As you can tell from this blog, we’ve been towing around the Western United States for two years. Our Tacoma, “Toby”, has been pulling our 20ft travel trailer, “Howie”, reliably. I have had concerns about steep inclines and our Tacoma does struggle a bit after a few thousand feet. Especially if the incline is greater than 5% for much of the climb. The transmission temperature has reach 220° and even 222°, which reduces the life of the fluid according to specs.
Transmission Fluid Life vs Temperature
How do I handle the Tacoma’s towing ‘shortcomings’ compared to larger trucks? I pick routes that are flatter or with more gradual inclines whenever possible. When route planning I use:
InRoute App – smartphone navigation app which can help you pick the flattest or less curvy route
I monitor the transmission temperature and if reaches 220° for more than a few minutes or goes higher, I pull over and let it cool. So far the only time I’ve had to do that was towing from Bass Lake to Yosemite National Park on Highway 49 with summer temperatures at 104°. Unfortunately, Highway 41 was closed due to the Washburn Wildfires July 2022. I tow at ~60mph on level ground and ~45mph on the inclines. I get about 11.5mpg towing at ~60mpg; on drives with inclines ~10mpg. This is towing at S4 with ECT on. I’ve tried S4 with ECT off and did not get any better gas mileage or notice more shifting so I just tow with it on. I initially avoided cruise-control when towing but on the long flat runs, I’ve started using it. The adaptive cruise control works well even when towing but I avoid it in traffic.
The other concern is the Tacoma’s payload. We tow with our travel trailer tanks relatively empty – a couple gallons in our black tank with treatment is all. But the cargo in the travel trailer does not affect the truck’s payload significantly with a weight-distribution hitch. Still the Tacoma is limited to ~ 1000lbs so with people, dog, fuel, tonneau cover, & hitch-weight. We only have about 120lbs of additional cargo the truck can carry. But since the Tacoma is my everyday driver, we have not wanted to buy a bigger truck. It would be nice to have the piece-of-mind a larger truck brings. But driving it when we are not towing would less enjoyable. I have enough trouble steering the Tacoma into tight parking spots as it is.
So I have installed black Sumo Springs which has helped with tail sag. The tow angle is about 1.5inches higher so more level. But the ride is noticeably stiffer, rougher which we’ve become accustom. That’s the only upgrade so far although I’ve considered:
re-gearing or
re-tuning as some members of the Towing with Tacoma Facebook user-group suggests.
an additional transmission cooler, a bit bigger to help with the fluid temperature.
Ordinarily, our drive from one destination to another doesn’t warrant comment but this one is pretty unique. There are a couple ways to get from Springdale to Bryce Canyon. The shortest is UT-9E through Zion National Park to US-89. But UT-9E is a winding route that has a 1.1mi tunnel with height restrictions. If your RV is taller than 13ft than you have to take one of the alternate routes. From NPS.Gov: “The Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel – Construction of the 1.1 mile Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel began in the late 1920s and was completed in 1930. At the time that the tunnel was dedicated, on July 4, 1930, it was the longest tunnel of its type in the United States. The Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel (and the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway) provides direct access for travel between Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon, and Zion National Parks. Rangers posted at both ends of the tunnel convert two-way tunnel traffic to one-way for larger vehicles, ensuring safe passage. This service, for which a $15 dollar tunnel permit fee is charged, was provided for over 32,832 oversized oversized vehicles in calendar year 2019. In 2022 large vehicles may only travel through the tunnel daily from:
February 27 to March 12 from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m
March 13 to April 23 from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
April 24 to August 27 from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
August 28 to September 24 from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
September 25 to November 5 from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m
Starting November 6, winter hours of operations for the tunnel are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.”
We opted to pay the toll and save ourselves and extra hour of driving using an alternate route. Much of UT-9E through Zion NP is 35mph or slower because of all the 180° curves. There are plenty of turnouts so you can let cars pass if they start to pile-up behind you. There is a second short tunnel on UT-9 inside of Zion NP without any restictions because of better clearance so no toll. Once out of the park, much of the route is fairly flat and you can tow full-speed. But only a few sections on US-89 have more than two lanes.
