Better RV Brands?

[HBarlow]

On the issue of additional insulation and double paned windows, dealers rarely order one with that equipment, even for Canada models. Dealers are trying to compete on price and extra features like cold weather packages can't be seen. It is much cheaper for the salesman to simply lie and tell the prospect their trailer has it or their trailer is so well insulated it doesn't need it.

I ordered my HitchHiker with double pane windows, fabric ceiling, larger furnace, porcelain toilet, larger self adjusting brakes, two AC units, 5. 5KW generator, and lots more. The initial cost of the extra options was fairly modest and the return in performance and owner satisfaction is significant. I will own and use the one I have for as long as I want to use an RV so I ordered what I wanted.

If you want a good one take your time, study the factory website, make phone call inquiries back to the factory, and order one like you want it. Unless . . . you can find a clean well maintained late model used equipped exactly as you want it.

Being informed puts you in control of your purchase. When I was certain of the model and accessories I wanted I visited my local dealer and gave him a chance to sell it to me. I knew he was too stupid and stubborn and he wouldn't give me the price I wanted to pay so I went home and began calling HH dealers in Kansas (closer to the factory saves transport fees). The second one I called surprised me and agreed on a modest fixed amount of money over invoice. I visited him the following week, ordered my trailer, got the price we agreed on, and wrote him a big deposit check to order it. Painless and a very pleasant experience.

 

[Wingate]

The problem with the education and all the information I have learned on here about the quality ( or lack thereof ) of RV's is that now I am becoming too picky and that is gonna cost me $$ when I do find the one I want. I can find lots of TT with decent floor plans but now I am looking in places I didn't before, like under counters and inside cupboards. Shadrach

good!!!!. . then its not just me... Talked to some friends of ours that are wanting to get rid of their Harley Davidson toy hauler and go to a regular tt... looks like we're all making a trip to the dealer next weekend. .

 

[Newt]

Generally speaking, the heavier RV's will be the better ones.

Cost's too much to build quality light.

Newt

 

[HEMI®Dart]

Does Raptor make a nice 5th wheel?

 

[Superglide]

Be aware of why super light trailers are super light, regardless of brand. There are real compromises involved in the construction materials used to get the weight down. I'm not a fan of the super lights, but to each his own.



Rusty

Very true. A good neighbour has a "Lite" TT and when I had a closer look, it had an aluminum frame. That explains why he doesn't have a problem towing it with a 2500 Hemi. That wouldn't last very long, even going slow, where I take mine. And, as someone else pointed out, they have smaller tanks. I'll take my '03 Jayco Eagle with some minor imperfections (kitchen drawers) over a "Lite" any day. The large tanks (54 fresh, 51 black and 90 grey) are a big plus when dry camping. Not bad for a 27'.

 

[gtoli]

The problem with the education and all the information I have learned on here about the quality ( or lack thereof ) of RV's is that now I am becoming too picky and that is gonna cost me $$ when I do find the one I want. I can find lots of TT with decent floor plans but now I am looking in places I didn't before, like under counters and inside cupboards. Shadrach

Me too! I'm afraid of what my next "upgrsde" is going to cost. :-laf

 

[HBarlow]

Does Raptor make a nice 5th wheel?

In a word, NO. Keystone builds them. They are low end units on Lippert frames with imported chicomm running gear. Little or no insulation, light weight and inexpensive materials, etc.

 

[HBarlow]

I agree completely with Rusty's comment above about lack of appreciation for lightweight trailers and Newt's which says quality trailers are heavy.

The only way to build a so-called light version of a large or same-sized trailer is to reduce thickness of various parts and materials, reduce numbers of components such as frame members, and cut quality.

I'm sure there are space technology materials that can be both light and strong but your chances of finding them in an inexpensive travel trailer are remote.

 

[Grizzly]

Does Raptor make a nice 5th wheel?

All Raptor's, which are made by Keystone, are rated 2. 5 stars. Keystone are not known for building a quality trailer. This is according to RVCG.



george

 

[Shadrach]

Hey Grizzly I found a "nice" 2006 Durango, by KZ, model 310BH. It has 16 E tires on it , a "four seasons" package and a decent floorplan. However it is long and heavy. The length bothers me more than the weight after all I do have a Cummins. What are your comments on this one? TIA Shadrach

 

[Grizzly]

Hey Grizzly I found a "nice" 2006 Durango, by KZ, model 310BH. It has 16 E tires on it , a "four seasons" package and a decent floorplan. However it is long and heavy. The length bothers me more than the weight after all I do have a Cummins. What are your comments on this one? TIA Shadrach

It's a middle of the road 3 star rating, vacationing use, which is two weeks. It is very long for a TT, which is 35'. That would make it more difficult to maneuver than a 5th wheel.



