Lost my home in the Camp Fire. Looking for trailer advice.

[McBroom]

View attachment 147000 I second Grand Design. I have one and it has been great. They have travel trailers and 5th wheels that can go on half ton trucks. If I lived closer I would sell you mine at a good price to help you out. I have the 2017 Reflection 308BHTS. Look it up it would be great for a family like yours for a temporary residence. I am sure a dealer near you would have one.

Prayers to you and your family and I am glad you made it out ok.

Meet 1/2 way to help him out??


I Love my 18 Ram 2500HD 4x4 CC
Blue Streak Pearl off-road

 

[Big Terry]

Avoid the half ton 5ers. They are actually a net loss of space in order to keep weight down enough to be half ton towable.

As mentioned previously, the 26-28 foot range will be your safe max with a half ton. I have a 27' Cougar that weighs about 7500 all up with full water, fuel, food and drink, plus personals--and I go solo. Add in the stuff you'll have with a wife and 3 kids, and the weight will climb. While my 1500 with tow package and 3.92s was rated on paper at just shy of 12k, I didn't like that I knew it was behind me- I am a lot more comfortable pulling it with my 2500. Not to say it was unsafe; I just prefer having more truck to pull it.

Look at bunkhouse designs, especially since your kids are young (hence small). Storage in any bumper pull will be well less than you'd have in a 5er, but usable floorspace will be greater. You might find a half ton TT with dual slides but you'll probably be better off with a single super slide, which will generally have your dinette and chairs/couch.

Bear in mind when brand shopping that 90% of all rvs are made by the same factories in Indiana, and no matter how good the pictures make them look and the brochures make them sound, they are still built ******. You WILL be fixing ****, especially since you're planning to live in it for a while. Can't very well turn it in for warranty work when the whole family is living in it.

Sucks that you lost your stuff in the fire, but happy to know you all got away safe. Hit me up if you have more trailer questions--I'm no guru, but I research a lot of info for my own use, and will freely pass it on if I can help.

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[PaulTGarrett]

I can't add much to what others have said about the trailers but wanted you to know that you and your neighbors are in our thoughts and prayers. Stay positive and keep looking forward.

 

[Bock]

Sorry to hear you lost everything, but like othershave said you and your family are safe. As for a TT to live in I say a toy haul they make some that a 1/2 ton can pull, my has a dry weignt of 6700 lbs. it's 30' and has one side and a 11' separate garage that you could build bunk beds in and the kids would still have room to play in. Best of all you and the wife could still have a little privacy at night.

 

[Gero]

Sorry to hear about your home. Can't imagine the stress you guys are going through.

I would advise against a 5th wheel as well. I would suggest an apex ultralight maybe 300bhs especially if you have to be there 6months. It's still fairly light and towable with your truck. Weighs 6000lbs dry and only 7.5ft wide which means no tow mirrors needed.

 

[Guy lIPSKY]

I would go for the bumper pull also I pull two different trailers, the hemi will pull it very easy but have your tank full of gas to go anywhere at a distance she likes her gas while pulling and I am so sorry for your loss , I hope that insurance covers everything

 

[Joe Merchak]

I would go look at what your local RV dealer sells. I bought one this fall after attending the Hersey show. The one we fell in love with is only sold at a dealer 2 hours away. My local dealer is not allowed to sell them.

The unit I bought is http://www.coachmenrv.com/product-details.aspx?LineID=535&ModelID=4101#Main

It tows perfectly with my 1500 Ram. I stayed in it over the Thanksgiving holiday and here in NJ we had 2 days under 30 degrees and it had no issues.

Sorry for the lose of your house

 

[n6medjim]

I'd look around with your max tow weight firmly in mind. I have a 2010 Ram 5.7 Hemi. It's max tow weight it 10K pounds (factory tow package) and I suspect yours in virtually the same as mine. A tow-behind would prob be better for your situation than a 5th wheel.

As a Red Cross volunteer, I worked at the Naz Shelter in Oroville from day one through 5 and heard numerous heart-breaking stories. I wish you the very best. I understand that agencies working on recovery are getting into full swing. Be sure to stop by each to see how they can help you.

 

[Elkman]

On the bright side your insurance will pay out for the house and your contents. Those who get hit with a mudslide will have no insurance coverage for their house or its contents. Check with your agent and see what your house was insured for in terms of rebuild dollars per square foot. Hopefully it is enough to get something new built. My house was insured by the agent at $140 per sq ft and where I live it costs $250-300 per square foot to build new so I had the coverage increased.