Our GeoPro G19RD has a tongue weight of ~420lbs. When the truck bed is loaded for a RV trip, the weight of cargo plus the GeoPro causes hitch sag. There are a variety of solutions to improve the truck’s rear suspension but Sumo Springs are easy to install and simple. I opted for the black ‘1,800lb’ version There are two others colors: blue = ‘1400lb’ light-medium duty; and yellow = medium-heavy duty (not designed for the Tacoma). For everyday driving & light duty, the blue would typically replace the stock bump stops. But if you tow a trailer, the black higher density is better at reducing hitch sag.
I installed the Sumo Springs using a socket wrench to remove the nuts holding the bump stop u-brackets. Tip: turns out you do not need to completely remove the u-brackets, just loosen, since the stops only need 1/2″ of foot clearance to be removed. The Sumo Springs replace the (surprisingly small) stock Toyota bump stops. I did not need to jack my 2020 Tacoma TRD Off-Road 4×4 up since there was enough clearance. I did the installation on level ground with tire blocks to insure the truck didn’t roll over me.
Since the hitch will dip ~1″ before contacting the Sumo Springs, the difference isn’t clearly perceptible in the sideview photos. But I did see a difference in the rear fender clearance of Tacoma when loaded & hitched to the GeoPro. Plus the tow ride has definitely improved with much less ‘porpoising’ and less overall tail bounce. It is a firmer ride but since there’s less bounce, it’s a worthwhile improvement.
We bought our tow vehicle first. I picked a Toyota Tacoma after driving a Prius for 12yrs. Our 2020 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-road 4×4, crew cab short bed is rated to tow ~6400lbs. So we shopped for small trailers under 4000lbs, starting with teardrops. We bought the Geo Pro G19RD because we loved its floor plan – rear dinette, front bed, adequate storage, tank volumes, dry bath – and its low GVWR. The sticker on the frame read 3150lb GVWR, but many rv’ers say this weight does not include the extras Rockwood adds. So reviewing Forest River’s 2021 G19RD specifications, the UVW may be closer to 3271lbs. Following the “80% rule” of not towing more than 80% of your rated tow weight. We should be able to tow up to 5000lbs. We wanted to keep it closer to 4200lbs loaded. We have not stopped at a weigh station but it’s on our to-do list.
Forest River/Rockwood 2021 Geo Pro G19RD (discontinued in 2022)
This model of Tacoma is equipped with a tow package which means there are some manufacturer’s add-ons that help when towing. The class IV receiver hitch with trailer wiring, transmission cooler, engine oil cooler, 130-amp alternator and heavy-duty battery to allow you to tow 6400lbs. We added an Equal-i-zer 10k E4 weight distribution hitch with 4-point sway control. I installed a Tekonsha P2 brake controller, using the appropriate Tacoma pigtail that integrates it with the Tacoma’s 7-pin wiring. A ScanGauge II OBD monitor is installed & configured to readout transmission fluid temperature. Which some people feel is the most critical engine item to monitor when towing w/ a lighter truck. The Geo Pro has a tire-pressure monitoring system factory installed which is also critical for any trailer, especially a single-axle trailer.
