Howdy. This forum is probably more for gearing up the truck, etc., but I'm new to RVing and looking to buy a 18'-24' TT staying under $14k or so (most likely lightly used). There are so many manufacturers, I would appreciate your opinion on the tried and true brands that will last me a long time. I know it's likely we'll upgrade as most do, but i'm not planning it. Even brands to stay away from will be helpful too. I'm going to start shopping this weekend and will hopefully find what i need without to much hassle. thanks for your help!

 

golf,

I'm a HAPPY Jayco owner...there are SO many mfg's out there...it would be hard to point you to a universally 'accepted' mfg.

I'll tell you what brought me to Jayco. I looked at little things in the fit and finish. Cabinets, doors, storage, drawer slides, etc.

Jayco also offers a 2 year ball to bumper warranty. Some mfgs went to a 1 year for cost savings...so check on that.

If you are planning on going to an RV show this weekend...one piece of advice...go but go with the mindset of NOT BUYING...You will get overwhelmed when you walk into that arena and see ALL THOSE RV's!!!

The RV show is a GREAT place to see all the floorplans and mfgs side by side...take notes as you walk thru as you WILL get overwhelmed...

Plus...do you know what you are REALLY rated to pull after you load up your family, their gear and anything you want to carry INSIDE your truck? Most RV dealers will ask you this ONE question..."What do you drive"...they then go and look up the 'max' tow rating...never ONCE asking you if you have 4 football linemen as sons that go 225 each!...you see the weight INSIDE your truck REDUCES that 'max' tow rating...not saying you have HUGE sons...I have just talked with folks on line that DO!

If you haven't done so yet...head over to the forums on RV.Net and in particular the travel trailer forum...that forum is dedicated to travel trailer issues and you may get more answers than you care to read...

Good luck...I KNOW this is a HUGE decision...but you've got the right attitude...MOST WILL upgrade in the future...so your first decision won't be your last so it can't be too bad!...have fun and enjoy the selection process...but KNOW YOUR VEHICLE so you don't get too BIG of a trailer like many (including me) did our 'first' time!

Take care,
joe.

 

When I was shopping for trailers back in 1998, I discovered slightly used trailers were not a lot cheaper than brand new. With the economy and gas the way they are I bet you can get a heck of a deal on a new trailer. Trailer shows are good for ideas and floorplans and maybe even an end of show special.

I have a 98 Prowler 29S Northwest Edition(Bunkhouse) It is made by Fleetwood. I have not owned other new trailers before so caon't compare apples to apples but the following are my good and bad comments.

THe 29S I have is a fiberglass body, very well insulated. It stays warm with only a little propane heat. The general style and outward appearance is good. The body in general is only now starting to show wear and tear from the Calif Sun.

I do occasionally drive on rough roads and snow/ice so the trailer does get a little bit a of a beating. This may explain some of the issues I have had.

The grey water tank is not well supported on this trailer. I would recommend on any trailer, not driving with a full tank, especially in hot weather. We did that the first year we had it and the tank must have sagged a bit and the "Support ears" built into the tank slipped off the chassis frame. The only thing to hold it then was a could small stell angle irons. One broke and the tank dragged. Took several months for the dealer to get us a new one under warranty.

The kitchen drawers are not well supported. First the rear support is a tad short so the slide easily pulls out from the back and this drops the rear of the drawer downwards, which cracks the front support. Two of our kitchen drawer supports need to be replaced.

A few weeks back one of the frame cross members broke a weld and the cross member has to be replaced. This happend just driving down my neighborhood street. The weld had rusted thru. What really surprised me was that the crossmember are all very thin guage L angles Wild guess is the metal is maybe 1/16" thick at most. Not what I would consider a strong support for the trailer. I plan to go to the hardware store and buy some thick angle iron and bolt them in place. Also need to check the welds on the current crossmembers.

The glass trailers are significanlty heavier but they don't get dents like an aluminum one does and is seems the finish holds up longer. Glass also is better insulated. I have "nudged" more than a few trees and posts with my trailer and at worst all I have is scuff marks. Our neighborh has an aluminum trailer and has had to replace several large pieces of aluminum body panels, especially the front.

It is a very stable trailer. I use an Eas Lift WD hitch and antisway. And like I said before I do take it off road a fair amount.

I like my trailer but am disappointed with the durability of the items mentioned above. If the frame work and drawers were more durable I would be very satisfied.

