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Traveling around North America in motorhomes for almost a decade has been an amazing way to travel. But in the world of RVing, unexpected opportunities often call us to embrace change and venture into new territories. So when we recently stumbled upon a big, burly Ford F250 truck, it was the kind of rare find that called for a change in travel plans. Practicality collided with our desire for new adventures, and we seized the chance to expand our horizons.
So, we welcomed this “new to us” truck into our journey, which will inevitably alter our travel style in unexpected ways. With this powerhouse addition to our arsenal, we’re gearing up for changes and even more learning. Curious about what we got and what we plan to do with it? Buckle your seatbelts and get ready for the story of how Marc finally convinced Julie to switch to a truck and trailer for our RV travels (even though we weren’t exactly planning it).
Why the change?
If there’s one common thread among many RVers, it’s a desire to mix things up, as our travel styles and needs evolve. And along with it, our RV adventures, learnings and experience expand. The journey is not always linear, and not always planned. But life happens, and along with it, the realization that some things need to change.
Let’s take a look at the what’s, where’s, whys, and how’s of the evolution of our RV travel style. Here are the RVs and vehicles we’ve owned (and rented or borrowed) over the past decade, so you can follow the journey of how we got here. Before we jump into the details of our ‘new to us’ truck.
The RVs and vehicles we’ve owned over the past 9 years
A Brief History of RVs, Cars, Towing and a Truck
In this recap you’ll also find links where you can learn more about our RVs and tow vehicles, in much greater detail. Here’s the high level overview.
If you’ve been following us for a while, you’ll know that since 2014, most of our RV travels have been in motorhomes – big and small.
We started off our full-time RV life with a Class A gas motorhome 2012 Tiffin 35QBA, towing a Mini Cooper convertible on a tow dolly. After a few years, we switched the MINI to a Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk and began towing four-down. Then we surprised everyone when we purchased a 20-year old diesel pusher motorhome. We then transformed our 1999 Country Coach “CC” into the ultimate home and office on wheels. We did the entire renovation off-grid powered by our lithium batteries and solar setup, which you can see in this 8-part RV makeover YouTube and blog series.
A collage of motorhomes we’ve borrowed (left) and rented (right) over the years
We also spent 6 weeks repositioning a friend’s 45′ Entegra Aspire diesel pusher motorhome from Texas to Florida to Connecticut. And in 2020, we borrowed that same friend’s Airstream Class B van for a weekend. Next we rented a small gas mini motorhome for a 2-week Florida road trip, followed by a small Class C diesel RV rental for two weeks in Texas. Yep, adding a smaller, more nimble rig to our RV arsenal was on our minds. So we began talking about downsizing our RV.
Switching from full time to part time RV travel
But then 2020 – and the pandemic – changed everything. In a surprise twist (to us and everyone else) we bought a home base in Colorado (again) to be closer to Marc’s family should his mom need us. Heck, it’s even in print in our first book that we would RV overseas before buying a stick and brick home again! But then, we didn’t foresee the pandemic. Nor did we EVER imagine we’d make a house offer within 48 hours of rolling into a town we’d never been to before! We usually spend months researching and planning big decisions, but sometimes if it just feels right, we go for it!
So we downsized our 40′ off-grid glamping bus CC to a 17′ 2019 Casita Freedom Deluxe camper. We towed the Casita behind the same Jeep we hauled behind our Class A motorhomes. But although cute and good quality, the Casita was just way too small for longer trips, especially after pup Sunny joined our family. After just 16 months, we sold the Casita.
We rented a friend’s 2017 Winnebago Navion to head south to Florida (and beyond) for the winter. After an 8,500 mile test drive, we decided to buy it, spending last winter in Palm Springs and on the California coast. Get all the details and how much (actually, how little) it cost here, compared to the costs of the previous year.
Want more detail on the costs of RVing for all our rigs – as well as the costs of both full-time and part-time travel? You can do a deep dive in this article.