Since picking up the trailer in Nov 2020, we’ve done five trips, mostly short & within 270mi of home. Our 1st was a 3-day shakedown trip to Campland-By-The-Bay in San Diego, 30mi from home. The longest & farthest, a one-week trip to Ventura-Pismo Beach-Carpinteria. Two other short trips: 2 days in Joshua Tree; 5 days in Indio. We’ve been very weight-conscience, only taking what we need. On our last trip, we added two folding bikes and dog to the Tacoma (~100lbs) and found the truck rode more smoothly. In the trailer, we distribute gear weight throughout the compartments – hoses, hardware, hookup accessories – in bins. The griddle, power cord w/ surge protector, leveling blocks, and safety cones in the rear compartments. We’ve been bringing food and 1-2gals of drinking water, depending on the length of the trip. For the Joshua Tree “dry-camping” trip we added 12gals to our fresh water tank, which adds ~100lbs. Following the advice of another Tacoma tow’er, we shift our automatic transmission from “D” to “S4”. We’ve found that “ECT PWR On”, another towing feature of the Tacoma, so far does not make significant difference. Our mileage has been averaging 11.5mpg with it on. It’s too early to tell but we towed with “ECT PWR Off” last trip and may have averaged 12.4mpg. But we need more miles since this stat is based on towing with very few inclines.
Starting our RV life at the end of 2020, we made some highly recommended tweaks to improve our overall experience.
Rear view camera – since Geo Pros are pre-wired for a backup camera, installing one was one of the first addons to improve safety. We installed a Furrion system since the Geo Pro mount is Furrion. Some dealers offer a rear view camera standard or as an incentive. Ours didn’t come with one so to make the installation easy, I installed a standard Furrion 5 system. Took 10mins with no drilling or additional wiring. The amount of extra wire in the Furrion base was longer than needed. So I fed all but ~8″ into the wall instead of cutting it shorter. We plan on adding two Furrion side cameras since we prefer not to use side mirror extensions. So far the rear view camera is working well wirelessly, viewable on the 5″ monitor setup on the dash.
Painted trailer tongue – painting the black trailer tongue where the ball hitch attaches was one of the best tips we saw on YouTube. Painting the ball hitch receiver light grey makes it easy to see on the Tacoma’s backup camera when hooking up. The light color can be “blown out” in camera view under bright sunlight, but still useful. The Tacoma’s backup camera is slightly off-center on the tailgate so the ‘centerpoint’ crosshair is slightly off to the left.
Dinette molding – the cabinet corner next to the dinette is already showing wear from the few times we’ve scooted out, rubbing against the wall (see photo). So we added oak molding stained to match the interior to the corners.
Worn corner from us sliding into the dinette
Solution: oak molding glued to corner
After taking a few trips and seeing mods other GeoPro owners have done. We made a few more changes to make living in our G19RD more comfortable.
The east-west full size bed is fine for us but a north-south modification makes it easier to get up without crawling over. Plus it adds extra room for Bodhi, our terrier-poodle, who sleeps next to us.
The dinette table that comes in the G19RD is relatively huge. It doubles as the bed platform so is wide and long enough to covert the dinette into a queen size bed. Unfortunately, it makes getting in & out of the dinette cumbersome, having to shift the table to the opposite side to slide in. We installed a Lagun table arm that swings the table top in different positions. Plus we can use different table top sizes to open up the dinette area. We’ll keep the stock table for trips where we need the extra bed. But for most of our trips, we’ll use the small table.
After some very basic additions to our Geo Pro G19RD “Howie”, we did a three-day shakedown trip to Campland-On-The-Bay Nov 18-21 2020. We bought a long list of support equipment recommended by the numerous YouTube videos we watched on essentials.
Following a tip I saw online, I painted the trailer’s hitch a light gray to make it easier to see in the Tacoma’s backup camera. It helps a lot when aligning the ball hitch to trailer hitch without a second person. It took awhile to remember the sequence of attaching the Equalizer E4 wdh but after referring to my notes and a few retries, I had it hooked up properly. An electronic tongue jack, standard on the Geo Pros, really helps speed up the process.
