What floor plan of travel trailer RV should I get?

You just got the green light as a family to go buy an RV and build some family memories, but don’t know where to start. I was in the same place. As a young family, on a teacher income, I knew we couldn’t go out and find the next top of the line Winnebago that would act as a second mortgage. I had an idea of what I wanted, but didn’t know a whole lot about where to even start. I started the endless search and spent countless hours researching what type of RVs there were and analyzing what I needed when looking for one. Step one was finding one within our budget. Step two was making sure the sleeping arrangements were what we needed. Step three was figuring out what we wanted to use it for. After countless hours of reading and researching, we settled on a travel trailer. The next task was finding what model of travel trailer we needed. Here is a basic glimpse of what travel trailer options there were and what each one is known for. 

Model Numbers Tell Most:

The first thing I would look at when deciding what you are looking for is understanding the model numbers when researching the type of RV you are looking at. The basic code systems are pretty universal, but not always. Understanding the model number is the first step to figuring out what type of pull-behind travel trailer you should be looking at. 

Model Numbers and Meaning: 

BH = Bunkhouse (has bunk beds)

RB = Rear Bath (bathroom in the back)

RL = Rear Living (couch/living area in back)

RK = Rear Kitchen

FK = Front Kitchen

FR = Front Room / Living area

MB = Murphy Bed (bed folds into wall)

DB = Double Bed or Double Bunks

K = Kitchen

L = Living area

U = U-shaped dinette

Q = Queen bed

S = Slide-out (sometimes included)

B = Bathroom

TB = Twin Beds (not bathroom, easy to confuse)

WB = Washroom/bath

W = Wide - 8’ Wide 

Once you understand this, you can start to figure out what you might be looking for specifically. For example, when we were looking at what we needed for our family of boys, I knew that I wanted to get a Bunkhouse Model. I also knew that I wanted to get one with the full bunks, so that as my boys grew, we would be able to use the trailer for a long time. One of the best times we had was teaching the kids the model system. I told the kids to only find trailers that fit our criteria.  Before we could look at each RV, it needed to have a BH in the model number. This turned into an exhilarating scavenger hunt through the RV lot where the kids would shout out, “Here’s one with a BH!” It made the investigation and hunt for the perfect one even that much more fun. I am not sure if the sales people liked it, but the kids sure had fun. 

Box Length/Not Trailer Length

The second thing you need to understand is what the numbers mean in the model numbers, because this can also be confusing. The number series typically references the length of the trailer box, not the distance from bumper to tongue. We bought a 2016 264 BHW. Based on the research I have done, it would mean that it is a Bunkhouse where the box of the trailer is 26 feet 4 inches long and 8 feet in width. 

Think About Where You Will Take It. 

If you are planning on taking it to many state or federal parks, understand what the parks may limit in size for travel trailers. It would be a big bummer to pull up to your campsite only to find out your trailer is too big for the site. More and more parks are putting in bigger driveways to hold bigger trailers. However, many of the best campsites can still be quite limiting in size as to what you can pull into the camp. Some places have roads that are pretty daunting when pulling a long trailer, so knowing what sizes you are limited to is important. It is also important to think about the height of the trailer to ensure that getting to your destination isn’t ruined by a lower bridge that you had planned. 

Smaller Trailer Equals More Access Opportunities

If you want to be more free to explore most of the parks, I would recommend a trailer tongue to bumper less than 20 feet long. You might feel more cramped, being smaller than 20 feet however, many trailers still have the ability to feel spacious with slide out dining features. Slideouts open up the space inside way more than you might think. If you are new to trailers, the longer the trailer may feel more daunting as well.  We love camping at Farragut State Park in Idaho. Where we wanted to go limited some of the campsites we wanted to try out.  We knew that the Jayco 264BHW was right at the maximum length we would want to go.

Longer Trailers Equals More Space and Luxeries

If you are a champ at pulling a trailer, longer trailers do have their benefits. With a longer trailer, you obviously get more space, more storage options and the ability to sleep more people. Our BH allows us to sleep up to 10. With the length that we have, we have a couch, a queen bed, the full bunk house and table dinette space and a full kitchen with a stove, oven fridge and sink. Smaller trailers have a lot of the same amenities, but you might have to give up the spacious feeling or some of the other luxuries. If you choose to go with a larger model, please research what size of trailer your vehicle can safely tow, otherwise you might be like me and have to get a larger truck to feel more comfortable as you pull it down the road. 

Cookie Cutter Can Still Be Unique

Hopefully this has helped you understand some of the ins and outs to analyzing what model of RV is best for you. When meeting with different salesmen, one phrase that was said over and over was that a lot of models are pretty cookie cutter. You can find the model that has the most of what you want pretty easily by understanding the model numbers. With that, you can be a little more selective in choosing the perfect model for your needs and know what features add ons you know are essential to your happiness. No matter what model you go with, you still have the ability to personalize your RV and make it unique to your desire!

Should I Get an RV?

Jackson Lake

Get Out There!

