Travel trailers offer retired couples the comfort of having a home away from home, while also being more convenient than a lumbering motorhome.
Best of all, you can set up camp, unhitch from your travel trailer to use your own vehicle to explore the surrounding area.
But, as you slide inevitably into old age and decrepitude, you want an RV that’s kind to your body and easy to tow.
Whether you plan on embarking on new adventures with in your golden years, your camper needs to adapt to your new lifestyle.
If so, then there are a lot of great RV trailers options if you hit your late 50s or early 60s even 80s – retirement years!
Ultimately the one that is best for you will depend on some key factors like the type of tow vehicle you prefer, as well as just how much living space you want when you set up camp.
So, we took a closer look at some of the best best small travel trailers that meet a senior couples traveling needs.
This included taking into account the kind of tow vehicle you’ll need to pull your favorite option.
How to pick the Best Travel Trailer for senior Couples
Of course, comfort and convenience are important factors, though they aren’t the only important things to consider.
Especially if you want to choose a travel trailer that can be towed by a vehicle you already own.
Weight & Towing
You need to make sure that you are pairing your tow vehicle with a travel trailer that is within its capabilities.
This means a retired couple with a mid-size SUV will need to focus on lighter travel trailers under 6,000-pounds for the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR).
Then you need to make sure that the weight rating is 80% or less of the vehicle’s maximum towing capacity.
This will leave your power in reserve for accelerating to highway speeds, towing over loose surfaces, or pulling your travel trailer up a steep incline.
Interior Sleeping Space
Will you just be traveling with just you and your spouse, or will your children and grandchildren be visiting you while you are on the road?
If it will just be the two of you, then a travel trailers with plush master suite is going to rise up on your list.
If you need to sleep guests from time to time, then you might need to sacrifice some square footage in the master suite or choose a model with a living area that converts into multiple beds.
Reliability
You don’t want to spend a lot of time dealing maintenance and possible roadside repairs.
Ideally, you want to limit your search parameters to only include models from well-known manufacturers and models that have a reputation for being durable and easy to care for.
Set Up
Nobody wants to waste a lot of time setting up their new travel trailer when they get to camp.
A model that has power slide-outs and hydraulic levels are better than manual pop-out sections and crank leveling systems or manual jack stands.
Lifestyle Appliances
How you want to live while you are on the road is also an important factor in finding the travel trailer that’s best for you.
If you are a foody who loves to make your own home-cooked meals, then a well-appointed kitchen will be a priority.
If you hate the idea of wasting time sitting around a laundromat, then you might want to prioritize travel trailers that come with wash and dryer hookups.
Heating & Air Conditioning
No one wants to be hot in the summer or cold on a cool summer night. Especially those retired couples who love to camp in the mountains or the desert.
So, make sure to take a good hard look at the BTU rating of the heater and the air conditioner when shopping for a travel trailer to meet your needs.
You might want to also prioritize one with an electric or propane fireplace.
This will let you warm up the travel trailer on a cool summer evening without necessarily having to fire up the main propane furnace.
Water Storage Tanks
Your preferred style of camping will also influence your priorities when it comes to fresh and wastewater storage tanks.
If you are content to stay at RV parks and campgrounds that offer full hookups, then water storage tanks are likely going to be a low priority.
If you like to stay off the grid from time to time in remote areas and primitive campgrounds, then you might want to prioritize travel trailers with larger water storage tanks to support you on multiple days of boondocking.
A Generator
If you want to camp with their travel trailer in remote locations off the grid might want to prioritize a model that comes with a generator or has hookups to connect to an aftermarket generator.
5 compact travel trailers For Retired Couples
Today we’ll look travel trailer floorplans for retired couples.
We organized them by weight and towing needs to help you determine which model pairs best with your tow vehicle.
Here are the 5 Ideal travel trailer for couples who want to experience the dream of living in an RV full time as a senior citizen:
1. Winnebago – Minnie 2202RBS
Winnebago is one of the most trusted and reliable names in the RV industry, and the Minnie is one of their most popular travel trailer platforms.
