Also referred to as towable RVs, travel trailers offer you the comfort of your home while you are on the road. However, choosing the best travel trailer for yourself from a variety of thousands can be difficult.
They're perfect for a trip to the beach, mountains, or just to get away from the city and chill in an RV park. Whatever the reason, a travel trailer will be one of the best decisions you can make for your family’s enjoyment.
Travel trailers differ from motorhomes in that they're towable. However, they're similar design to 5th wheels, and although they're not as luxurious, they can be as spacious as and much cheaper than fifth wheels.
Today, there are so many types of trailers, so you need to be careful when looking to buy one. There are a number of things to consider, and it's always a good idea to rent the model you intend to buy beforehand.
That said, to help you select the best travel trailer for your next road trip, this article will be of great help. You will also find a helpful buying guide below to further assist you in decision making.
What is a Travel Trailer?
A travel trailer acts as a towable unit that consists of solid walls, along with other features such as kitchens, living rooms, and plenty of storage and cupboards.
The purpose of a travel trailer is to offer homey comfort to you when you are on the road. Compared to other RVs such as 5th wheels, travel trailers are smaller in size but offer very similar designs and features.
What Size of Travel Trailer Do I Need?
Travel trailers range in a variety of sizes. The most common types of size that you will find are small, lightweight, luxury trailers.
Small-sized trailers measure up to 20 feet in length and have a width of about 7 feet. You will find these trailers in a price range of up to $35,000. These are most suitable for smaller-sized families, people with a tight budget or for smaller sized vehicles.
Meanwhile, lightweight trailers weigh about 3000 pounds and are suitable to use with smaller vehicles that won’t be able to tow so much weight. These cost a bit more, but you should be looking at up to $60,000.
Luxury trailers cost more and also weigh the most in the range of 5000 to 8000 pounds. These can cost up to $150,000.
How to Choose a Travel Trailer
Going through some considerations and features is very important before you can select any one travel trailer. Here are some features you can consider:
Sleeping Space
It is important to see how many sleeps the trailer has. This will help you in determining whether or not the trailer is suitable for your traveling group. The sleeping space can also feature other extra space such as storage space under beds for further comfort.
Ventilation
A trailer should have excellent ventilation design. With good windows and an efficiently built ventilation system, the smell from the kitchen, bathrooms, and other smells will leave faster. This might as well save you the cost of investing in extra ventilation units.
Compatibility
Make sure that the weight capacity and the rating on the trailer match with your needs and vehicle’s towing capacity.
Camping Site
Check whether or not the wheels and overall design of the trailer are fit for use in rugged and bumpy landscapes. For example, double axle trailers are a lot more stable on bumpy roads than single ones.
Review of the Best Travel Trailers
The following are the reviews of the best travel trailers that you can use as your best companions on the road trip. The pros and cons will surely help you in weighing out all your options.
Best Overall Travel Trailer:
Grand Design Reflection
What we love
Quick Specs
- Sleeps: 5
- Number of Floorplans: 5
- Number of Slide-Outs: 1
- Length: 37' 4"
- Weight: 10000 lbs.
Our Review
When it comes to choosing any one best trailers for your traveling days, some important features such as the weight of the trailer and the quality of the interior are critical.
Therefore, this Grand Design travel trailer stands out to us as one of the best, most well-performing units in the market. The credits for that goes to a number of features.
Firstly, the kitchen and bedroom interior of this trailer is truly impressive. Not only is the kitchen equipped with rust-resistant parts and sinks, but it also has a gourmet design with an exceptionally luxurious feel to it. So, if you want to feel at home in a trailer, this is your best choice.
In addition to this, the trailer is equipped with enough room for 5 people to sleep comfortably inside. So, if you are a family, have kids, or a group of friends, this makes the ideal choice for you.
Day or night, the LED lights will always be there for you. Also, the trailer will prove to be secure as well since it has tinted windows that allow you to look out from inside but not vice versa.
