Need input/pro con- wife wants to sell Melbourne 24 l and go to pull trailer

[Vezfly]

Just bought 6 months ago , now she thinks pull trailer would be better for family ?? Would like input on folks who have done both?thank you

[TWP723]

You can find some really nice TT's. Depending on what model, it'll have more room because the entire length is used. Of course, it'll all depend on tow vehicle as well. But there are some nice options to pick from.


KEEP MOMMA HAPPY!

[Midnightmoon]

Having had both over the years, here's my input.

Advantages to motorhome

- Ability to enjoy the coach while traveling. Room to get up and move, use the facilities, etc. without effort.
- No hooking and unhooking of a trailer (unless pulling car which I will discuss below)
- Having the built in generator makes roadside stops very nice.


Advantages of a trailer

- You don't have to pull a car with you or rent a car when you get to your destination.
- Less mechanical maintenance items to deal with
- More available storage when you factor the bed of the tow vehicle
- Many sizes and shapes to choose from


If you notice from my signature, we are now using a small travel trailer. It simply fits our traveling style better for the time being.

[norty1]

We are camping with a couple that had a tt, then moved up to a fifth wheel. Sold it and after a few years. They bought a new class C.

Last night they told us they really miss the space they had in the tow behinds. But age and agility make it a better fit at this stage of life.

[xmtraveler]

I agree with you norty1 very much on this issue. I have been on the road for just about 45 yrs. having gone from Popup, TT and two 5th wheels. I still own a very nice Ford power stroke diesel that I used to pull the last 5th wheel. Trailering certainly provides tremendous space compared to most Motorhomes even the big class A type, and the maintenance is more than the trailer but for us it is a question now of our age and many times we make short trips where we just jump in Jayco 24 footer and go. Its easy to back up even in very small sites as I have found in some state parks. We still love the old fashioned camping where you have to rough it some so in the winter we may go to a state park that has no utilities and we get to use the generator as lanterns, old coleman stove and etc. For us the ease of just getting in and going rather than the hookup required on the trailer and the backing into sites. We also have a tow on a dolly but we do not take it with us all the times. Just the camper and bikes. It really is preference if you have a large family and perhaps still young and able to handle the trailer certainly the space is there. But for us at our age we like the motorhome even though ours is small for us old timers it is quite enjoyable. When we take the tow it is not easy many times to get in and out of gas stations for fuel but this also applies to a sizeable trailer as well. I find myself always checking the straps on the tires on the tow which is a little bothersome but it is more of a safety issue rather than maintenance issue. So there are pro and cons to both trailer and motorhome.

[nunyadamn]

I had a Class C for about 1 1/2 years - my intention was I would pull my boat to the lake, but I only live 30min from the lake we used to go to every weekend. In that time, we never once towed the boat. I already had a 2500HD diesel crew cab.

Pro's as others have said for Class C - loved traveling in the Class C. Wife could grab food for me as we drove, kids weren't cooped up as much.

Con's for Class C - when we went anywhere long distance, we had to tow the wife's car on a dolly. When we got where we were going, had to deal with the dolly. Not a huge problem, but inconvenient - without the car, if we forgot something at the store or wanted to get around, we had to pickup camp. The slideout was not as wide as in our trailer.

Now we have had our trailer for about 3 years and love it.

Pro's trailer - wider slideout (wrap around table seating), since I had the truck already, we now just drop the trailer and have a vehicle to get around.

Con's - we are longer than before, can't tow both the trailer and boat if we wanted to, kids cooped up in the truck for long trips.

[FeatherFam]

I go with DW. When she inspired by anything RV or TV, I go for it and consider myself blessed! These are "golden moments." If it were me, I would be dreaming up and narrowing down TT and TV options. Make it work for you - know what I mean ...

[xmtraveler]

Well I guess its a big decision to make but I do believe if you stlll have kids at home or who can make a lot of trips with you its a big factor to have a large unit to give everyone some breathing room. In our case because our kids are grown and gone and not close by my wife and I don't need the extra space we had previously. I remember from our first trip to Yellowstone more than 20 yrs now we had a 27 foot Starcraft trailer and we stayed at the Fishing Bridge campground inside Yellowstone. My wife had made some friends who were parked next to ours in a huge 5th wheel and from that moment on we had to move up to a bigger rig which was a 32 foot Damon 5th Wheel, what a trailer,. At that time our kids were still at home and we could use the space. Now with just my wife and I most of time except during summer with the grand kids the Jayco 26' with bed extended is quite enough for the two of us.

