We wanted
a trailer towable by our truck, something in the 25 to 30 ft range. It needed to sleep two comfortably, with a couple of small dogs, yet have room for guests as well. We would be happy with full hook-ups in a nice campground, but want to also spend some time boon-docking. That is a pretty simple version of our start. We actually purchased a new F150 Supercab with eco-boost engine. That pretty much put a cap on the size of a new trailer, whih was fine with one of us. But we knew we would sometimes be traveling with one or more guests and wanted room to be able to entertain, so the search was on for a trailer small enough to tow, but big enough to fit all our needs in. We didn’t have an unlimited budget and
didn’t want to take the time to remodel and refit an older trailer
We scoured the Internet looking at manufacturer pages, RV reviews – and hours and hours of YouTube videos. We went to several RV shows. I’m the guy you might have seen, prying covers off and crawling under trailers.
One of the things on the top of our list was “no formaldehyde”. We wanted a trailer that was “green” in terms of fumes and chemicals leaching out. These trailers get hot in the sun, so we wanted to avoid at least the obvious hazards. We also wanted a trailer that was 3 and half seasons at least. We don’t intend to camp in freezing conditions, but we’d like to not have to panic if the temp is going to drop into the low 30’s or high 20’s for an evening. So tank heaters, a covered “basement” and dual pane windows were on our list. We really liked layouts with a front bedroom with a large window and a rear living space also with lots of window. (Remember these last sentances…) While we really like Forest River, but for the layout, choose a Flagstaff 26’ Ultralight trailer (for those of you who don’t know, Flagstaff, IS Forest River – more on that later).
Before I get into the nitty gritty details, a few comments on what we saw at the shows. My pre-conceived notion was that RV’s at the shows would be the cleanest, neatest, most perfectly constructed RVs the manufacturers or dealers had their hands on. Not so. I saw seams that didn’t fit. I saw wallpaper that had been cut way past corners or had wrinkles in it. I saw blinds that didn’t operate properly. There was at least one trailer that the dealer though it was necessary to use a strong scent plugin, ostensibly to cover up some smell. I found non-waterproof electrical boxes underneath trailers exposed to the elements. Many cabinet doors weren’t aligned properly. But for the most part – they looked “nice” – if only you didn’t look real close while you were touring 50 trailers. While I knew “nice” might only skin deep, I had no idea how true that would end up being. I look back and I think – RV sales people have accepted that their product is seriously flawed and just hope the customers will look past the problems just like they do. Next: The factory tour.