TT assistance

[Jkmrich]

Hello everyone. Searching for a travel trailer has been overwhelming so far. We are looking for a 30 foot or less rear living trailer with opposing slides. Does it exist? How do you find it without going to every lot? Sales people don’t seem to know or care unless you interested in something in their inventory. Thank you!

[ktmrfs]

2012Coleman wrote:

Jkmrich wrote:
Thanks all for sharing your knowledge. So much to learn. Our primary “want” isthe opposing slides so we have an open area so likely we will get the smallest trailer that fills that. I can’t see a few feet difference making it that much more difficult to maneuver, fingers crossed.

Check out the Grand Design Reflection 297RSTS . 33 ft long, rear living, opposing slides. TV is directly across from theater seating.

similar concept and layout to ours and IMHO a very nice layout. The "rear living" double slides are becoming very popular. when looking at trailers there were several things very important to us besides the basic layout. think about what is important to you. For us the list included

1) the ability to access fridge, bath, bedroom, dinette, cooktop, pantry, microwave with the slides in during rest stops or to have a quick getaway in the morning.
2) reasonable space under the awning.
3) holding tanks big enough for reasonable dry camping. 45 gallons or so fresh, 35 or so black and 60+ grey.
4) room for at least 2 GC batteries, preferably 4

Lots of similar design trailers varied between meeting all 4 requirements to meeting none for us. And what you list for your top ones may be one such that our trailer met zip of your.

So make a list of what is important as you compare trailers.

And regardless, IMHO go into the trailer with ALL the slides in. An easy way to see a "gotcha" that you may really not like.

[Jkmrich]

That’s a beauty Coleman. Thanks for posting!

[2012Coleman]

Jkmrich wrote:
Thanks all for sharing your knowledge. So much to learn. Our primary “want” isthe opposing slides so we have an open area so likely we will get the smallest trailer that fills that. I can’t see a few feet difference making it that much more difficult to maneuver, fingers crossed.

Check out the Grand Design Reflection 297RSTS . 33 ft long, rear living, opposing slides. TV is directly across from theater seating.

[ktmrfs]

Jkmrich wrote:
Thanks all for sharing your knowledge. So much to learn. Our primary “want” isthe opposing slides so we have an open area so likely we will get the smallest trailer that fills that. I can’t see a few feet difference making it that much more difficult to maneuver, fingers crossed.

a lot of the "can't fit" is really dependent on driving and backing skills. We've got our 35ft (65ft combined length) trailer into spots that others couldn't get a 25ft into. DW and I have a good backing co ordination system and know pretty accurately if we can fit and the best approach to backing or manuvering.

[Jkmrich]

Thanks all for sharing your knowledge. So much to learn. Our primary “want” isthe opposing slides so we have an open area so likely we will get the smallest trailer that fills that. I can’t see a few feet difference making it that much more difficult to maneuver, fingers crossed.

[Seamutt]

I have a 26ft rear living one slide been all over NA never desired anything bigger. Never have run out of storage. In our travels had sites that have been challenging even for our size. Be careful about bigger is better.

[ktmrfs]

doughboy wrote:
hello
we have a 2013 viewfinder made by cruiser rv.
it is 31 ft also, but 1 ft extra,. we love it, roomy in the living room. we had 8 adults and 3 children in the living room with plenty of room.

very similar to our outback 295RE. Yes the LR has lots of room and with 3 sides with windows great views. We've had 10+ people in the living/dining area without getting crowded. Ours has a tV that drops down below the cabinet for a full rear window with the TV down.

[doughboy]

hello
we have a 2013 viewfinder made by cruiser rv.
it is 31 ft also, but 1 ft extra,. we love it, roomy in the living room. we had 8 adults and 3 children in the living room with plenty of room.

[doughboy]

hello
we have a 2013 viewfinder made by cruiser rv.
it is 31 ft also, but 1 ft extra,. we love it, roomy in the living room. we had 8 adults and 3 children in the living room with plenty of room.

[doughboy]

hello
we have a 2013 viewfinder made by cruiser rv.
it is 31 ft also, but 1 ft extra,. we love it, roomy in the living room. we had 8 adults and 3 children in the living room with plenty of room.[img][/img]

[ktmrfs]

Jkmrich wrote:
Thanks for the info Dutch!

I agree with Dutch. We have basically the same trailer dutch had. What we found is that for campsite issues, once above about 25 ft it doesn't make much difference in site availability. If you can get a 30ft in highly likely you can get a 35ft in. It's those 25ft or less spots or old sites with narrow roads that are an issue and tyhe design was for quite short trailers.

what can be an issue is the opposing slides. Occasionally we found manuvering into a site to get both slides out with clearance took some careful thinking and placement. but again, size wouldn't matter is was a case of being almost 24ft wide with the slides out.

And frankly, a long trailer quickly becomes easier to back than a short trailer.

In all our travels, (30K+ miles) and 45-60 days/year camping for the last 10 years we have never had a situation where we couldn't camp near or at where we were interested. Yes, in a few cases we were limited to which sites, and occasionally not our first choice of campgrounds, but still very nice. And we seldom camp in RV parks, maybe 1/4 of the time in state parks, most often in FS or more primitive campsites. Which are usually have the big spacing between site, but the tightest roads and shortest pads.

So..... while a 30-35 ft has some disadvantages, the advantages for us outweigh them.

Waking up in the morning, having coffee in the couch looking our three big windows to the outdoors....... priceless.

nice living room to stretch out in every evening.... priceless.

[Jkmrich]

Thanks for the info Dutch!

[DutchmenSport]

We had a 31 foot Keystone Springdale and then went to a Keystone Outback 298RE (Rear Living room), same as ktmrs (above), except it had a closet slide in the bed room.

In my opinion, going from the 31 foot to the 35 foot showed no difference. They towed the same, both took the same campsites (length), and backing was just about the same, after a couple attempts and got comfortable, never a problem again.

Now, if storage is the reason to stay 30 feet or under, I understand. But if for some reason there is a difference in 4 or 5 feet... well ... there really isn't. Once you hit 30 feet, it's all about the same, might as well go for the gold and get the 40 footer.

Go to ThorIndustries.com and select the RV and drill down to each manufacturer. Click on the blue button near the bottom, "Meet the companies". You'll be blown away with what's out there, and who ThorIndustries children companies are.

Good luck!

[donn0128]

Spend some time on mg web sites looking at floor plans.