Of course, now we just added a big ole truck to our family, which really changes things up. And opens the door to bigger towable RVs. But many of you probably have burning questions, like….
Why didn't we buy a truck early in our travels?
With our long history of traveling in mostly motorhomes, you likely have a few burning questions, such as… Why did we (finally) end up buying a truck!? Did we ever consider getting a truck when we first started RVing? What changed? And does that means this is the end of our motorhome travels?
Let me start by saying that I have always loved trucks. My first car at age 16 was a 1984 Toyota 2-wheel drive extra cab. Over the years I’ve owned small trucks to full-size trucks, including a Nissan Titan and Dodge Ram 2500 V10. But both of us love to drive spirited, sporty cars. In fact, when we first started planning for our full-time RV life, we had two sports cars in the garage – a Mazda Miata and a Subaru WRX. But no truck. This was a big deciding factor in us choosing to hit the road in a Class A motorhome instead of a truck and towable.
As car lovers, we were both excited by the idea of driving scenic coastal and mountain roads (or through a tree) in a nimble, sporty car while out exploring. This was a huge consideration when choosing a vehicle to tow. That was simply more appealing to us than exploring fun roads in a big ole truck. Plus a small tow vehicle would help us save on fuel, and offset the higher fuel costs of our Class A in our full-time RV life.
Marc worked at his full time remote job in the bunkhouse office of our first RV
More reasons for not getting a truck sooner
Plus, with my full-time remote job keeping me at my desk most of the time, Julie did most the daily running around in the car. Since she is under 5′ tall, Julie would find it tougher and less fun to drive a big truck. So we sold the Miata and Subaru then bought a 2006 Mini Cooper S Convertible to tow behind our motorhome. We had a blast driving our hot orange Mini all around the country! We did get some flak for our choice of vehicle AND towing with a dolly. But our reasons were right for us at that time, and we have no regrets about either of those decisions.
After I quit my job to work with Julie full-time on RVLove, I ended up doing nearly all the driving. So when the “weight issues” of our first RV led to us wanting to switch to something with bigger capacities, I was seriously interested in a truck and trailer. I also wanted to experience a different travel style. Plus, being surrounded by so many trucks in campgrounds during our RV life, really made me miss having one. Our friends Lisa and Dan Brown of Always on Liberty even said “we could see and feel Marc’s truck envy every time you came to visit us!” It was true. I always drooled over their awesome RAM 3500 Crew Cab Dually.
Motorhome travel is sweet, and pretty hard to beat
But I’ll admit, I really love driving Class A motorhomes too. I got my first taste of that lifestyle over a decade ago with my former job, when I got to travel around for 10 days in a big custom-wrapped Prevost bus conversion. We loved both of our Class A motorhomes, and it was much easier and more comfortable to put in bigger miles when driving our diesel pusher motorhome CC. The quality and livability of the larger space worked well for our full-time RV life.
Julie loves motorhomes, sitting up front looking out that big windshield. As well as the convenience of being able to get up and access anything in the coach when driving down the road. However, one downside of motorhome travel, is that it can be more expensive, especially diesels. But big trucks can be costly to repair and maintain too. You can see for yourself what we spent on our motorhomes when full-timing, in our post on the Real Cost of RV Ownership.
Having never owned or really experienced a truck, Julie has been adamant for years that she prefers motorhome travel. But recently, she admitted that she has even surprised herself by how much she likes our F250. With that, she has finally come around to the idea of a larger towable RV, now that we have a more capable truck!
It’s changed the game for our next stage of RV life, and the kind of RV we can tow.
So what has changed in our travel style and setup?
Towing limitations of our Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk
When we switched from full-time RVing to part-time RVing in 2020, we towed our Casita with the Jeep. Fortunately, our Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk is specially equipped to tow, raising the standard towing capacity from 2,500 up to 4,500 pounds. We love our Jeep! However, although cute and fun for short trips, our Casita was way too small for us to be comfortable on longer adventures, so we didn’t use it much. And since our Jeep can only tow 4,500 pounds we were limited to towing small trailers.
