Best Quality RV Manufacturers to Look For

[Gaylord]

I'm with Loren & Diesel Lady. My '93 HR (without slides) is a well built unit that gives us very few problems. HR's from Monoco are not built to the same standard, as a friend of mine has found out.

Trying to find a well built tongue trailer without slides is difficult. New units are not available and good used units are very hard to find.



ps Loren you were correct in your understanding of how a WD hitch works.

 

[HBarlow]

PS, Gaylord,

You and Loren are mistaken. Here's a basic little explanation with pictorials from the Reese website:

"Operation of Reese Weight Distributing Hitches
#ad

The Reese differences are in construction materials, welding, manufacturing processes and hook-up. Adjustment is simple because of the easy-to-operate snap-up brackets that allow spring bar tension to be adjusted by changing links in the support chains. This lets you adjust for various trailer tongue weights within the spring bar weight range by applying tension on the spring bars until the car or tow vehicle is level. Rather than merely supporting the trailer tongue weight (TW), weight distributing hitches apply leverage between the towing vehicle and trailer causing the TW to be carried by all axles of the tow vehicle and trailer. When TW is distributed in this way, trailers with greater TWs can be towed, resulting in a more level ride which reduces stress on the rear of the tow vehicle and provides greater steering and brake control.
<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=440 align=center><TBODY><TR><TD></TD><TD></TD><TD>#ad
</TD></TR><TR><TD align=middle>Without Weight Distributing Hitch</TD><TD>#ad
</TD><TD align=middle>With Weight Distributing Hitch</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Why in the world would you guys think the purpose of a WD hitch is to add tongue weight to the rear of the tow vehicle?

 

[EEdmondson]

I'm with Loren & Diesel Lady. My '93 HR (without slides) is a well built unit that gives us very few problems. HR's from Monoco are not built to the same standard, as a friend of mine has found out.

Trying to find a well built tongue trailer without slides is difficult. New units are not available and good used units are very hard to find.



ps Loren you were correct in your understanding of how a WD hitch works.

There are some floor plans on here without slides: Northwood: Arctic Fox Trailers:



I like the 25s.

 

[Grizzly]

Grizzly- I have been thinking of buying the 27 5L Artic Fox. So give me your best recommendation. So far it has impressed me a lot. Thanks in advance for your reply Jim Larsen

Jim, I spend quite a bit of time researching 5th wheels, which I narrowed down to three brands. My criteria was it had to rugged enough to withstand the riggers of the Alaskan Highway and other rough Rocky Mountain travel. It had to be quality built, in other words 4 star rated. I wanted something between 24' and 27' in length with a built-in propane fired generator and 16" wheels. My first choice was a Hitchhiker, but they were too big and too unnecessarily expensive. The interior was also far too fancy for my wife and my taste. Second choice was the Excel. Again too big, too fancy and unnecessarily expensive. We then looked at Nash and Arctic Fox. The 27' Arctic Fox 27-5L fit our needs perfectly. It came with far more standard features then we needed, but we got used to them and love it. My wife especially like the large vanity, large shower, lots of kitchen counter space and large pantry. We oped for the free standing dinette (w/4 chairs). We also ordered the 5500W Onan generator w/50 amp service. We ordered the toppers over the slide outs and the hide-a-bed sofa. We got a great killer deal from a dealer in Idaho.



PM me if you need addition information. george

 

[Gaylord]

Hi Harvey. Loren did not say that the purpose of a WD hitch was to add tongue weight... ... . what he did say, and I agree, was that in fact there is some additional forces (call it moments) added to the trailer ball (from the torsion bars acting as levers) in order to spread the weight (moments) to the trailer axel/axels & front axel of the tow vehicle. WD hitches do not make the weight disappear, they redistribute the weight, including that added by the hitch itself.



Have a great Easter.

 

[Grizzly]

Where do you find these ratings? Who is responsible for them? This is good information. My understanding was that most of the publications and ratings services in the RV industry were owned by the industry.

I subscribed to the RV Consumer Group Guide for 5th Wheels and TT. They do their own ratings and have rated every trailer made in about the last 10/12 years. They also have a 4 page report on every trailer. They also have a separate Guide for Motorhomes and for Truck Campers. This the bible for every RV Dealer in the country. You can ask any RV dealer salesman for the rating on which ever unit you're interested in and he will tell you, but only if it is well rated. If it's not highly rated, such as a Forest River or a Fleetwood product, he won't tell you and simply say the dealer doesn't have it or it's not an accurate guide. It's a good guide to have if you are about to spend $30K or more on a RV. It cost me about $150, which I believe is well worth the money. They also send you a book on how to negotiate the best price as the dealer mark-up is very high.



I don't work for RV Consumer Group nor get any kick-backs from them. I'm just a believer in the guide.