Campland-On-The-Bay is an “urban” bay-side campground in San Diego on Mission Bay, about 34 miles from home. It’s a short drive through town then mainly freeway, with only minor elevation changes. Towing went fine until we pulled off the Campland freeway exit then I noticed a slight “push” from the trailer when braking. The brake controller read “n.c.” – n.c. means “no contact or connection” so we lost our trailer brakes. Fortunately, the G19RD is less than 4000lbs & light enough for the Tacoma to stop unassisted. Campland is less than a mile from the freeway exit so we were able to make it to our campsite without issue. My wife booked a pull-through site so I thankfully didn’t have to remember my trailer backup skills. We leveled the trailer using a bubble level, Beech Lane leveling block and our LevelMate Pro+ which I had calibrated at home. Campland has full hookups (photo) so I connected the pressure regulator, water filter and fresh water hose. The water pressure gauge initially read over 60psi(!) so I adjusted it down to ~45psi. Next was power, attaching the 30amp surge protector and power cable to Howie. I threaded a cable lock through the surge protector since I read they are often stolen. Lastly, I attached the Rhino flex hose to the sewer fitting, using the hose-support slinky and sandbag to keep it seated tightly. Everything worked fine – no leaks were detected inside because of the initial 60psi water pressure. On shore power, we used the electric water heater vs propane.
The “east-west” full bed was comfortable but cozy with two smaller adults (5’9″, 5’1″) and 38lb dog (photo). We added a memory foam topper to the stock mattress and it’s good enough for now. It’s a heated mattress but we didn’t test it out. San Diego in November was still warm. Our next mod: someone in our Geo Pro Facebook group posted a modification that extends the mattress, converting the “east-west” bed to “north-south”. They constructed a short, retractable, plywood board that pulls out from under the mattress. Adding cushions the height of the mattress, extending the length the bed.
Day 2 started with breakfast cooked on the propane griddle that comes standard with the Geo Pro/E-Pro trailers. I hooked it up to the external propane connector and it works really well. We read that using it against the trailer can scorch the side panel. So we used it on a separate stand-alone table well away from Howie. The exterior metal shelf, also standard, works fine for holding plates, utensils & food. The kitchen’s propane stove was used to boil water for tea & coffee. A small Nespresso machine will travel with us next time. But this time I used a manual Nespresso coffee press which worked fine but requires some effort. Microwave-heated milk topped the latte – I’m debating on whether a milk frother is worth carrying. The 12v fridge worked great although some bins or bungees could be useful to minimize shifting of taller items during transit. Since we were hooked up to shore power, our 2 6v batteries never dropped below 100%. We tested the AC & furnace – they worked fine although a bit noisy – but neither was needed. It was cool enough during the day to just open the windows & use the MaxAir fan. At night, we used a small electric space heater instead of the furnace. Moisture was visible on the stove top when using propane even when using the oven fan hood. But the windows never had significant condensation since we kept the MaxAir fan on low full time & a window cracked. We also had a DampRid passive dehumidifier. But buy the end of our shakedown, there was very little water condensed at the bottom. The weather was dry all 3 days with very little humidity even though we were bay-side.
Getting back to the brake failure problem: I fussed with my Tacoma’s fuse box to see it the brake control circuit needed a new fuse. It was fine – the Tacoma’s main fuse box is in the engine compartment. It’s lid has a key to all the fuses, identifying the brake controller fuse (photo). There are also a few spare fuses & a fuse puller clipped to the fuse box lid. I brought assorted spare fuses (bought from Amazon) too since trailer fuses often need to be replaced. I called my RV dealer and the service manager gave me some trouble-shooting tips to try. The best tip he gave me was to ask my neighbor if I could hook up my Tacoma to their trailer to see if the brake controller works. It did, so we knew the problem was with the brand new trailer.