That’s why we ended up buying the smaller 25′ Class C motorhome for multiple-month trips. We got it for a good deal from our friend, knowing we needed to invest time, work and money to give it some “RV love” with new tires, a Mercedes-Benz service (gulp). Plus some other long overdue TLC in the way of RV maintenance, like applying new sealant and servicing the generator. We’ve enjoyed this RV, but we’re missing some of the creature comforts of our bigger motorhome on longer trips.
Changing seasons of life and travel evolve our RV needs
Now that we’ve been part-time RVers for three years, we’ve found we love staying in our hometown for the summer. But we like to head south as winter snowbirds and do a few shorter trips throughout the year. Our RV has been spending more time sitting than traveling. So it just makes more sense for us to consider a towable RV and a truck. Especially as motorhomes are designed to move often. It’s not as bad for towable RVs to be stationary for longer periods.
Another handy excuse…
There’s one more reason that really inspired our truck purchase. Since doing a few remodeling and building jobs at home, word has gotten around town. And I’ve been asked to do some local construction and other projects. This has unexpectedly and organically evolved into a side business, which I REALLY enjoy. It gets me off the computer and working with my hands, just like I did with our RV Makeover, which has been satisfying. I knew a truck would come in handy for my ‘Handyman Marc’ jobs.
OK, OK, I admit it. I’ve just been looking for every possible excuse to get another truck! I figured Julie would come around eventually 😉
Finding the right truck: my criteria
Have you paid any attention to truck prices over the last few years? You might have noticed that during the pandemic, heavy-duty trucks got REALLY expensive, and prices have been slow in coming back down. I didn’t want to over-invest, and we rarely buy new vehicles (cars, trucks, RVs) anyway. So I mostly kept an eye out for pre-owned trucks. But it is really tough to find a nice, reliable, and well-cared-for truck (or RV or car) with low mileage for its age, that hasn’t been abused.
We aren’t full-time RVers right now (although we won’t rule that out in the future). So we don’t need a big one-ton dually diesel truck for hauling around a huge full-timer-focused fifth-wheel trailer. I wanted something with high enough capacities to tow a very comfortable towable trailer for extended periods of time. So I was mostly focusing my search on gas-powered ¾ ton trucks. Trucks like Ford F250, Ram 2500, and Chevy/GMC 2500.
Back to basics…
And rather than a newer, loaded truck, what I really wanted was a more basic truck. One without the latest technologies… as just like with RVs “it’s more stuff to break”. Yeah, maybe I’m becoming an old dude ahead of my time, but give me analog over digital any day. I prefer dials and knobs over screens, and don’t see the point in paying extra for features I don’t want or need. I just want a reliable truck that will do the job.
Being patient (and unbeknownst to Julie) I was keeping more than a casual eye out for trucks with ‘For Sale’ signs, checking Craigslist, and my favorite auction website, Doug DeMuro’s www.carsandbids.com, to keep a pulse on what was available. But most trucks were either too beat up, too high mileage, or too expensive.
'The one' can often show up when you least expect it
My brother knew what I was looking for in a pre-owned basic yet capable truck, and he was too. But after looking at hundreds, he’d given up on his search and bought a new one. One month later, a ‘For Sale’ sign showed up in the window of this truck just a few streets away from his home. He texted me a photo, and I jumped on it.
What is our Truck? And the story behind it?
It is a 2009 Ford F250 XL Supercab 4×4 (gas) with a long bed, and in amazing shape for its age. When I called the seller, Derek, he explained he had just inherited it from his father. His dad lived on a small farm in Wyoming and bought a heavy-duty truck because he wanted it to outlast him, and it did. The truck was garage kept, always serviced at the local dealership. And it had a gentle life considering it was a farm work truck, used mostly for moving hay. He rarely towed anything and the bed has very few scratches. And since it was mostly used locally, the odometer had less than 100K miles, an average of just 7,000 miles a year.