Couple things to watch for... The "bunk beds" are fro kids shorter than 6 feet. As my boys have grown they are discovering they can't fit in the bunks anymore. THe shower/tub in most of the trailers I saw are too small for a big adult. My head touches the cieling when I shower and it feels like I am in a phone booth. The fold out beds have a steel length wise support bar which can be quite uncomfortable so check this out if you plan to sleep on the couch. I like the outside spray nozzle/shower head that my trailer came with. You can wash things off without going into the trailer.

Just my experience,

Jim Henderson

 

The first purchase was a 2006 Flagstaff 229 pop-up made by Forest River. We bought it during the off season (November 2006)...and got a really good deal. To get the deal...we did have to travel over to Claremore, OK. Since it was the off season...we drove it home and parked it until we could use it the next summer. Found out from a friend that a local RV dealer sells the Flagstaff model...so decided to take it to them for a de-winterization. I figured...they could do a check on all systems...and if anything needed fixing it would be under warranty. Well turns out that the pop-up leaked during the winter from the roof vent. It was such a hassle to get Forest River to approve the warranty work (which never did happen)...that after 3 wks of having the pop-up at the service center...I just went to pick it up and paid the $300 bill.

I drove straight to the local Jayco dealer and traded it for my 2007 Jayco Feather. We used it 4 times in '07...and couldn't be happier! The buying experience was GREAT...and the TT is fantastic. Love the quality...and craftsmanship. I think it is well built.

IMO...I will NEVER purchase from Forest River...and would only go with Jayco, Starcraft, and Trail-lite.

http://www.jayco.com/index.php

http://www.trail-lite.com/towable-re...l-vehicles.asp

Good luck with your purchase...


biz

 

jayco are good units. As anything else they all can have problems. Stay away from any fleetwood products. you can find some good deals on use trailers. make sure to check for water damage. check out the going rving web site. hope you find the unit thats just right for you

 

Why? What are your determining factors for making a statement like this?

 

I have seen extensive rot dammage to fairly new campers just out of warranty. It's just what i have seen over the last 15 years. there was a time that i did recommened fleetwood units, but not with what i have been seeing over the last 5 years or so.

 

Two great sites that I participate on and in no particular order:

www.rv.net
www.iRV2.com

A lot of information and terrific people.

 

My advise, look closely at floor plans, storage space, bunk units if you have kids, just the general overall layout. Spend some time walking the lot prefferably without the salesman. Trying to recomend a trailer is tough, just about everyone likes theres, including me. But i wish I would have found something with a little more storage for food and krap like that. But generally I am happy with my unit. Take your time, look at alot of campers. I too have found in my area used trailers were not that much cheaper than new. So keep that option in mind also. Good luck

Brian

 

Thanks for the advice.....I realize that opinions do vary on manufacturers, but the "stay away from ____" can be just as helpful as the strong recommendations. I'm in Houston and plan to visit a few lots this weekend. Any website that you recommend to provide prices to do a little research on what I can expect to pay for the TTs. I plan to go in having a good fair price in mind.

 

Just remember that if you're staying under $14k, don't expect miracles. Be ready to maintain it, especially the roof. Clean it once a year and re-caulk as necessary. If you can, find something with an aluminum structure (as opposed to wood), that's a big plus.

I like Sunnybrook, but I'm not sure they have any in that price range. At the "low end," most will be pretty much the same in quality.

 

Look closely for ANY signs of water damage.
Water intrusion can lead to delamination if it has a fiberglass finish and delamination can ruin the RV experience pretty quickly. A small leak can cause an entire wall or cap to delaminate resulting in thousands of dollars in repairs, providing the unit is valued high enough to even warrant repairing.

A close friend shelled out 10k last year to replace a 12 foot section of his class "A" that had delaminated due to a water leak that went unnoticed. 8 years ago we had the end cap of our travel trailer replaced under warranty because it delaminated due to a leaking clearance light.

 

Also, like cars, the list price is VERY NEGOTIABLE. So do not be frightened away by a high sticker. In My experience the dealer will wheel and deal to get the sale and you will pay thousands less than list.

Be ready to Negotiate and or walk away. there are plenty of trailers available at good prices.

Good Luck,

Jim Henderson

 

I didn't notice where you are located, golfgooroo, but if you are in the north prices can be VERY NEGOTIABLE like Jim said. Salesmen are pretty hungery this time of year.

 

Don't wait too long on that, though. Our busy season actually starts in February. March is our biggest month. So the hunger won't last.

RV shows are a great place to make a deal, but it's very easy to fall in love with a trailer and jump on it quickly. The winter show season generally goes through February, then trickles out.