Looking for travel trailer advice

[SSage]

SSage, have you looked at the Desert Fox toy haulers? They are made by Northwood. I didn't look at them at all when we bought, but I hear they are of the same quality as the Arctic Fox's.

The Desert Fox does not offer what KZ does, I love AF travel trailers, the 5th wheels didn't have what I was looking for. I'm 6-4 and not guilty of being skinny. My 31W was great on head room, the shower in the back was huge for a RV.



If I had the money, I would have gone for the Escalade Sportster. I ended up with a New Vision thats just under 44 feet, I can stand up straight everywhere except right in front of the bedroom closet. It has a corner shower that the Desert Fox did not have. KZ has the gooseneck frame option, you can up grade to triple 7K axles, they added extra insulation, a washer and dryer prep in the garage. I went with thermo panes, diamond plate extras, they use nice rubber diamond plate on the garage floors and ramp. The fabrics are a bit better than AF. It aint cheap though, one loaded like mine will be in the 60's. I reall like the extra front AC thats ducted to the rear, its a nice option when watching tv. The front AC doesn't make much noise in the living area. The extra insulation seems to be there, so far heating and cooling has been great using one AC/Heat Pump. I upgraded to a convection oven too. An Esclade would have been nice, the cost would have been in the 80's with my wanted options, the New Visions have more room though, if I wasn't a full-timer I would have gone with a 14' garage for the toys. I perfer the living room on my current 41KG, people are amazed how roomy it is with the huge slides which span as much as possible between the garage and front bed room, I hope the slide motors never fail.

 

[SSage]

My 2007 New Vision Sportster the day I picked it up. This was my first stop a Red Lobster parking lot. It makes the truck look like a Dakota or a Mini truck :-laf



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[DBCooper]

Yikes!! You're right, Northwood makes nothing like that. Very nice looking rig. I looked at their (KZ) website and the interiors look fancier than the Desert Fox's by far.

 

[wneubauer]

If you can find a Sunnybrook 3310, it's a great trailer for 4 kids. I have 4 myself and we use ours year round and have had good luck with it. They quit making these after 2005, so used is your only option. I love the floorplan, with the bathroom between the bunkhouse and the living area, there is access for all to the bath without disturbing kids or parents. I like the gelcoat, waxing is a pain only once a year, otherwise it's easy to clean. Sunnybrook has an excellent quality reputation, so you should be able to rely on the unit. I have had a slideout motor crack the housing, which was replaced under warranty, otherwise no slide issues... . Hope you find something you like!

 

[Grizzly]

That sure is one big Toy Hauler 5er. I see you have an auto and a 3. 54 axle. Does that work okay with that size trailer? What kind of mileage do you get?

 

[JasonBrown]

Found one I like

OK, I went to the St. Louis RV show this weekend. They had several brands to look at and compare. I did have a conversation with a Northwoods dealer who was there, unfortunately he did not have any of them there. He doesn't stock them, he said he had a hard time selling them around here since they were a little heavier and more expensive then other brands. He did say he thought the quality was better than his other brands he carries. He referred to it as a "niche" market RV for serious campers.



I did find a unit I liked very much and would like some feedback. It is a Sandpiper model made by Forest River. It appears that Forest River makes a lot of different lines of RVs. This one is a fiberglass exterior with aluminum frame model. It is an all weather unit. It is a 2007 and priced it to me for $29,500.



Can anyone give me some feedback on this brand, line of trailer and some feedback on this price?

 

[Grizzly]

OK, I went to the St. Louis RV show this weekend. They had several brands to look at and compare. I did have a conversation with a Northwoods dealer who was there, unfortunately he did not have any of them there. He doesn't stock them, he said he had a hard time selling them around here since they were a little heavier and more expensive then other brands. He did say he thought the quality was better than his other brands he carries. He referred to it as a "niche" market RV for serious campers.



I did find a unit I liked very much and would like some feedback. It is a Sandpiper model made by Forest River. It appears that Forest River makes a lot of different lines of RVs. This one is a fiberglass exterior with aluminum frame model. It is an all weather unit. It is a 2007 and priced it to me for $29,500.



Can anyone give me some feedback on this brand, line of trailer and some feedback on this price?

Anything by Forest River will not be very well rated. Without knowing exactly which model you are interested in, I can not quote you specific rating, however all 2007 Sandpiper are rated between 2 and 2 1/2 stars. If you want more precise information, PM me with the model number.

 

[Graphic man]

if anyone is looking used :



"40' travel supreme" loaded with tons of up-grades,



my parents own it, and it's 1 nice unit ... . extremely clean and well taken care of.



http://www.rvtrader.com/rvdetail219635.htm





Scott

 

[SSage]

I would stay away from Forest River products and that comes from first hand trouble. They do not produce well built products as a norm. If AF is not the ticket, try SunnyBrook. I can't think of anything that compares to a Fox for the money. They just flat out build great travel trailers. A 30' plus high profile 5th would open up many good posibilities like an Excel Classic in the smaller models that your 2500 could handle.