My brother took the truck for a test drive, and checked it over with a fine-tooth comb. He confirmed it was as nice as it looked in the photos. The seller and I agreed on a price of $14,000 which was a great deal for the age, mileage, and condition! After a good ole gentleman’s handshake between Derek and my brother, Julie and I jumped in the Jeep that evening and drove 5 hours so we meet Derek at the bank first thing the next morning to finalize the purchase.
Everything went smoothly, and the truck is exactly what I had hoped for. It’s a lot of truck for a very modest price and drives great. We hooked up our Jeep using our Roadmaster tow bar and towed it back home with the truck and I love it! You could say I am a very happy guy to have a truck again!
Now, what can we tow with it?
Specs: What can we tow with our Ford F250 truck?
As mentioned earlier, we wanted a truck to expand our options for towable RVs. The standard 2009 Ford F250 is rated for a Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR) of 15,000 pounds. Our truck has a 4.10 axle ratio and a 6.8L V10 engine with automatic transmission. Plus, it has the optional 9,600 GVWR rating and the towing package. This means our truck is rated for a much higher 21,000 GCWR.
The empty truck weighs about 6,800 pounds. So it has a cargo capacity of nearly 2,800 pounds. Theoretically, it can carry more weight in the truck than a standard Jeep Cherokee can tow. Our F250 has a 12,500 lb tow hitch. So as long as we are not carrying a lot of heavy cargo and we use the correct hitch type, we can tow a decent size travel trailer or fifth wheel. Without a weight-distributing hitch, our maximum trailer weight is 6,000 pounds.
Regardless of hitch type, we plan to limit ourselves to a 10,000-pound trailer. We don’t intend to rent or buy a really big trailer. Otherwise, I would have focused my search on big dually trucks.
What RV do we plan to tow with this truck?
Because we weren’t in a hurry, nor expecting to find “the right truck for us” so soon, we haven’t yet decided on a trailer. We’re still exploring our options – travel trailer, fifth wheel, brands, sizes, floor plan and so on – for what kind of trailer we want to tow. I am initially leaning toward a tow-behind travel trailer, rather than a fifth wheel. Mainly as I prefer to avoid installing a fifth-wheel hitch in the bed, so that I can keep the bed open for my construction projects and other cargo options. But I have to admit I am really liking some of the shorter fifth wheels, and I do love how much better fifth wheels are for towing. Not to mention how much more “home” you get for the same length of a similar travel trailer.
Of course, we could also get a truck camper, but feel right now that would be too small for our needs and preferences for extended winter travels. That said, we could totally see ourselves heading to Alaska with a truck camper someday!
There are so many options out there for trailers under 10,000 pounds. Of course, we’re going to want something that’s good quality, and works well for our needs. We’ll probably rent a couple of trailers first to get a feel for them, before pulling the trigger on a purchase. Especially since our summer and fall season trips tend to be shorter than our winter season trips.
This October, we’re heading to the EclipseFest23 solar eclipse event in Oregon, and need to figure out if we’ll be there with a rental RV, or buying one within the next 8 weeks! So watch this space. We want to hear from you!
Related:
The history of our RVs and vehicles…. what will we hit the road with next?
Summary of Our Reasons for Making the Switch from Motorhome to Truck and Trailer
OK, we’ve unpacked a lot of history and information here in this post. So let’s wrap up with a summary. We don’t want you to think we’re done with motorhome travel forever! We could absolutely see ourselves owning or traveling in a motorhome again. Especially if/when we start RVing full-time again in North America, or even just doing some international RV travels. But here’s a quick summary of our reasons for making the switch from motorized RV to a truck and towable RV, after 9 years of motorhome travels:
- Now that we’re part time, seasonal RVers our RV is not being used as often
- We don’t want to be over-invested in an RV/setup that ultimately depreciates
- After experiencing almost every type of motorhome (except for a Super C) we’re ready for a change
- We love expanding our experiences and learning about all kinds of RVs so we can share with others
- A truck offers increased freedom and flexibility in the types of RVs we can rent or buy – travel trailer, fifth wheel, truck camper
- Without being financially over invested in a truck and part time trailer, it keeps our other travel options and budget open, say for international travels
- Since I have started doing more construction projects on the side, it’s very handy and practical to have a truck to haul supplies and equipment around
- I have always loved trucks and wanted another one, so when this great deal showed up, it was the perfect excuse and I couldn’t say no!
