What’s your favorite way to explore the outdoors?

If you don’t mind roughing it, you probably prefer backcountry camping activities such as backpacking, climbing, and so on. But if just the basics won’t do for you, RVing may be more your style. And that’s awesome, too.

Even in an RV, you’ll still get the health benefits of camping including decreased stress, better sleep, etc. Now, if you’re considering buying an RV and you’ve decided on a travel trailer, you need to know how to buy the best one for your budget.

That said, here’s a travel trailer buying guide that will help you choose the perfect RV for your camping trips.

Travel Trailer Buying Guide: Should You Buy New or Used?

Buying a used travel trailer seems like the ideal choice, especially if you want to stick to a budget. But you have to make sure it’s still in good condition.

Check for leaks, cracks, and other damages. It’s better if you can go for several test runs. You want to see how it handles on the road, more so if you’re sharing driving responsibilities with another person.

Also, if you’re buying a used trailer, be sure to crunch the numbers. If upgrading an old trailer will cost you more than buying a new one, then it’s not a good investment. Remember, new RVs cost more but at least you don’t have to worry about wear and tear from previous usage. 

For example, if you check out airstream trailers for sale, you’ll see that they’re a bit more expensive than other RVs. But if you take into account their durability (their lifespan is almost triple than most other brands), plus their resale value, you’ll find that you’re actually getting more than what you paid for. 

Beyond the Price Tag: Other Considerations for Buying a Travel Trailer

Other than what you’re willing to spend on an RV, you have to work out the features you need, where you want to camp, and the people/pets you’ll be traveling with.

If you’re camping with kids and pets, you need a more spacious rig. But you also don’t want to go too big as that might limit your camping options.

The bigger you go, the more issues you’ll encounter with parking. That’s because campsites and full-amenity RV parks aren’t exactly big-rig friendly. 

Also, if you plan to travel a lot, you need something you can tow, back up, and park without any problems. A smaller trailer allows you to do that even if you may have to make compromises on the interior space.

Want More Camping Tips and Advice?

With this travel trailer buying guide, you should have an idea on how to search for your first (or next) RV.

If you want to know more about RVs, check out 12 tips for beginner RVers. For more camping tips and advice, you can take a look at safety tips when camping and hiking, as well as the 10 things you need for a family camping trip.