It is available in a variety of floorplans, though the Winnebago – Minnie 2202RBS with a master suite and complete bath is the one that best fits retired couples who want a travel trailer.
Let’s start with the master suite in the front of the travel trailer. It comes with queen size bed as standard with enough floor space on each side of the bed for people to walk.
There are also his and hers wardrobes on each side of the master suite. Two large windows let natural light in to make it feel even larger than it already is.
Passing through the sliding door, you will find an open concept living room and kitchen with a spacious walk-in pantry to accommodate the foodie in the family.
The tri-fold sofa is comfortable with a table in front of it for times when you want to eat supper and watch what’s on TV.
The tri-fold sofa also covers into a bed for times when the grand kids might want to stay overnight.
The Winnebago – Minnie 2202RBS has a gross vehicle weight rating of 8,800-pounds and a hitch weight of 580-pounds.
This puts it out of range of most mid-size SUVs when it comes to towing. Though a full-size SUV or half-ton pickup truck should be able to tow it confidently.
2. Airstream – Bambi 16RB
Airstream travel trailers are a true classic that has been reinvented for modern travel standards. You might be happy to hear that this holds true today.
You see this gleaming through with the compact size and shimmering appearance of the Airstream – Bambi 16RB.
It is one of the best option if you want a lightweight travel trailer that can be easily towed behind most mid-size SUVs.
The sleeping arrangements can be split into two beds, which is nice if you sometimes keep separate sleeping quarters.
In the middle, you’ll find a modest kitchen with everything you need to make meals, as well as a bathroom with a toilet supported by a 23-gallon fresh water storage tank and a 30-gallon black water tank. Though there is no shower.
This means that the Airstream – Bambi 16RB is better for staying at campgrounds and RV parks with services nearby.
Yet it still has the capacity to let you spend a day or two boondocking off the grid.
If there is a minor knock against the Airstream Bambi, it’s that the furnace is a little on the low side when it comes to the BTU per hour output.
It’s not going to be a big deal camping in the summer, especially with the air conditioner, which is robust for the size of the travel trailer.
However, 12,000 BTUs per hour might leave you a little chilly camping in the mountains on a cool summer night.
3. Jayco – Hummingbird 17RB
For its size, the Jayco – Hummingbird 17RB is a surprisingly lightweight travel trailer that’s great if you and your spouse want a little more interior space, but still want to be able to tow your camper with a mid-size or full-size SUV.
Assuming you have a rated towing package installed, the 3,750-pound gross vehicle weight rating should be easy to pull at highway speeds without needing a full-size pickup truck.
On the inside of the Jayco – Hummingbird 17RB, you will find a comfortable queen size bed in the front.
There’s a privacy screen that can be pulled across the head section, which is nice if one of you wants to stay up reading a book while the other wants to turn in early.
The kitchen has everything you need to prepare a nice home-cooked meal. There’s even a microwave and a dinette area with enough room for two people to eat comfortably.
The back of the Jayco – Hummingbird 17RB is particularly impressive in that it has a complete dry bathroom.
It offers you a sink, a spacious shower and a toilet. This is somewhat rare in a lightweight travel trailer that can still be towed by a mid-size SUV.
Though it’s worth noting that the fresh water and the two wastewater storage tanks on the Jayco – Hummingbird 17RB are relatively small.
Ultimately this means it’s better suited for staying at an RV park or campground with hookups, rather than boondocking off the grid.
4. Keystone – Cougar Half-Ton 22MLS
As the name implies the Keystone – Cougar Half-Ton 22MLS is meant to be pulled by a half-ton pickup truck or a full-size SUV.
If you have the tow vehicle to handle the weight specs, then you’ll be treated to a travel trailer with the kind of comfort features and functionality that retired couples love.
You might also appreciate that it includes a 2-inch accessory hitch on the back, which lets you tow an additional trailer or a fishing boat with you.
There’s even a power tongue jack in the front to spare you the force of trying to crank this somewhat heavy travel trailer up and down.
This and much more make the Keystone – Cougar Half-Ton 22MLS a great travel trailer for retired couples who are on the go!