Embracing new roads and experiences
As the road stretches out before us, we are reminded that every twist and turn in RV life leads to new adventures. Our decision to bring this Ford F250 truck into our RV travel equation was unexpected, but it’s already revealing the immense potential for fresh encounters and unexplored territories. We can’t wait to see how this truck enhances our travel experiences. Here’s to embarking on this exciting new phase of our journey, the road less traveled, and new memories waiting to be made!
What RV do you travel with?
Now we want to know… what kind of RV you travel with? Do you drive a motorhome or tow a trailer? If you drive a motorhome, do you tow an extra vehicle? For those of you who tow trailers, what kind of RV do you have, and what vehicle do you tow it with? Share with us and others what you chose, and what you like about it. And if you have any questions or comments about our ‘new to us’ truck, or suggestions for which towable RVs we should be considering, we’re all ears!
We’d love to hear from you, so please leave a comment below! Until next time, safe and happy travels!
Author Bio: Marc Bennett
A Colorado native, Marc is an avid cyclist and hiker who has lived, worked, and traveled by RV to all 50 USA states, while working full-time. He is co-author, with his wife Julie, of two bestselling books: "RV Hacks: 400+ Ways to Make Life on the Road Easier, Safer, and More Fun!" and "Living the RV Life: Your Ultimate Guide to Life on the Road". In RV life, Marc takes care of all the dirty jobs – fixing things, washing dishes, and dumping the black tank.
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40 thoughts on “After almost a decade of motorhome travel, we’re changing to a truck and trailer. Here’s why.”
Hi Marc and Julie
Congrats on the truck. $14k is great price. I have Ram Power Wagon with Leer topper. I plan on purchasing a towable with possible toy hauler. Been looking at Keystone. I like to extra storage I have especially with topper. Most campers dont have storage unless they have bunk beds which is great for storage(if you dont have kids). I like my Rocky Mtns especially MT. TT doesnt cover the Rockies but I get 50% off of National Campgrounds. Dont really need hookup as I have Yamaha generator. Really prefer dispersed camping. Water capacity is important when dry camping.
So you guys settle down in CO. Im in Col Spgs.
Good luck with your new rig.
Thanks Rich.
Sweet truck you have, and like your other insights shared too. Dispersed camping is definitely amazing if you find the right spots. And agreed, as long as you have a power source, and large water tanks, you can have some fantastic dry camping experiences. Colorado is pretty hard to beat. Lived my whole life in CO before hitting the road full time. Thanks again for sharing, and safe travels. -M
We just switched from class A motorhomes and bought a ford 350 Super Duty and decided to buy a Grand Design travel trailer. Their all season weather packages are great along with their layouts.
Thanks Lynn, and congratulations on your F350 and Grand Design. Sounds like a nice set up. Great call on getting the all season weather package for better insulation. That will be worthwhile all year round, helping maintain your temperatures. Thanks for sharing. -M
Hi Marc & Julie, good to see you made a truck purchase. To keep the truck bed free consider a Reese GooseBox Hitch for the fifth wheel option(simply remove the ball). A very popular bumper pull floor plan for couples is the the Cougar 22MLS. Good length, weight, King size bed, both a dinette (possible table/office modification) and dual recliners.
