My daughter's family is growing up quick and they will likely be shopping for a new TT within a year or 2. Their "must have" list is pretty short, but how to do shop for these specific features across multiple brands ?True bunk house (4 separate beds)Slide out U-shaped dinette (bonus for love seat)Max loaded weight less than 8,500 lbsLower priority would be a Murphy bed.

Personally livability is utmost on my list. Everything else is just fluff. Go spend a half hour inside playing house. Can you bathe easily? How about using the toilet without chasing everyone oitside, or can you actually cook a meal? How about sleeping, is it comfortable, or are you making up the couch every night?

You begin by visiting RV dealerships and just window shop the various campers that are there. Or, you visit an RV show where they have the latest models on display. After looking at a few, you begin to develop an idea. Then you go to the internet and begin searching RV manufacturers web sites and study out the floor plans. Once you begin to formulate what you like, don't like, you start a short list of your likes. Then visit RV dealerships and take a second more careful hands-on look at the models you are most interested in.You can search floor plans on line, but you still need to actually visit dealerships or RV shows to see and get a real world "feel" for what those floorplans actually represent.Here's a couple RV related web sites to get them started:Of course, for a brand new beginner, one of the best introductory web sites to RVing is Go Rving. Changin' Gears and the link to the RV manufacturers web site (which is an awesome list by the way) Manufacturers list of web sitesYou can also do a Google Search, for example: RV Bunkhouse Models.RV Bunkhouse four beds These are images, select "all" and go to the dealer web sites.

Google is your friend. RV Trader is an excellent place, once you get in the ballpark to check on pricing. I'd start looking for bunkhouses. Google travel trailers bunkhouses. Some places have advanced searches that let you narrow it down by lots of different variables ranging from length, number of slides, weight, axles etc. AND even RV trader is a place to look. Pull up the different companies and look at the list of their trailers and pull up the ones with BH in the name. That will take you to a page with trailers from all over the country including prices and pics from the dealerships. Look for sites with lots of pics so you can get the picture. Pricing is all over the place with as much as 10,000 differences on single models. You will find that northern Indiana dealers often are some of the cheapest, because they don't have to ship far from the factories. Want to visit Indiana? But there are deals all over. Google google google. But based upon your stated preferences, are you talking an actual bunk room with four separate beds? That is rare but they are out there and they are long and will likely exceed your weight. If not, your choices increase dramatically. It can be fun if you don't mind spending time looking but you can save a lot of money doing so. Another thing to look at is that once you find what you want check the manufacturer for identical units under other names. For example, Rockwoods and Flagstaffs are identical units with different badging...and different pricing in many cases. Another example is what I bought. I found that Dutchmen makes a Coleman version and Aspen trail version and a Kodiak version of my trailer. The Coleman and Aspen Trail are identical except for badging but the Colemans tend to run about more than the Aspen Trails. Why? I'm thinking it is because Dutchmen has to pay Sunbeam the holding company that owns the Coleman name a licensing fee to use the Coleman name. The Aspen Trail name is free. As far as the Kodiak version, it is definitely a step above the other two. It has the fiberglass shell, and lots of bells and whistles that make it nicer and most of those bells and whistles are worth it (e.g. black tank flush, camera prep, tub/shower vs shower, outdoor speakers, nicer wheels and tires and more. Mine is a single axle unit and pricing runs from 10,400 new to 21,000 with 12,500 to 12,900 being average good prices for Aspen Trails and 500 to a thousand more for a Coleman. The Kodiaks run from about 14,900 to 25,000 but generally run about 4500 to 5K more. So, you could get the Kodiak (best deal) about 2K more than an Aspen Trail avg deal. BUT and and big but...you gotta be willing to drive 1500 to 2,000 miles to do so. West Coast pricing can also differ quite a bit from East pricing. So, there you go. Find it online then go check in dealerships. I'd be willing to get one as far out from home as a few hundred miles IF there is a really big differential in pricing. If they are close in price buy from a local dealer and try to get em down but go anyway as they will be the ones working on yours. That's how I did it, AND, if you are patient, look for previous year models on lots early in a given year. They may deal on those and often will.

First, I go to every brand's website and look at floorplans that have the features I want.Second, I then find dealers that carry those models and go look at them in person. If they don't have that model, I look at other models of the same brand, to determine quality and fit/finish of that brand.Third, I then do a web search on the RV I've selected, for price comparison. Especially dealers like RVW and RV Direct.

I always suggest people go to an RV show so they can see many floorplans and makes in a single place.

How do you shop for specific features | Good Sam Community

22 Replies

DutchmenSport
Explorer
Apr 14, 2018
You begin by visiting RV dealerships and just window shop the various campers that are there. Or, you visit an RV show where they have the latest models on display. After looking at a few, you begin to develop an idea. Then you go to the internet and begin searching RV manufacturers web sites and study out the floor plans. Once you begin to formulate what you like, don't like, you start a short list of your likes. Then visit RV dealerships and take a second more careful hands-on look at the models you are most interested in.

You can search floor plans on line, but you still need to actually visit dealerships or RV shows to see and get a real world "feel" for what those floorplans actually represent.

Here's a couple RV related web sites to get them started:

Of course, for a brand new beginner, one of the best introductory web sites to RVing is Go Rving.

Changin' Gears and the link to the RV manufacturers web site (which is an awesome list by the way) Manufacturers list of web sites

You can also do a Google Search, for example: RV Bunkhouse Models.

RV Bunkhouse four beds These are images, select "all" and go to the dealer web sites.
donn0128
Explorer II
Apr 14, 2018
Personally livability is utmost on my list. Everything else is just fluff. Go spend a half hour inside playing house. Can you bathe easily? How about using the toilet without chasing everyone oitside, or can you actually cook a meal? How about sleeping, is it comfortable, or are you making up the couch every night?

Forum Discussion

How do you shop for specific features

22 Replies

About RV Tips & Tricks

Related Content

Bad RV Products Supplier - RV Products Shop

Looking for Travel Trailer with Specific Features.

General / Specific RV Question

Class C Specifications

Using the "Quote" feature