If you are anything like me and my family, there is a passion for getting out into the mountains and seeing much of the outdoors. I’m a teacher and a coach, but most importantly a father to three boys. There is a passion for experiencing the outdoors and trying new adventures. There aren’t many better feelings than seeing my kids go from the typical “Are we there yet?” whining to immediately being in awe of the Tetons, or seeing grizzly bears walk by your car; throwing my kids in the icy glacier fed mountain lakes, or playing a pickup whiffle ball game with camping neighbors. All of these lifelong memories are experiences I know my kids will never forget. The real question is what should you do about the sleeping arrangements? 

Get the RV!

Should I camp in a tent or get an RV? I did the whole scouting thing when I was younger.  I did survival camping, and have slept out under the stars on many occasions. As you hit your 30’s, life has a way of changing you. Your body starts to hurt. You still have a desire to go backpacking in the backcountry and feel rugged and wild again, but man sleeping on a lumpy, rocky ground doesn’t exactly make it a memorable experience. All it really does is make  “Dad” angry which in turn ruins the joy for everyone else. Wouldn’t it be nice to wake up in a nice bed, make a fresh cup of coffee, and start your day warm and cozy? Not to mention doing this in the midst of the most breathtaking scenery. We chose to get an RV and have never looked back!  

Good Sleep!

As a kid, we would always meet up with my grandparents when we were younger. I always wondered why my grandparents would spend money to bring a trailer with a bed. It wasn’t until parenthood and a dad bod later that I understood the power of a good night sleep and the connection to a great camping experience. RV mattresses have improved greatly. If the goal of camping is family bonding in the great outdoors, it is essential for parents to be well rested and full of energy for the weekend adventures. Sleeping on a nice mattress with a cross breeze coming through the RV puts me to sleep like a baby whose milk-drunk. We upgraded our mattress from the standard mattress to a Celestial Sleep 10 inch Short Queen Mattress and haven’t slept so well on a camping trip in my entire life. 

Kitchen Cooking!

One of my kid’s favorite experiences is when they get a fresh cookie that Grandma made in the oven of the RV. You might be camping, but most RV’s have great setups with stoves, ovens and microwaves that allow you to still be able to create a great meal or dessert even though you are away from home. Yes, campfires still make the best camping meals, but a fresh cookie from the oven would make camping that much better. 

Staying Dry!

Happy wife, happy life is an important motto to live by. Even more valuable though is keeping the kiddos happy when the rain hits. I remember when I was in college and I went out camping through Estes Park, we made it about halfway back from the top and got caught in the middle of a mountainous downpour. Now sprinting down the trail drenched in our Chaco’s was an incredible memory, but that was pre kids. Yes, most kids love playing in the rain and getting muddy and truly living out their wildest dreams when the storms hit, but once that cold hits, the fun ceases to exist and the whining begins. Camping in the mountains often leads to getting all of your gear and clothes wet and that can oftentimes lead to poor experiences in the eyes of your children. Nothing ruins a kid’s time like having to hold down the sides of the tents while the wind and rain is howling and making everyone cold as can be. RVs give you the chance to hang out and make memories through board games, great discussions, sharing a meal while the rain blows over. As long as you take good care of your RV, it should give you the ability to stay dry and still build memories around the campsite.

Bigger Space!

When I was a kid, some of our best memories were spending the night in our grandparent’s trailer. For us we called it the Bub Club. Looking back it was their way of finding places for all of us grandkids to sleep when we would have a family reunion, but to us it was the greatest of adventures.  If everyone has a good place to stay, people are more likely to stay longer leading to better adventures and more memories. With built-in showers and toilets, wardrobe cabinets and nice kitchens, some families may never want to leave and you might get the itch to make it your permanent living.  Most RVs have great options for sleeping. We have a family of 5 and one of the key things we were looking at was if we had a place for each kid to sleep. We settled on a Jayco Jayflight 264 BHW. This one sleeps up to 10, so when the boys get too squirrely  and need to be separated, each kid can have a bed or bunk and everyone still gets good sleep. RV bunkhouses have many options that maximize the ability to give everyone a good spot to sleep. 

Blissful Work!

It feels sacrilegious to bring up the idea of using technology or working while out camping, but in this day and age, it is a huge blessing to have an RV for exactly this reason. In a world of education where kids are looking at alternative virtual education or people are looking to work remotely, RV’s give you the ability to have an office on wheels. With mobile hotspots and electrical hookups and many RV campgrounds, working is quite feasible. Just imagine working while looking out at a crystal clear lake. Or as a teacher, just imagine grading papers while in the mountains sipping on some coffee. RVs give you the freedom to continue to work, but also live the dream away from home. 

Most Importantly, Do You!

Most importantly, do you! If your goal is to go out into the outdoors and you are wondering the best way possible, choose what works for you. It is your body that will have to sleep on the rocky ground, or toss and turn when the kids are kicking you in the side all night long. Camping should always be about getting out into the wild and building positive memories with your family and friends. Why let the rain and weather ruin that for you? If you have to work, do it from inside or around your camper along a beautiful stream.  For us, spending the money on an RV was a game changer for building lifelong memories as a family. Will there be hiccups? Sure, but at the end of the day, you will at least have a fun camper and can escape to the great outdoors!