Paul & Kris Anxiously Waiting for Our Reflection 27RL

[WhyPaulo]

We are new to 5th wheels, new to pickup trucks, and soon to be retiring. Lots of big changes going on for us as we plan for retirement travels. Just bought a pickup, just ordered the Reflection 27RL, and getting a Pullrite Superglide hitch installed later this week. We've got lots to learn about all of this, but we're looking forward to it. We wish we could make the Elkhart trip in September, but I'm still working 3 days a week until the end of this year, so maybe the next one. We tent camped for years with our kids, so the 5th wheel travel trailer living will be quite a step up from how we camped years ago.

 

[Kamper]

Welcome to the forum. I was looking at the Silverado 2500HD but will have to go with the 3500HD Dually. How do you like the 2015 Silverado? Happy Camping!

 

[Not tired just retired]

We are new to 5th wheels, new to pickup trucks, and soon to be retiring. Lots of big changes going on for us as we plan for retirement travels. Just bought a pickup, just ordered the Reflection 27RL, and getting a Pullrite Superglide hitch installed later this week. We've got lots to learn about all of this, but we're looking forward to it. We wish we could make the Elkhart trip in September, but I'm still working 3 days a week until the end of this year, so maybe the next one. We tent camped for years with our kids, so the 5th wheel travel trailer living will be quite a step up from how we camped years ago.

Congrats on your new 5er and truck. I'm sure you'll enjoy both for retirement. There are lots of great people with invaluable information in this forum. WELCOME!!

 

[WhyPaulo]

Johnny,

The truck got named "TheBeast" shortly after we bought it. We like it a lot and I think the 2015 updates really made the interior more comfy and car-like. It's taking a little getting used to since it's the first pickup we've ever owned and it is a bit larger than the half tons. The 27RL has a dry weight of 8,000 lbs and a tongue weight of 1,516 lbs so it was a good fit for the 2500HD. It should pull it quite well. Looking forward to lots of travels in the lower 48 with a few side trips up into Canada to Lake Louise and Glacier National Park for sure. We are putting our travel list ideas together so we can get some trips planned out. Thanks! Paul

 

[WhyPaulo]

Thanks Mark! We're happy to be here!

 

[Vietvet66-67]

WhyPaulo, welcome and you should put Alaska on that bucket list. It is truly a great place to visit, and being retired, you will have as much time to see it as you will need. (And may want to go back again and again).
Good luck with your travels and enjoy your retirement.

 

[Steve and Cill]

Welcome to the forum Paul and Kris and congratulations on your new Reflection!

Steve

 

[WhyPaulo]

Thanks for the suggestion VietVet. We have talked about Alaska, but were kind of thinking maybe a cruise and land tour would be a better way to see Alaska. We've talked to quite a few people who have done that and really liked it. If you pulled a trailer up to Alaska, what are the roads like these days? I heard a few bad stories about rough roads and damage to travel trailers because of it. Is that still accurate, or have the roads improved in recent years?

Paul

 

[WhyPaulo]

Thanks Steve!! Happy to be here!

 

[WhittleBurner]

Hi Paul and Chris, glad to see you made it over here. Bet you can't wait for your new 5th wheel. This is our first 5er too.

 

[dloase]

Welcome to the forum the the GD owners club.

 

[Renee]

Hiya Paul and Chris and welcome to the forums!
Grats on the new 27RL

 

[WhyPaulo]

Hi Paul and Chris, glad to see you made it over here. Bet you can't wait for your new 5th wheel. This is our first 5er too.

Hi Marcy. This is all new to us, and I'll likely straddle this site and the RVitch site, at least for a while. I got so much helpful information from the gang over at RVitch. The only trouble is, this whole truck and 5th wheel setup cost us way more than we were planning to spend on our rig. Hopefully I've skipped a few intermediate steps and will be happy with it for a fair number of years. We'll see how it goes when we start ramping up with some short camping trips in in August and September. Are you keeping up with both sites, or do you think you'll migrate over to this one over time? Paul

 

[WhyPaulo]

Welcome to the forum the the GD owners club.

Thanks Dave & Linda, we're happy to be here.

 

[WhyPaulo]

Hiya Paul and Chris and welcome to the forums!
Grats on the new 27RL

Thanks Renee and Bill, looking forward to the 5th wheel style of camping. It will be a big step up from our years of tent camping, 4 in a row in a small 4 man tent. But we did have a great time and great memories, tent camping with our kids over the years. Paul

 

[WhittleBurner]

Hi Paul, I had actually been pretty quiet over there the past year or so. Your post caught my eye and woke me up. I'll participate at both, I'm involved in a couple other forums that are not camping related it can keep you busy for sure.

I think you made a great choice and should get plenty of years out of the 27RL. We have gone from a tent to an Aliner (were in it for 13 yrs) , to a 28 ft Travel Trailer and now the 303 . I think it's perfect for us and doubt we'll look for any thing else for a long long time.
Funny the progressions, 30 years ago I was a camping purist and never dreamed I'd ever be in anything but a tent for the rest of my life LOL.
The dogs are very at home too, one loves playing keep away running around the island.

 

[WhyPaulo]

I think you made a great choice and should get plenty of years out of the 27RL. We have gone from a tent to an Aliner (were in it for 13 yrs) , to a 28 ft Travel Trailer and now the 303 . I think it's perfect for us and doubt we'll look for any thing else for a long long time.
Funny the progressions, 30 years ago I was a camping purist and never dreamed I'd ever be in anything but a tent for the rest of my life LOL.
The dogs are very at home too, one loves playing keep away running around the island.

Marcy, that's kind of ironic because we tent camped for years and I loved it. I asked my wife if she wanted to get a new tent and she said there is no way she is sleeping on the ground anymore. We actually wanted to get an Aliner. Then I met up with everyone on RVitch and they said I should consider something larger. So we looked at 19-21 footers, then they said consider going to a 25-27 footer if we were planning extended stays, which we started to look at. Then fifth wheels came into the discussion, and it made a lot of sense from all the research I was doing. So basically, we've had all of the trailers that you've had, only we've had them virtually and you've really owned them. We'll have the 27RL in a month or so and I hope we settle into it as well as all of the research and thinking we've put into it. Glad to hear you like your new Reflection 303RLS.

Paul

 

[WhittleBurner]

Paul, believe it or not several years back I met a couple that full timed in an Aliner and a large extended van. I thought they were nuts! We loved our A but not for full timing.

It was funny how that whole conversation evolved into a larger trailer for you. having the A, and the 28 footer personally I wouldn't want to do extended travel in anything smaller than that.
And now after hitching up the 5er, hands down is the way to go. SO much easier, much less physical than the TT hitching.

Hope that month flys by for you

 

[TucsonJim]

Paul,

Ginnie and I retired in January, and hit the road in our fifthwheel about six weeks ago. We've put on over 4000 miles so far, and we're loving it. Congrats on the new purchase, and you'll be super happy you went with the combo you did.

 

[WhyPaulo]

Paul,

Ginnie and I retired in January, and hit the road in our fifthwheel about six weeks ago. We've put on over 4000 miles so far, and we're loving it. Congrats on the new purchase, and you'll be super happy you went with the combo you did.

Jim, shoot me an email at [email protected]
I wanted to share a conversation I had with Grand Design recently. Thanks, Paul