OK....school me on travel trailers

Considering buying one and I'm absolutely clueless about them What do I need to look for?  Suggestions/Information much appreciated.

New or used?

Big Truck, not sure what type of truck you are hauling but a 5th wheel travels a whole lot better then and travel trailer. Popup are nice for smaller trucks and suv's are pretty nice just make sure to get one with a potty. Buy used for sure just look around and at this point the fall and late summer will be the best time.

Is it for family or just you?  If for only 1 or 2 person I love the one Martin got.

Jon,
Have you thought about a small RV vs. a trailer.  Roadtrek makes several different van based models including the newer ones on the Mercedes Sprinter platform.  They do hold their value better than most RVs but with persistence, they can be had a the "right" price.  I'm getting about 17-18 mpg which isn't great for a car but as Dave says "it's damn good for a house".  The larger ones sleep around 6 people and have 2 separate sleeping compartments.  The gas mileage is actually better than we get in our Toyota Landcruiser.

It won't be for me, rather a temporary living situation for my dad.  We want him to be closer to us while he recovers, but don't have the room in our home.  We do, however, have a massive backyard that can accommodate a travel trailer and then some. Of course, it will be nice to "borrow" for various events too! 

  Probably getting used, looking for best bang for the buck.  My dad is set on getting a crewmax tundra, so that will probably be the tow vehicle.

Have you seen Jedmo's trailer?  That size might be just right for him and still easily towable with that tundra.  Lot's of used ones in the market.  So take your time.

Make sure the electrical works; both AC & DC loads.  Look for water damage inside caused by roof leaks.  Look at the roof closely.  Look under the trailer for wood rot @ flooring & condition of stuff like leaf springs, etc...  Look at the tires for dry rot.  Smell ...  smell for mold/mildew.  Look for water stains around windows on items like curtains & such.  Those are my starting points.  Lots on Craigslist.  If you can wait a few months, a lot more become available after summer.

nothing with canvas-

smooth fiberglass sides are less prone to leaks than corrugated alum, but they cost more too

-slides are nice, gives more room, but they are more money, can leak and weigh a lot that you then have to haul-fifth wheels are more roomy and have the permanent bed, they also tow better

-anything over 26 or so feet you will notice that it is heavy when climbing thru the mountains, so you will want a diesel for bigger trailers

-with a bumper tow trailer you will want an easy lift hitch to take the load off the back of the truck, they cost a bit so try n get it thrown in with the purchase of the used trailer

We have a 24 ft 5th wheel with a slide out. If you will be spending any amount of time in it, you will want a slide out! A 22+ foot trailer with a slide out will be fine for 1-2 people. Without a slide out, you will want to go 26+ feet. Look into the manufacture of the trailer, they vary greatly in weight.

Good info, can we get anything decent for between 5-10k?

Motor homes can be gotten cheap and non opped... Trailers can NOT be placed on non operational status.... Dry rot is prevalent on older units. inspect carefully or have inspected at RV shop prior to purchase. Check city ordinances. Can have problems living in it even in the back yard. Usually neighbors complain then county comes out. I like tow trailers ;cause you can drop it and go play. Less maint. then a motor home too! Good luck

For temporary housing for your dad I would only get a 17-19 foot trailer and focus on condition. Easiest to handle so to speak are the smaller trailers that have a cassette type of toilet so you dump the waste into your own waste lines. A larger trailer will have a toilet and holding tank and then you need to tow the trailer periodically to a dump station. For gray water from the sinks you can have it empty onto your yard as it is not going to hurt anything.

With an old trailer I would expect to pay under $1000 and expect to also have to replace the tires and regrease the wheel bearings.

Trailers depreciate with age and most are used a couple weeks out of the year when new and then sit unused for years until the owners or their heirs decide to sell them. Craigslist is the best place to find for sale by owner trailers within a 150 miles of your house. The more remote the seller's location the lower the price will be to get people to make the drive.

A smaller and lighter trailer can be moved without worring about working trailer brakes with most tow vehicles. Even a 1/2 ton pickup with 4 disc brakes will be adequate.

Travel trailers are made for summer use and will have nothing in the way of real insulation so expect to run power to it for an electric heater. It should have propane and a small furnace but propane is expensive and it produces a lot of water vapor inside which will condense and then mold starts to grow. Better to get an efficient electric heater and run a heavy power cord out to the trailer.

If you make it too comfortable you may find yourselves with a permanent house guest.