Renting Toy Hauler/Travel Trailer

Tom@BigTimeKustomz

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Thinking of taking the wife on a 3 week east coast trip next year so will need to rent a trailer. Anyone have experience with rentals? Also campground suggestions are welcomed. I'm thinking we drive from NJ to Savannah, GA then head up to Myrtle Beach, Outer Banks, than to OCMD. Thanks in advance!


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Kbuterbaugh04

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I rented a 6 x 15 tandem uhaul from south PA to Rochester NY and it done well at 75 mph lol towed nice and didn't stick up above the cab.
 

Koda22

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from wat I have seen, (own a rv park) rentals can be tuff.....You never know wat your getting....you can get the greatest one in the world, or you can get one that will break before you leave the parking lot....Something I would look into, is ask wat kind of warranty they offer. If something was to break, would you have to pay for it out of pocket? get refunded? do you have to have a certified person do the work? Ive seen multiple people have something break while staying, and told to take it to the nearest "dealer" which in our case would be close to 200 miles away......then having to pay for it to be fixed out of pocket only to hope they can get their money back.....

As far as camp grounds go, I always tell people to try and get a good sam book.....maybe even join if you gonna be going for such a long time.....any way to be a good sam park it takes requirements, so you have a better chance of not getting stuck at a crappy park....most the time...lol
 

skobiak

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I have rented travel trailers twice before from 2 different companies. The first time went without a problem. Got a flat tire the 2nd time and the spare was useless (chunks of tread missing). I called the 24 hour assistance line and got voicemail. Ended up leaving the trailer on the side of the road and driving home 2 hours. Ended up buying a used tire from a local tire shop for $30 and driving back to replace the tire, then drive another 2 hours to return it.. After all the trouble I went to, the cork soaker gave me sh!t for returning it late (!?). Anyway, the point is its totally hit and miss.
 

My09Ride

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If you are looking for good campgrounds, that is easy. Check out Good Sam, or Woodalls rating. I is Woodalls.com. Find where you want to camp. As far as renting, no idea. I have a 5er of my own, and have been camping for 20 years.
 

Tom@BigTimeKustomz

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Thanks for the replies all.

I do agree its hit or miss with rentals. I've camped before when I was younger than my family had a Class A for a few years in my early 20's. We were Good Sam club members and Family Motor Coach members as well. Always stayed in KOA's, I remember that. I didn't think about the warranty part and what to do if I experience an issue while on the road.

I remember us renting when I was 12-13 when my family was getting back into motor homing. (When my parents got divorced, there went our 1986 Holiday Rambler Imperial!) Anyway we rented an Elite Class C, 22ft I think. Man what a bomb that was. Stunk like smoke, was small as heck, but we had a blast in it. Next time we rented a 31ft Holiday Rambler that I was able to drive which was a lot of fun. Trying to get my wife into camping and one day have our own 5er toy hauler.
 

SDS97_7.3

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I'd say take the Bay Bridge Tunnel on your way back north. But it's really boring driving up the shore from there lol. Names slipped my mind but there's a campground that backs up to the bay behind Assateague, and the ponies seem like they are always out straight across from the campground. Every time I've fished right there I see them
 

casey.d.felton

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Just buy a used one off of Craigslist, if it's just you and your wife you can get away with like a 16 footer. You'll have everything you need. Then sell it when you're done using it. You'll probably come out ahead in the end. Or just keep it then you can go whenever you please.
(Not really an answer to your question but it's just another option that hasn't been suggested)

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Emery19

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looks like he beat me too it ^


Tom, i was gonna suggest buying a used one. you can either sell it when your done, or have a camper to use more times.
 

Tom@BigTimeKustomz

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I didn't think of that to be honest. 16' for us and the dog would be plenty, although if I was to keep it, would definitely want a bigger one. LOL
 

Tom@BigTimeKustomz

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What would things to look at when inspecting an older trailer? Besides structural stuff and visual damage. My family had campers when I was younger, but never a trailer and never something that was more than 5 years old. Found a bunch for under $7k already but they are 10+ years old. Thanks in advance for any help.

Also bumper pull or 5ver? My truck has a 5" rear block and is on 35's, so I'm guessing with a 5er I'll have to flip the axles?
 

wiseguy

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i bought a used 06 35ft toyhauler a year ago put new water heater awning 6 new wheels tires repacked the bearings. It has only been used few times looks brand new inside outside vinyl stickers were faded but all in i'm still under 16k.
 

Tom@BigTimeKustomz

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Got some pics? That sounds like something I would be interested in. Everything I've read online says buy used since some people buy them new, use them a few times than sell for a fraction of the price.
 

Koda22

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If your willing to buy a hitch go for a 5th wheel, pulls better and feels more like a home inside. But I will say try to go bigger then 16ft, if you run into any kind of weather and get stuck inside its gonna feel like a phone booth after a day....id try to shoot for 26-32ft still easier to pull, can fit in pretty much any park.
 

TyCorr

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Thanks for the replies all.

