If you’re on the hunt for a way to elevate your next vacation or camping trip, a camper is the way to go—and no style balances luxury and convenience quite like a travel trailer. We here at C&R Auto & Trailer Sales want to help you get the most out of every trip, so we’ve put together a few tips for buying the right travel trailer, below. To learn more, or to see the travel trailers we have for sale, contact our store in Tremonton, Utah, today!
Build a Budget
As with any large purchase, your first step should be to determine exactly what you can safely pay without impinging on your other needs. Travel trailers can be pretty pricey, depending on what you want to bring with you on the road—some of the most pricey models can be over $100,000! Luckily the most affordable ones are just a few thousand and most models fall between the extremes.
First, decide how much money you can realistically spend on a travel trailer, including fees like registration, insurance, fuel, and supplies. If you don’t have the savings to buy the model you want immediately, try to plan around financing, which will need a down payment of 10-20% of the sticker price with the rest paid off monthly with interest. To stretch your dollar further, consider buying a preowned model.
Your Tow Vehicle
You’re going to need a vehicle to tow your travel trailer to and from the campsite, and with the bumper-pull hitch design travel trailers use, most vehicles will be compatible. Your primary concern is whether the vehicle can safely and efficiently handle the weight of the camper.
Check your vehicle’s GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) to make sure it can handle the weight, including all cargo, any passengers in the vehicle, and the travel trailer itself. Unless you’re willing to rent a heavy-duty truck on every drive, the GVWR will be a hard upper limit on the size of travel trailer you can buy.
The Size of the Group
Another important consideration is how many people will be joining you on every trip. For one thing, you need enough living space to gather comfortably, but sleeping arrangements are also important. If it’s just you and a partner, most travel trailers will do, but the more people who need a sleeping space, the larger and more flexible you need the layout to be.
Most models will come with a private bedroom with either a queen or king mattress, but for larger groups with lots of kids, a bunkhouse model will also include several twin-sized bunks in a separate area. Or if the group consists of two couples, you may want a model that has two private bedroom areas instead of just one.
Ready to get started? Contact us at C&R Auto & Trailer Sales for more information, or to see the travel trailers we have available. We proudly serve Logan and Ogden, Utah—let us serve you today!
