Nervous about ending up with a mass produced junk box.

Our vehicles are space craft quality compared to an RV. Well...most space craft.

My view is, unless you have a unit custom built from the ground up to your specific specification (Earth Roamer comes to my mind), it's going to be the luck of the draw. You could get an issue free unit (like I did) or a lemon and there is no set pattern of good versus no good.

If you are extremely flush, have one custom built to your exact specs. If not, take a chance and be happy or be on here complaining....lol

It's only paranoia if they aren't really out to get you.

Seriously, I don't think you are being paranoid, I think you are being smart. You're doing the research, learning about potential problems, etc., so you can make the best decision.

With your background, most of the little stuff and maintenance work won't be a problem. So, you now know to look for the big issues in the build. A cabinet handle is loose, no biggie. The corners of the RV are pulling apart, big problem. Plan on fixing little things, and make sure there are no big problems before you purchase. You'll be fine.

Many folks actually enjoy doing the little stuff - it's a good excuse to change things a bit to better fit your needs than the stock TT offers.

Stefonius wrote:
OP - You'll do all the research, carefully investigate and inspect each unit that interests you, and then finally purchase the best quality trailer you can find...

And then you'll tow it home with a mass-produced speed built junk box truck.

Can't escape it. :(

So, maybe I am being paranoid. Yeah, there are usually some issues with all cars/trucks eventually too, but they get fixed and you forget about them.

Will do a long & proper TT PDI, expect some minor fixes here n there and keep my fingers crossed.

OP - You'll do all the research, carefully investigate and inspect each unit that interests you, and then finally purchase the best quality trailer you can find...

And then you'll tow it home with a mass-produced speed built junk box truck.

Can't escape it. :(

SidecarFlip wrote:

BizmarksMom wrote:
I'm a backpacker, too. Because you mention that.... what kind of campgrounds are you interested in? If your preferred campsites involve dirt roads, you'll want to steer clear of the ultra-lights. Those trailers are not meant to leave pavement. I beat the snot out of a Keystone Bullet before trading it in on my Nash.

I don't have a TT. I have a TC in a Ford F350 4x4 diesel crew cab that can get me way back in the woods if necessary. 90% of my camping is off pavement and usually in the woods. Mine is a pop-up, hard sided with a retractable top for clearance. I like the TC because I can take it anywhere and park it on the street in one parking space and not have to plate another unit and I keep it in the garage during the winter.

I decided on the trailer because it's easier to manage with my dogs. With my current Nash, dirt roads aren't a problem and it's short enough to fit into most campsites. You'll usually find me tucked back in the woods somewhere.

The majority of RV brands today are owned by Thor Industries and Forest River. You've gotta know that they are driven by the bottom line and not quality or true innovation.

We bought our KZ TT partly because at the time they were a relatively small independently owned manufacturer. Wasn't long afterwards that they sold out to Thor. Thor now owns quite a few brand names now including Keystone, Jayco & Airstream.

In owning 3 TTs now, we've had to deal with little issues like the cabinet shelving dropping out and the headboard falling off all the way to having a complete TT replaced under warranty. It's ridiculous and they don't seem to give a fig. They love to offer bling instead of substance so don't get sucked.

It's hard to imagine all the things that can go wrong until you've owned a TT for a while. Many components are shared between all brands like fridges, entry doors, frames, AC units, etc., etc. Lippert owns over 90% of the frame industry. Unfortunately there are no regs. for frames and they can build them however they want and when they fail (and they do sometimes), it's your fault. There are no quality control programs at the factories and it's all about whacking them out as fast as possible.

Besides quality problems, after you buy an RV you start to find all sorts of functional deficiencies like dead spaces in cabinets you can't reach, inadequate no. or poorly placed receptacles, poor lighting, poor insulation, AC unit(s) can't adequately cool the RV, can't properly view the TV from the sofa, and on and on and on. If you're a builder type and have a good range of tools, you're lucky. Forget about dealers trying to fix most things. Unless major items, do it yourself and get it right too. You'll probably find lots of mods and upgrades to do which are fun.

Depending on where you live, I'd start by looking at anything made by Northwood Industries, made in Or. If were to ever buy another TT, one of their Outdoors RV TTs would be my first choice to look at. They make their own in-house frame which is HD and off-road certified plus they provide shocks on the frames which is something all TTs should have IMO.

Have you looked at Oliver? Factory direct only, in TN.

The thought comes to mind: as a contractor, if you want a trailer built correctly, maybe build it yourself.

LMAO

The build quality / structural integrity RV owners want / oem ad promises:

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What the RV buyer gets for 20 years at $103 a month:

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