With a trailer they classify them as sleeping xx persons but often include a dinette conversion that can only sleep small children or very short adults. Some have a "dry" bath which means the floor and toilet are not part of the shower. The size of the refrigerator can vary greatly and not a big deal when camping for a week but it will be important in your situation.

Figure out where you can park the trailer and how much space is available for the trailer and include the room in terms of turning radius (which is where a 4WD with a crew cab is challenged and why people opt for 5th wheel trailers). RV parks may have spaces that take a 55' trailer and tow vehicle length but it may be only 10 spaces and the rest may limit you to a shorter or much shorter trailer. In particular the state parks with trailer/RV facilities are mostly able to hold a total trailer and tow vehicle length of 30' or less.

If you have a site where you can park the trailer for the next 12 months then I would get an old 5th wheel and hire someone to tow it to the spot. A 5th wheel has both more interior space and more externally accessed storage space. Even a larger and heavier tow trailer can be moved into position by someone with a 2500/3500 class truck for you. This even applies to a private RV park as it is common for people to tow a trailer and park it in a space and then unhitch the tow vehicle and drive around without the trailer until they intend to leave the park.

I would only buy a used trailer as a new one drops in value by 20% as soon as you drive it off a dealer's lot. I would look for a 10 year or older trailer as older means cheaper regardless of condition. You may want to look in Nevada and Oregon as I would expect that used trailers are going to be disappearing quickly in California. Be aware that sellers will often state that their RV is in great condition when it is not. Check tires, brakes, bearings, before towing it any distance. If it has a generator be sure to power it up and verify that it works. Verify if going to a RV trailer park that they do not have restrictions on the age of a RV or trailer as many do (state parks do not).

Don't overlook the trailer brakes and brake controller needed and who will do the electrical hookup for your truck. Many 3/4 and 1-ton trucks already have this included in the vehicle. Check the GCWR for your truck as the figure includes the weight of your truck with passengers and gear and the total weight of a loaded trailer. Download the Ram towing guide as it will provide additional information that may be of use. True truck tow mirrors are a big help if you end up towing the trailer multiple times or have to back a trailer into a space (as with most state park situations).

State Parks have lower rates but a 30-day maximum stay. They also have not raised their rates to take advantage of fire victims as I expect the private parks are doing. Uhaul doubled their rental rates after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake as did some of the public storage operators.

Get a PO box somewhere convenient and get your mail going to it so you continue to exist with the insurance company and local officials and credit card companies. Most likely if you paid your property taxes already you can request a refund or at least not make the April payment. If your insurance was with State Farm then you may need the services of a good attorney as this company is notorious for not settling claims in a timely manner and requiring lots of documentation of items lost (hopefully you have uploaded pictures online of all your home's contents). Ten years after the Berkeley fires many claims had still not been settled by State Farm. After I lost my house in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake every one of my attorney's insurance clients had policies with State Farm.

You will probably still need to make mortgage payments to the banksters for your "house" and California is a "no recourse" state so you can hand them back your house which was the only collateral on the loan and they can do nothing. It may be better to buy an existing house with your insurance settlement money than to spend the next 2-3 years of your life working on building a new house. Don't worry about credit as when you provide a statement that your house was destroyed from fire the new loan company will have no problems providing you with a new loan for your new house. This is something that the banksters do not want the public to know.

Plan for longer than 6 months before you are back in a home. It took me exactly 365 days to get building permits from Santa Cruz county officials after my house was damaged by the earthquake in 1989. And at that time there were still enough contractors and skilled trades people to do the work. Unless thousands of workers are brought into the country from Mexico the rebuilding of Paradise will take many years. There will undoubtedly be thousands of scam artists moving into California but they are not the same as a skilled carpenter or plumber or concrete worker from Mexico.

 

[gishidesu]

Sorry for your loss. My family of 4 (2 being children under 6) lived in a trailer for 8 months during our recent home search. We bought a 42' 2017 Coachmen Chaparral 371MBRB (5th wheel) intending to stay a while but ended up finding a house sooner than expected. While the space was nice for the time we were in it, a shorter trailer would have been better for towing and getting around. Elkman's post has some great tips and advice.

 

[jayc]

Thank God you and your family are all safe. I wish I was closer, I would bring the trailer that you buy to your new location.

I would look for something in the 28-30' range. If you can find an RV dealer, they might deliver it to you, especially under the circumstances.

Is FEMA offering any assistance? They have furnished many trailers for hurricane victims on the Gulf coast.

