Hi! I'm Mary

[hotfishtacos]

Hi Mary! It is good that you asked the questions you did. Some people find what they want by buying one after the other until they end up with the right trailer. You need to ask yourself how are you going to use the trailer? You said, "get in and go so fully functional is what I'm looking for." So did I so I purchased a trailer I did not need to convert from a dinette into a bed when I wanted to sleep and so on. Do you always want to be in a campground with full hookups or do want to go remote; boon-docking or a mix of both? Any pets? How many people? Where are you going? Will it sometimes be really cold needing insulation and a heater or really hot requiring AC and maybe a generator from time to time to run it? I say all of this because the first question you need to answer is, "How are you going to use it?"...then go to the rally in Florida that was mentioned and look at the rigs and talk to everyone. You will then know exactly what you want and why. Welcome and good luck!

Steve

[lazrlady]

Thanks everyone for your posts. I will go to the Scamp Rally in Sebring in February. That park is one of my favorites. I appreciate the time and effort each one of you took in responding to my questions. I will find the right RV first then purchase the towing vehicle as suggested. I am in no hurry and might try renting a few different RVs before making a decision. I am thoroughly enjoying this friendly group. Once again, thanks all!

[Donna D.]

I tow a new Escape 5.0TA with a V6.. okay, so it's an Ecoboost and is rated for more than twice the weight of the Escape. The point is.. pay attention to the tow weight of YOUR tow vehicle. Buy the trailer first...

[MC1]

Sounds good Mary. Take your time with your new venture. It's kinds nice to get the trailer and TV right the first time. As far as a TV goes, whatever that may be, do your research and be sure it is connected optimally with a proper connection system etc. Also make every effort to buy a trailer with brakes.

Good luck.

[rdickens]

Mary -

I think attending the Sebring Scamp Camp is an excellent idea!
(Francie and I will be there from Sunday night until Friday/Saturday.)
You will undoubtedly see all kinds of trailers and tow vehicles.

When pilots select an airplane to rent or own, they often consider the
"mission profile" (i.e. "How far will I be going?"; "How many passengers
will I be carrying?"; "What is the purpose of the flight; sightseeing or
cross country travel?"; "Do I have the skill and experience to fly in
the expected conditions?", etc.)

I think that the same kinds of questions could be applied to trailer+TV
selection (i.e. "How often will I go?"; "How far will I go?"; "How long
will I stay out on each trip?"; "Will 90% of my destinations have good
flush toilets and showers?"; "How many people will I need to sleep?";
"Will "gas mileage" be much of a factor in my decision to go or not?";
"If my intended tow vehicle also serves as an "everyday driver", what
is the HP/Torque/MPG and how big a vehicle do I want to drive and
park every day?" )

While I agree that it might be nice to make the perfect decision the
first time, I don't believe that it is essential. I'm not sure that you
will ever truly know what trailer and options will suit you until you
have been out camping/traveling for a while?

After Sebring, I'd suggest making the best decision that you can,
purchasing something as quickly as seems reasonable to you, and
getting out and doing some camping/traveling.
Make some memories!

Considering that used FGRVs are scarce and the resale values are
fairly high, the penalty for a "less than perfect" decision is only the
effort and cost of the initial purchase price minus the expected resale
value. (You might also consider the delta between purchase and
possible resale as "renting" the trailer from yourself? )

While our 2011 Honda CRV was and still is a great everyday driver
and was at least "adequate" as a tow vehicle, I much prefer to tow
a trailer that weighs much less than my tow vehicles rated capacity.
That is why we recently replaced my older "work car" with a 2014
Ford Escape 2.0L I4 Ecoboost with ~240hp and ~270 ft/lbs of torque.
(If you are towing with a lighter vehicle and near the top of your
vehicles rated capacity, I would definitely consider adding brakes
to your trailer. IMHO- While most other options are about
convenience/comfort - trailer brakes are about safety.)

