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Hey there, as we tow our Travel Home with a Semi-Tractor, a question we get a lot is "do you need that that to tow a travel home?" Absolutely not, so we will dive into a some of the considerations, but also why we chose it.

Two more blog posts were written in the last month, one on Using a Deck to Increase Square Footage and one on Having a Wood Stove in Your Travel Home. Here is also the link to the full list of blog posts in this series on what to consider when building a home for the road.

November became a busy month for open houses as part of the TravelHomeNation™ Across America Tour. We share some experiences and feedback from those two. We will be staying at the Mountain Valley RV Resort, Heber City UT, for a month starting the middle of December. If you are in the area, please reach out and come and visit.

We are currently in UT and just celebrated Thanksgiving with our children, who came to see us. With them all here it was a perfect opportunity to surprise Julia. Yes, we got engaged. After building our home together and then living in less than 300 sq ft for over two and half years, we knew we are in it for the long haul. We are both super excited.

Do you need a Semi to tow a Travel Home?

This is a question we often get. Actually, our Travel Home was designed to be pulled by a 1-ton dually. It only weighs just over 23,000 lbs and the pin weight is now 4,500 lbs. As we went through the design and build, I was all excited about getting a truck. I know there are camps out there, and I was a chevy guy.

However, as we were doing our research, for us the large Semi tractor was a better choice (more on that later). The fact is that had we known that we were essentially to end up with a flat bed, we could have lowered the floor on the goose neck 10-12" and got a foot more headroom. Todays's pickups do have high bed sides that one needs to be sure to clear.

One of the first conversation we have with a potential Travel Home owner is about what they have or want to have to tow. We learn about the vehicle, the specifications and limits, and then design a configuration that will fit. With todays pickup trucks, the total weight is less of a concern. Some of the trucks can handle over 35,000 lbs. What becomes more of a constraint is often the pin weight. What this means is that we may need to move the axles forward to lessen the pin weight while still making sure it is well balanced (roughly a 20-25% weight on the pin is desirable). When you get into a heaver trailer, the 5th wheel/goose neck design is advantageous as it makes for a smoother tow and when properly balanced, minimizes the risk of swaying back and forth.

1 ton dually trucks are quite common. They are easy to purchase, are available in four wheel drive, and most often come with a regular second row of seating. While they are quite big, you can still use them as a daily driver, driving into town and go shopping.

So with all these great new trucks, why did we choose a Semi-Tractor? For us it came down to safety, comfort, storage, and economics.

Safety - The tractor has many safety advantages, but the most important are the brakes and its ability to stop. When going down the road with something used to stopping with 80,000 lbs behind it, and you only carry 20-30,000 lbs, you know you have some cushion. It easily climbs any hill and because of the engine brake, you do not even use brakes on the descend.

Comfort - these tractors are built for long over the road travels. Air cushioned cab, air cushioned seats, fridge, microwave, sink, lots of room (even a guest room with bunks when you want to rest). You sit up high which also gives you great visibility.

Storage - Depending on the design of the Travel Home, outside storage can be a premium. With the tractor we can store golf clubs, paddle boards, skis, tools, etc. We even carry a small car (the electric Smart was our choice) without concern of the overall weight.

Economics - First, let's discuss mileage. It is really no different than a big pickup. We get 8-10 mpg towing. Our average in 2022, 22,000 miles including many ski trips into the Rockies, was over 8. With a 250 gallon fuel capacity, you can really find the best price on your route. When it comes to life expectancy, a tractor is expected to go at least 1,000,000 miles. Many get theirs used off fleet with 3-400,000 miles and then do the conversion to tow a 5th wheel. This can often cost much less than a capable pickup. Even after an additional 100,000 miles on it, it will be worth a good dollar. There are several already converted tractors that go up for sale, but be aware they do really quick.

Regardless of all of this, a tractor this size may be a bit intimidating and certainly not for everyone. Lastly, different states have differing rules as to how one register these as private vehicles. We decided to domocile in South Dakota (one of several RV friendly states with no income tax) and we could register our tractor as a motorhome. This meant no Commercial Drivers License (CDL) required.

Happy to discuss more details or point you in the right direction to learn more. At the end of the day, you have to be comfortable driving your truck and travel home so you can enjoy the journey.

November Open Houses

As mentioned last month, we had two significant open houses in November. The first one at the beautiful Verde Ranch RV Resort in Camp Verde, AZ. This is a very well appointed resort with great amenities and a fantastic staff. If your travels takes you through there, or you want to make it a destination, it is well worth it.

We always enjoy opening our home up to fellow RVers, inspiring them to think differently. We had well over 50 come through and the feedback was excellent. The open airy feel of a travel home is quite different. As there was a chill in the air, we had the wood stove cooking, another very unique feature. Some of the conversations was about the ability to travel in complete comfort for several years, but then simply get a piece of land and park it. No need to sell the RV or find or build a new home. Another common discussion was about the ability to build a truly custom RV. Designed specifically to the wants and needs of the individuals.

The other open house was at an Overlander and Outdoors expo at our Partner Ferrazi bicycles. They have a highly awarded line of super great road and mountain bikes, but what caught our attention is the full suspension electric mountain bike. Using only pedal assist, we can assure you it gives you quite the workout, yet it enables you to explore so much terrain. The fact that they are offered at prices much less than the competition is a bonus. We have had ours for two years and love them.

The conversations here were a bit different. The crowd was younger, excited about intentional living, flexible locations, and true luxury living in a small package. Ability to work off grid, solar, and battery options, were common topics. Most of the other vendors were more the weekend and adventure warriors. It was a nice mix because embracing the outdoors was truly the end goal. At the end of the day, we opened quite a few new eyes, gave people ideas of what is possible, and started some very good conversations.

Get in Touch

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