Just For Grins...
Laughing Gas
Joined: Aug 2021
Posts: 908
Likes: 508
@acdii Pretty much the same here. We love to camp but the price increases are ridiculous. I just can’t bring myself to pay 72k for a fifth wheel that was 50k last year. We have been talking about waiting a year or two or buying a used pre Covid trailer.
The camping show is this weekend so we will look at what else is available and go from there. I think that there will be a glut of trailers in a year or two between the Covid settling down and the cost of fuel rising. Maybe, maybe not. Time will tell.
Bob
The camping show is this weekend so we will look at what else is available and go from there. I think that there will be a glut of trailers in a year or two between the Covid settling down and the cost of fuel rising. Maybe, maybe not. Time will tell.
Bob
Cargo Master
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 2,220
Likes: 1,423
From: CA
Agreed, but as bad as it was it is even worse today. We are in between units and this will be our fourth unit.
We were in a brand new Forest River and there was molding hanging down from the ceiling and other pieces of molding on the floor. I could go on but you guys know.
Bob
We were in a brand new Forest River and there was molding hanging down from the ceiling and other pieces of molding on the floor. I could go on but you guys know.
Bob
Lead Driver
Joined: Feb 2022
Posts: 7,968
Likes: 4,043
Wow doubly glad I got a 2020 model, when they actually had decent quality.
Lead Driver
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 8,465
Likes: 725
From: Calgary Canada
I think a used RV that has been taken care of by a handy owner is going to have many fewer issues than a brand new one. And that warranty is worthless given how long it takes to get warranty repairs done.
In-season, you can count on 2 month wait lists. Which means for anyone in the north, you miss most of the season.
In-season, you can count on 2 month wait lists. Which means for anyone in the north, you miss most of the season.
FTE Leadership Emeritus
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 23,174
Likes: 1,678
From: Stephensville WI
I went to the B&P and put together my truck over again, and as is known, it was about 2500 more now than last August when I picked mine up.
Then I priced out a new XLT Lightning...
I ALMOST FELL OFF MY CHAIR LAUGHING!!! $77,000!!!
My online name has been Ltngdrvr (Lightning Driver) since way back in 2001 when I bought my first Lightning.
At $77K I won't be renewing that any time soon, not with a new one anyway!
Then I priced out a new XLT Lightning...
I ALMOST FELL OFF MY CHAIR LAUGHING!!! $77,000!!!
My online name has been Ltngdrvr (Lightning Driver) since way back in 2001 when I bought my first Lightning.
At $77K I won't be renewing that any time soon, not with a new one anyway!
even look at the higher trim levels. It might be detrimental to your health.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 1,203
Likes: 512
And I think they are sold out of Lightnings (or at least all of the allocations have been filled) at that price!
I'm not a RV owner, but I've heard the ones that are built in the lowest numbers are better quality. The high volume manufacturers are worse for slapping things together.
I'm not a RV owner, but I've heard the ones that are built in the lowest numbers are better quality. The high volume manufacturers are worse for slapping things together.
Cargo Master
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 2,220
Likes: 1,423
From: CA
Ours is a 2017 and it has been fine. But even back then, we walked through several that were brand new and falling apart. Really need to go over them thoroughly before purchase to weed out the garbage.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Aug 2021
Posts: 908
Likes: 508
Bob
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Mountain Pass
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 184
Likes: 123
@acdii Pretty much the same here. We love to camp but the price increases are ridiculous. I just can’t bring myself to pay 72k for a fifth wheel that was 50k last year. We have been talking about waiting a year or two or buying a used pre Covid trailer.
The camping show is this weekend so we will look at what else is available and go from there. I think that there will be a glut of trailers in a year or two between the Covid settling down and the cost of fuel rising. Maybe, maybe not. Time will tell.
Bob
The camping show is this weekend so we will look at what else is available and go from there. I think that there will be a glut of trailers in a year or two between the Covid settling down and the cost of fuel rising. Maybe, maybe not. Time will tell.