 

[DarthMegaHD]

Still trying to not come off insensitive or mr crazy conspiracy nut, but I just don't get it. I can't freakin wrap my head around how trees and bushes survived this horrible wildfire, yet everyone's homes we see and even vehicles for the most part, are completely evaporated. Your trees are not dead, they will regrow and turn green again next season. Your home is GONE. Like not even a burnt structure, it's totally disintegrated. How is this possible?

 

[OC455]

Still trying to not come off insensitive or mr crazy conspiracy nut, but I just don't get it. I can't freakin wrap my head around how trees and bushes survived this horrible wildfire, yet everyone's homes we see and even vehicles for the most part, are completely evaporated. Your trees are not dead, they will regrow and turn green again next season. Your home is GONE. Like not even a burnt structure, it's totally disintegrated. How is this possible?

Not to jack the thread, but most of the live trees, that were healthy and "green" tend not to burn like most of the dead stuff in the forests that haven't been harvested. A lot of it has to do with the moisture content and healthy/green trees have a higher moisture content. I mean they burn but not like in the forest areas where there is a lot of downed dried out timbers and debris that add to a fire as the fuel. In NY there are "burn" bans in the spring months up to the end of May because the grass is still "dry" and hasn't absorbed the nutrients and moisture to become healthy grass. Usually have a lot of grass fires during early spring time because of it. At least in the area I live and work.

That and the species of trees also plays a factor. Ash and Cherry you can pretty much burn green where Maples and Oaks need to be dried out for hardwoods. Pines and other soft woods tend to burn hot and fast even green most times. Sorry long winded.

 

[DarthMegaHD]

Not to jack the thread, but most of the live trees, that were healthy and "green" tend not to burn like most of the dead stuff in the forests that haven't been harvested. A lot of it has to do with the moisture content and healthy/green trees have a higher moisture content. I mean they burn but not like in the forest areas where there is a lot of downed dried out timbers and debris that add to a fire as the fuel. In NY there are "burn" bans in the spring months up to the end of May because the grass is still "dry" and hasn't absorbed the nutrients and moisture to become healthy grass. Usually have a lot of grass fires during early spring time because of it. At least in the area I live and work.

That and the species of trees also plays a factor. Ash and Cherry you can pretty much burn green where Maples and Oaks need to be dried out for hardwoods. Pines and other soft woods tend to burn hot and fast even green most times. Sorry long winded.

Insightful, thank you. I will consider it

 

[MJCs18Diesel]

In NC, FEMA provided trailers to anyone that applied for one,and they set it up on a lot for you. I was told they provide the biggest trailer you need for the number of adults and children. And, at the end, they offer you first chance to purchase the trailer at a substantial savings over the government's new price. They are a basic inexpensive RV. Possibly look into the FEMA program in your area. I do not know if they will place them on the property you own. Best of luck to you and your family.

 

[Fitz-0518]

On the bright side your insurance will pay out for the house and your contents. Those who get hit with a mudslide will have no insurance coverage for their house or its contents. Check with your agent and see what your house was insured for in terms of rebuild dollars per square foot. Hopefully it is enough to get something new built. My house was insured by the agent at $140 per sq ft and where I live it costs $250-300 per square foot to build new so I had the coverage increased.

With a trailer they classify them as sleeping xx persons but often include a dinette conversion that can only sleep small children or very short adults. Some have a "dry" bath which means the floor and toilet are not part of the shower. The size of the refrigerator can vary greatly and not a big deal when camping for a week but it will be important in your situation.

Figure out where you can park the trailer and how much space is available for the trailer and include the room in terms of turning radius (which is where a 4WD with a crew cab is challenged and why people opt for 5th wheel trailers). RV parks may have spaces that take a 55' trailer and tow vehicle length but it may be only 10 spaces and the rest may limit you to a shorter or much shorter trailer. In particular the state parks with trailer/RV facilities are mostly able to hold a total trailer and tow vehicle length of 30' or less.

If you have a site where you can park the trailer for the next 12 months then I would get an old 5th wheel and hire someone to tow it to the spot. A 5th wheel has both more interior space and more externally accessed storage space. Even a larger and heavier tow trailer can be moved into position by someone with a 2500/3500 class truck for you. This even applies to a private RV park as it is common for people to tow a trailer and park it in a space and then unhitch the tow vehicle and drive around without the trailer until they intend to leave the park.

I would only buy a used trailer as a new one drops in value by 20% as soon as you drive it off a dealer's lot. I would look for a 10 year or older trailer as older means cheaper regardless of condition. You may want to look in Nevada and Oregon as I would expect that used trailers are going to be disappearing quickly in California. Be aware that sellers will often state that their RV is in great condition when it is not. Check tires, brakes, bearings, before towing it any distance. If it has a generator be sure to power it up and verify that it works. Verify if going to a RV trailer park that they do not have restrictions on the age of a RV or trailer as many do (state parks do not).

