Feedback on Puma TT by Palomino

[BBeck]

Hi:



I'm looking at renting a TT before taking the plunge to buy. I came across this trailer and would like to know if any of you have had any experience or knowledge of this line of trailers. I know they are made in Indiana, but it seems most trailers are a commodity these days and unless I can tour the manufacturing plant, I can't tell the quality of them compared to others.



I'm looking at a 30ft bunkhouse model. http://www.palominorv.com/palomino/site/default. asp?page=product&model=puma



Thanks,

Brad

 

[BBeck]

Turns out they are made in Colon, Mich. and I learned Palomino is a subsidiary of Forest River. Even though they have been building them since the 70's, I guess it isn't very common among the TDR members since no one has responded yet.

 

[KSnyder]

I currently own a 05' 29FKSS and haven't had any problems with mine other than two tires going flat because of screws and nails. I feel it is a pretty good product.

 

[TEasley]

We bought a Puma 25BH from Dixon RV's in Houston 2 years ago. They are competing with several entry level brands. We chose this trailer after doing a systematic comparison with other similarly equipped 24, 25 and 26 foot trailers. The major factors were floorplan, bedroom layout, bathroom convenience, ducted air conditioning, fresh water and holding tank capacities, good ground clearance, 30 lb propane tanks, range and oven plus microwave, refrigerator size, a large clothes closet, storage space and layout, payload capacity, and price. ( we didn't want to have to finance it ) All the trailers we looked at were new,wood framed, rubber roofed, metal skin, no slides, no frills units. This trailer had more of the features we looked for than any of the others and was slightly less money. The most significant difference was the payload capacity. On a long trip, the trailer crossed the scales at 5500 lbs wet and loaded, and it has a GVW of 7660 lbs. We could have put another ton of stuff in it to reach its capacity. We had good service from the dealer and with some wrangling with the factory, they came through with 5 larger wheels and tires to actually reach the GVW rating of the trailer. The dealer and factory also handled a couple of minor problems, and the factory offered to cover a 12 volt lighting circuit problem almost a year out of warranty. That's well above average customer service.



We have had 2 self contained truck cabovers, 2 other travel trailers, and a class A motorhome. For the money, this trailer is the best one for us so far.

It has shortcomings, like limited seating and only six windows, but it tows very well, and after 2 years, still has NO water leaks anywhere, even when traveling in very heavy rains.



Make a list of the features you're looking for, then shop and compare, writing down yes's and no's by trailer, by feature. A choice will emerge, but there will be trade-offs. There is no perfect RV. Expect some problems with whichever trailer you decide on.



Good luck and enjoy, Tom



Afterthought: I would not part with my truck; yours should be a great tow vehicle!

 

[BBeck]

Thanks KSnyder and TEasley - excellent information and I really appreciate it!



There is one local dealer in town that carries this line. They also rent them and learned they have a program where you buy the trailer and then if you want, you can have it stored there, and rented out to others.



They take care of all maintenance, cleaning, storage and I would get 60% of the rental money. I can take it camping any time I want. In addition, they also extend the warranty to five years instead of the standard warranty from the manufacturer.



One trailer has been rented for a year and when I was there, they only had a couple of units available to rent.



I haven't read the fine print, but this seems like a great way to start in RV'ing.



I agree with the value of the unit and workmanship looked very good as well.



Thanks again,

Brad

 

[TEasley]

Brad; sounds like a heck of a deal. We have a large local R/V dealer who rents privately owned units, but I doubt he can match what you describe.

Anyway, I like to keep our R/V at home. We keep it partially loaded with bedding, camping gear, non-perishables, and toys and games for grandkids and great-grandkids. I know where it's been, how it was treated, everything that has gone wrong, how many miles it has on it, and that it really is ready to go when we are. In addition, it makes a great extra guest room, and our grandchildren also enjoy the occasional novelty of "camp-outs" in our driveway. We very much enjoy having it available at a moments notice.



We are missing out on some possible income from it, but I am more comfortable this way. Food for thought.



Enjoy, and don't get discouraged. R/Ving is a learned skill. We started in 1964 and discovered that it was, and still is, some of the very best time we have as a family.



Tom

 

[BBeck]

Thanks Tom



Unfortunately, I live in a master planned community and there is no place to park the trailer, which is why this peaked my interest.



I actually started camping as a kid. Being the oldest of six kids, we drove the full size van and pop-up tent trailer from Chicago to Montana every other year. My parents bought the trailer in '76 and took it from Chicago east to NY, down to North Carolina and up into Canada, then back through Detrioit to Chicago.



Great experience and hope to enjoy the same with my kids.



Brad

 

[TEasley]

I have seen a lot of detailed advice about trailers, routes, R/V parks, places to visit, fuel prices, etc. on this forum. I always check it out when I log on TDR.



Looks like 129 of us are interested in how it comes out. Let us know.



Good luck, Tom

 

[Ramtough]

My RV dealer was one of the top ten Wilderness dealers in the country for years. Then he started selling Palomino. Now he's one of the largest Palomino dealers. Why? When people compare Fleetwood with Palomino trailer for trailer, they see considerable greater value in the Palomino at a much lower price. Add that to the fact that the service experience on Palominos has been MUCH better than Fleetwood for most of the last five years his Palomino sales continue to grow rapidly while the Wilderness line languishes on his lot. It looks to me like the Palomino is a great choice in its price range.

 

[BBeck]

I have seen a lot of detailed advice about trailers, routes, R/V parks, places to visit, fuel prices, etc. on this forum. I always check it out when I log on TDR.



Looks like 129 of us are interested in how it comes out. Let us know.



Good luck, Tom

Thanks, I read this forum daily and will update as I go. First thing though is actually receiving the new truck. I ordered it on 3/30, I have the VIN#, but still no ship date.



Ramtough: thanks for sharing the local dealer experience. I would think it would be a difficult decision for a dealer to add another RV brand to their business. The fact that the Palomino is doing so well for them shows it was a wise decision. Sure sounds like the Palomino line is the best value.



I did a little more research over the weekend and the initial prices quoted by the local dealer were msrp. There is another dealer in Montana, and they advertise on RVTrader for models I'm interested in. Loaded with the right options the dealer has an asking price of more than $8,000 less in price. And several units of the same model, with a wide selection on their lot. It would make a great road trip for the family.



Brad