Adventures in Tow
A popular activity for many American families during almost any season of the year, traveling by trailer can provide miles and miles of discovery and fun. Trailering gets families out of the house and away from daily routines, rekindling relationships and sharing adventures. Taking to the open road in a travel trailer also means avoiding costly hotels and restaurants, and it provides peace of mind knowing where and in what sort of beds the family will sleep at night.

Towing and Family Needs
Before shopping for a trailer, an important factor to consider is the capacity of the tow vehicle intended to pull the new travel rig. The following travel trailers for family adventures can be towed by a number of full-size SUVs and heavy-duty pickup trucks equipped for the task. Other major points to consider when trailer shopping include the number it sleeps, the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating, the Cargo Carrying Capacity and the length of the unit — to name a few key things. After spec and stat consideration comes the fun part: features and accessories.

Size and Price Range
The amenities — and the prices — for family-size trailers range from economical to extravagant. Establishing a budget and sticking to it while shopping keeps expectations in check. What follows are midrange travel trailers of moderate length (around 30 feet) from many manufacturers in ascending order by price, offering shoppers an introductory cross-section of trailers ready for family adventures.

Starcraft RV Autumn Ridge 26BH
Starting Retail Price: $20,000 (est.)
Sleeps: 9
GVWR: 6,500 lbs.
CCC (Approx.): 1,200 lbs.
Length: 29 ft.
One of the most economically priced family travel trailers on this list, the Autumn Ridge exterior features include galvanized steel wheelwells, aluminum exterior walls, lighted pass-through storage, magnetic baggage door catches, radial tires, a safety bumper with hose carrier and end caps, and self-adjusting electric brakes.

Starcraft RV Autumn Ridge 26BH Interior
The Autumn Ridge 26BH sleeps about nine people (BH aptly stands for bunkhouse), and standard interior appointments include a 13,500 BTU air-conditioner, a foot-flush toilet and a powered bathroom vent, LED lighting, hardwood cabinet doors, seamless countertops and residential vinyl flooring.

Grand Design RV Transcend XPLOR 245RL
Starting Retail Price: $23,750 (est.)
Sleeps: 6
GVWR: 7,995 lbs.
CCC (Approx.): 1,200 lbs.
Length: 31 ft.
A subsidiary of Winnebago Industries, Grand Design developed the Transcend XPLOR as an entry point into their product line, so it has many amenities and a great design (grand, even) for a family new to trailering.

Grand Design RV Transcend XPLOR 245RL Interior
The XPLOR features a bedroom with a pocket door and a queen-size bed, a full kitchen, a bath with a separate shower and porcelain toilet, as well as motion-sensor lighting for entering the unit at night.

Coachmen RV Catalina Summit Series 8 261BHS
Starting Retail Price: $26,500 (est.)
Sleeps: 7
GVWR: 7,700 lbs.
CCC (Approx.): 1,400 lbs.
Length: 30 ft.
The Catalina Summit Series by Coachmen RV offers many amenities at a modest price point, including a slideout living room, double bunk beds, a full bathroom and mountain cabin-inspired decor.

Coachmen RV Catalina Summit Series Interior
The Summit Series also features a sofa bed and convertible dinette for maximum sleeping accommodations. Depending on the size of the family members, the 2661BHS could squeeze in up to 10 people, although some would need to be of shorter stature.

Dutchmen Coleman Lantern LT 274BH
Starting Retail Price: $28,000 (est.)
Sleeps: 6–8
GVWR: 7,600 lbs.
CCC (Approx.): 2,000 lbs.
Length: 31 ft.
Named after perhaps the most recognizable piece of camping equipment in American history, the Coleman Lantern LT is a value-oriented trailer from a company with the motto, “Legendary Innovation. Trailblazing Value.” Dutchmen trailers also have a 3-year limited structural warranty.

Dutchmen Coleman Lantern LT 274BH Interior
Accommodating up to eight people, the Coleman LT 274BH (BH for bunkhouse) has double bunk beds at the rear as well as a convertible dinette, a jackknife sofa and a queen-size bed. The 274BH is unique in this segment since it has no slideouts — everything is accessible inside the unit at all times, and it will fit in some narrower campsites.

Highland Ridge RV Open Range UltraLite 2410RL
Starting Retail Price: $29,900 (est.)
Sleeps: 6
GVWR: 7,400 lbs.
CCC (Approx.): 1,500 lbs.
Length: 28.5 ft.
With a motto of “More Room, Less Weight,” the Highland Ridge Open Range series offers a lot of space for the price. The 2410RL has a fully walkable roof, an exterior ladder, a PVC roof membrane with a 15-year limited warranty, an I-beam chassis and RidgeLink (a Bluetooth phone app that controls slides, lighting, auto-levelers and stabilizer jacks).

Highland Ridge RV Open Range UltraLite 2410RL Interior
The Open Range UltraLite interior includes LED lighting, a 39-inch TV, a slideout U-shaped dinette, an outdoor mini-fridge, a 10 cubic-foot refrigerator in the kitchen, theater seating or an optional tri-fold sofa, and even a laundry chute.