Inside you will find a spacious open concept living room and kitchen combo. There’s even a shoe cubby by the door that’s built into the cozy dinette booth.
It goes a long way toward keeping dirt from being tracked into the travel trailer’s interior.
In the front, you will find a master suite with a king-size bed. It included overhead storage as well as his and hers wardrobes built into the dual nightstands.
There’s also a long black-out curtain that can be pulled if one of you wants to turn in early and the other wants to stay up reading a good book.
5. Forest River – Cedar Creek Cottage 40CCK
The Forest River – Cedar Creek Cottage 40CCK sits on the heavy end of the spectrum for retired couples who want to travel in a truly luxurious travel trailer.
It’s technically classed as a “Destination” travel trailer to provide you with the feeling of truly being a home away from home.
You should note that with a gross vehicle weight rating of nearly 14,000-pounds and a hitch weight of 1,835-pounds it truly needs a robust tow vehicle to pull it.
This destination travel trailer needs a three-quarter-ton pickup truck to tow it, or it’s the sort of thing that snowbirds would have towed into place at a year-long RV park.
Everything about the Forest River – Cedar Creek Cottage 40CCK is impressive.
The main sliding glass doors are covered by an 18-foot awning to give this destination travel trailer a veritable porch or deck space.
In the rear, you will find a master suite with a true king-size bed and a large wardrobe closet.
There’s also a stack-able washer and dryer combo that lets you do your own laundry without having to waste time sitting around a laundromat.
You’ll find a master bathroom immediately adjacent to the master suite. It comes complete with a toilet, his & hers dual basin sink, and a large shower with a seat.
The bathroom also serves as a buffer zone between the master suite and the primary living space of the travel trailer.
The Forest River – Cedar Creek Cottage 40CCK has an open concept kitchen and living room.
There is a central island with a dual basin sink and plenty of room left over on the counter for grab-and-go snacks.
There is a free-standing dining room table with chairs and a pair of power theater seats.
A convertible couch built into the nose of the destination travel trailer provides ample sleeping space for an overnight guest or two.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Is Better For A Traveling Couple A Travel Trailer Or A Fifth-Wheel?
A lot of seniors enjoy driving mid-size and full-size SUVs which don’t nearly have the power or the payload capacity to handle towing a fifth-wheel trailer.
If you do happen to already have a three-quarter-ton or larger pickup truck with a fifth-wheel hitch installed, then you will certainly get more interior living space from a fifth wheel than a travel trailer. Albeit at a higher price.
What Is A Destination Travel Trailer?
Destination travel trailers tend to be larger and well-appointed. Most also have some sort of sliding glass door.
While they can certainly be towed on the highway like a traditional travel trailer, most are engineered with the intention that they will be parked at a lake lot, seasonal, or annual RV park.
This allows you to then build a deck off the sliding glass door. They are popular with snowbirds who keep a second non-permanent residence in the southern states during the winter.
Conclusion
There are a lot of great travel trailers out there that cater to the needs of retired couples who love to travel.
Whether you are a snowbird who wants to stay warm in the winter or you are off to explore the great outdoors with your spouse in your golden years, chances are good that you can find a travel trailer to meet your needs somewhere on this list.
If you want something lightweight to tow behind your mid-size SUV for weekend adventures and short vacations, then the Airstream – Bambi 16RB or the Jayco – Hummingbird 17RB might be the best travel trailer for a retired couple.
Both are light enough to be towed easily, yet still offer plenty of living space on your RV adventures.
If you are looking to live large, and you want something that you can set up some semi-permanent roots around, then the Forest River – Cedar Creek Cottage 40CCK might be the best travel trailer for a retired couple.
As a true destination travel trailer, it offers a lot of the living space senior love, infused with all the comforts of home.
More adventurous couples who want to spend their golden years on the go might want to turn a discerning eye to the Keystone – Cougar Half-Ton 22MLS travel trailer.
It has a powered tongue that spares your back and arms when hitching and unhitching it.
Then the 2-inch travel hitch at the back also lets you bring a boat or a toy trailer with you. Just make sure you have at least a half-ton pickup truck to tow it.