Bob
New home developments in and around our area, over half of the houses now have rv parking or rv garages. I see more and more people installing rv pads along the sides of older houses. Makes the hobby less enjoyable as it's all so crowded anymore.
Lead Driver
Joined: Feb 2022
Posts: 7,968
Likes: 4,043
Prices are nuts. We bought our 2016 outdoors rv new, 28k, now it's value is 35k 6 years later. A 2022 version of our trailer, same floorplan, minor tweaks, is now 50k. The thing is though, they're selling! Trailers are selling like crazy. They can't build them fast enough. It's getting harder and harder to get reservations at campgrounds as so many people have gotten trailers/5th wheels.
New home developments in and around our area, over half of the houses now have rv parking or rv garages. I see more and more people installing rv pads along the sides of older houses. Makes the hobby less enjoyable as it's all so crowded anymore.
New home developments in and around our area, over half of the houses now have rv parking or rv garages. I see more and more people installing rv pads along the sides of older houses. Makes the hobby less enjoyable as it's all so crowded anymore.
Mountain Pass
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 184
Likes: 123
Last year we wanted to revisit Bryce Canyon. Could not get a reservation at Ruby's. Any slot they had was only open for a couple days, and any days prior or after, no openings in Colorado where we would overnight during travel. This year we want a trip to Texas, and leaving it to the wife to plan and setup. Will see how that goes. I normally do all the setup of the trips, but this time, let someone else plan it.
There are people who will book more sites than they need just in case they have friends come. And then if not then cancel last minute. The state parks here had to make a change to the reservation policy to discourage that.
If you just want to go camping and don't much care where you can usually find a spot with a week or two notice. But if it's a specific place you're after you have to reserve well in advance.
Back when we bought our trailer in 2016 we could just wake up and decide we wanted to go to somewhere specific and easily find a spot no problem. Those days are long over. At least around here.
We're considering switching to overlanding as then we can pretty much camp anywhere we want.
Lead Driver
Joined: Feb 2022
Posts: 7,968
Likes: 4,043
yeah for the popular places you have to be up at midnight when the system opens and get your reservation in to even get a spot. They would disappear in minutes.
There are people who will book more sites than they need just in case they have friends come. And then if not then cancel last minute. The state parks here had to make a change to the reservation policy to discourage that.
If you just want to go camping and don't much care where you can usually find a spot with a week or two notice. But if it's a specific place you're after you have to reserve well in advance.
Back when we bought our trailer in 2016 we could just wake up and decide we wanted to go to somewhere specific and easily find a spot no problem. Those days are long over. At least around here.
We're considering switching to overlanding as then we can pretty much camp anywhere we want.
There are people who will book more sites than they need just in case they have friends come. And then if not then cancel last minute. The state parks here had to make a change to the reservation policy to discourage that.
If you just want to go camping and don't much care where you can usually find a spot with a week or two notice. But if it's a specific place you're after you have to reserve well in advance.
Back when we bought our trailer in 2016 we could just wake up and decide we wanted to go to somewhere specific and easily find a spot no problem. Those days are long over. At least around here.
We're considering switching to overlanding as then we can pretty much camp anywhere we want.
On top of this, there are places doing site bookings as a 3rd party. They then resell the sites as if they were hotel rooms.
Freshman User
Joined: Dec 2021
Posts: 42
Likes: 23
From: clay ny
For sure. I bought a Coleman 274BH in 2016, used it 4 years, and decided we should upgrade to something larger in 2019, found a conventional we liked, but they sold quickly. This was before we bought the F350, so was looking at 7600 GVWR trailers that the F150 could tow. Since I didn't want to take a huge hit on trade, I listed the trailer for what I saw others listing for on RVtrader and bought a 1 year listing. Nothing from September through to May 2020. June I started getting hits and sold it for what I listed for, and because of what I found in early 2019, if we find something we like, Don't wait until next year. My wife wanted to wait a year, mainly because of Covid and unknown travel restrictions, but I said, remember that trailer we liked and cannot be found? She said, oh... yeah...