Comments from RVCG staff: Darryl Zook founded K-Z RV in 1972 in a gas station just outside Middlebury, Indiana. He started out building truck campers and camper toppers, but in 1975, when the company moved its operations to Shipshewana, he added small trailers as well. In 2009, K-Z manufactured a full range of towables from ultra-lite trailers and expandables to high-line fifth wheels and toyhaulers. They stopped building truck campers after the 2006 model year.

K-Z has survived economic downturns and continued to thrive by building to dealers' orders rather than building inventory. This has helped keep production costs down and won kudos from the RV Dealers' Association year after year. It also allows them to offer a large number of floorplans to the consumer. When a floorplan doesn't sell, it's deleted and replaced. K-Z's products are aimed mostly at entry-level to mid-priced buyers with the exception of a few high-line fifth wheels such as the Escalade.



george

 

[Shadrach]

Thanks George. It's just too long for me. Shadrach

 

[Wingate]

I agree completely with Rusty's comment above about lack of appreciation for lightweight trailers and Newt's which says quality trailers are heavy.



The only way to build a so-called light version of a large or same-sized trailer is to reduce thickness of various parts and materials, reduce numbers of components such as frame members, and cut quality.



I'm sure there are space technology materials that can be both light and strong but your chances of finding them in an inexpensive travel trailer are remote.

ok. . let me throw this out there... . this Jayco Eagle SuperLite 298RES that we've been looking at..... its sitting on the lot right next to a Jayco Eagle 320 RLDS... . The 298 has a dry weight of 7315 lbs and has afreshwater storage of 76 gallons. The RLDS weighs in at 8100 lbs and has a freshwater storage of 90 gallons... . For my purposes, the freshwater storage is a mute point, meaning that the 76 is plenty for our needs...

I DO see what some are referring to about the water storage on some of the lites though,... . several of the lites only have 36. 5gallon capacity. . !!!!. . a couple of "courtesy flushes" and you'd be out of water!:-laf:-laf:-laf

So, they have trimmed 800lbs,. somewhere... . how is a mere 800 lbs on 7300 make it a "lite weight"???? I guess I dont understand the advertising on this..... if a vehicle can pull 7300 comfortably, then another 800 isnt going to be the deciding factor... .

Maybe Im just overthinking this purchase..... problem is that the wife REALLY loves this thing... (the 298RES) she doesnt like the 320RLDS due to it not having the sleeping capacity of the 298... .

 

[HBarlow]

Wingate,

Your question is on point. The weight in that weight range means essentially nothing to us who drive Cummins powered Rams. The weight issue is for the 1/2 ton gas V8 buyers with no torque below 3,000 rpm and very little anywhere or the SUVs that should never couple a trailer on their hitchball. But 800 lbs. difference in dry trailer weights in a similar sized trailer is an indication of a lot more quality construction.

The wife issue is a very common dilemma and I'm sure RV manufacturers know very well that they can conceal a cheaply built pos with attractive colors and a couple of bells and whistles to catch the eye of the woman of the family.

I cannot tell others how to handle that but I'll tell you how I handled it. I selected the brand, NuWa, the model, size, and equipment, then showed my wife the interactive video on NuWa's website and asked her which of two color schemes she wanted. She didn't care so I selected the more bland and less bright and glaring beiges and tans. She loves the trailer and realizes why I approached the purchase that way.

Women do not understand or appreciate the practical, mechanical considerations necessary to purchase a good quality trailer that will provide years of practical and enjoyable travel and camping.

Ultimately everyone has to decide what is right for him, his family, and his budget. I can only say that I believe good quality will make you a lot more satisfied owner over time and you'll still have resale or trade-in value left when you're ready to replace it if you buy quality.

 

[Newt]

ok. . let me throw this out there... . this Jayco Eagle SuperLite 298RES that we've been looking at..... its sitting on the lot right next to a Jayco Eagle 320 RLDS... . The 298 has a dry weight of 7315 lbs and has afreshwater storage of 76 gallons. The RLDS weighs in at 8100 lbs and has a freshwater storage of 90 gallons... . For my purposes, the freshwater storage is a mute point, meaning that the 76 is plenty for our needs...