 

[JasonBrown]

OK, you all convinced me, I am not buying a Forest River. I also had a few conversations with some reputable RV dealers in the area who helped in this decision. At this point I am sold on the Fox. Unfortunately, there are no stocking dealers of the 32D in the midwest. I found out from conversations with some dealers that the 32D is only manufactured in Oregon and not in Virginia. Evidently it is about 3,000 bucks shipping to get one to the midwest. Does anyone know someone who has one in the midwest that I might be able to take a look at? I really hate to order one of these without ever having been inside one.

 

[Grizzly]

Jason, look in the following classifieds: AFNash Forum, IRV2 Forum, RV.net Forum. Other sources are craigslist.com, NADA classified and local newspapers. A good used Arctic Fox that has never been smoked in, no pets and original owner are very hard to find. I know, I'm still looking for a 27'.

 

[RJOL]

My belief is that you may find a discounter somewhere close to you, but you get what you pay for. There are no shortcuts. If it cost less, it's because it cost less for them to build. I've owned both TT and 5th Wheels and I prefer the 5th wheel for its floorplan and overall tow length (compared to a trailer). The 5th wheel also tows a lot better then a TT. I know there are many out there that will say their TT tows great, but a 5th wheel is a lot more stable and less susceptible to wind and oscillation. I've heard a lot of positive things about the Artic Fox line. I've owned mainly Alpenlites and my current on is a HitchHiker. I've had good luck with both of these manufacturers. Do your research, and don't believe anything a salesman tells you... .

 

[BBland]

8' park model

Jason, I used to transport RV's from manufacturer to dealers.

There is a company called Palm Aire in Elkhart, Indiana that makes an 8 foot park model, they have slide outs and looked pretty good. The only problem is the toungue is pretty high, so you'll need very good load leveler bars on your hitch and I recomend air bags on the rear of your truck.



When you go looking, some dealers will cut you a deal on a park model because they want rid of lst years models. A friend of mine bought one from a dealer in Bear, Delaware and saved almost $10k because he bought a left over.

I agree with some of the other responces you've gotton as far as look very closely at how well the trailer is finished off..... I mean little things like the trim over the wheels, the door stops that hold the door open ect. some of them are obviously just thrown together and they look cheap after you start looking at all the little things.

Jayco makes a nice looking unit also.

I strongly suggest that if it's not too far for you to travel, take a week and go to Elkhart, Indians and go to the manufacturers and look at what they hav available. There are quite a few different manufacturers located in and around Elkhart and the surrounding area.

There are plants in Goshen, Shipshuwanna, and several other towns in Northern Indiana.

 

[dezeldog]

Has anyone heard of a 5th wheel called Ameri Camp??? Who are they made by??? Lets have it... . the good,bad and the ugly. TIA



Jim

 

[Grizzly]

Has anyone heard of a 5th wheel called Ameri Camp??? Who are they made by??? Lets have it... . the good,bad and the ugly. TIA



Jim

Ameri-Camp are made by themselves, Ameri-Camp. Most are very well rated, 4 stars, some go down to 2 stars. They also make Ameri-Camp Lite, which are, for the most part, also well rated. They do not make Ameri-Lite however. Ameri-lite are made be Gulf Stream and are not well rated, 2 stars. I hope this helps.

 

[dezeldog]

Grizz, thanx alot for the response on Ameri-Camp it was very helpful. Thanx again.



Jim

 

[231jasonS]

ameri-camp

I looked very hard at the Ameri-camp and was impressed at first. However the more i looked the more i found i did not like. The appliances they offer are not the top of the line, more like mid-lower. The put smaller stoves, heaters, ac, inverters. The wiring is a mess inside and the welds on the alum frame are not complete.



I sudgest you look very close at a couple of models and compare it to some of the higher end stuff. There cheaper though and have some good options/features that i liked.



I decided to order a Forest river cedar creek instead. More money but much nicer IMO.



Jason

 

[Grizzly]

Grizz, thanx alot for the response on Ameri-Camp it was very helpful. Thanx again.



Jim

Your welcome, glad to do it.

 

[nunya]

We have a 02 Forest River Cardinal 32` Travel trailer that has been just great! It still looks new in and out and has been towed accross the country twice, Mexico, Oregon and all thru the mountains of Colorado. I would not hestitate to buy another although our new 5th wheel is a Montana!

 

[Oblander]

Bighorn

Anyone have any experience with the Bighorn series by Heartland? Looking st the 3055RL the 3370Rl and the 3400RL.