 

[HBarlow]

Hi Harvey. Loren did not say that the purpose of a WD hitch was to add tongue weight... ... . what he did say, and I agree, was that in fact there is some additional forces (call it moments) added to the trailer ball (from the torsion bars acting as levers) in order to spread the weight (moments) to the trailer axel/axels & front axel of the tow vehicle. WD hitches do not make the weight disappear, they redistribute the weight, including that added by the hitch itself.

Have a great Easter.

Gaylord,

If you go back to the original post where Loren stated that he disagreed with me and explained why, you will see that he claimed that the WD hitch assembly added weight to the hitch ball, not removed it. That misunderstanding was the basis of the reason he and I have different positions on this issue.

And if you read my long explanation again you will see that I explained exactly what the Reese website explained and you stated above. The WD hitch system removes excess tongue weight from the ball eliminating rear end sag and headlights in the sky redistributing that weight forward to the tow vehicle steer axle and aft to the trailer axles. That is, after all, the purpose of a WD hitch.

 

[Grizzly]

I used to be a hugh Holiday Rambler fan, until monoco bought them out and I bought my 02 Presidential. Tin Can on wheels. Hardly any insulation, spent 180 days in the shop the first year. Was built with cheap products and the finish work was terrible. They left splinters hanging in the storage compartment where the had to cut in the flooring above. Absolute junk, compared to our 98 Alumilite.

Traded it in on a used Newmar Mountain Aire and will never go back. Newmar is top quality in every thing they do. Even a nice used one if you can find one will give you years of use and enjoyment.

Good luck.

I purchased a new 1988 Holiday Rambler Alumilite 29' 5er with no slide outs. It was a good trailer, however in 1995, we took a trip to Alaska with it and had horrible experience with both axles, running gear and the Goodyear ST tires. To make a vary long story short, I had to have both axles, all the running gear and tires replaced in route at different places. The rest of the trailer was great, but the running gear was too weak for the weight of the trailer. In 1998, I sold the Alumilite and purchased a new Lance Truck Camper because it had no running gear and no extra tires. We did make a trip to Alaska with the camper in 2006, which was great, but the 11' 3" Lance camper proved to be too small for us. Last year we sold the Lance camper and purchased a very tough Arctic Fox 5er. Arctic Fox is made to withstand the tough Alaskan Highway and the Yukon Territory. There are other brands of 5er that are just as good and rugged. With that said the Alcan Hwy is much improved and most trailer can now make the trip. Traveling to Dawson City in the Yukon however, which we like and will do again, is still very rugged. I also purchased 5, Michelin XPS Rib 16" LT tires and sold the original equipped ST China tires cheap on craigslist.

 

[JMetzger]

We have a 1996 32' Holiday Rambler Alumalite TT. The trailer has well over 100,000 miles on it. It has been trouble free since day one, never had to have any warranty done on it & it is used a lot. The only thing that we had to replace was the roof AC last year,& junky Goodyear ST tires. Also had front & rear end caps painted. Outside of that everything is original. Great trailer. Would I buy a new one, I doubt it. Since Monaco bought them the quality has gone south.

 

[JimLarsen]

Grizzly-I pulled plug, and went ahead and ordered the 27 AF. Didn't order a generator. So tell me why you chose the large one and 50 amp plug. I was of the understanding I would not need 50 amp. service. The more I think about the generator, the more I lean to having one. The plus side as I see it, there is no gas to go bad. Also it will always be there and available. I was surprised to hear you have been to the North Country so often. I am planning to go this year in June. Thank you for pushing me over the edge, I am quite excited to see the new AF. Jim

 

[Loren]

Grizzly-I pulled plug, and went ahead and ordered the 27 AF. Didn't order a generator. So tell me why you chose the large one and 50 amp plug. I was of the understanding I would not need 50 amp. service. The more I think about the generator, the more I lean to having one. The plus side as I see it, there is no gas to go bad. Also it will always be there and available. I was surprised to hear you have been to the North Country so often. I am planning to go this year in June. Thank you for pushing me over the edge, I am quite excited to see the new AF. Jim

Jim,



Generally the only reason for a 50 amp service is because your RV has two air conditioners.



As far as a generator is concerned, I wouldn't take a trip without one. In my case, our Airstream doesn't have any provision for an on-board generator so I went with two Honda 2000 watt units. You can hook them together with a kit to get 4000 watts, but for spring, winter and fall camping you can carry just one. You only need the second generator to run the air conditioning.



I run avgas (aviation gasoline) in mine, so fuel spoilage is not an issue. It's expensive and hard to find, but there's a small, local airport where I can get some. If I'm on a trip and need gas, I just use automobile gas. It probably will all get burned up during that trip. If not, I can put it into my Toyota when I get home.



You will wind up wanting a generator of some kind, either on board (nice) or separate.



Good luck,

Loren

 

[HBarlow]

Your need or desire for a generator will depend on how you will use your trailer. If you spend most of your time in RV parks or campgrounds with hookups you may not want the additional expense or weight. If you move from RV park to RV park each day on travel days you may not need one.