Next, I tried Forest River Roadside Assistance (FRRA) that’s listed in the binder that came with the trailer. It’s the wrong number but the person who answered gave me the right number (866)209-2895. Since we did not have a membership # yet, FFRA couldn’t really help us – when you take delivery of the trailer, your RV dealer submits the application to Forest River for you. If they do not submit your application right away, it can take quite a long time to get your card. Some dealers wait until they have a stack of applications to submit, so ask your dealer to expedite your application just in case you need roadside assistance early. When I called our dealer back for a service appointment. They said, because of Covid, “walk-ins” were not allowed & the next appointment was in March 2021 (so much for buying locally getting priority). I asked about our Forest River Roadside Assistance application & they said they would check on its status & expedite submission if needed. (Update: we received our membership # & card yesterday Jan 19 2021 after taking delivery Nov 12 2020.) I was able to talk to a Forest River’s technician but his suggestions didn’t fix the problem. Finally, I asked the concierge at Campland for a mobile repairman recommendation and he gave me a card. The mobile RV repairman (Guillermo from www.sosrepair.services) was kind enough to squeeze us into his full schedule. He came by ~6:30pm Nov 20, diagnosed & fixed the problem in 10mins. I took him longer to do the electronic paperwork, invoice me $150, & accept payment. The problem he found was the ground to the brakes were faulty. He replaced the two crimp connectors (photo), which he thought were the wrong gauge, with the correct ones. (Sidenote: if you want a career that’s in high-demand & great-paying, become a RV repairman.) After explaining our situation & experience to Forest River. They were kind enough to reimburse us the full $150. Something they said they do not usually due. We had a great first trip and learned a lot about setting up a rv. We are planning our 2021 trips although in California. Many campgrounds are still closed due to the pandemic.
We first saw the Geo Pro G19RD in September at GiantRV in Temecula, along with other small trailers like the Kodiak Cub & Jaybird. We weren’t ready to buy just yet, trying to decide if we’d prefer a teardrop like the Tab 400 or Little Guy Max. After shopping around, we decided the slightly larger G19RD weight & floorplan met our ‘sweet spot’. But by October, there were none available locally. We drove to Arizona to find one or something comparable but again no luck. Fortunately, one arrived at RV Solutions San Diego Oct 29th. We did a walk-through and put a deposit down immediately. RV Solutions agreed to our “out-the-door” price (~$3k below MSRP). We could have bought it much cheaper by ordering online from a wholesalers out of state. But after hearing new owners wanting to replace the 110v fridge and plastic toilet on the latest inventory. We are happy getting what we wanted by paying the SoCal low inventory “Covid-premium”. We picked Howie up on Nov 12th, going through the new rv-owner orientation. We could have picked it up earlier but we needed to arrange storage since we have a HOA that forbids RV storage at home. Plus we added RV insurance to our USAA auto insurance with a Nov 12 start date. We towed it early Thursday afternoon to beat the rush hour – towing a TT for the first time through SoCal traffic at rush hour is something we didn’t want to do. Rush hour traffic hasn’t been bad since Covid has people working from home but why chance it. RV Solutions installed our weight-distribution hitch as part of our agreement & overall price. We had the hitch & brake controller already. We towed it home 33mi without any problems and were able to park it curbside next to our house. We outfitted it with rear-view camera, food, clothes, dog supplies, and necessities.
Since buying a small towable travel trailer was challenging due to low inventory in mid-2020. We considered renting to help decide what size trailer would work for us. After buying a Tacoma with tow package, I outfitted it with a weight-distribution hitch (wdh) and Curt wireless brake controller. After reading reviews & watching wdh installation videos, I decided on the Equal-i-zer E4 wdh. Their online calculator (https://www.equalizerhitch.com/find-your-hitch-size) recommended the 10k setup. It’s heavier than many other brands at ~100lbs but popular for its 4-friction point anti-sway design. Plus rated for 10k, we can upgrade to a larger trailer in the future & move the wdh to another vehicle. In addition to the Curt bluetooth brake controller, I installed a Tekonsha Primus brake controller (Amazon). Since our Tacoma is pre-wired for a controller, I thought it prudent to have a hard-wired controller as our primary. A lockable tonneau cover was also on my wish list to securely transport & store gear in the 5ft truck bed. A retractable ReTraxOne XR was on sale at realtruck.com, still pricey but so far, worth it. A ScangaugeII OBDII diagnostic readout gauge was next since the Tacoma has a transmission fluid cooler, as part of the tow package, but without a readout. Monitoring the transmission fluid temperature is recommended since the Tacoma can strain towing up long steep inclines. If the temp exceeds 210°C, it’s recommended to pull over & let the transmission cool to save on transmission wear & tear. Some extras – dashcam, dog hammock for rear seat, dog harness & seat belt.