Regards Peter DeMent
Thanks Peter, Great recommendations. I especially like the Reese Goosebox possibility as it would match up well with the B&W underbed mounted hitch I have my eye on, that is a turnover ball adapable to gooseneck or 5th wheel with adapter. I can see why that Cougar you mentioned would be popular too. Thanks again. -M
First of all, we’ve been following you for years and have learned so much, so thank you. We’ve been on the road full time for six months now with our 2018 F250 diesel crew cab and 2021 Airstream Classic 33. We recently shed 425 pounds of “stuff” we didn’t need and we’re considerably under our max capacity weight. Some people think we won’t make it without push-outs but we’re doing just fine. Good luck with with your travel trailer decision and we look forward to reading all about it. Jamie (and Jim)
Thanks Jamie and Jim, and congratulations on your launch into full time RVing. Sounds like a super nice set up you have! Great job dropping all that excess stuff too! As for the slideouts/pushouts, we actually wish more manufacturers offered floor plans without them. A well designed floorplan doesn’t need them, and it is one less thing to break, and are generally better insulated. You will be just fine without them. Safe travels, and thanks again for sharing your thoughts. -M
We’re like you, preowned is the way to go. We have a 2008 Dodge 3500 in great shape. It pulls a. 32’ 5th wheel toy hauler. 5th wheel is best after pulling bumper pull trailers. The hitch comes out when needed since you’re part time and I have a full bed to use.
Thanks Tom. Yes, well cared for pre-owned is the way to go. Great set up you have. Looking forward to trying out a 5er after many years of towing various bumper pull trailers (not just in RVing). I really like the look of the B&W hitch because it leaves the bed fully accessible when the upper section of the hitch is removed. Thanks for sharing. -M
We have owned two Outdoors trailers . Our first one was 21 ft and we found it too small for snow birding . The next one was a 28 ft with a slide. It is well built and easy to tow.
Thank you Emily. Another great endorsement for Outdoors RVs. Popular choice in our group it seems. We will definitely be giving them a closer look. Great to hear that you have been so happy with them.Thanks again -M
Hey, Marc & Julie! We met you guys on an afternoon back 3017(?) in Atlanta up on that balcony in that restaurant near the event center. We are still in our 2003 Winnebago Brave 32V. (I built my own 280AH lithium battery pack, w/BMS, Renogy DC to DC converter & we’re running 400 watts of Solar.)
Anyway, we really liked the layout of the Airstream Flying Cloud 25RBT but got nervous about budget AND hail damage(!)… A good quality alternative is the BIGFOOT INDUSTRIES BIGFOOT 2500 SERIES 25B25RT. Virtually the same layout & great build quality.
We both got to go through a used Airstream in 2018 near Oklahoma City, OK. Loved the unit but – sticker shock. . . I worked for Van City RV in Colorado Springs back in 2019 & first saw the Bigfoot unit at a smaller RV show there near where you guys wintered over at the RV Park! (I actually delivered a Class C unit to a couple at that RV Campground downsizing from a Class A diesel pusher similar to CC!) Anyway, the Bigfoot trailers are super nice builds & the fiberglass is better for hail exposure. . . https://www.bigfootrv.com/2500-series/b25-trailer
Good luck on whatever you guys decide! 🙂
Thanks Larry and Teila,
Great to hear from you. Wow! I remember that event in Atlanta. Nice time. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and opinions on the Airstreams and Bigfoot. I (Marc) have long been a fan of Bigfoot (and Oliver) as high quality fiberglass shell RVs. I will have a closer look at them again. Fun that you worked for an RV dealer in Colorado Springs for a bit, and delivered to the RV park we were staying at. Thanks for reaching out and sharing your insights. Hope you are all doing great too! -M
Good Luck in your search for your next Rv. I began with a TT in 1979 and am currently in a fifth wheel. No comparison for me. Spaciousness and towability combine to be a winner. 4.10 and a 10 cylinder are a powerhouse that keeps a smile on the faces of the oil companies.
