Travel trailers are towed behind a car, SUV, or truck. Very small travel trailers can be towed behind a motorcycle.
Towing a travel trailer is wrought with problems. The biggest problem is when the travel trailer is too heavy for the towing vehicle. If the load is way over the towing capacity of the car or truck, the transmission can be ruined.
Another issue with towing is braking. All but the smallest travel trailers will require supplemental brakes that attach to the towing vehicle. Some styles attach directly into the towing vehicle's hydraulic system. These systems are prone to leaks and can cause brake failure. Another type of braking system works with the towing vehicle's electrical system. Both systems require extensive amount of fine tuning with the tow vehicle before they work well.
Most travel trailers are too big to fit into a standard garage. A problem with travel trailers is where to park them when they are not in use. Many cities have ordinances against parking travel trailers on the street. The same cities may have ordinances that prohibit parking on your front lawn. Storing a travel trailer at a storage facility can be expensive. It is also inconvenient when you want to go camping and have to retrieve the travel trailer from storage before you can load it. Having to store the vehicle also makes performing routine maintenance more difficult.
It is easy to exceed the weight capacity of travel trailers. Slideouts, custom cabinetry, granite countertops, and ceramic or marble tile floors add a lot of weight to the vehicle. Add gear and food for a family of five, including bicycles, fishing gear and a row boat strapped to the top, and you exceed the weight capacity rather quickly. Towing an overweight travel trailer is a problem and it is dangerous. The excess weight can cause a trailer hitch to fail or cause the tow vehicle to lose control while driving downhill or around a curve.
