It wouldn’t hurt to rent a couple different ones for short weekend trips to see what works for you and what doesn’t. We bought a used class C and used extensively for several years until Harvey took it away. Never had a roof leak until after I had the roof resealed as preventative maintenance. We are currently trying to decide between a 5th wheel and a class A, pros and cons to both.

Roughing it

You can rent a lot of nice properties anywhere you go these days for a LOT less than what one of those costs.
AND, when you are ready, you just get in the truck and go home.

Some great advice above. Unless you know what to look for, Stompy outlined some of it above, you would be wise to take someone who does know or to buy from a dealer. It is highly unlikely a dealer will cover up or not disclose a defect but an owner damn sure will. I have the bought and paid for experience to prove that.

Yep. Any dealer should ensure everything is working on it and that the roof is in good shape. Like I mentioned earlier, having them take the time to show you how everything works if you are a first time buyer is worth its weight in gold.

The wife just asked how these new buyers are going to tow all these trailers they are buying. Good question. This should impact truck sales, new and used. Maybe not a good time to be a truck buyer.

You would think but I'm seeing the opposite. Used prices right now are really low since the new trucks are getting awesome financing offers.

Not if you get a quality one and maintain it. There’s a sealing process that needs to be redone about every other year.

I have owned a pop up, a Class C, Toy Hauler and a Travel Trailer. Currently bouncing the idea of a 5th Wheel. Advice to a newbie - things break, and you will also break things. Very few trips where we did not have some repair to make while out of town. Tires were the main thing, but have also had two inverters fail while traveling, a water pump, leaking hoses, etc. If possible, covered storage. They will almost all leak over time, but the covered storage will prolong the life of the roof.

Another note while shopping - add 50% (at least) to the empty weight of the TT to determine if your truck will pull. I had a Toyhauler that was advertised as half-ton towable - it was, but not comfortably. Bottom line, empty it probably was 1/2 ton towable, but no one runs around with an empty camper. Add water, food, clothes, cooking utensils, etc. etc. etc. and it adds up QUICK.

We bought our 2nd camper new about a month ago after shopping used for a while. I was tired of getting burned, so we went to the dealerships. Fortunately, there were some great specials running and it put us within a couple thousand dollars of what we were planning to spend on used.
Just my observation, but campers being sold privately are usually being sold because they’ve become a hassle to work on or are in need of a major repair. You don’t always know this until you show up with cash in hand and begin looking it over.
Again, just my observation, but kids are tough on campers, running down the highway is tough on a camper. Think about all the bumps and the pipes moving. Think about the texas heat and how that can really wear down a roof, caulking, tires, after just a couple years.
I was always against buying new because of depreciation, and I bought our first camper from my FIL who is meticulous, but I’ve determined that’s hard to find in the used market.

The old saying you can stay in a nice place for what you are paying to buy and maintain a camper but my 2 cents is it's nice having your own bed , without the fear of somebody else laying in your bed the night before. I wouldn't be without a camper.

This^^^ There are a lot of places that rent them and it will give you a good idea if you really want to own one of these things long term. It will also give you a much better appreciation for different floor plans and what works/doesn't work for you.

I'm on my second one, but mine is a 100% deer lease trailer. The first one I bought used for 4K and probably spent another 2K fixing leak damage and other things over the years. I bought the second one new a few years ago and I really need to get out there to go over the roof. One thing to remember is a lot like vacation rentals, the advertised "sleeps" number on TT's are outright lies. They will count your table as a 2 person bed and will count your couch as a 2 person bed. My first was advertised as an 8 person TT, but really only slept 5 (if you didn't want to break down the table into a bed). We did that a few times and while it works, it's a giant PITA when you are climbing over the top of each other and all your stuff. My second one was advertised as 6, but it really only sleeps 3. In hindsight, I really needed something that could easily sleep 4. The one thing I really like on my new TT is that it has a stand up, triangular shaped shower. For me, it's 100% better than the crappy little shower/tubs they put in the trailers. I also prefer the rear kitchen because I'm not constantly getting out of the way as people move back and forth across the trailer while I cook.

For new or used trailers, unless you buy it with a TV and make them test it, DON'T expect the external cable/antenna outlets to work. If that is important to you, you need to bring everything with you to test it because I haven't seen many trailers where the outside jacks actually work. Same thing for Satelite TV. Unless it has an RV dish mounted on the roof, the cabling on most TT's is 3rd rate crap and the splitters inside the wall are junk. Also, unless you are prepared to go on an endless Google search, the odds you'll find a wiring or a mechanical diagram of your TT are slim to none.

a whole lot of good advise here ... something I didn't see mentioned is a TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system) ... I've owned several TT but never really hauled consistently longer distances but I have several friends that are retired, that have covered many states and tens of thousands of miles. They all tell me the TPMS has saved them lots of money after not having that before on earlier units.

tires seem to be one of the weaker links ... be sure to check air pressure and date codes on the tires, replace even if they have good thread every 5 years minimum. That will also save you a lot of time, money and heartaches on the side of the road when you are supposed to be having fun.

Also know that the more slides (uninsulated) and glass (big heat transmission) you have, the bigger the load on a/c. That matters because your a/c will normally reduce the inside temp to about 20 degree less than the outside temp. That’s a data point I didn’t have when buying a TT. Bottom line is you need to care about a/c size and how good the insulation is.

good point. a lot of damage from a blow out/tread separation to the under carriage and plumbing can occur

Someone else has used the restroom in it many times. Even with diligent cleaning and maintenance they can take on the scent of a port-a-pot on wheels.

Lots of good advice in thread. I've done it all, cot with open star sky, tent, tent trailer, pickup cover, pickup cab over, bumper pulls from 12' to 36', 5th wheel, class C and class A. All are different and each has their own concerns and problems. Best advice is to rent, go enjoy, rent again with a different set up, and repeat all summer and fall then be a more experienced and informed buyer come winter. It is a seller's market now.

Remember that quality control is absent for most RV's regardless of who makes it. You need to be handy with small hand tools.

My advise is to hold out until you find the one that is a perfect fit for you. There are hundreds for sale in the local area, with more showing up each day. The first thing i would look for is one that has been stored under cover its whole life.

Spoke to a couple of sales guys last weekend, they both said that last month made their year for them in sales. The availability on the lots is about 50% of normal, they are selling like hot cakes. Both said that if you wait about a year, the market will be flooded with used units that people have realized that they don’t want or need.

^^^ Correct! Put in your reservation now for rental unit for your vacation time, study the different type units to be an informed buyer with all the used trailers that will show up next year. that's what I'd do

I was curious, so I scanned thru Craigslist for diesel pusher motorhomes ... dang, some pretty good deals on low mileage used compared to new ... as stated above, I think the market right now is people impulse buying and there will be a flood of used by later this year (after summer vacations and kids get back in school).

Excellent mileage and rarely a parking problem. Perfect for off the grid camping.

New ones seem to depreciate even more than cars once they're driven off the lot. If there's no rush, I would suggest waiting to buy an almost new one from an original owner. Lots of them in the usual online classifieds.