Runner-up:
Airstream Classic
What we love
Quick Specs
- Sleeps: 5
- Number of Floorplans: 4
- Number of Slide-Outs: 3
- Length: 33'
- Width: 8’5.5"
- Weight: 1000 pounds
Our Review
If you have ever bought or researched the travel trailer and RV market, Airstream is the one name that you would have heard a lot. Operating for years, their excellent products never fail to impress.
Similarly, their most recent classic travel trailer features an incredible design. It has Airstream's sleek, silver-colored aluminum construction, along with a simple yet sophisticated interior.
The Airstream Classic stands out the most in the market for its smart controls technology. Whether far away from your trailer or sitting right in it, you can control the lights, stove, water, AC units, and many other features through a smartphone application.
In the times of smart homes becoming popular slowly, Airstream takes you to the future and makes smart travel trailers. They're iconic and if you get one, you will absolutely love it.
Best for the Money:
Shasta Travel Trailers
What we love
Quick Specs
- Number of Floorplans: 17
- Length: 22 to 30 feet
- Width: 8’
Our Review
If you are a little tight on the budget, but still don’t want to compromise on your comfort during the traveling experience, then the Shasta travel trailers are your best pick.
These trailers are all affordable and also more lightweight and well-built. They feature well-lit interiors and exteriors, with the exterior being built with high-grade aluminum to ensure longevity.
Also, the trailers feature back-up camera prep, along with Wi-Fi options and solar panel prep as well. The entry doors are the most distinctive feature of these trailers since the radial entrance with a protective screen makes it stand out.
Extra features that further make this the best choice include safety features, including smoke detector, LP leak detector, and fire extinguisher.
Best Bunkhouse Travel Trailer:
Jayco Eagle HT
What we love
Quick Specs
- Sleeps: 4
- Number of Floorplans: 5
- Number of Slide-Outs: 2
- Length: 29'1"
- Width: 3 ft.
- Weight: 7000 to 8000 lbs.
Our Review
The Jayco eagle travel trailer is best known for its competitive design that makes it one of the most long-lasting trailers in the market.
The bunkhouse trailer has incredible features, which include glazed wooden interiors that ensure elegance and luxurious touch. Also, the interiors of their trailers are all equipped with efficient LED lighting, along with advanced features such as built-in low profile AC units, USB ports, and charging outputs as well.
They have well-designed, efficient kitchens that feature stainless steel sinks that will not rust or corrode any time soon. The AC units also stand out because they have more accessible filters so users can maintain them easily.
The LED lighting also comes with dimmers that allow you to control the brightness. Along with this, the trailer is also meant to add more comfort with their swivel recliners.
Best Small Travel Trailer:
Dinky Dub Camper
What we love
Quick Specs
- Sleeps: 2
- Number of Slide-Outs:
- Length: 9.5 feet
- Width: 5.5 feet
- Weight: 1000 lbs.
Our Review
When it comes to comfort, convenience, and durability, this Dub Box dinky trailer does not disappoint. The trailer is a small, mini-bus type of a trailer that has a very classic and retro feel to it.
The most important part to consider here is that it lets you personalize and customize it all according to your preference. You can pick the paint color. The small size should not mislead you into thinking that it has limited features, however.
Just like any other top-notch model, this mini-bus trailer has vinyl floors with laminated sinks and cupboards and other parts of the interior. Also, it will ensure a full comfort zone for you with its hot and cool water system. It costs less than any other trailer on the market but offers very similar features for your comfort.
Best Insulated Travel Trailer:
Northwood Arctic Fox 25W
What we love
Quick Specs
- Sleeps: 6
- Length: 29’6″
- Width: 8’6″
- Weight: 7376 lbs.
Our Review
When you are traveling, you are likely to get hit by several types of climate zones and weather changes. These changes can cause discomfort, so a travel trailer that has the right type of build to withstand different weather conditions is a must-have.
