Better RV Brands?

[Bill Carlyle]

Slow Six

We just purchased our second Mobile Suites. Traded in a 2005 MS 36ft on a

38 ft with self leveling jacks. Also has J rated tires on 17 inch wheels. We have not had any trouble as far as drv is concerned. The bedroom air had to be replaced but that was the fault lof dometic.

We belong to the Mobile Suite club and really enjoy it. Hope you will join.



Bill 2008 Dodge dooly

 

[Slow Six]

We joined the SOITC before we had our unit. So far we like it although we are having a few issues but the dealer seems to be willing to fix them. I will know this week as we go in for some of the fixes plus we got caught up in a bad hail storm a few days ago. Did damage to the roof, slide covers and a roof vent. Our insurance company has been stellar so far and want it repaired right so I do not anticipate any problems. I had the trailer tires balanced a week ago, three of the five did not require any weight. I bought expensive tires and I got what I paid for. I also had them install balance beads so these tires should be good for a long time. Next on the wish list is the new high output with max tow and the Longhorn package as this rig keeps my 03 pretty busy.

 

[Bill Carlyle]

Slow Six

Hope you enjoy yours as much as we have ours. We are in Pride Resort at

Waynesville, NC where it is cooler than most places. 56 this morning and up to 89 later today. We are going to the eastern region rally in Sept. Hope to see a lot of friends there.



Bill

 

[HBarlow]

I've never owned a camper, but we have the fever for 5th wheel. What would you recommend for a first timer? We would like to keep it under 14K It's hard for farmers with livestock to take care of to get away, so I'm thinking we would do shorter trips. 2-3 days or so. I would like to get something that we could get our money back out of if we don't like the rv thing. Lots of good info on here, especially Grizzly and Harvey. Thanks for all your comments.

Have you read all the posts in this thread? That would be a great starting point.

My advice is always the same. Buy quality. Quality means a unit built by one of the old RV companies. They cost more and are heavier (for good reason) than cheaper lighter units. Quality lasts and will provide enjoyment and resale value for years to come. Glitz and glitter on a cheap trailer do not last and will not hold up well or have resale value later.

If the amount of dollars you plan to spend will allow you to buy new cheap or used quality, buy used. That is a no brainer for me.

 

[Bill Carlyle]

If this is your first RV buy a used one and make sure you like it. They are worse than cars or trucks and do not hold their value so I would recomend a good used 5th wheel that might have a floor plan that someone else might like just in case.



Bill

 

[RustyJC]

If this is your first RV, I'd certainly recommend buying used for any number of reasons.



Our first 5th wheel was a 30' single slideout that we thought was absolutely great on the dealer's lot - we were coming out of a pop-up! After some extended trips in it, however, we fast became claustrophobic. We kept it for a few years and then traded it for a 36' triple slideout.



I'm not saying that your experience will mirror ours - size was our "hot button" issue, but if that's not yours, I'll bet you find others. Many (if not most) RVers figure out what they can live with and what they can't with their first rig and then move fairly quickly into something that more closely fits their revised wants and needs. You'll take much less of a hit on depreciation if you buy used on your first one and recognize that it's going to be a learning experience.



JM2CW... ...



Rusty

 

[DFark]

Rusty is right. We are first timers too. I have no idea what we will like and what we won't like. You just have to do it a few times until you know. There are so many brands under the Forest River and Keystone name that it makes your head spin. I have found a few that I like out of the hundreds for sale in our price range. There is a Nu-Wa at the factory in Kansas, a Crossroads Cruiser, and an Arctic Fox here in Ohio. The better ones are much harder to find but hopefully worth the wait.

 

[WalterJ]

Too many i. e. normal miles, on Montana's have been reported to cracking frame rail joints where the rails transition vertically, then horizontally to support the pin box. I have a 2005 HitchHiker II and have repaired that as well. I believe the manuf. are playing the odds game, in that most 'travelers' don't really travel very far nor very often. This of course limits the frames' exposure to normally rough roads & the related shock loads.



My next 5'er will be scrutinized for OTR travels, and less so for its "park trailer" qualities.

 

[HBarlow]

Too many i. e. normal miles, on Montana's have been reported to cracking frame rail joints where the rails transition vertically, then horizontally to support the pin box. I have a 2005 HitchHiker II and have repaired that as well. I believe the manuf. are playing the odds game, in that most 'travelers' don't really travel very far nor very often. This of course limits the frames' exposure to normally rough roads & the related shock loads.

My next 5'er will be scrutinized for OTR travels, and less so for its "park trailer" qualities.

Who manufactured your trailer frame?

 

[SParman]

I'm partial to the 2005 Fleetwood/Prowler we have now. Built well and had very few problems with it and none with the quality of contruction. I worked at the factory in Pendleton Oregon back in the late 70's, but no telling how things have changed since then.