I prefer to avoid RV parks except at destinations where I'll stay for several days. I often overnight at truck stops, Wal-Marts, interstate rest stops, large shopping centers, city and county parks, even out of the way places with enough room to park. I like to be able to run air conditioner(s) or heating when the weather calls for it and the microwave for preparing my meals.

I ordered my HH with two a/c units and a 50 amp Onan generator that is operated from a control panel in the kitchen pantry. The additional a/c unit and generator were pricey and I gave them some thought before ordering but having the two a/c units and a generator to power them is very convenient. I appreciate being able to open a hot trailer after a day on the road, punch the generator start button, allow it to run a minute for warm-up, then turn on both a/c units to cool it down.

My trailer is not quite two years old and I have already forgotten the price of the generator.

If you take the cheap route now you may spend many years of ownership of your new fiver wishing you'd ordered the generator.

I hope my opinion and experiences help you make the right decision.

 

[Grizzly]

Grizzly-I pulled plug, and went ahead and ordered the 27 AF. Didn't order a generator. So tell me why you chose the large one and 50 amp plug. I was of the understanding I would not need 50 amp. service. The more I think about the generator, the more I lean to having one. The plus side as I see it, there is no gas to go bad. Also it will always be there and available. I was surprised to hear you have been to the North Country so often. I am planning to go this year in June. Thank you for pushing me over the edge, I am quite excited to see the new AF. Jim

Jim, I really didn't need the 5500W generator nor did I need the 50 amp service. The 50 amp service came with the larger generator, which has a very heavy extension cable that I don't like. I have since purchased a 50 to 30 amp converter and much lighter cable, which I use most of the time. I also take the 50 amp cable along just in case I need it. I oped for the larger generator because the price difference was so little and because my dear little wife has overloaded the 3400W generac on the, then, Lance truck camper, with coffee maker, curling iron, blow dryer and microwave more than once.



My son has the two, 2000W Honda portable generators with the connector kit that Loren spoke about. That's a great way to go. I just don't alway want to go outside in the early morning hours, start the generator and connect it to the trailer. The convenience of having the onboard, propane fired, with remote start from your kitchen, is well worth it to me and my wife as Harvey spoke about.



I also agree with Harvey about not always staying at RV Parks. We too will stay at Wal-Marts, Fred Meyers, pullouts when going to Alaska. I made my first trip to Alaska without a generator on my, then, Alumilite 5er. Never again. Right after that trip, I purchased a 3500W portable Honda, which I kept chained to the back of my truck. It worked fine, just not as convenient as an onboard.

 

[CUMMINZ]

My wife balked at the price of our generator. We installed it before we left for the rockies this past June. We are both glad we added one. We stayed a lot at Flying Js, etc. Try staying overnite when power has gone out in the campground. We love ours. Portable ones are great but a pain to keep gassed up and all the wiring kept neat. Built in unit is the cadillac.

 

[HBarlow]

Jim Larsen,

That settles it. Four out of four or 100% of us have voted to spend your money on a generator!

 

[BrianJ]

Jim Larsen,



That settles it. Four out of four or 100% of us have voted to spend your money on a generator!

Can make that five out five, for the most part. If you plan on "dry" camping at all, I would go with a built in generator with internal control panel. If you are strictly going to be camping in parks with full hookup, I wouldn't waste the money on excess weight, all of which will most likely fall on the tongue.



We did the external generator (Honda) for our last rig, and it can be a pain to go out anytime you want to run the generator, not to mention packing and unpacking the generator for various trips. With our toyhauler we dry camp quite a bit, and it is great being able to hit a button on the control panel to start it up for a quick run for the microwave or longer run for the two A/C units, etc.

 

[JimLarsen]

Okay Guys, I now know what you all think about onboard generators! I was leaning that way and now you have all collectivly pushed me overboard. The new trailer will come with a new generator. I hope each of you give me a extra check to help with the runaway costs involved. I decided on the 5500 w because many times the family, which is large, always have electrical needs so I went for extra capacity for them. I do a lot of stopping without trailer parks, in fact I would rather skip them when ever possible Jim

 

[DieselLady]

Hey just think, if you stop at enough wal marts and stay for free it will soon pay for that fancy generator you just bought.

 

[HBarlow]

Okay Guys, I now know what you all think about onboard generators! I was leaning that way and now you have all collectivly pushed me overboard. The new trailer will come with a new generator. I hope each of you give me a extra check to help with the runaway costs involved. I decided on the 5500 w because many times the family, which is large, always have electrical needs so I went for extra capacity for them. I do a lot of stopping without trailer parks, in fact I would rather skip them when ever possible Jim

You made the right choice. You'll forget the pain of buying the expensive generator in a short time. I guaranted you'll appreciate and enjoy it everytime you spend a night at a Wal-Mart or a Flying J running your a/c, microwave, lights, television, whatever. You might be parked right next to me doing the same thing.

 

[THoltz]

Seems like the propane fueled generator would be hard on a relatively small propane supply. Just my $. 02 worth.