Why we Chose a Travel Trailer

Let me start by saying we purchased our very first RV in 2020. I had no prior experience, no RV knowledge, and I’ve never towed anything, which honestly scared me. We just had a dream of cross-country travel and we were excited to make our first purchase. That said, choosing an RV should take some thought.  I know it can be an exciting time, but before putting down that deposit think about how you plan on using your rig. Don’t let your excitement cloud your judgment, and never feel pressure from a salesperson whose interest is in closing the deal today.  Be sure to tour the different types of RVs, writing down the features you like and dislike. Also, think about how you plan to use your RV: will you be camping in National Parks, staying for long periods in one location, or staying off the grid. One final thing, don’t think of this as an investment. I went into this figuring if I did not enjoy the RV after my first year, I’d sell and possibly be out $5,000.

Here are some of the things we thought of before selecting our RV, and how we concluded a travel trailer made the most sense for us.

• I must be comfortable with the overall length as we planned on driving this across the country.  We toured motorized vehicles, travel trailers, and even a Class B van.  It didn’t take much time for us to determine the travel trailer made the most sense for our proposed travels.  And, based on the travel trailers we toured, the maximum length I felt comfortable towing was 25 feet, total!  Also note, if you plan on staying within National Parks, they do have length restrictions. On the topic of size, take into consideration the overall width as well. We toured 7.5 ft widths and 8 ft widths.
• We wanted a “full” bathroom with a separate shower. After looking at several campers, we knew a wet bath was not for us.  FYI, a wet bath is an all-in-one bathroom where you shower AND do “your business” in the same space. This immediately ruled out a Class B. Price and space were also factors in that decision.
• Some separation within the RV, if possible. The rig we purchased had a rear dinette, mid bath with kitchen, and a front bedroom. This allowed one person to go to bed, while the other could stay up and read at the dinette.
• No slides. For me, less was more. I didn’t want to deal with mechanical equipment breaking or having to maneuver around a slide when accessing the bathroom or kitchen during a rest stop.
• I wanted a double axle trailer. I read/heard that should your tire blow, it’s easier to handle. As I mentioned, this was the first time I’ve owned an RV and I’ve never towed anything. Safety was a number one concern so I wanted a double axle. I don’t know if this is me just being overly cautious but it made sense to me. Plus, I read plenty of stories about RV’s and tires, just Google it.
• Plenty of windows for natural light. This lead us to the specific model we chose.
• Holding tank size. We don’t plan on doing much, if any, boondocking (camping on BLM land with no hookups), but if we wanted to stay a few nights somewhere without hookups, I wanted to make sure our tank size is adequate.
• We wanted to explore the areas we stayed at. We felt dropping off the camper in a campground would allow us the best option to explore the surrounding area in our tow vehicle. This made the most sense as we planned on staying in areas for one week at a time, and a travel trailer fit this need. I will admit the smaller motorized RV (Class B+) appealed to me, however, driving a rig through the National Parks while trying to find a parking space at a trailhead concerned me. Having visited 12 National Parks in 2021, I’m glad we didn’t purchase one.
• Price. I had a budget to work with.  This is very important as the weight of an RV will determine the size of your tow vehicle. I planned to purchase a Chevy Silverado 1500 with a tow package so my maximum towing capacity was around 9,500 pounds.  With this decision, I knew I had to find an RV lighter than 9,500 pounds and a travel trailer made the most sense.  And for safety, I planned on choosing something well below that.  

Now all the above might seem daunting, but we were able to conclude quickly that a travel trailer made the most sense after touring three different RV Types. The key is, you need to start somewhere! The perfect rig might not exist and you don’t want that to stop you from getting out and exploring!

Considering all this, we feel fortunate to have found our perfect trailer: The 2020 Coachmen Freedom Express Ultra Light, model 204RD.  What makes your rig perfect for you and your family? Share your thoughts below.

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Below are some of the features, we enjoyed while traveling over the past two seasons: