Travel Trailer Brands/Sizes/Questions?

[PHX ATC]

Here's the deal. We're not sure if we even want a travel trailer, but we went looking at them anyway just to see. We looked at two new dealers in town (Mesa, AZ - trailer capital of the west) just to figure out what was out there and what outrageous prices came with 'em. We were not impressed.



We (me, wife, and 5 yr old daughter) would only use it for weekends. Of course bigger is better, but 25ft seemed about "just right. " I would have to store it somewhere other than my house. I would buy used instead of greasing some salesman's hands.



That said, what are good brands to look for? What are the cool must have features? What breaks the most?



I'm new to this and to be honest, not sure if this is up our alley. We like doing stuff like that, but are swaying between keeping our 20 bowrider boat and trying the TT thing or trading the little boat for a cabin cruiser to haul around. It seemed at the dealers that we visited they thought we were nuts and steered us to their used section which consisted of 20 year old relics and beat up trailers or the lil' teeny weeny tin can boxes. Of course maybe me and my wife complaining of the decor in them seemed too "old fartish" kinda ****** them off. Dunno, but we're going to give looking at them a second try at a RV show in a couple of weeks.



I'm just looking for a few nuggets of knowledge from someone who might have been there and suffered the Idunnowhattodo syndrome.



Thanks.



Toby

 

[Bug Out]

check this site

Got to http://www.rvforums.com



Check around different BB's and get info etc. Has a lot of info for RV's.

 

[C Schomer]

Just be careful not to p!ss your money away on entry level junk! I'm partial to Sunnybrook just because it's the best of the 4 rvs I've had. I weigh 255 and the floors got soft and squeaky and all the seats caved in on the other units I had. Not so with the SB! They're real good quality, mid level units. The 26' TTs have a very nice floorplan and the weight is low. A used one would probably be priced like a new entry level POS but last a LOT longer. Craig

 

[BIG BOB]

Here are 3 RV forums that I found very helpful when I was looking for a Travel Trailer. I still use these forums on a daily

basic.



Escapees.com



irv2.com



rv.net



I found a Travel trailer in excellent condition, and $4000. 00 under NADA average price on the internet about 350 miles away in Seattle. I knew all the good and bad point about that particilar trailer and what to look for in that trailer because of what I learned on the above forums and other sites. I just searched for used travel trailers and found the killer deal that I couldn't pass up! Timing worked out where I bought it while on my way to BD Dyno days in October, towed it home afterwards.



Here is another useful site that gives an overall evaluation of any RV for $9. 50;



rv.org



Look at the "DealData Reports" in the above website.



Other useful sites;



rvreviews.com



rvusa.com



RV Buyers Guide





I found these plus a lot of other sights very helpful in educating me on RV's specifically Travel Trailers.



Hope this helps!

 

[BigMike]

Whatever you buy, make sure it has a slideout. You won't regret it. Gets a little too cozy in a 26' with a kid or two. I've been there. You'll probably end up like everyone else. Buy one, love it, buy a bigger one, love it and buy a 5th wheel, love it, buy a motorhome blah blah blah. It's a great life!

 

[Bug Out]

Big Mikes right!

I started out with a 26' 5th wheel with no slide. Went on a multi state trip with just the wife and I. Too cramped. Got home went out and bought a 31' Jayco 2x slide. Really liked it but while it was in for routine warranty work, found a even nicer 5th wheel ...



I'm now toting behind me a 37' Alpenlite triple slide that does everything but wipe your behind. LOL.



Get something that will keep you happy for a few years anyhow. .



Ed



PS: Now is the time to buy because the market is soft due to the economy. I've seen prices drop thousands in the last year alone.

 

[Pat_in_Utah]

Gotta haves:

I have a 21' Terry - nice trailer for weekend camping. Good price. The cool gotta have stuff (IMHO) is:



- LP gas w auto switch-over from tank to tank

- Dual batteries w auto charger/inverter

- LP/Electric, auto start water heater

- Fridge auto detecting - LP or Electric



"Auto" stuff is very convenient and quick to setup at camp.



My Equalizer hitch "mates" my truck to my trailer perfectly - I don't leave home without it! Sway control and weight distribution all in one. My trailer grosses out at 5400#. This is a great weight for my truck - I can leave the cruise control on, AC on, truck/trailer loaded and still be well within specs and the truck shifts perfectly on its own, even in the Wasatch mountains.



Sounds like a dilema trying to decide between a trailer and the boat! All I can say is the entire family enjoys our trailer (wife doesn't like deep water!) It is nice to have a great home away from home for several relaxing days.



Good luck,

Pat

 

[Mad Bomber]

R.V.

Think down the road, I wish that I had a bigger one now that the kids are older and want to bring friends. GET ONE WITH A SLIDER. A 5ver is nice because the bedroom has a door. Get one thats 25+. Eric

 

[Charley]

Toby:



One of our members, Barry Millet, is a used RV dealer, broker. Drop him a note and he might be able to find you a good deal. You are right about one thing, buy used, 3/4 years will save you half. If weekenders are all you're going to use it for the 25/26 foot tag along will work. If you think you'll do some 2/3 week vacations they start to get a little small. You were also right about being in the RV Capital, Mesa would be one of the places I would look for a good used unit. If you are going to stay down south, out west most of them that are in good shape will do. If you plan to spend some time in the north in cold weather you need to move upscale and get a better insulated, closed bottom, cold weather type. Always lots to choose from where you are and as you say you are just looking, what better place.



Charley

 

[RedRamer]

Toby;

Boy, did I do a lot of those questions when I looked for one. There's lots to look for but first you have to decide if you want a unit simply for a few week-end pulls locally, or are you planning on long excursions like Alaska, NWest, etc.

Big diference cause if you're going long distance, you'll want to make sure you get a good well built unit that won't buckle half way there. Like 6" frame, 3 pcs "A" frame, Dexter axle system with E-Z lube, 15" wheels and like someone mentioned, insulated underfloor with lots of cross members and 3/4" plywood. =lighter and stronger than cheapboard. Well placed tanks = balanced unit. Then you look at the top end of things.

If you're pulling local, then you can spend more money towards size and comfort = pullouts, travel trailer vs gooseneck for space and cost of hitching, etc.

 

[Barry]

Toby, when you get serious, let me know and I will steal you one of the repos out there. I buy over half my inventory out of the PHX. area. Starting next Dec. , I hope to spend my winters in Mesa just buying RVs and shipping them out wholesale. There is lots of $$$ just laying all over the ground out there. All you have to do is bend down and pick it up.

 

[Loren]

Toby,



One gottahaveit I haven't seen mentioned yet is a winterization package. If you're going to use the trailer in the lower elevations in the southwest, or stick to three-season use, then a winterization package doesn't matter. If you may be using the trailer where it will freeze, the package matters a lot.



A winterization package generally consists of some extra insulation and some sort of heater (usually electric blankets) for the holding tanks. The idea is to prevent freezing. In mild temperatures with a well-insulated trailer, the package may not be required. Our Holiday Rambler doesn't have the package, but it works well in southern Indiana as a guest house at Christmastime. The Avion doesn't have the package, and it's worthless when the temperature drops below freezing. The Avion isn't made as well as the Holiday Rambler.



Holiday Ramblers are excellent units. We owned one years ago and bought another recently. The Newmar products also seem to be well made, and Airstream is also known for quality. Talk to owners, either on the Internet, or at RV parks. I would imagine that the parks in Arizona are filling up about now with "snowbirds", RVer's who move south for the winter. Virtually everyone will be happy to tell you about their RV.



I agree with the advice to buy a used unit, not a new one. If your family is like mine, you will scuff your RV up right away, and you might as well let someone else take the 40-50% financial hit for the cosmetic damage. If you are buying a quality brand, don't be put off by some cosmetic items that can be easily fixed. We bought our Holiday Rambler used for about 50% of the price of a new unit. That saved us about $16,000. We spent about $1500 at an RV repair center having several items repaired, and now have a very nice trailer.



You may want to try renting an RV for a week or so before you buy one. This might be a way to see if this is something you will enjoy. If you're considering a particular used RV, the dealer may let you rent that very trailer.



Good luck and happy hunting.



Loren

 

[Royal]

Check the ARCTIC FOX TT & 5th W. Made by Northwood Manfig.

www.northwoodmanfacturing.com I have a 24-5N 5th W. and it has been a jewel. Top quality and best insulation of any trailer.

 

[klenger]

Thumbs up on the Arctic Fox (see sig). We just returned from a 3 day trip to Grand Junction CO. Outside temps were as low 12 deg. F, and everything worked perfectly. Arctic Fox uses ducted heat from the furnace to heat the holding tanks, so they are still heated when boondocking. The tanks heated by electric pads only work if connected to 110 vac.

