you all think about the Jayco vs. the Wolf Pup? There is a dealer not too far from us that has a 2017 of each of the aforementioned models we may go look at this weekend. Any other suggestions for ones we should look into? Again, many thanks and enjoy the rest of this week!

check out the Bigfoot line of single axle trailers. They are a little spendy new but a used one may be affordable and what you want. They are very well built and last a lifetime. Good luck. Built in BC Canada.

[Jack N Janet]

Because they are new and replacing the Hummingbird I would think they would be out of the price range the people are willing to pay

[CBCOCRBO]

Originally Posted by Jack N Janet

Because they are new and replacing the Hummingbird I would think they would be out of the price range the people are willing to pay

I think with 15K USD to spend they will be able to find a pretty nice used Bigfoot unit. Doesn't hurt to check. Also I say don't get to anxious to buy. Trailers, even used ones are like busses. If you miss one or "pass on a deal" there is another one in 15 minutes. Good Luck.

[Jay2504]

One of the things that helped us decide what to buy was to sit inside the unit for 15-20 minutes instead of just a “walk through”. This really helped us when the list was narrowed down to just a few “semi finalists”. Buying the second camper first (or as close as possible to it) is also a very good idea. Jay

[saunterr44]

and I believe this adage....

Buy your 2nd RV first. Many enter RV life, thinking 'let's start small'. Only to find, eventually, that the small one is jusssst too small. That's exactly what happened to me and the wifey.

Get a bigger one FIRST. Life is short. GO FOR IT !

[joe w]

Originally Posted by Mommacita

Thanks for all the suggestions! Sailorpat, I would love to find a similar Skylark like the one you found; good bones and a good way to start inexpensively. The good thing is we aren’t in a rush and are able to do dig deep on researching. Buying your second camper first makes sense, but we hope to stay with our current truck for awhile and that does limit us somewhat in terms of size. Again, thank you all!

Good luck finding that "perfect" camper. We have a 212QB and love it. We have a Husky hitch, Centerline TS, that has served us well with no sway issues including encountering some very strong winds out west. The key as with any hitch is proper configuration. Don't forget having an electric brake controller, a must! We also installed a Micro-Aire soft start and that allows us to run the AC on our 2K 1.6K running inverter generator.

[FlaCamper]

You may want to consider renting a couple campers for weekend or even driveway camping. A lot of options on Craigslist or even the local RV sales center. This may settle some of of your towing or size thoughts. We rented a popup before buying our first one, the rental unit sucked but also settled my wife's concerns. We bought a used one soon after. Moved up to a 22 ft Jayco camper about 5 years later. Personally I still like the popup. Best of luck to you.
Craig

[Jefsemperfi]

Welcome!

My family camped for a few years in a Jayco 184BH. Nice model to start with IMO.

Happy trails