I do agree its hit or miss with rentals. I've camped before when I was younger than my family had a Class A for a few years in my early 20's. We were Good Sam club members and Family Motor Coach members as well. Always stayed in KOA's, I remember that. I didn't think about the warranty part and what to do if I experience an issue while on the road.

I remember us renting when I was 12-13 when my family was getting back into motor homing. (When my parents got divorced, there went our 1986 Holiday Rambler Imperial!) Anyway we rented an Elite Class C, 22ft I think. Man what a bomb that was. Stunk like smoke, was small as heck, but we had a blast in it. Next time we rented a 31ft Holiday Rambler that I was able to drive which was a lot of fun. Trying to get my wife into camping and one day have our own 5er toy hauler.

Ive NEVER rented one. Closest I came was using one I was 0aid to haul across the eastern us. They knew i wanted to camp in it snd said it was fine, just vacuum up etc.

I saw your thread and waited to post until my buddy Justin answered me. They rented one summer to get a feel for whatthey wanted to buy. He said it was nothing short of a nightmare. 75% of the rentals they had issues as they just fix whats broke and stick back out for next use. He mentioned flat tires repeatedly. He saud they did it so much he brought two brand new trailer tires/rims iff his enclosed trailer so if it happened he could throw their junk off to the side and he had good, known spares that way.

He said the best experience was from the place he wound up buying. They didnt advertise but they rented him a 36' fiver for a week. They did a pretrip indpection WITH him andceven told him what to check every stop for fuel, some tips, and even tricks to make the setup more pleasurable. One of those instances where knowing the ins and outs and the experience a regular user has is invaluable and makes all the difference.

If you ever thought you may purchase, maybe explain to an rv seller what my buddy did and you might get a good rate under the guise you will buy somedayif your wife enjoys the rv camping life.

Good luck dude! My sons name is Tom.
 

Tom@BigTimeKustomz

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Thanks for the reply Ty, I appreciate it very much.

I know that I like the camping lifestyle and I'm sure my wife will like it too, she just has to experience it. After all she does tent camp, so this isn't much different, especially since RV parks are so much nicer than in the mid 80's when I was camping. My buddy's neighbor is the son of the local RV dealer so I'll hit them up when we are in the market to buy.

I'm hoping we can have an experience similar to your buddy Justin, who sounds like he made it through an ultimate nightmare. I'm definitely into the 5er vs. bumper pull, and will need that guide through the process, what to check for, etc.. I could drive and operate a class A with no problem, but the 5er is a whole different animal.

Thanks again guys!
 

bluedge8

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Buying a smaller bumper pull to start out isn't a bad idea, they re sell well because most people aren't like us and don't want to pull a big unit. I sold a 1990 18' prowler for $2500 3 years ago, we bought it around 1998 for $4500. Stepping up as you get into it more is a good way to go. As far as what to look for, use your nose- if you smell any mildew walk away. look for signs of rough damage, water damage, buckling walls etc. Campers are made very cheap and you have to be careful that they were taken care of. I bought a 30' 5vr last spring and had the pleasure of having absolutely no brakes bringing it home. Had to buy brakes for all four wheels, Otherwise we like it quite a bit.
 

DieselJpower

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If your anything over about 6'2, your gonna be hitting your head on the ceiling of most bumper pulls. I'm 6'4 and the only ones I ever fit in were pretty much brand new (and expensive).

Like has been mentioned, hunt CL if you want one. People buy them and cant afford them or there's the older crowd who buy 1 brand new, gently use it for a few weeks maybe a season, and its too much for them or they don't feel like taking care of them. You can find them almost new for good prices a dime a dozen in FL, probably in your neck of the woods too. There is definitely deals to be had. 5th wheels are the way to go, I got a 2007 31ft for $13,900 in January of 2013. The guy still owed $24,000 on it and it was $40k new and still looked brand new.

Coachman & Forest River are good brands for sure, been around a while.

If there's even a remote possibility of using it in less then 40° weather, for sure for sure get a 4 season (extra insulation) unit too. I learned the fun way..
 

Tom@BigTimeKustomz

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Yeah, I'm 6'4 so not having to crouch down inside the trailer would be a bonus. I've been looking in Florida and Texas as well as 400 miles away from me and found some good deals. Even found a few at a dealer 20 minutes away from me, coincidentally where we bought our last camper, a 2000 Catalina diesel pusher.

I'm really thinking a 5er is the way to go if I'm going to purchase. Going to take Ty's advice and see if the dealer will rent me one for a week. At least that would be cheaper than buying one and we hate it, err my wife hates it. I've been wanting to do this for a long time, and now we've got a chance to do it.

Thanks also for the tip regarding weather. I would like to use it as much as possible in all weather, so I'll look for that.
 

Koda22

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Your a good ways away, but if your checking Texas look in Arizona! Every old person goes there to retire and has to unload the camper when there done....I've had tons of customers get almost brand new campers cause the people would buy and retire within a sort period and need to sell....some great deals to be had....

But I'm still gonna stick with the get something better/big then you think ya need....only cause a bad experience could scare ya away and the only problem was not getting wat ya wanted....
 

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