r/GoRVing

Considering my first camper and want to get the feedback from you fine folks on my proposed setup. I think this will tow just fine, but would love to hear if others disagree or have had different experiences.

Truck is a 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 x31 short bed crew cab with the factory tow (not max). Numbers are 1816 payload and 9200 towing.

Trailer I’m looking at is a 2021 Dutchmen Coleman Lantern 274BH. Dry weight 4789, gvwr 7600, 28.7’ bumper to hitch, twin axle.

Plan to tow mostly Michigan lower peninsula. Looking to buy from all American coach company in Toledo Ohio. Side note, so far they have been extremely pleasant to work with! Quoted me 19k out the door (tax, title, docs) for camper, wdh, and hoses which I think is fair price but this is all new to me.

With me in the vehicle is wife, and two kids under 5. All in budgeting 500lbs for people.

Thanks in advance for your feedback!

Thinking about getting a smaller 5th wheel. I like the idea of a gooseneck because it doesn’t fill the bed of my truck. What are the pros and cons?

My husband and I are planning a 10-day road trip through the Pacific Northwest with our 14-month-old mid September and we’re stuck deciding between renting a Class C RV or staying in hotels/Airbnbs along the way.

We originally decided on the Class C RV because it seemed like it would make the trip much easier with a toddler. We love the idea of having everything with us the entire time rather than constantly packing/unpacking, loading and unloading luggage, setting up a hotel room, etc. We also like the flexibility of having our own space, being able to change plans, stop along the way, staying at cool campgrounds in nature, and the novelty of doing a big PNW road trip in an RV sounds fun.

That said, the more I think about it, the more nervous I’m getting about the RV. We’ve never stayed/traveled in an RV before, so I’m wondering if we’re underestimating everything that comes with it. Things like driving a larger vehicle, hookups, tanks, water, keeping everything running, dealing with mechanical issues, staying campgrounds, etc. And with a toddler, I’m wondering if an RV actually makes things easier or if it creates a whole new set of things to worry about.
We realize cost is also a consideration. We realize we will not be saving money with the cost of gas but just how much more expensive it may be.

For those who have done an RV road trip with a young child:
- Did you find a Class C made traveling with a toddler easier?
- Was it actually less stressful than hotels?
- How much work is involved with the RV day-to-day?
- How reliable are rentals generally, and what happens if you have a mechanical issue during the trip?
- How did you like driving RV and how much more time does it add to travel going at a slower pace?
-If you’ve done both RV and hotel road trips with young kids, which would you choose for a 10-day trip?

Just trying to figure out whether the RV would genuinely make the trip more enjoyable and convenient, or whether we’re romanticizing the idea and would be better off with hotels.

THANK YOU SO MUCH IN ADVANCE:)

Edit to include more information: We’re flying into Seattle and doing a loop that includes Olympic National Park, the Oregon Coast, Crater Lake, Mt. Rainier, and North Cascades National Park before ending back in Seattle. We will staying at 2 campsites for 2 nights and rest for only 1 night. We contacted some RV sites and they said since we are going mid-September when kids go back to school we shouldn’t have an issue getting in.

My wife and I are looking at used camper vans for weekend trips, and the one at the top of our list has a small fixed dinette. It’s enough for two people inside, but we’d probably cook and eat outdoors whenever the weather allows. All though I already have a musso d7 table for my daughter. She didn’t take it to school, so it has been folded up in our spare room ever since. Now, I am wondering if it could become the extra table for the van instead of buying another piece of camping gear. I wouldn’t put a hot stove directly on it as that would mostly be for food prep, plates and occasionally a laptop. The two things giving me pause are the small casters on gravel and finding a secure place for it while driving. The alternative would be making the existing dinette top removable and adding folding legs, but taking the inside table apart every time we eat outdoors also sounds annoying. For those who usually eat outside, which setup became less trouble after a few trips?

Looking for any and all info and recommendations for buying solar power boards for camper. Thanks

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

We spend a lot of our RV evenings outside, especially when we’re staying somewhere for a few days. Usually we’ll have dinner, sit around and enjoy the weather, but there are times when everyone wants to watch a game or movie without going back inside.

I’ve been considering adding an outdoor TV, but I’m trying to figure out whether it’s actually worth giving up the storage space and dealing with the extra setup.

The things I’m most curious about are power consumption, screen visibility during daylight, protection from moisture and dust, mounting, and how practical it is to store or protect the TV when we’re traveling.

I also don’t want an entertainment setup that takes 30 minutes to assemble every time. Ideally, it would just be another useful option when we’re parked and relaxing outside.

For those who RV regularly, has an outdoor TV been a worthwhile upgrade for you? What would you recommend considering before buying or installing one?

https://preview.redd.it/ffra86xg6yjh1.png?width=1317&format=png&auto=webp&s=10acf9846390abce286b587d72b19c48b8106b7a

Got a 2026 Flagstaff E-Pro E17LE.

First trip was a huge success. I know MPG is going to suck, I'm ok with it. I can tell it's all wind resistance, it was like towing a parachute.

Do you think MPG would be better on a more efficient car, like a Ford Explorer? (trailer is only 3500lbs GVWR). Or in a full sized like an F-150? Or is it just gong to be marginally better?

We have set a goal of selling our place in a few years when we are both retired. We will probably buy a small piece of land close to a relative as a permanent address, but right now we don’t live near anyone we know so we’ll be happy to move. Big discussion. Do we want a class C with possibly a little pull behind car or do we want a 25 to 30 foot bumper pull and a vehicle big enough to take care of it. I would love to know the reasons why anyone decided one way or the other. Our plan is to drive places we’ve always wanted to go and just stay here and there rather than being in one spot. That might often entail just pulling over somewhere for the night. Is class c easier than a bumper pull in that case? Would I be spending too much on fuel running the generator rather than an external generator? Any insight would be much appreciated. Thank you!

My husband and I currently have a 2016 tear drop travel trailer. Last year as we were leaving a camp ground, the trailer came off the hitch while we were only driving 5-10 mph. We didn't have the hitch pin coupler cotter pin connected to the hitch coupler. We have since taken the travel trailer out without any issues (using the hitch cotter pin, of course). My husband has been very worried that the trailer will uncouple again. How can I put his mind at ease that the hitch cotter pin will do the job? Is there any real concern that it will uncouple when using the hitch pin correctly. TIA

EDIT: I misspoke when I said hitch pin, it was the cotter pin that holds the coupler in place that we left off. Not the hitch pin. Looking for reassurance that the cotter pin will hold the coupler together on bouncy roads. Sorry for the confusion, and I appreciate all the replies. Still adding the checklist!