 

[IdaH.O.Train]

Re:

Toby,



Here's some food for thought. Try either renting or borrowing one before you get rid of your boat and/or buy one. I had a guy I worked give me this advice and I blew him off. I had always wanted a trailer, because it seemed like the ultimate in camping. And living in the mecca of outdoor recreation, made it even that much harder to resist.



We ended up with a 2000 Coachmen 248TB with bunk beds, which is a nice unit for our family of 4. However, since purchasing it two seasons ago, we have only used it 5 times, two of which were this year. Don't get me wrong, having a trailer is nice, once you are there and set up. It's all the little things you don't think about before you buy one, like maintenance, set up and take down and limitations on where you can camp.



Had I to do over again, I would have researched more of the slide-in units and went with one of those. That way you can have all the creature comforts and conveniences (keeping in mind you will have less space) of a trailer and still have the ability to tow a boat and go places you wouldn't/couldn't take a trailer or 5th wheel.



My point is, make certain it's something you will use enough to justify the expense.

 

[PHX ATC]

Funny, my wife and I were just talking about renting a TT for one trip this winter and another in the summer just to see how it is. We'll have all the ins and outs, goods and bads somewhat figured out in both seasons.



I haven't checked, but I'm sure there's a place in town that will rent us one.



Thanks for all the good information on trailers. There is a RV show here in town this next May. I know that is a long time, but it is perfect to get a chance to rent on this winter and again right after the show in the summer.



I agree with the slider aspect. My wife is adamant that if we do get a TT, it SHALL have a slider. Maybe it's my deoderant!!





Barry - let me know when you're in town scarfing up the spoiled fruits of the trailer industry. Drop me an email.





Thanks for all the good information. I've printed this stuff out and on the next rainy day go irritate the sales scammers at some more dealers to look at some specific brands and items on the trailers.



Toby

 

[Jack in Alaska]

Buy used but not too used. 2 - 3 yrs. old is a good age. Good advice from above posts.



Lots of AZ. used trailers have been lived in by snowbirds winter after winter. The outside looks new but the insides are worn out.



Pick out the one you like but is too big(you think) and then buy one bigger. They seem to shrink-up after several weeks of use.



Stay away from Fleetwood products. Poorly constructed. They make many different brands but all suffer from the same problems.



Make sure you know and understand the weights/tow ratings involved on both the RV and the truck. DO NOT TAKE THE SALESMANS WORD ON THIS. Most of them know nothing about any of it.



5th. whls. tow easier & safer than a regular

trailer;



Hope some of this helps you. Happy camping.

 

[KEnhoffer]

Fleetwood

I agree with Jack. Stay away from Fleetwood. I purchased a 1999 Terry new and have had MANY warranty repairs due to poor assembly quality Fleetwood has refused to authorize correction of a shoddy dealer reinstallation of the aluminim underbelly due to a water tank leak since the warranty has now expired. This may be brand bashing but its the least I can do as I will be losing money when I sell this POS next camping season.

 

[Loren]

I didn't want to start with negatives on your question, but I also agree with Jack's comment on Fleetwood. The Avion is a high-end Fleetwood fifth-wheel. We have taken care of it for our friend since it was brand new. During the one year warranty period it was at the dealer for repairs about four or five times.



They never did get everything fixed on that trailer.



Trailers are not like cars. If you buy a Mercedes, you get a fine car. If you buy a Chevy, you get a good car that costs a lot less than the Mercedes. That's not true with trailers. If you buy a top brand trailer, you get a nice trailer. If you buy a bottom brand trailer, you will get a trailer that won't even get the job done. It won't pull properly; the roof or walls or windows will leak, the plumbing will freeze or leak; the countertops will de-laminate; the holding tanks will freeze and break open. So many things can go wrong with a bad trailer that I can't imagine all of them. You don't want to find out the hard way.



What's even worse is that the bottom brand trailers don't necessarily cost less than the good brands. The best way to learn about the different brands is to visit the campgrounds and talk to the owners. Find out which brand they would buy for their NEXT trailer.



Remember that you will get an education about trailers if you buy one. You will be better off if you get the education before you buy, rather than after.



Best of luck with your hunt.



Loren

 

[GLASMITHS]

Travel Trailer Brands

I have to agree with the previous posts on Fleetwood. My last check of them, they are still framed with wood, and from owners problems in Trailer Life they are not very good at fixing the problems, as well as Jayco and Coachman.



I'll probably get flamed for that but from where I have been and heard all three are in the same boat.