Travel Trailers

Travel trailers are essentially RVs that are towed. They are built in a wide variety of styles that can be towed by cars, SUVs, vans, or pickup trucks. Travel trailers come in a limitless range of features and prices. These trailers provide shelter and living quarters for recreational, travel, and camping uses. Because of their limited size, special highway permits are not required.

Typical Features of Travel Trailers

The cost of a travel trailer ranges from about $8,000 to over $100,000. Some can sleep as many as eight people, but it is more common to accommodate two to four. Trailer length ranges from approximately 12 to 35 feet. Smaller, more lightweight models of travel trailers are available for towing with most 6-cylinder cars.

Larger travel trailers can be used as seasonal homes. Many travel trailers are designed to be easily detached from the towing vehicle so that there is a greater degree of freedom of travel. Some travel trailers have walls that can be expanded outward, while others are designed to be compact on the road and then popup for use.

Some of the features available with travel trailers include:

• Showers


• Toilets


• Roof top patios


• Fireplaces


• Hideaway beds


• Kitchens


• Entertainment centers


• Garage area.

The garage area is used to house a variety of other travel equipment such as bicycles, motorcycles, ATVs, and personal watercraft. These garage areas are often referred to as toy boxes. Built-in generators are often used to power items like TVs and air conditioning. Some travel trailers are even equipped with solar systems.

Other Names for Travel Trailers

Travel trailers are sometimes called tin cans. This term refers to the fact that some of the trailers are made with a shiny aluminum finish on the outside, which can make a trailer look somewhat like a tin can. In the 1920s, people traveling with travel trailers were sometimes referred to as Tin Can Tourists.

In Europe, travel trailers are called caravans. That term originally applied to the use of horse-drawn trailers by groups such as gypsies and entertainers. When Europeans travel with these trailers, they are said to be caravanning.

Tips on Buying Travel Trailers

Spend time learning about the travel trailers that are available. The more you know, the more likely you are to be happy with the one you buy. Knowledge can also help avoid overpaying, and can help in spotting problems if you are buying a used travel trailer.

It is also important to determine if you can truly afford a travel trailer. Luxury trailers can be extremely expensive. Try out a travel trailer before buying. You may find out that you really do not like the trailers or that style of travel. In addition, you can learn about the kinds of features you like, or do not like in a travel trailer.

By Charles Hair