Renting a trailer, although recommended by many, just didn’t work out for us because of Covid and my reservations about our towing someone else trailer. Being newbies, I would hate to have wrecked someone else’s “Home on Wheels” (HoWie).
Essentials+Extras Tow Vehicle Shopping List
10K Equal-i-zer 4-point Sway Control Hitch (Camping World)
Rove R2- 4K WiFi GPS Car Dash Cam Recorder (Amazon)
Dash Cam Rear View Mirror Mount Kit &
SimpleUSB Mirror to Dashcam Power Adapter (12-pin for Toyota Tacoma; Amazon)
ReTraxOne MX retractable tonneau cover for Tacoma short bed (10% off from RealTruck.com; hard to get from other places like tonneaufactoryoutlet.com due to low inventory in Oct 2020)
My wife & I retired in 2020 with the idea of traveling while we are still relatively young, healthy and able to enjoy ourselves. Then Covid-19 hit and like everyone else on the entire planet, plans changed. So we’ve gone through lock-downs, home quarantine, and have been very cautious since we are near the age when it can be extremely serious or even fatal. Many of you most likely are living under similar circumstances…
Closed Borders Since travel out of the country for most of 2020 was restricted & risky with potential exposure to Covid in close spaces. Not feeling safe flying or using public transportation, like many others, we decided to buy a RV as a way to travel safely. We had been discussing a Sprinter-type van conversion build for several months, even before Covid, then decided on a small trailer instead.
First we looked at a Happier Camper (Jun 23 2020) since they claim you can tow it with a car. It’s a great idea – a small fiberglass trailer with modules that can add different features. You can completely customize the tiny floor plan & change it to suit your travel plans. Unfortunately, even at only ~1500lbs, our Nissan Rogue Hybrid SUV couldn’t tow it. We also really wanted an indoor shower and toilet, for convenience & Covid safety. Plus it’s pricey and would take months to build. The Happier Camper Traveler model is bigger, has a wet bath, but is priced like an Airstream and weighs 1800lb dry.
New Tow Vehicle First
In August, I decided I needed a new vehicle since my 12yr old Prius was showing its age. I bought a 2020 Tacoma TRD Off Road 4×4, as my day-to-day vehicle and as our tow vehicle. This was our “first” experience with the “Covid-Premium” – the inflated cost of things due to the pandemic stopping production and creating shortages (disregarding the inflation & scarcity of toilet paper, masks, hand sanitizer & disinfecting wipes). Turns out Tacomas are the #1 selling mid-size truck and due to the earlier production shutdown. Inventory was really low, with most models of Tacomas hard to find. Some dealers were charging $2000 or more over MSRP. I refused to pay over MSRP and fortunately was able to find & buy the color (cement) Tacoma I wanted at my neighborhood dealer for MSRP with $1000 rebate.
2020 Tacoma TRD Off Road
Tow capability In hindsight, I’d recommend anyone find the travel trailer they want first. Then buy a tow vehicle capable of towing it safely. The tow capacity of my model Tacoma is 6400lbs, so I thought “Cool, we‘ll be fine”. But after researching tow capacity, it’s somewhat a misnomer since trucks really shouldn’t pull their maximum tow weight. Safe towing practitioners recommended that you keep your fullyloaded travel trailer at 80% or less of your tow vehicles maximum tow capacity. So, for the Tacoma, that is around 5000lbs. I wanted to keep it closer to ~4200lbs for fuel economy & less wear-n-tear on the power train on inclines. Some safe towing practitioners recommend limiting your weight to 50% of your tow capacity. A ~4200lb max weight really limits your options in travel trailers if you want comfortable interior space. Especially if you want a shower & toilet. This means trying to keep the “dry weight” (weight w/o cargo, water, propane, & batteries) to 3200lbs or less. So we started shopping for small travel trailers 20ft or less.
