Went up the Hershey show today, we live about an hour away and figured it be a nice day to take off work and check it out (never been to the Hershey show before).

I'm going to be upfront with this right now:

All Forest River and Keystone TH's have the same build quality problems. You get more features as you go up 40k to 60k to 80K, better appliances nicer sound system, fancy graphics, nicer windows. But the build quality of the XLR, Vengeance, Carbon, (etc, etc...) all have the same build quality problems that my Wolfpack does and some of those are more than double what I paid for my trailer.

We've had our Wolfpack 325 Pack13 for 18 months now and spent 51 consecutive nights in it this year (65 total so far), and did 60 total nights last year. This is our second RV. If I had a choice I'd trade it for a shorter Grand design Reflection like a 29RS with a big rear living area. I also looked at the Montana 3120RL (despite Golfmedik's issues), the wife liked it a little too much and the price was really right on it at the show. At 36 feet I still think it's too long. I didn't realize how much time we we were going to spend in it traveling. We love RVing and much to the chagrin of my depreciating Wolfpack we've already gotten the point where I'd like something with better quality. I think we'd spend more time RVing if we did.

Hindsight being 20/20 I don't understand why I thought a 40 foot long trailer was a good idea aside from the two bathrooms and sleeping capacity. We sacrificed getting into a lot of parks this past summer to have a garage that I only need for one motorcycle and three bicycles that could fit on a hitch carrier. We went to the Hershey show today as the first step in finding what we REALLY want to have for the next 10 years, with the understanding that we're going to spend more for a higher quality 5th wheel. I want to stick with the Wolfpack for at least another two years before we make another purchase. I want to nitpick every aspect of our next 5th wheel and make a decision based on build quality and features instead of features and price.

 

money aside..

I would pick the Grand Design Reflection over a Keystone Montana...
but its $30k more.
maybe less if I could find a New one year old
I would want a 36 to 38 foot.

Happy Hunting for trailer . and Happier Camping.

 

The Hershey show is crazy. We went back in 14 before we ordered our trailer. I've had my dealer tell me flat out that until you spend a half million plus the build quality is the same. Some brands do service after the sale better, just like some dealers do.

I have no issues with my 37' here in the northeast. Yes you have to be a bit more selective with sites, but I've never not been able to get a site at a campground I wanted. I didn't want to be over 36 feet when we bought. Now our needs have changed and we really don't want the toyhauler anymore. Next one will be a mid bunk but it HAS to be 40 or less. I don't want a monster, but the wife did say a king bed is a must. Like you I need to sit on mine a bit longer before we trade up. Looking like we will order a new one in the fall of 2019 for spring delivery.

I love the Grand Design units. But we only get out 20 nights a year and the extra money is hard to swallow. Forest River and our dealer have treated us very well and I'd be hard pressed to walk away from either.

 

The grand design 29RS would have been about the same price as what I paid for my Wolfpack with all the options I have in it. Although it's also 11 feet shorter.

 

I have a Grand Design Momentum 350M. At 39' it is probably longer than you're looking for but the quality and amenities are worth every penny. When things go wrong, Grand Design's customer service is beyond compare. I agree with the others here in recommending that you explore some of their smaller units.

 

We have looked at a couple of the grand designs, just window shopping. They are nice.


We are no where near ready to trade.

 

I looked at the Solitude 310GK and it ticks most of the boxes for us. Thicker I beam frame, Residential size refrigerator that's accessible with the slides closed. King bed option, Rear living area with theater seating, just under 35 feet. I'm really curious to understand what the different packages look like in a side by side comparison. I'm assuming that's the difference between the 310GK and the 310GK-R is the residential package. Optional dishwasher and W/D prep as well. The only thing that's missing for us is a receiver hitch at the rear. I'm not sure if that's an option.

We saw a BOATLOAD of Winniebago View 24's/Itasca Navion's while we were out west. More than any other model RV/Motorhome. We thought that was what we wanted but it's just too small, and still suffers from build quality issues. But in my opinion it's still better what Thor, keystone, and forest river offer in the same Mercedes/Sprinter chassis.

I've got plenty of time before we trade up. When we are ready to purchase we will buy at a show. The prices as far as I could see were very reasonable.

With the amount of people out there camping now availability is starting to get more and more complicated. Having to make plans months, if not a year + in advance for campsites in Yellowstone. I like spontaneous trips with little planning. We usually call and look for cancellations while in route. Managed to spend 4th of July in the Wisconsin dells with that strategy.

 

The crowds ruin the national parks experience for me. I'ld rather camp on the side of the road in nevada somewhere and look at the stars.

 

How is the headroom in the bedroom....hey that rhymes....with the grand designs? I'm 6'5" and looking for a couple more inches of height than raptor I looked at.

 

Rick danger the I can stand up but I cannot stretch to be as tall as possible. One reason I picked this model is that I could stand up in all parts of the trailer without having to bend my neck. I still need to duck through doorways but I've never seen an RV with a tall enough doorway.

 

The secret is not going during the tourist months. Which may not be possible in every national park due to snow, but that cold weather package makes it more enjoyable.

 

Take a gander at the Northwood Arctic Fox RV/5'ers. Closest dealer is in PA but they still manufacturer their own (frames) chassis...no crappy Lippert-one size fits all stuff. Many travel a lot miles to buy the A/F RV's. Look here at the forum for Northwood RV. Home - Northwood RV Owners Association Forum