re: Looking into my first camper

No worries haha when I bought it towing a camper was not anywhere on my radar. Was mainly meant to be my daily driver that I could pull a U-Haul with if necessary.

I live in Eastern Ohio now, so right on the edge of Appalachian Mountains. Not sure how much I would venture into the mountains per se, but the areas I am in will definitely have it's fair share of hills.

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The thing that has me baffled currently is the trailer brakes controlled through an app on your phone. This doesn't seem safe or reliable. Maybe I'm old fashioned or don't completely understand it. Probably both.

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I was completely satisfied with the controller box and the little adjustment arm. I would have to make small adjustments after it sat for long periods.

Try a pop up. Stores in your garage or back yard. Easy to pull. Learn how much the family enjoys camping.

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1. Know that they are all made pretty crappy. Things break. It's just what it is.

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This times a million. If you're not handy, they can drive you crazy.

There are only really 2 manufacturers that make up like 85% of the market. Top 3 make up over like 95%. They make them fast and they make them cheap. Unless you're going with a small custom builder, don't expect top quality.

We have a rear living that I keep on GI during the summer. I thought that would be great for just the wife and I, and it would be. But we seem to have guests every time we are down there and it is terrible. Air mattresses and fold out couches take up the entire living area.

I would go with either a bunkhouse, like stated earlier or a Toy Hauler. Toy Haulers have a garage in the rear that doubles as a bunkhouse when the Toy is removed. A lot of them also have lofts and rear patios.

I would add that you don't only want 2 ac units, but you want 2-15k btu units just to make sure it can cool off.

Renting is probably a great idea, as mentioned above. If you run the numbers on owning an rv vs renting, you would have to use it a LOT to justify the cost. Rvs are not cheap, they aren't cheap to maintain, storage fees add up if applicable, insirance is $50/month, campsites cost money and they depreciate quickly. You can rent a lot of hotels for the same money.

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1. Know that they are all made pretty crappy. Things break. It's just what it is.

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My buddy has one. He said after most long trips he will find screws, nuts, etc.. laying on the floor inside the camper. Then he has to figure how where the heck they came from.

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Try a pop up

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I would quit camping before having one of these.

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Try a pop up

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Learn how much the family enjoys camping.

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Or how much you don't enjoy your family.

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have an F150 with the 2.7L Eco in it. I'm thinking a dry weight around 4-4.5k lbs so that when it's loaded up I still have some wiggle room with the capacity the truck can safely pull.

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Towing and stopping is not usually where you max out first. It is the cargo capacity of the truck, especially if you get a 5th wheel.
Those back leaf springs can't handle a whole lot.
Add passengers, ice chests, bikes, firewood, pin weight. It adds up quickly.
Don't let the forums convince you that you have to have a dually for even the smallest trailers, but also don't neglect the cargo capacity; even 3/4 tons don't have alot.

Agree with others on the towing.
It's f'ng miserable, at least to me, trying to pull long hills with a gas engine. They just won't do it. I guess that's why my current RV is on a big rig chassis. lol

Expect 6-8mpg. No matter what you're driving/towing.

Get some tools. A good jack and impact to change the inevitable flat tire as the tires they put on RVs are trash. Drill/driver, screws/bolts/nuts assortment, construction adhesive, Flex Seal, wire, fuses, multi-meter, grinder w/ cut off wheel, bottle jack, zip ties, duct tape, JB Weld, quick set epoxy. Needless to say, I've done a lot of RV camping the last 20+ years and have had to fix just about everything you can think of on these pieces of crap. And ALL of them are junk, no matter the price range.

Also don't count on the dealer to fix it in any reasonable time frame. Likely they won't, particularly for warranty work.

Skip the “starter”. Buy the nicer one now. As mentioned, two ACs a good idea.

Don’t be afraid of Craigslist for a 2-3 year old nicer model. Make sure it was recreational and not lived in. You can save tons by getting all the “equipment” from someone else (tow hitch, sewer lines, hoses, etc. Wouldn’t go any older than 3 years on a used one.