Smaller Travel Trailers
We spent a few months researching online and shopping at local RV dealers. New fiberglass trailers, like the Escape, Casita, or Scamp, are lightweight and perfect for a smaller tow vehicle. But they are exclusively custom ordered & have a waiting list into late 2021 or 2022 (as of Oct 2020). Used ones are hard to find because they have a devoted following. We saw a well-used Casita price reasonably on Facebook marketplace and contacted the owner right away. But we were 35th on the list of interested buyers and it sold well before we had a chance to see it in person. The inflated Covid-premium pricing carried over into the used market, with used Tacomas and trailers selling for near-original sales price or more. We seriously considered the NuCamp Tab 400 Boondock (~$42k in SoCal; $35k in AZ) since we originally planned on the compact floor plan of a Sprinter van conversion. The Little Guy Max (~$35k in SoCal) was also really nice, well constructed, but with small fresh water, gray & black water tanks. Ultimately, we decided on the slightly larger Geo Pro G19RD after touring one Sep 11 2020. One of the very first trailers we walked through and liked.
Rockwood Geo Pro 2021 G19RD Floorplan
Like other floor plans we preferred, the G19RD has a bed on one end (front) and dinette on the other (rear). Plus the rear dinette has “wrap-around” windows for a great view and light. There are some great small travel trailer options but very few were sitting on a dealer lot in mid-2020. So the ones that were/are available, are priced with a “Covid-premium” markup. Many local dealers we visited had some travel trailer inventory but most were way too big & heavy for my Tacoma. It seems like the smaller “SUV-towable” travel trailers under 21ft are in greatest demand. The MSRP on trailers is continually increasing as the costs of materials, parts & appliances increase due to production & import limitations. We considered waiting until production increased in 2021 and inventories grew to get a lower price & have more to choose. But with waiting lists of months or even years we decided we would pay the “covid-premium”, to a limited degree, to get one sooner than later – we were hot to get started, antsy to travel due to the lock downs.
Our Geo Pro G19RD
at RV Solutions San Diego
Finding & Buying a Small Travel Trailer In September, we were also considering a Winnebago 1708FB. Which is one of the lightest towables (~3360lbs) with dual axles, which some consider safer. But deciding on one vs buying one are completely different currently. Availability of the Winnebago was months away and we really kept going back to the floor-plan of the G19RD – the Winnie Micro Minnie has a front bed, smallside dinette, & rear dry bath. We follow the adventures of Traveling Robert on YouTube who pulls the 1708FB. It seems great for a single traveler but when there is two of you, having separate spaces to relax was preferable. That’s what the G19RD floor-plan provides. Unfortunately, the first “Giant” dealer with the Geo Pro wouldn’t budge from selling it for MSRP since, with its rarity, they could easily get. MSRP had climbed to $32k.
Winnebago 1708FB
Buying Out Of State While shopping/researching on YouTube & rvtrader.com, we heard about RV Wholesalers in Ohio, who sells many RVs at pre-pandemic prices online (rvwholesalers.com). You submit the trailer(s) you are interested in using their online form and they’ll send you a legitimate (good for 30 days) price quote via email. If you do not want to drive to Ohio, they will ship it right to your door for a mileage-based fee – it was ~$3900 to California. Even with almost $4k shipping, its total cost was a few thousand dollars cheaper than local dealer’s prices .
The deal-killers for us were:
We didn’t want to drive to Ohio in December to pickup the trailer with Covid & weather. But that’s the only way to see it before buying and the only way to have an in-person orientation after purchase. Experienced RV’ers probably do not need an orientation but this is our first RV.
If shipped, there would be no previewing the trailer, no walk-through, & our virtual orientation would be via Zoom or YouTube. They promise all the dealer prep & inspection would be perform plus a Covid cleaning certification.