For this reason, this travel trailer by Northwood stands out in the market since it has double cushioned, 4-season insulation. Whether it is cold or hot, this well-insulated trailer will be your comfortable space.
It boasts a large size and has sleeping space for 6, making this travel trailer it a great choice for those traveling with a family.
In addition to this, it has upgraded AC units with 15000 BTUs. You get to buy this trailer with the optional solar panels as well. The bedrooms and other areas of the interior are carpeted, which helps keep the warmth in during the winter.
Best Travel Trailer for Full-Time Living:
Forest River Flagstaff E-Pro
What we love
Quick Specs
- Sleeps: 2
- Number of Floorplans: 11
- Length: 11 ft.
- Width: 6 ft. 4 in.
- Weight: 710 lbs.
Our Review
For those who have long-term plans of staying with their trailers and want to leave home for traveling purposes, then a durably built trailer with home-like features is a must. Therefore, we have found this Flagstaff E-pro travel truly impressive.
Not only do these trailers have an outstanding 6-sided aluminum construction that ensures longevity, but it also has a remarkably comfortable interior.
Some advanced features, such as built-in Wi-Fi connectivity, is itself very home-like. You need constant connection and networking on your smart devices when away from home, which is why this trailer will be the best.
Additionally, it also has systems like upgraded, high BTU-rated ACs, along with water purification systems and heating and cooling systems too. It has 2 flip-bed sofas, which can roughly accommodate 4 people for sleeping.
Best Travel Trailer for Retired Couple:
Venture RV Sonic Lite SL149VML
What we love
Quick Specs
- Sleeps: 2
- Number of Floorplans: 7
- Number of Slide-Outs: 1
- Length: 19' 2"
- Width: 90"
- Weight: 2,745 lbs.
Our Review
More and more retired couples are taking to the road and enjoying their new found freedom by spending quality time away from home in the great outdoors. And for such couples, comfort is the priority.
When it comes to comfort, the Venture RV trailer is a great choice with its 2-level step for the entry, which makes it easy for older people to climb on. Also, the trailer has good insulation as well, which ensures that the climate inside the trailer remains healthy.
As far as high-tech features are concerned, this trailer doesn't lag. It has a bedroom that comes with a USB charger, so you can keep your devices updated and connected all the time.
The options that are offered with this trailer are also very impressive. One important option is that it lets you install a camera on the trailer which gives you another layer of security.
Best Lightweight Travel Trailer:
TAXA Outdoors Cricket Camper
What we love
Quick Specs
- Sleeps: 2 adults, 2 kids
- Number of Slide-Outs:
- Length: 15’ Length
- Weight: 1,800 lbs.
Our Review
Considering the small, compact size with a durable yet lightweight build of this trailer, we think that this is truly one of the most impressive travel trailers on the market. Not only is it best for use with families and kids, but it is also a good choice for couples who need comfort and convenience.
Its weight of 1800 lbs, makes it the best choice in terms of easy towing. Also, the trailer features a design that is inspired by NASA, meaning that it has some of the most reliable and durable electrical and plumbing systems.
Another benefit of this trailer is outstanding ventilation. Since many trailers stay closed for long durations, they start to smell. However, that's not a problem with this trailer as it has such convenient, swing windows that you can open and close as you please.
The under-bed storage gives so much room for you to store your belongings. Moreover, the kitchen inside also has a larger than usual sized counter. All interior and exterior are equipped with LED lighting. It also comes with 12V USB outlets.
Best 4 Season Travel Trailer:
KZ Sportsmen Destination Trailer
What we love
Quick Specs
- Sleeps: 6-10
- Number of Floorplans: 5
- Length: 40’7”
- Width: 96”
- Weight: 9000 lbs.
Our Review
A very important, unique, and outstanding feature of this trailer is its living room and bedroom. The bedroom is full-sized, and most importantly, it has spacious cupboards and cabinets with full-sized mirrors to give you a home-like environment.