[jkaras7]

Originally Posted by xmtraveler

Well I guess its a big decision to make but I do believe if you stlll have kids at home or who can make a lot of trips with you its a big factor to have a large unit to give everyone some breathing room. In our case because our kids are grown and gone and not close by my wife and I don't need the extra space we had previously. I remember from our first trip to Yellowstone more than 20 yrs now we had a 27 foot Starcraft trailer and we stayed at the Fishing Bridge campground inside Yellowstone. My wife had made some friends who were parked next to ours in a huge 5th wheel and from that moment on we had to move up to a bigger rig which was a 32 foot Damon 5th Wheel, what a trailer,. At that time our kids were still at home and we could use the space. Now with just my wife and I most of time except during summer with the grand kids the Jayco 26' with bed extended is quite enough for the two of us.

I agree with XMTraveler. For just my wife and me our Melbourne 24L is enough. It is big enough to give us some breathing space and small enough that we can take it just about anywhere without having to pull a vehicle behind us. Having said that, each case is different and depends on the needs and wants of those who will be using the RV. Wish you the best in whatever decision you make.

[Vezfly]

Really appreciate all replies, thank y'all so much- it's really helped

[Pfflyer]

Agree with all the pros and cons but here is another Con for your situation. You most likely are going to take a big hit on the price of your class C especially if you trade it in. That may change DW's mind.

[KST-184BH]

Originally Posted by Pfflyer

Agree with all the pros and cons but here is another Con for your situation. You most likely are going to take a big hit on the price of your class C especially if you trade it in. That may change DW's mind.

X2 - the loss of equity would probably be as much as a smaller TT. We spent a lot of time thinking of the pros & cons before committing to the Class C. Must be some pretty big issues with the 24L if you are ready to trade it in after 6 months.

[Pfflyer]

We thought about going to a small class A mainly because of the bed until we got a 52k to $54k trade in value. We decided to suck it up and deal with the bed.

[KST-184BH]

Originally Posted by Pfflyer

We thought about going to a small class A mainly because of the bed until we got a 52k to $54k trade in value. We decided to suck it up and deal with the bed.

Ouch, that is not good at all however I know they always low-ball any trade in. Was going to use my 2014 184BH (mint condition) for a trade in and they offered me $4500. Consigned through PPL and in 2 months sold for (after PPL $975 fee) $7525. It would be nice if these dealers wouldn't take you to the cleaners on trades.
The 2018 interior color scheme sure is sweet and matches the sleek exterior (oven still looks odd w/o wood enclosure) but no-way I could justify such a loss with the depreciation. Wonder if I could re-stain the wood and change out the linoleum... And why in God's name did they use cabinet hardware (2016) that catches every item of clothes I wear....sorry for the rant and hi-jack

2018 Interior Color Scheme



Clothes Grabbers

[che57vy]

I had those handles om my RV cabinets went to the big box store easy and cheap replace.

[KST-184BH]

Originally Posted by che57vy

I had those handles om my RV cabinets went to the big box store easy and cheap replace.

It's on the to do list but with 20+ handles to replace (want to be universal) haven't got around to the task. Just blows my mind, this didn't get re-thought somewhere along the line. Guess none of the engineers had the chance to walk around and get their shorts pulled down ...

[Bassdogs]

Originally Posted by Vezfly

Really appreciate all replies, thank y'all so much- it's really helped

OK I'll ask, What were you thinking when you popped for the MH??? Did you take a test drive? Did you talk to friends who own a MH? Did you check out the forums?

OR

Was there heavy drinking the night before the decision?

In my home, I'd be telling DW that this is what we have and its too late to change now. We'll take a look at a TT and 3 or 4 years down the road we'll see what makes sense. Buying a new MH is not a bad movie that you return after watching the first 15 minutes.

[pconroy]

Originally Posted by Bassdogs

Was there heavy drinking the night before the decision?

Boy if I had a nickel for every time a friend asked me that...



Nothing to add except, the dealer trade in will be pathetic. We sold our old Class C on craiglist for about twice what the trade-in offer was.


Motorhomes, like boats, pools and many other things, are just money pits. Never go into it expecting to come out ahead, or even. Just try to limit the losses.

[Vezfly]

Actually no issues , it is great. Wife just wants more room and I'm not spending money on a Seneca. I love the way it drives, pick in 5 minutes and leave!! I got mid 60s trade in yesterday , going to try and sell on my own first to see if anyone wants to avoid paying sales tax