Diana,
Thanks for the kind words on the TR.
It tows very easily. Mine is a 2014 Aliner Expedition which is 18' in length (15' box and 3' in front for propane tanks, batter, and hitch). It's obviously lower than the profile of my tow vehicle so it's not like dragging a barn door down the interstate.
I do take a hit on gas mileage, of course, of about 3mpg less because of the excess weight.
The thing I like best about it (besides being able to camp year round which we couldn't do in our old Jayco popup) is the ability to stay hitched up when I stop for the night at a state park, for example. I keep the hitch on the ball of the TV, crank down the rear jacks for additional stability, and then pop the roof and plug in. It's less than 5 minutes spent setting that part up and taking it down the next day. I had to unhitch with my former Jayco to get the bunks slid out to sleep on. As a result, I've taken more trips that are longer (more than 1 day's drive) because of the ease of stopping overnight.
Are you looking at an Aliner brand, a Forest River brand, or a Chalet brand? Aliner has a dealer network mostly in the Eastern half of the US, Forest River is everywhere, and Chalet sells direct from the Oregon plant so is more prevalent in the Western half of the US. Also they come in a variety of sizes now (10', 12', 15' boxes). Smaller means lighter means an easier tow. Smaller mean also easier to push around the driveway.
The knock on A-frames is lack of storage space but we make do. We try to stay outside as much as we can while camping anyway so the trailer is the rolling "guest room" of our home, so to speak.
If you have further questions, lemme know via PM.
Bama Ed
PS - and learning how to back in with the trailer is a skill that you'll have to master if you don't have a lot of experience doing so.