 

[Grizzly]

I've said it many many times on these threads, if you're a first time buyer or a tenth time buyer, purchase a copy of the RV Consumer Group. It's a great guide and will help in preventing a costly mistake. $150, or whatever it cost, is a small investment to pay to stay well informed on quality vs. junk RV's.

 

[toomeyddt]

Have been living full time in old POS RV by a company no longer in business (Kit). Have talked to most of the people who come through the RV park. Second the motion about Fleetwood, Montana, Outback and the vast majority of the RV's built today - they are junk.



Very notable exceptions;

Nu-Wa in Chanute KS. I have toured the factory, and they invite everyone to come see. You can see how they build the things online. Quick side note; I had another project to build that I thought could use the methods they use in wall construction - urethane vacuum glued panels with Blue Dow styrofoam. Exceeded my wildest expectations! And incredibly strong, just like they claim! Excellent insulation method!!



Excel by Peterson Industries. Another Kansas company (but don't hold that against them. ) One thing I did catch them on - they either lie about the R value of fiberglass, or don't know what it really is - they claim R-10 for 2". Ain't gonna happen; it's only about 4 per inch. But their construction methods and materials are very good.



Teton Homes. Out of business, but one of their used units will be much better than any of the Indiana new units!! No exceptions.

 

[HBarlow]

Toomey above and I are on the same page.

Teton probably built the single best fifth wheel travel trailer in the industry but couldn't survive the economic depression. Teton and NuWa were the only RV manufacturers using the 2" vacuum bonded blue Dow styrofoam panels.

 

[Newt]

Harvey, your putting NuWa in past tense. NuWa is still making all of their trailers with the Dow blue foam. My 04 SnowBird has the Dow blue foam.

Newt

 

[HBarlow]

Harvey, your putting NuWa in past tense. NuWa is still making all of their trailers with the Dow blue foam. My 04 SnowBird has the Dow blue foam.

Newt

Newt,

Thank you for your silly nitpicking comment. I know very well how NuWa manufactures their trailers having been studying them since 2006, owning one since May of 2007, making ten or more visits to the factory and service department, and taking six or eight guided factory tours.

My statement was "Teton and NuWa were the only manufacturers using vacuum bonded 2" Dow foam panels. " That statement followed the statement that Teton did not survive the depression. Both of my statements followed a post by Toomy explaining NuWa and Teton's construction methods and I opened my post by stating that Toomy and I were on the same page.

Ordinary reading comprehension skillls possessed by most readers would allow them to understand that previously there were two, now there is only one manufacturer using vacuum bonded 2" Dow foam wall construction.

 

[Newt]

Newt,

Thank you for your silly nitpicking comment.

Kinda the pot calling the kettle black, isn't it Harvey?

Newt

 

[mhsmith57]

Check out the Heartland Bighorns. Although they just got bought by Thor in 2010, they seem to be very well built 5th wheels. After doing my research I bought a H. BH 3055RL, trading in my piece of crap 2008 Excel 28RKW RT. Every time we took it out something went wrong. I thought Excel, Peterson Industries, was a great product, wood coach, insulation, etc. Boy was I wrong. This new Heartland product is head and shoulders above the Excel in quality and workmanship.

The way I understand it, you can and may have problems with any unit out there. Even the $500K units have their problems. It comes down to American manufacturing design, build, and quality(read caring). Americans just don't build things like we use to. It's all about saving $$ and screwing the public. And we thought industries were moving abroad to save on wages. Well that may be true but Americans just don't care anymore for the most part. (and I'm generalizing here) Good luck on your choice but do your homework. You get what you pay for. Sometimes it's better to pay a little more.

Mark

 

[RustyJC]

Check out the Heartland Bighorns. Although they just got bought by Thor in 2010, they seem to be very well built 5th wheels.

Do they have their frame failures under control? We have a fellow member in our Texas Boomers RVing group whose Bighorn has been back to the factory 3 times for frame failures.



In one case, he took delivery of the 5th wheel from the factory after they had repaired one of his failures, drove around some rough Indiana backroads for 4 hours, and had to take it back to the factory as the frame around the pinbox area failed again. :{



Rusty

 

[FPettijohn]

Harvey

Your continued ridicule of Lippet industries makes me wonder if you know all the things they make? They are a Hoosier success story in a time of many unsuccessful events in the RV business. We don't have oil and large military business to help our econemy as Texas does. Without them and with the present drought Texas would be in very bad shape indeed. Lippert is owned by Drew Industries and has an extensive USA made catalog of products http://www.lci1.com/catalog/catalog.pdf I have bought many axles and components from Dexter and now from AL-Ko and quality is excellent from both. Don't even get me started on Wally world.

Fred

 

[mhsmith57]

BTW, Heartland will still cover warranty issues if you are full-timing in it within that first year, Jayco won't. So what does that say about Heartland. Check them out but buy upper end; Landmark, Bighorn, or Big Country.

Mark