Thanks Ray. Wow… that is a long RVing history you have there! Thanks for the insight on TT vs 5er. Yes, the 10 cylinder and 4.10 gears make oil companies very happy. Hahaha. But the power is great, and it is still better than the mileage we used to get with our Class A motorhomes. Thanks for the laugh and for sharing. -M
Congrats on the lucky find!
We seem to be on similar paths – since we copied you on the Jeep Trailhawk. LOL
We also made a 2020 land purchase and last year downsized our 42′ Class A to a pickup and bumper pull. We highly recommend the Outdoors/northern mfg brand made here in Oregon.
You’re invited to stop by on your way to or from your solar event.
Glad to see all is well with you both.
Peace & Love, Joy
Thanks Joy and Tom!
Loved reading your comment. Yes indeed, we definitely seem very aligned on our decisions the last few years. Thanks for the recommendation of Outdoors RV. There seem to be a number of other folks with the same opinion in the comments, and our friends Chris and Aaron from Irene Iron Travels really liked theirs too. Thanks for the invite to stop by up there on our trip to Oregon. Really looking forward to that trip. -M
Hey guys, Congrats on the change, we look forward to hearing how it all works out for you. By the way Scout says “Howdy” to Sunny….
Hi Michael. Great to hear from you and Scout. What a fun time our pups had down at Margaritaville in Auburndale. Hope you are all doing great. -M
Based on you make a comment in this post that “…motorhomes are better suited to move often…”. I am wondering what experience, bad I assume, you have had as a result of extended periods (4-8 weeks between trips) where you MH was parked? Thanks for the info.
Hi Bob,
It has been extremely rare for us to stay in one place with our motorhomes for more than 4 weeks in our 6.5 years of full time travel. But when we switched to part time, the RV sat quite a bit. We have quite a few friends who leave their motorhomes parked for months at a time at seasonal destinations without issue as well. But we feel it is a bit wasteful for us to pay for all the extra cost of purchase and maintenance on something with a drivetrain that spends so much time stationary. Thus the increased desire for towable right now. -M
We have a 2012 F350 SuperCrew with a 6.7 Diesel and tow a 2022 OutDoor RV, 25RDS, up here in Alaska and enjoy both. Our back up is a 2000 F250 Centurion with a 7.3 diesel.
Mike n Deb
Thanks Mike and Deb. Sounds like a great combination, and many others in the group are also loving their Outdoors RVs. Cool you have a backup towing vehicle too. Nice to have options. Thanks again for sharing, and enjoy your Alaska adventures. Big beautiful state for sure. -M
Hi, I will admit I skimmed your blog—so sorry, my in door kitty decided to escape for the first time EVER at our current RV campground and I’m stressed & pooped! I highly recommend an Airstream! We had a travel trailer and decided for many reasons to get an AS. We added a bunch of battle born batteries and solar panels, took out the booth dinette and added recliners and a new storage cabinet. Love the ease of towing! Easy to get into places and I like the decor.
Thanks Terri. Hope everything turned out ok with our kitty. Thanks for sharing your thought on Airstream. Sounds like you have made some great mods to it. We have friends who have also loved their Airstreams for many years. They are definitely desirable. Thanks again -M
We’ve been towing a 35′ Jayco 5er with a Chevy 2500 since 2014 and love the combination. Our Jayco is well-built and still solid after some 30-40000 miles on the road. Lots of room yet still short enough to get into all but the smallest of old campgrounds. Good luck on your search and your new adventures.
Thanks Richard. That is awesome that you have had so many great adventures with your RV for the last nine years and that it is still holding up so well after all those miles. Thanks for sharing that the 35′ length has not felt limiting to you either. We are excited for the upcoming adventures. Thanks again. -M
Hello,
I have purchased your books as I moved towards retirement and truck and travel trailer purchase. It seemed to me that fewer motors and transmissions, and a detachable truck vehicle made more sense.
I traded my muscle car for a Chevrolet Silverado 1500 work truck, and bought a 2023 Grand Design Transcend Explor 240ML.
I am not one to communicate like this, but was inspired by this last message from you.