I DO see what some are referring to about the water storage on some of the lites though,... . several of the lites only have 36. 5gallon capacity. . !!!!. . a couple of "courtesy flushes" and you'd be out of water!:-laf:-laf:-laf

So, they have trimmed 800lbs,. somewhere... . how is a mere 800 lbs on 7300 make it a "lite weight"???? I guess I dont understand the advertising on this..... if a vehicle can pull 7300 comfortably, then another 800 isnt going to be the deciding factor... .

Maybe Im just overthinking this purchase..... problem is that the wife REALLY loves this thing... (the 298RES) she doesnt like the 320RLDS due to it not having the sleeping capacity of the 298... .

You've been given a lot of facts/opinions on what constitutes a good/solid RV.



Your wants/needs will dictate which you choose.



In the end, it doesn't matter. If MAMA isn't happy, ain't nobody happy. :-laf



Newt

 

[Wingate]

If MAMA isn't happy, ain't nobody happy. :-laf



Newt

Ya know... in my short 40 years on this planet... that is absolutely the truest statement I have ever heard!.





Harvey, I looked into the NuWa product line... . it seems that they no longer build TT, just 5th wheels... . Seemed to be very nice construction. . and with your reccomendation, they were one of the first that I looked at... I actually went back to the first couple pages of this thread and searched every reccomended brand for their TT lineup..... Unfortunately, several of the lines listed no longer exist... probably due to the economy and the flood of cheap built trailers on the market. Several of these manufacturers had no local dealership infrastructure..... (I AM a little close to Lousyanna!!hahaha)

One thing thats keeping me toward the Jayco lineup is that the local dealer here has an EXCELLENT service reputation and has been here for what seems like a hundred years.....

 

[HBarlow]

Ya know... in my short 40 years on this planet... that is absolutely the truest statement I have ever heard!.


Harvey, I looked into the NuWa product line... . it seems that they no longer build TT, just 5th wheels... . Seemed to be very nice construction. . and with your reccomendation, they were one of the first that I looked at... I actually went back to the first couple pages of this thread and searched every reccomended brand for their TT lineup..... Unfortunately, several of the lines listed no longer exist... probably due to the economy and the flood of cheap built trailers on the market. Several of these manufacturers had no local dealership infrastructure..... (I AM a little close to Lousyanna!!hahaha)
One thing thats keeping me toward the Jayco lineup is that the local dealer here has an EXCELLENT service reputation and has been here for what seems like a hundred years.....

Wingate,

I understood that you were not looking for a HitchHiker because they only build fivers.

I would own a Jayco. I pulled for their private transportation company, JET Transport for awhile when I was transporting. I looked at a lot of Jaycos. They are good trailers. Their conventional travel trailers are on the lower end of the price scale but are better quality IMO than the Keystone, Thor, and Forest River products. I don't know who builds Jayco frames, perhaps they are built in-house, but they are not Lippert and Jayco normally uses Dexter running gear. Although I am not a fan of Goodyear, their trailers built on 15" wheels normally use Goodyear Marathon tires which are definitely better than Will Pops imported from Communist China.

If I were looking for a new conventional travel trailer I would give serious consideration to Jaycos but not their light models. I would not care to own any manufacturer's light model.

 

[RustyJC]

I don't know who builds Jayco frames, perhaps they are built in-house, but they are not Lippert and Jayco normally uses Dexter running gear.

Jayco frames were built by Leland Engineering. Leland was, I understand, purchased by Dexter and now operates as Dexter - LE Technologies and, to the best of my knowledge, still supplies frames to Jayco. All of my Jaycos had Dexter running gear, and the Leland frames were fine.

If I were looking for a new conventional travel trailer I would give serious consideration to Jaycos but not their light models. I would not care to own any manufacturer's light model.

Yep, I would agree with that statement.



Rusty

 

[Bill Stockard]

Women do not understand or appreciate the practical, mechanical considerations necessary to purchase a good quality trailer that will provide years of practical and enjoyable travel and camping.

Some do!! My wife of 43+ years understands.





Bill

 

[Grizzly]

Thanks George. It's just too long for me. Shadrach

My pleasure. I too think it's too long for a bumper pull.



george