The living room is equipped with an LED TV to make it cost-efficient and also provide you with entertainment and comfort both. Moreover, the trailer’s size, weight, and weight capacity all make it great for heavy loads, and also good for families and larger groups of people.
It's also backed by a 2-year warranty that further makes it a really reliable product on the market.
5th Wheel vs Travel Trailer Pros and Cons
One other alternative that many people find to travel trailers is 5th wheeler trailers. These are generally longer in length, and like trailers they're towable. Let's look at some pros and cons of both in the 5th wheel vs travel trailer debate.
5th Wheel
Pros
- Large-sized RV
- Does not sway behind the vehicle
- Has a good turning radius, ensuring ease of towing
- Good for everyday use as well
- Has multiple levels, which means more spacious floor planning
- Gets through snowy landscapes
- Some models come with generators
- Good capacity of holding more weight than trailers
Cons
- Heavier than trailers
- Hitch maintenance is vital
- Not fuel-efficient
- Exterior requires frequent maintenance
Travel Trailers
Pros
- Lighter weight than 5th wheels
- Low maintenance compared to 5th wheels
- Cheaper than 5th wheels
- More suitable for off-roading
- Easier to hitch with your vehicle
- Better cooling and air conditioning system
Cons
- Height is lower than 5th wheels
- Only one or two slide outs
- No models with generators
Single Axle vs Double Axle Travel Trailer - Comparison Overview
Axles are used to divide the weight of the cargo. The number of axles is determined on the basis of the size of the trailer, along with its weight and weight capacity too.
Single Axle
Single axle trailers are known for their lightweight construction along with a budget-friendly option too.
- These trailers weigh less
- Due to the lesser number of brakes and tires, wear and tear is much faster
- They are easier for towing purposes
- There is one less set of wheels and brakes, making maintenance easy
- Maneuvering and parking are easier with these trailers
- Good for slow to mid-speed purposes
Double Axle
The major distinction of double also referred to as tandem axle, is that they have two pairs of wheels.
- Good for high-speed usage on highways
- Can be more stable and easy to use on bumpy rides
- Bounce and sway much less than single axle trailers
- They can cost more than single axle trailers
- They put lower weight on the hitch
People Also Ask - The Best Travel Trailers FAQs
How Much Does a Travel Trailer Weigh?
A travel trailer weighs based on its size. A lightweight trailer will weigh around 3000 to 5000 pounds. Luxury, bigger sized trailers weigh about 8000 pounds.
How to Measure Travel Trailer Length?
The length of the trailer’s floor plan is always labeled or disclosed by the seller/manufacturer. If you want to measure the length yourself, then start at the bumper of the trailer all the way up to the ball mount.
How Long Do Travel Trailers Last?
A good, reliable travel trailer will last somewhere between 10 and 12 years, but it depends on how often you use it and how well you look after it.
What Does GVWR Mean on a Travel Trailer?
GVWR stands for Gross Vehicle Weight Rating. This is the maximum weight that the trailer can take while operating. This weight will also include the trailer’s own components, such as wheels.
Should You Cover Your Travel Trailer?
If you are traveling to an area with lots of rain or unpredictable weather, it is advised to cover it with various types of covers found on the market. These will protect it from the harsh elements of nature, including rain, snow and strong sunshine.
The Best Travel Trailers - Perfect Companions for Road Trips
So, there you have it: the best travel railers. It's important to note, however, that there are many different travel trailer sizes and designs that suit different people.
Overall, if you are searching for a travel trailer, you will have to make several considerations before you can make the final choice. The best trailer is the one that meets your needs, gives you comfort on your traveling days, and does not require lots of maintenance.
All of the above are recommended, but don't let this be your final stop. it's essential that you get the right one, because you'll hopefully be spending a lot of time in yours. Whichever trailer you go for, however, we're sure you've made the right decision and will start making many amazing memories. Happy camping!
Travel Trailer Buyer Guides
If you are looking for more travel trailer-specific guides, here they are:
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