[Aerkuld]

OK, I got this response from my parents I hope it's of some help...

Earlier this year we bought a 34ft Rockwood Ultra-light travel trailer by Forest River. We have only limited experience so far but what we have has been good.

We spent a long time deciding what we wanted in terms of accommodation and then searching for a layout that met our particular needs. Most of the major manufacturers were examined both on the web and "in the flesh". We found two that made a layout that suited us, the Jayco Featherlite and the Rockwood. We have since seen one by K-Z that we liked even more but we found that only after we bought the Rockwood.

Only the models that met our needs were examined in great detail and in general quality of materials and workmanship were similar in both makes. The overall impression was that there is not a lot to choose between different makes. It seemed that the three makes that had the layout we wanted were all built on the same chassis and differed only in the interior trim. Our decision was made purely on things like the fact that one had a sofa bed which had a gap in the middle and the other had a proper bed in the same place which suited our needs better.

Several tips that we picked up by talking to various sales people and looking on the web were worth considering.

1. Leave something in reserve on the towing capacity of your vehicle. We opted for about 20% because we are hoping to spend some time in the mountains.

2. Fibre glass bodies are easier to clean and repair than corrugated aluminium.

3. Check out after-sales reputation of both manufacturer and dealer.

4. There are recommended limits for trailer lengths and vehicle wheelbase etc. in several places on the web.

5. If, like us, you have little or no experience of RVing there are some good books available. We recommend "The Complete Idiot's Guide to RVing" by Brent Peterson, published by Alpha. (whether this is a complete guide for idiots or a guide for complete idiots we are not sure).

6. Do as much research as you can first and then spend time shopping around. There are significant savings to be made by doing so.

Good luck.