One of the best ways to break into the RV lifestyle is with a travel trailer. These versatile, flexible RVs can take many shapes and come in at many price points so there’s a good chance the perfect travel trailer for your family is already out there somewhere waiting for you. For many customers, all they need is an approved tow vehicle, a down payment, and a credit check to roll off the lot with their very own RV. When you’re ready to check out new travel trailers, stop by Ryan’s RV Town here in Everett near Seattle, Washington.
Many people think of travel trailers as a modern innovation, but in reality, travel trailers have existed in some form or another for more than 100 years.
One of the earlier forms of the travel trailer wasn’t pulled by an automobile, but rather a horse, mule, or ox. In Eastern Europe, the Roma people were known to migrate through different regions using a form of horse-drawn wagon known as a vardo. These early travel trailers had elaborate woodworking and paint schemes that were quite eye-catching. Their all-wood construction was, however, rather heavy. Conestoga trailers were essentially a proto-travel trailer. While it was usually only women or children who would sleep inside the trailer, and sometimes not even them, these trailers were essentially the home base for people traveling during the mid-19th century in the United States.
As dirt roads yielded to asphalt and automobiles replaced horses and carriages, travel trailers started to change, too. Wooden construction gave way to steel, aluminum, and composites. Travel trailer construction really started picking up in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Soon, travel trailers would become common sights on many highways around the country.
If you walk onto the lot at a quality RV dealership, you’ll quickly realize that there are many different types of travel trailers and each of them offers different advantages. A toy hauler is one of the more recent additions to the travel trailer family. Toy haulers are designed with a rear cargo bay that’s spacious enough to accommodate powersport toys like dirt bikes and ATVs. The newest generation of travel trailers are sometimes known as Ultra-Lite trailers, and they feature lightweight construction that makes towing easier. The goal of Ultra-Lite trailers, however, is to never give up amenities, so you’ll find your trailer is no less comfortable than a conventional trailer. Pop-up campers are another type of travel trailer that have some real benefits for individuals, couples, and small families. These trailers usually sleep five or fewer people, but they’re easy to tow and come with the features you need for a comfortable lifestyle.
A major benefit of travel trailers over fifth wheels is that they can be towed by many types of vehicles. The reason for this is that travel trailers use a bumper pull type of hitch that connects to the chassis of the tow vehicle. Fifth wheels, on the other hand, are usually built to pair up with a special type of hitch that can only be installed in pickup trucks. Many travel trailers can be towed with SUVs, pickup trucks, vans, and even some crossover vehicles. As long as the gross combined weight rating is obeyed, the variety of vehicles that can tow a travel trailer is wide.
Ready to check out some travel trailer models for yourself? Stop by Ryan’s RV Town in Everett, Washington. We proudly serve the areas of Seattle, Tacoma, and Vancouver, Washington.