While some folks are apparently skilled and patient enough to tow
at (or above?) their tow vehicles rated capacity, I don't think that
option is for everyone.

Just for fun ... and food for thought, below is the rig that was parked
2 spaces away from us at the LBL (Land Between the Lakes) rally.

Apparently, there was a whole group with similar rigs that made a
trek up to Alaska.

As always, these ideas and opinions may be worth about what you
paid for them ($0.00) and YMMV.

Good luck with your decision(s)!

Ray

[papa-t]

Welcome Mary

[MC1]

Originally Posted by rdickens

That is why we recently replaced my older "work car" with a 2014
Ford Escape 2.0L I4 Ecoboost with ~240hp and ~270 ft/lbs of torque.
Ray

Ray, the weight to power ratio of your rig is about 24lbs per 1HP. That is an amazing number. To say you have power to spare is an understatement.

[rdickens]

Wayne,
..... and we are getting 21-23 mpg towing at 60-62 mph.

So, I don't believe that I will even think twice about fuel costs
if my wife wants to hitch up and head for California, Canada,
Alaska, the New England Coast, Florida, or the Gulf Coast.

Ray

[Vtec]

Goodness gracious! 27 posts for Mary thinking about campers. We are going to scare her away like the lady who showed up to a singles dance and was the only girl there, lol.

Winter must be already getting long for us all as we are dreaming about the impending spring and getting out our rigs.

[Bob Miller]

I don't know about that fear.... If I was the only guy at a singles dance I would be the happiest guy on the planet! LOL...

[Darral T.]

Think about it... what if she had posted and NOBODY responded? This IS a forum....

Originally Posted by Vtec

Goodness gracious! 27 posts for Mary thinking about campers. We are going to scare her away like the lady who showed up to a singles dance and was the only girl there, lol.

Winter must be already getting long for us all as we are dreaming about the impending spring and getting out our rigs.

[Jon in AZ]

What I find amusing...

The OP announces her intention to upgrade her TV, and a string of posts tries to convince her to keep it. If she had announced her intention to keep her current TV, a string of posts would have tried to convince her to upgrade it. All without the slightest indication from the OP what sort of trailer she is thinking about buying...

A string of posts urges her to decide about the trailer first, then the tug. Then a string of posts sings the praises of various tow vehicles. And still no indication of what the OP plans to tow...

Such is the nature of a forum during the slow winter season... Happy New Year, all, and may spring come quickly!

[Mike Magee]

You make an interesting observation, Jon. Where is the line between being helpful and being a busybody? We're a fine bunch! But at least we're enjoying it.

[MC1]

It's a great time of the year....... wishing Mary the best and hope she finds what she is looking for.

[Borden]

Originally Posted by lazrlady

I'm a Novice in search of a suitable small fiberglass camper for local weekend trips and once comfortable....trips around FL and perhaps the SE. I want my first camper to be a get in and go so fully functional is what I'm looking for.

I am learning that my Toyota Matrix wagon will not be an acceptable towing vehicle. So, that puts me in the market for a good used vehicle for towing as well.

I look forward to viewing this site and hope to purchase my first camper and towing vehicle soon.

Any help and tips for what I should know to make good buying decisions will be greatly appreciated.

Respectfully submitted,
Mary

Well would suggest you find the camper then the TV as you may not need a change if you pick a 12' trailer or you could end up picking one that will not best meet your needs if you pick a V8 to pull a small trailer. Then you may pick one that has less capacity than required for the trailer you pick and would have to change again that would not be fun.

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by Mike Magee

You make an interesting observation, Jon. Where is the line between being helpful and being a busybody? We're a fine bunch! But at least we're enjoying it.

Exactly!

I reread the OP's single follow-up post #22. I think she is quite capable of making a good decision, with or without our interference.

[Uplander]

But we do know how to offer a vast variety of advise and suggestions....no shortage of both knowledge and opinions on this most friendly and helpful website!
Happy New Year to all !!