There are two of us using this travel trailer, and we have no regret of the floor plan or size.
We depart tomorrow for 6 days in each of 2 Florida State Parks.
I enjoy your sharing of experience, it has helped us in our RV decisions.
RS
Thanks RS.
Yes, truck and trailer make a lot of sense for a LOT of reasons. Which is probably part of why they account for 85% of the RVing market. 🙂
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, and what you travel in for others to enjoy. Great to hear that it is working out for you so well, and hope you have a fantastic trip to the Florida State Parks. Thanks again -M
One of the main reasons we tow a trailer is the freedom to explore regions around the campground while leaving camp set up intact. Camper vans and motorhomes make it harder to do this without “packing up” to leave for the day.
Thanks Christopher.
Yes, if you don’t have a separate towed vehicle with a motorized RV, they can be very limited in the local exploring. Thus why nearly all of our motorhome travel included towing our Mini or Jeep. On our last winter trip, we drove our Jeep separately instead of towing it with our small motorhome, because we knew we would want to leave the motorhome in it’s site most of the time. Thanks for sharing. -M
Always something new and exciting for you 2! Can’t wait to see what you end up getting to tow behind your truck.
We have a Class A Winnebago Vista LX-35F. We tow our Jeep Patriot on a tow dolly. We love our RV! Just can’t imagine having anything else!
Thanks Joanne,
So great to hear that you are loving your Vista towing a Jeep on a dolly. We definitely loved our Class A and tow car style travel. Lots of great benefits to that style, but are ready to try the truck and trailer for while. Thanks again for sharing. -M
Hi Julie and Mark, We love trucks too! We currently travel with a Tundra 4×4 & a 23’ NASH that we are totally enjoying. The freedom of a smaller rig is hard to beat. Check out Outdoors RV trailers. We found them to be the best made rugged travel trailers out there. If you can, run by Thompson RV in Pendleton, OR while you’re on the west coast in Oct. Please, please have a great time in Oregon!
J&T Eddy from Vancouver,WA
Thanks J&T. We have heard good things about Outdoors RV trailers. Our friends Chris and Aaron from Irene Iron Travels really liked theirs too. And skimming through the comments, it seems there are quite a few other fans in our midst. Really looking forward to our Oregon trip. We have loved all of our other time in Oregon as well. Will add Thompson RV and Outdoors RVs to our short list for sure. Thanks again – M
We started with a 19′ bumper tow Jayco and a Toyota Tacoma truck in 2015 after we adopted a Doberman so we could take him everywhere we went. In 2017 we bought a Grand Design Solitude 5th wheel (36′ long) and a Ram 3500 Dually (both new). We now spend 6 months every year in the 5th Wheel and absolutely love it. My husband is a bike rider and I walk the Doberman so we go to Rail Trails in whatever area we are staying , he rides his bike 25 or so miles and I walk the Dobie 7 – 9 miles. The 5th wheel is perfect for all of us and the Ram pulls it so well. There’s plenty of room for the Doberman in both.
Hi Kathy, Thanks for sharing.
That was a serious upgrade from your first to your second rig. Very nice!
Love to hear that you have been so happy with your choice, and enjoying your extended travels so much. Thanks again. -M
We have a 21 Ram 2500 6.7 and tow a Keystone Cougar 316RLS. Previously we towed a 30 ft. Cougar TT. In my opinion the towing to destinations is night and day, 5th wheel over the TT. We travel part time for pleasure, not full time. We’ve been third coast to west coast and running over TX, OK and LA a lot. The 5er is our home away from home and we love it.
Thanks David,
Great rig, and I appreciate the comparison of TT vs 5er both on Keystone Cougars. I have heard from many over the years about how towing 5ers is night and day better than TT, but it is extra great to have your first hand comparison. We are leaning toward 5er for that reason, and also love how the entire length of the trailer is usable vs the 3-4 feet loss on TT. Thanks for sharing. -M