When you’ve decided to purchase an RV, you’ve made a choice that will drastically improve your vacation experiences from here on out. Travel trailers and fifth wheels are great vehicles for improving comfort, convenience, and overall enjoyment, whether you’re at the campsite or just taking a road trip. Now that you’ve made your decision though, you have another choice to make: what kind of RV should you buy? At Charlie Obaugh RV, we sell two of the most popular types—the travel trailer and the fifth wheel—and for your first RV, we believe that a travel trailer might be the best option. This guide will breakdown the reasons why one of these recreational vehicles might be the most convenient unit for you, so once you’re ready to pick out your new RV, come on into our dealership in Staunton, VA!



AFFORDABLE PRICES

The first thing to consider when purchasing an RV is obviously the price. Unless you have a large family and need a model that will accommodate everyone and their friends, you might want to look for something that sleeps everyone you need without driving up the budget too much. For this reason, the more affordable travel trailer is a much better choice than a fifth wheel. However, no matter which RV you choose, you’ll actually save a lot of money on your vacations. Sure, you have to pay some money up front, but since you won’t have to pay for hotel rooms, don’t need to eat out for every meal, and can even avoid the airport more, you can actually save a lot of extra cash by travelling in your RV.

MORE VARIETY

Even when you’re working with a pretty small budget, you still have plenty of options for travel trailers. These types of RVs can sleep anywhere from three to twelve campers, give or take a few, which means it’s not hard finding a model that’s just right for you and your family. Keep in mind though, when picking a travel trailer, you’ll want a floorplan that has a little extra room for more people. You never know when your kids might want to bring a friend along, and it’s also nice to be prepared in case your family grows over the course of the time you own a travel trailer.

EASIER TO TOW

Towing is the area where you’ll really benefit from purchasing a travel trailer. Since they’re smaller, it’s easier to learn to haul them. Of course, any RV driving involves a little bit of a learning curve, but this will be much simpler when you’re dealing with such a compact frame. On top of that, most travel trailers can be towed by small pickups or even an SUV, unlike fifth wheels, which require larger vehicles. So unless you already own a full sized pickup truck, you can save a lot of money by purchasing a travel trailer.

CHEAPER MAINTENANCE

The last reason why we think travel trailers are great for first time RVers is their ease of maintenance. These vehicles are smaller, which means smaller components that undergo less stress over the course of operation. They also don’t have all the moving parts you find in motorhomes, such as engines or transmissions, so you can save a lot of money in the shop by picking one of these instead of larger units.

In the end, it doesn’t really matter what RV you pick. Sure, there are some that are better than others, but any recreational vehicle you buy, whether it be a fifth wheel or a travel trailer, will make for years of memorable experiences. At Charlie Obaugh RV, we believe that travel trailers are the best option for new RVers, but no matter what type you want to purchase, feel free to come shop from our showroom anytime. We’re in Staunton, VA, serving the areas of Waynesboro, Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, and Lexington, Virginia.