Choosing Your RV Rig: Travel Trailer
October 17th, 2009
The travel trailer is probably the most iconic of all the RV styles. You see them everywhere, in all shapes and sizes, anything from a 13 foot Scamp to a 30 foot Airstream.
Travel trailers attach to the vehicle's bumper by way of a hitch ball or recessed hitch. Hooking up this way gives the ability to hook up via car, truck, or SUV - depending on size and towing capacity of course.
Starting at the smaller end of the spectrum, travel trailers can be as small as 12 or 13 feet. My favorite of these sizes is the fiberglass variety. Brands such as Scamp, Casita, and EggCamper fall under this category. They have a body covered by fiberglass, making them very resistant to leaks and creative layouts make the most of their limited space. Most newer models are fully decked out with A/C, bathrooms, dinettes, and full kitchens.
On the larger side, you can find just about any manufacture out there, with one of the most familiar visually being the Airstream. There is almost a cult following to this shinny sided trailer. People just seem to be drawn to their old styling and blue & white awnings. But they haven't stayed the same over all these years, this land yacht can come with everything under the sun.
One of the big disadvantages of pulling a travel trailer is sway. Being that the pivot point is set just that little bit behind the rear wheels of the tow vehicle, a slight correction turn to the left could pull the trailer to the right. The driver then corrects to the right, making a bigger left sway in the trailer. Each little direction change magnifies in the trailer behind you. And before you know it, the trailer is swaying back and forth making you become more and more out of control. Of course this all happens in seconds and can be quite scary going down the interstate. What I find works best for me is when your vehicle gets blown one way, don't fight is as much. Stay in your lane and try to ease back where you were. Quickly trying to correct just jerks the trailer into a sway. Sway bars can also be installed which help to reduce sway. They can also hinder your ability to back in the trailer, so be prepared to take them off on a regular basis.
Travel trailers are a great option in that they give a lot of variety in sizes, come in all different shapes, and open up to more tow vehicle options over the fifth wheels. You just have to get comfortable with driving them down the road and learning how to control sway. Check out the discussion in the forums.
Next Article - "Hybrid Travel Trailers"