A travel trailer typically ranges between 12-35’ long, costs $8,000-$95,000, and sleeps up to 10 people. Like RVs, they’re like a small portable home, with conveniences like kitchen, dining, bathroom, entertainment, and storage space. This wide range of features and affordability makes it accessible for just about anyone, but the question still remains: is a travel trailer right for you?
Pros
Smaller travel trailers can be towed by any 6-cylinder family vehicle with a tow hitch, such as minivans, SUVs, and smaller trucks.
Like RVs, travel trailers offer all the conveniences of home wherever you go. So if you like camping, but not the part about sleeping in a tent or using a tree as a bathroom, travel trailers provide a happy medium.
Once you have reached your destination, you can unhitch the trailer at the campsite, leaving your family vehicle available for running errands or sightseeing.
Insurance for travel trailers is very affordable, usually running $200/year or less. This cost will vary depending on where you live, the value of your trailer, and certain personal factors.
Cons
Unlike an RV, it is illegal for people to ride in a travel trailer while it is on the road. So even if you have a trailer that sleeps 10, you will only be able to take as many people with you as will fit in your tow vehicle.
Most people choose to finance their travel trailer purchase to make it more affordable, but the payments usually can’t be spread out as much as they can for an RV or your family car. That being said, travel trailers are relatively low-priced to begin with, so if you’ve saved up for a good down payment this becomes less of an issue.
Maybe a trailer is too much…
A travel trailer may be too much for your family for a few reasons. One reason could be that you simply do not move around that often or only move on occasion. If this is the case, it may be simpler and more cost-effective to simply rent whenever you need a travel trailer.
Another instance when you may not need a travel trailer is if you do not have a nice place to store it. You will be investing in this piece of equipment, so you want to make sure that you have a place to store it where it will be out of the weather and will not have a chance of getting damaged.
When you move cross-country, having a travel trailer can help mitigate hotel costs and make the journey more pleasant. My Truck Buddy Moving does the job within or under our initial estimate over 90% of the time, and we do it faster, better, and with integrity. Download our free moving guide to get organized today!