I'm shopping for a 10yr old short (24-25ft) class A. I've looked at most of the offerings and have narrowed my interest to the Safari Trek 2480 and the GB Landau 2450ds. The Trek seems to have a higher quality interior build out and uses the "magic bed" to allow for greater living space. The GB has two slideouts and a conventional rear bedroom. Both are 8.1/allison/workhorse chassis. It's just myself and my girlfriend, mostly will be used on 10-15day outtings from SoCal to Utah/Colorado/Montana etc...will be using a cycle carrier to haul our two scooters.Anything in particular advantagous about one config or the other? Am I missing another good make/model in that size? Are the Rexhall Clippers good rigs?ThanksLen Oceanside, CA.

First off you will love the 8.1 Vortec and Allison tranny. I have the 8.1 in my Class C, but the the Allison. More power then you will need. Before we bought our 03 Chateau I test drove a 96 Trek and loved the way it handled and drove down the road, quality construction, nice room. We choose not to get it because it was overpriced, needed some work, and was older then the one we bought. I think if you really look at the GB with slides that would be the way to go. More room for those days the weather isn't good.

ive researched the Rexhalls and found that they are topnotch and made very well.Don't know about their driving, power, etc.. all that techno stuff but the consensus of opinion is that they are well made. I had never heard of them until i saw one for sale down in the hill country town of MaSON, tx. and i looked it up. I sure wish i coulda bought that one as it had a great layout inside and was short enough ...i don't want a long one either. oh well,, it just wasn't the right timing for us. GOod luck!

Hi--think long and hard about that Majicbed set up. DW and I wanted a Trek for a long time and we finally bought in 2000. We full-time and while the Trek was wonderful in every way, the sleeping arrangement finally got on our nerves. If you both go to bed and get up at the same time, its great. But once that bed is down, you have the kitchen area and the bath, that it until the other person gets up. Good luck trying to be quiet or keep the food smells to yourself while your partner sleeps. We finally sold for the conventional setup with a separate bedroom/sleeping area. Good luck in your search

yes the MB set up has been a concern of mine, while it really opens up the living space during the day I can see how limiting it would be when it's down.The Rexhall American Clipper is a close third in my search, it doesn't have slides and is a conventional rear bedroom so it would be the tightest of the group, they also seem to be alot harder to find in the workhorse chassis config.Thanks for the input!LenOceanside,CA

Hi,I can't give you much help with choosing. We do have Georgie Boy Cruise Master and the build quality isn't that great, but can't attest to the other unit you're looking at. But if you notice the Trek has a better build quality, then I'd definitely keep that in mind.I would make one suggestion. Make sure these are on the W series Workhorse chassis's and not the P series. Many of the shorter A's were put on the P series, and I don't believe they had the Allison transmission. Many people, on these older units, see "Workhorse" and assume 8.1L/Allison, but that isn't necessarily the case, especially in the early 2000's. Also, the check the wheelbase to overall length ratio. It's generally suggested that this ratio be about 54% or higher for a stable driving experience. Many of the smaller A's are built on a chassis with a short wheelbase and therefore have a low ratio. This correlates to a longer rear over-hang which tends to increase the chance of handling problems. (Generally, the storage tanks & fuel tank(s) are all behind the rear axle which puts an extra percentage of the total weight behind the rear axle. Think "see-saw".)So whatever rig you start getting serious about, take it out on a several different types of roads and notice how it handles. Good Luck,~Rick

Safari Trek or Georgie Boy Landau | Good Sam Community

len_barron
Explorer
Aug 12, 2013
In 2003-2004 you could get a 26RB or a 28RB that were basically rebadged Treks, little lower end finishes for the interior and more of the Treks base equipment was an option on the Traveler. I looked at them as well.
CC58
Explorer
Aug 11, 2013
Holiday Rambler Traveler is similiar to the Safari Trek. Bed drops down from the ceiling. I know they come in 30 foot size and maybe smaller.
rgatijnet1
Explorer III
Aug 09, 2013
Congrats on your new ride. As you say, there is some commonality between the parts. Your air intake filter is probably the same one used on the 2003 Corvette.
len_barron
Explorer
Aug 09, 2013
Well it appears I'm going to be a 2003 Trek 2630 owner in about 10days. Have to fly up to Seattle to pick it up. My GF and I have the same sleeping schedule and both really liked the higher quality of the Trek compared to the other options. I've always been a GM guy and that probably played heavily into picking something on the workhorse platform vice the F-53 (though I here it's very well made). I also have an LS2 powered jeep and a duramax pickup so there is some commonality in components and systems that I already have experience with.Thanks for the great inputs...looking forward to logging some miles!
footslogger
Explorer
Aug 08, 2013
Before trading for my current coach I owned a 2004 TREK 26RB2.

First, I'll say I agree with most everyone else, as far as the MajicBed: folks either love it or hate it. It has everything to do with lifestyle and compatible sleeping patterns with your companion. We loved the TREK layout. But it is a very personal choice.

What I didn't love about my TREK was the handling. Mine was 26' on a P-32. All the fluid tanks were located behind the rear axle, and if you carried any water or waste at all, it was seriously light in the front end. There was no way to shift the load to get enough weight on the front axle. I just couldn't keep it in the road. Some TREK owners have had similar experiences, but most seem to be happy with their ride. Maybe mine was a particularly bad wheelbase/overhang/weight distribution combination. I have heard less complaints about those built on the W chassis. About 10% were built on a Ford, but I can't recall ever speaking to anyone with one of those.

Bottom line, if you like the TREK layout, and find a unit you are serious about, drive it as much as you can, at all speeds and on all road types before purchasing.
J-Rooster
Explorer
Aug 07, 2013
I agree with Havasu's post and agree with the livability! IMHO your very smart not to go any shorter in length than 24'. Both coaches are very nice and you can't beat the engine and tranny in both. I would go with the floor plan and colors in that order that you like best to single out the coach you want! Happy Trails
havasu
Explorer
Aug 07, 2013
Everyone's ideas and opinions vary and I guess that's why there are so many makes and models.

My opinion 'fwiw' is that you should concentrate way more on the interior and "liveability" than worrying about what engine/transmission it has.

Every RV ever made can get you from A to B - it's what you do at B that matters.

Just my 2c which is probably only worth a penny :)
Gjac
Explorer III
Aug 07, 2013
Check to see if it still has the autopark system which can be problematic. Also check to see if the transmission is really a 6 speed and not a 5 speed. I think these were changed by 2006.
len_barron
Explorer
Aug 07, 2013
Thats good info, I was only checking for "queen size" but wasn't paying attention to whether it was a regular queen or an "RV Queen".
rgatijnet1
Explorer III
Aug 07, 2013
You may also want to check out the size of the bed, especially if you are 6' or so. I believe the Trek will have an 80" long Queen bed and some other coaches only have a 75" length bed.