Cruiser RV Radiance R-26KB
Starting Retail Price: $30,000 (est.)
Sleeps: 6
GVWR: 7,644 lbs.
CCC (Approx.): 1,300 lbs.
Length: 31 ft.
Founded in 1988, Cruiser RV builds affordable, lightweight travel trailers and toy haulers designed specifically for families. The Radiance 26KB has many standard features including a king-size bed as well as an exterior camp kitchen.

Cruiser RV Radiance R-26KB Interior
The 26KB features a bathroom with dual sinks, medicine cabinets and lots of linen storage as well as a skylit freestanding shower. The unit also has a tri-fold sofa, a media center with storage, and a dinette that converts into more sleeping accommodations.

Heartland RV Mallard M260
Starting Retail Price: $31,000 (est.)
Sleeps: 5
GVWR: 6,900 lbs.
CCC (Approx.): 580 lbs.
Length: 31 ft.
The Mallard has a rear bathroom and a large slideout creating a lot of space. Standard features include a king-size master bed, a 60/40 split-bowl sink, a central vac, and a step-in pantry.

Heartland RV Mallard M260 Interior
The 2020 M260 interior has been updated to lighter cabinets, which create a more open, airy feeling inside. That said, the trailer does have a relatively low CCC, so this unit is for families who pack light.

Winnebago Minnie 2202RBS
Starting Retail Price: $31,232
Sleeps: 4
GVWR: 8,800 lbs.
CCC (Approx.): 2,800 lbs.
Length: 27 ft.
The 2020 Minnie Winnie 2202RBS has all aluminum framing, a sofa / chaise / reefer slideout, a 14-foot powered awning with LED lighting, lighted pass-through storage, cable and satellite hookup, manual stabilizer jacks, and an exterior ladder leading to a full walk-on roof,

Winnebago Minnie 2202RBS Interior
The interior of the Minnie 2202RBS features a full bath at the rear of the trailer, as well as a floor-level sofa / chaise / reefer slideout that also includes a pantry. The room beyond houses a queen-size bed with flanking wardrobes and upper-cabinet storage, as well as underbed storage to boot.

Riverside RV Retro 265RB
Starting Retail Price: $32,000 (est.)
Sleeps: 6-8
GVWR: 7,500 lbs.
CCC (Approx.): 2,600 lbs.
Length: 28 ft.
One of the coolest looking family trailers around, the Riverside RV Retro evokes the feeling of a travel trailer of yesteryear or a 1950s diner with its black, white and jazzy accent color scheme. A pleasantly surprising data point: the Retro 265RB has the most cargo-carrying capacity of any midsize trailer on this list. Exterior features include whitewall tires with painted rims, a power awning and solar prep.

Riverside RV Retro 265RB Interior
Providing a midcentury diner vibe, the Retro 265RB has black and white checkerboard flooring as standard equipment. Other interior features include birch cabinetry, a birch-paneled Dometic refrigerator, two double bunk beds with windows top and bottom, a full bathroom including a tub and shower, and a U-shaped dinette.

Jayco Jay Feather 24RL
Starting Retail Price: $34,000 (est.)
Sleeps: 6
GVWR: 6,500 lbs.
CCC (Approx.): 750 lbs.
Length: 29 ft.
Jayco trailers are built to exacting standards on Norco NextGen chassis frames, and on its website the company proudly compares the advantages of its trailer construction over competitors. The trailer walls are aluminum framed and vacuum bonded for light, strong construction.

Jayco Jay Feather 24RL Interior
The Jay Feather 24 RL interior has a choice of theater seating (two seats and table trays) or a tri-fold sofa. Other features include a slideout dinette, a roomy two-door bathroom and shower, a walkaround queen-size bed and plenty of overhead cabinetry.

Venture RV Stratus SR281VBH
Starting Retail Price: $35,000 (est.)
Sleeps: 9
GVWR: 8,300 lbs.
CCC (Approx.): 1,800 lbs.
Length: 32 ft.
The Stratus SR281VBH sleeps a lot of folks, and exterior features include a camp kitchen with stove, sink and mini reefer, pass-through storage, an outdoor shower, a LevelMate Pro wireless leveling system, a large powered awning with LED lights, a powered tongue jack, a Screen Shot door and flip-up step.

Venture RV Stratus SR281VBH Interior
Standard interior features on the Stratus SR281VBH include a U-shaped dinette and sofa slideout, as well as a residential queen-size bed with accessible outlets, USB ports and cubbies. The modern kitchen has a stainless-steel undermount sink with residential faucet and pullout hose, in addition to a Furrion stove/oven combo and an LED accent-lit backsplash.

Northwood Nash 24B
Starting Retail Price: $36,000 (est.)
Sleeps: 6
GVWR: 9,000 lbs.
CCC (Approx.): 2,000 lbs.
Length: 29 ft.
Constructed at their factory in La Grande, Oregon, all Northwood trailers have in-house built, third-party certified, thick-wall aluminum off-road chassis for rugged 4-season trailering. The cargo-carrying capacity of the trailer is immense for those who want to bring along a lot of goodies.