So we shopped for a 5th wheel that met the F350's capacity, found one, and put a deposit on. It was an Arctic Wolf 3660 SUITE. Got the whole family over looked at it and a couple others for comparison, and made the final decision and bought it. We got it for $42K. Today that same trailer is at least $60K. Timing was everything. We got it just before demand exceeded supply and production and price increases.
Quality, meh, but I saw worse on trailers that were twice the price. 3 slide cables were damaged, I blame the dealer for not catching this on PDI when it was delivered. The ring around the shower skylight was dirty and cracked, the radio faceplate was marred from a chemical used to wipe it off. The floor in the main part of the living area bounced and the 12v fridge failed. It took them from the day after the November elections to March 2021 to do the repairs. At least I didn't have to pay them storage. Aside from that the trailer has been great. I did my own suspension upgrades with a Moryde kit and shackles, and added a TPMS. Added a soft start to the rear AC and will add one to the front AC this year.
If I wanted to I could make money selling it, but then we would have no RV. A lot of Forest River stuff is hit and miss. I have a 12x6 enclosed from Forest River that has been rock solid, and Arctic Wolf line has been pretty good too. Keystone has been said to be good quality, but not from what I have seen. We looked at a Keystone and the trim for the slide was busted. We looked at a Montana, and my wife went to open a door to a closet in the front bedroom and the door fell OFF! That was an $86,000 trailer! All the cabinets in the 3660 are rock solid, well built. One piece of trim at the ceiling was cut a bit too long so it bowed out, but simple fix. The worst I have seen are Dutchman built trailers.
So we shopped for a 5th wheel that met the F350's capacity, found one, and put a deposit on. It was an Arctic Wolf 3660 SUITE. Got the whole family over looked at it and a couple others for comparison, and made the final decision and bought it. We got it for $42K. Today that same trailer is at least $60K. Timing was everything. We got it just before demand exceeded supply and production and price increases.
Quality, meh, but I saw worse on trailers that were twice the price. 3 slide cables were damaged, I blame the dealer for not catching this on PDI when it was delivered. The ring around the shower skylight was dirty and cracked, the radio faceplate was marred from a chemical used to wipe it off. The floor in the main part of the living area bounced and the 12v fridge failed. It took them from the day after the November elections to March 2021 to do the repairs. At least I didn't have to pay them storage. Aside from that the trailer has been great. I did my own suspension upgrades with a Moryde kit and shackles, and added a TPMS. Added a soft start to the rear AC and will add one to the front AC this year.
If I wanted to I could make money selling it, but then we would have no RV. A lot of Forest River stuff is hit and miss. I have a 12x6 enclosed from Forest River that has been rock solid, and Arctic Wolf line has been pretty good too. Keystone has been said to be good quality, but not from what I have seen. We looked at a Keystone and the trim for the slide was busted. We looked at a Montana, and my wife went to open a door to a closet in the front bedroom and the door fell OFF! That was an $86,000 trailer! All the cabinets in the 3660 are rock solid, well built. One piece of trim at the ceiling was cut a bit too long so it bowed out, but simple fix. The worst I have seen are Dutchman built trailers.
Lead Driver
Joined: Feb 2022
Posts: 7,968
Likes: 4,043
Oh I know how you feel. When I went to pick up my trailer after being at the dealer 5 months for repairs, they left the 12v reefer on, drained the battery, killing it, left the legs at the lowest position where they had it to drop the belly pan in the rear to fix the floor, and the trailer was so low I could not get under it. I use a Reese Sidewinder with my short bed, and because of all the interference between them being "helpful" with trying to get it raised back up and hitched I missed a critical step in my inspection, pulled out with the trailer and as I turned heard a loud POP. What I missed was removing the bolt to keep the Sidewinder from turning so they could move the trailer around. That cost me over $400 to replace the entire head unit of the Curt A20. The wedge twisted the crap out of the entire head unit. Add another $150 for replacing the battery too. Needless to say the trailer will never see that dealers lot again.