Warranty service issues since it was bought out-of-state. Buying locally (supposedly) give your priority service at the dealer. Update: this may be less of an issue since, because of the recent surge in RV’ing plus Covid restrictions. Getting your RV in for service requires an appointment which can be months away. I’m thinking most minor repairs can be done by me. I’m fairly “handy” and there are plenty of how-to videos on YouTube or online forums.
Next, we drove 5hrs to Phoenix Arizona because we saw online dealers there seemed to have more inventory and better prices. The Tab 400 was about $10,000 cheaper there but still had to be ordered with a two month wait. They had E-Pros, which are identical to Geo Pros, but they did not have the 19RD we saw advertised online. Most of the other trailers that looked promising were viewable but pre-sold. They had better pricing than California but any model we considered would have to be ordered. Plus, dealers there confirmed “that because of the surge in RVing, customers of the dealership got priority when needing service”. There can also be tax and license details you have to handle at the DMV when returning to California. Even if you buy out-of-state, unless you register it out-of-state, you’ll have to register it and pay tax in your home state. So there is no tax-saving benefits, just the savings of the purchase price. So we headed back to California and waited. We knew there were a couple incoming G19RDs listed on two local dealer’s manifests. We finally came to the realization that we were willing to pay more to buy locally, primarily for priority service, not having to wait months, and being able to walk-thru the RV before buying. We were negotiating with a local dealer, hoping for ~$3000 (~10%) below MSRP for an incoming G19RD. The first dealer to sell it to us for our “out-the-door price” would earn our business. While in slow-moving email negotiations with the 1st dealer, another local dealer had one come in and offered it to us. We looked it over, offered the ”out-the-door” price and they accepted the deal. Be careful when the dealer agrees to another dealer’s price that they don’t try to tack on extra fees. “Out-the-door” means total cost, nothing extra for inspection, setup or orientation.
It’s a sellers market out there. It took us 6 months to get our RV but as I type this, sitting at a campground, finally out of the house. It is a great feeling to finally be back living as normal a life as possible right now.
Do your research – pricing of RVs varies greatly. Get a price quote from an online dealer such as RV Wholesalers in Ohio to set a baseline.
RVs are cheaper closer to the factory. If you live on the West Coast and are willing to drive to Texas, Ohio, or Indiana. You can save a bunch but with Covid, it’s not as easy as any other time. With gas prices and travel costs, you may not save that much versus buying locally. But it’d be worth the travel if you can find & buy that ‘hard-to-get-locally’ model you really want.
Be careful of “bait-n-switch”, many RVs listed online are already sold but still listed as “available”. Or prices listed are much lower than the out-the-door price, once all the extras are tacked on.
Watch out for added fees and extra costs once the price is settled. Offer an “out-the-door” price so when the contract is written, nothing can be tacked on. If they insist, walk away. If financing, review the payment schedule & total cost very carefully. Make sure you are only paying what was negotiated without a balloon payment down the road.
Inventory is limited so if you see something you like, put a deposit on it that’s hopefully refundable.
If you can wait, then order your RV, it can be a lot cheaper. Casitas, Escapes, and Scamps are still selling for close to pre-pandemic prices. Manufacturers costs have gone up so expect new RV prices to be higher than 2019-2020.
If you are thinking of buying a towable and a new tow vehicle, shop for the towable first. A tow vehicle can limit your towable weight.
If buying used, seriously consider hiring a NRVIA-certified inspector to fully check out all the systems and make sure it’s safe. Even if buying used from the dealer. Also be aware that some campgrounds do not allow RVs older than 10years. If rebuilt &/or in excellent shape they may make an exception but you have to contact them & send photos.
Lastly, watch out for scams such as trailers listed dirt-cheap on Facebook Marketplace that have elaborate stories on why they want a quick sale. If it seems too good to be true, it is, unless you are really lucky.
Buying a RV is like buying a car, after all is said and done – enjoy your RV!
