Well, my saga continues. The dealer finally got back to me, and made a low but credible trade-in offer. I plan to return there this weekend to open and shut the thing, see if he's good to his word, and possibly do the deal. I'm starting to get excited but have been around long enough to know it ain't over til it's over.
There are two TMs to consider: a 3124KS and a 2720SL. Wish there was a a "2821KS" but no dice.
Anyhow, I really like the big king bed and ability to sleep north-south, and the nice playpen it makes for lounging around on a rainy day (no wisecracks necessary
), so we may go that route. We'll try them out and see.
So, if you would indulge me a few more specific questions:
Driveway storage: just how close to the house can I snug this thing up during storage (boy am I going to need parking lot practice!). First, I want to be able to drive off easily without cutting the corner against the house. Second, will I need access to the port side of the trailer when opening it, or is it all done from the starboard side (other than unstrapping the thing)? Should be plenty of room fore and aft.
Towability and Driveability: recognizing that this would be my first towable RV, would you expect a noticeable difference between the 20 and 24 foot models? There is a 320# weight difference but I'm not sure how that translates to the road.
Tow Vehicle: I've scoured the boards and it looks like we will be buying a 4Runner. The 6 cylinder would be our choice for the 27 footer, but I'd tip toward the 8 cylinder for the 31 footer; both are rated at 5000 lbs. I know what a complicated topic this is, but does this sound reasonable and safe? Either would be with a WDH.
Stay tuned, and thank you for all your advice so far.