Northwood Nash 24B Interior
The Nash 24B has a dinette slideout, a full bathroom with a porcelain toilet as well as an actual tub/shower combo, double bunk beds, a queen-size master bed, a one-piece kitchen countertop, LED exterior lighting, a 45-watt solar panel and USB ports throughout.

OPUS OP15 Hybrid Caravan
Starting Retail Price: $47,000 (est.)
Sleeps: 4
GVWR: 6,600 lbs.
CCC (Approx.): 1,600 lbs.
Length: 21 ft.
The OPUS OP15 Hybrid Caravan is unique among midsize travel trailers; it does not use traditional side slideouts to increase space — the roof rises. (There is also a small rear bump-out.) This configuration gives the caravan a lower profile when going off-road so owners can take the OP15 where taller trailers cannot go. The OP15 has many exterior amenities including a camp kitchen with a Dometic CFX75 refrigerator/freezer combo as standard equipment.

OPUS OP15 Hybrid Caravan Interior
The OPUS website describes the OP15 trailer as “tough luxury,” meaning this off-roader can take overland punishment, but it also has premium materials such as leatherette seating surfaces and bamboo cabinets, as well as premium features including a Truma heater and instant hot water system, a king-size bed, an internal LED lighting system and a 300-watt solar panel.

Forest River Wildcat Maxx 266MEX
Starting Retail Price: $48,000 (est.)
Sleeps: 6
GVWR: 9,500 lbs.
CCC (Approx.): 1,800 lbs.
Length: 31 ft.
Forest River makes multiple trailers under a number of brands and many eclipse 30 feet in length. The Wildcat Maxx T266MEX is a 4-season trailer with myriad amenities including a 50-inch TV, a king-size bed and a 10 cubic-foot refrigerator.

Forest River Wildcat Maxx 266MEX Interior
The Wildcat Maxx 266MEX also has an oversize convertible dinette, a tri-fold sleeper sofa, a fireplace, a large rear kitchen with lighted pantry, and optional theater seating in place of the sofa.

Outdoors RV Backcountry Series 24KRS
Starting Retail Price: $50,000 (est.)
Sleeps: 6
GVWR: 1,000 lbs.
CCC (Approx.): 2,500 lbs.
Length: 30 ft.
Made by the same company that manufactures the Northwood Nash mentioned earlier, the Outdoors RV 24KRS has a significant amount of cargo-carrying capacity. This 4-season off-road-capable trailer is built on an 8-inch I-beam chassis and has a fully enclosed and insulated underbelly, thermal pane windows and 2-inch bonded aluminum-frame walls.

Outdoors RV Backcountry Series 24KRS Interior
The interior of the 24KRS has attention to quality, durability and detail all around, including solid-surface galley countertops and a metal undermount sink in the kitchen area, a porcelain toilet and a dual-pane skylight in the bathroom, and an extra-large dinette with 40 percent thicker cushions. The entertainment center features a 12-volt HD LED TV, an HDMI Bluetooth DVD sound system and a device-charging station.

Lance Camper 2465
Starting Retail Price: $52,000 (est.)
Sleeps: 5
GVWR: 7,500 lbs.
CCC (Approx.): 1,500 lbs.
Length: 30 ft.
The Lance company in Lancaster, California, builds truck campers for pickup beds as well as travel trailers. Lance recreational vehicles are quality products backed by strong warranties. The 2465 has two large road-side super slides to create a spacious environment.

Lance Camper 2465 Interior
This unit features a master living suite with a J-sofa as well as a large slideout dinette. A master bedroom in the rear slideout has a king-size walkaround bed as well as large wardrobes and a functional dressing space.

Oliver Travel Trailers Legacy Elite II
Starting Retail Price: $57,500
Sleeps: 3
GVWR: 7,000 lbs.
CCC (Approx.): 2,100 lbs.
Length: 23.5 ft.
Built in Tennessee, Oliver trailers are 4-season, double-hull fiberglass units designed for off-road camping. The Legacy Elite II sleeps a family of three in style. Both the build quality and interior appointments of an Oliver are absolutely stunning. The Legacy Elite II comes in two floor plans: one with a rear-area U-shaped dinette, the other with a rear area set up for two twin beds.

Oliver Travel Trailers Legacy Elite II Interior
The interior of the Elite II is chock full of goodies and features such as integrated overhead lighted storage, overhead LED lighting, a full-height wardrobe, a stainless steel microwave, a Norcold 3-way (DC, AC, LP) refrigerator as well as all-birchwood dovetailed storage drawers.

Airstream International 28RB Twin
Starting Retail Price: $109,400
Sleeps: 6
GVWR: 7,600
CCC (Approx.): 1,600 lbs.
Length: 28 ft.
Available in multiple lengths, configurations and prices, the International has what Airstream calls a “peaceful style and purposeful design.” The 28RB Twin is 28 feet long and has a rear bedroom area with twin beds, giving families more daytime room and sleeping options.

Airstream International 28RB Twin Interior
The International interior features a steel kitchen sink with a Moen faucet and pullout hose, Corian countertops, a 3-burner stove and a microwave. The panoramic windows admit lots of natural light to complement the cool “coastal” vibe of this trailer’s amazingly tranquil space.

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