Don't overlook the trailer brakes and brake controller needed and who will do the electrical hookup for your truck. Many 3/4 and 1-ton trucks already have this included in the vehicle. Check the GCWR for your truck as the figure includes the weight of your truck with passengers and gear and the total weight of a loaded trailer. Download the Ram towing guide as it will provide additional information that may be of use. True truck tow mirrors are a big help if you end up towing the trailer multiple times or have to back a trailer into a space (as with most state park situations).

State Parks have lower rates but a 30-day maximum stay. They also have not raised their rates to take advantage of fire victims as I expect the private parks are doing. Uhaul doubled their rental rates after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake as did some of the public storage operators.

Get a PO box somewhere convenient and get your mail going to it so you continue to exist with the insurance company and local officials and credit card companies. Most likely if you paid your property taxes already you can request a refund or at least not make the April payment. If your insurance was with State Farm then you may need the services of a good attorney as this company is notorious for not settling claims in a timely manner and requiring lots of documentation of items lost (hopefully you have uploaded pictures online of all your home's contents). Ten years after the Berkeley fires many claims had still not been settled by State Farm. After I lost my house in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake every one of my attorney's insurance clients had policies with State Farm.

You will probably still need to make mortgage payments to the banksters for your "house" and California is a "no recourse" state so you can hand them back your house which was the only collateral on the loan and they can do nothing. It may be better to buy an existing house with your insurance settlement money than to spend the next 2-3 years of your life working on building a new house. Don't worry about credit as when you provide a statement that your house was destroyed from fire the new loan company will have no problems providing you with a new loan for your new house. This is something that the banksters do not want the public to know.

Plan for longer than 6 months before you are back in a home. It took me exactly 365 days to get building permits from Santa Cruz county officials after my house was damaged by the earthquake in 1989. And at that time there were still enough contractors and skilled trades people to do the work. Unless thousands of workers are brought into the country from Mexico the rebuilding of Paradise will take many years. There will undoubtedly be thousands of scam artists moving into California but they are not the same as a skilled carpenter or plumber or concrete worker from Mexico.

Solid thoughts and help.

 

[twooldfarmers]

Sorry for your loss.. I'd recommend getting a bumper pull TT. You're really limited by the pin weight of a fifth wheel with a half ton truck.

Sent from my LG-K540 using Tapatalk

I think you have had senior moment here as you were posting to this thread.
You can handle far more pin weight with it's center only two inches from the rear axle center line as opposed to the hitch weight having all that leverage have of perhaps 25 times (2" vs 25") the effect from 'way back there at the bumper

Sent from my CLT-L04 using Tapatalk

 

[BlkZrx]

I think you have had senior moment here as you were posting to this thread.
You can handle far more pin weight with it's center only two inches from the rear axle center line as opposed to the hitch weight having all that leverage have of perhaps 25 times (2" vs 25") the effect from 'way back there at the bumper

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You sir, should stick to farming..

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[Fitz-0518]

FEMA announced today that they are releasing 2000 temp trailer homes this week to Nor Cal fire victims.

 

[Skrap]

Sorry for your loss but am glad you made it out.

On the question: Since you have three little ones and you and your wife I would look at getting a 5th wheel with a large bunk room for the kids. The bunk room give them each a bed with some OK storage and also give you some separation that can be needed at times with family. I would think that being in a smaller 28' TT would get mighty cramped and tiresome real quick if the weather turns for the worse with rain and cold. If there is honestly a way you can trade your 1500 in for a 2500 or 3500, even if you need to go down a trim level or two so you can pull it safely then I'd make that happen. Maybe your homeowners insurance can work something out for you to be able to get a bit extra money so you can safely tow your new temp home.

Of course I don't know you or your family dynamics but I would bet money that if you went to a TT most are telling you to get you will be looking for a larger unit within two months or less.

Now here is something to think about. Since you have approx. six months or more and only have a 1500 what about the possibility of purchase two nice used TT's. One a larger RLS model where the family could sit and lounge during the day with multiple couches and chairs and a U-dinette with a bedroom up front and then you buy a second TT that has a large Bunk Room with bedroom up front where your family sleeps at night.

Having the two trailers parked right next to each other but the tongues facing opposite directions so you make a little courtyard area. This would also give you lots more storage for the little ones and other important supplies. Your 1500 could tow each one at a time. Sell once your home is done.