Any brands out there you would totally avoid?

I'd shy away from anything made by Thor Industries only because they're suffering from money problems and disharmony at the top.

I don't think there are any really "bad" brands. Remember nothing is perfect. That said, look at fit and finish, floor plan, and dealer.

That said we're on our 2nd Jayco hybrid. The first we bought new in 2003 and had for 10 nearly flawless year. Prior to that we had an '03 Jayco 1208 PUP, also for 10 years. jayco makes a solid product and they just happen to have floor plans that fit our wants and needs.

Two Dutchman's and two lemons.. I would never buy a Dutchman again.

New or Used?

We have been very happy with an R-Vision Trail Cruiser that is now 10 years old and R-Vision is out of business.

We had bad luck with a Coachmen, bad rotten floor in 3 years. Our Jayco was great for 4+ years.

We have owned 2 Dutchmen TTs over the years. Most recent was a 2012 model we just sold this spring.

Never a problem with either trailer. They performed extremely well.

Not sure I would consider any one brand one to stay away from. Every manufacturer turns out an "oops" at one time or another. The ones you'll hear about most often are the "oops". And every manufacturer has come up with an idea that they thought was the best thing since sliced bread and it was a dud. We're on our second Forest River product and happy as a clam. Others wouldn't buy FR if their life depended on it....same all the way around. And then there is just the luck of the draw.

IMHO, the best you can do is to find a model that fits your needs, is within your safe towing capacities, within your budget and go over that trailer with a fine tooth comb. Your dealer, if he's good, will have tweaked any little things like a latch that doesn't close snuggly, a door that's out of alignment, things that slipped through the manufacturers inspection. All of the systems and appliances should be in perfect working order and, again, the dealer should have made sure that was the case before it went out on the lot. If you love that model, but there are a lot of little things that aren't right, get back out looking for the same model at a different dealer and see if the same things apply. If so, maybe that's not what you want to get involved with.

Remember, too, that there are lines of trailers that are of a higher end = higher price than others. Some would be considered more of an entry level or have less fluff and frills. Others are loaded up with the top of the line everything. Strongly suggest you agree on a budget before you head out and firmly let the salesman know that you are looking in $X range and do not want to see anything else. Trust me, you'll LOVE that one that's $10,000 or higher than you plan to spend. Don't look at those. Get your numbers, get your budget and your needs and then start online or at local dealers. Happy shopping!

All manufactures make lemons, it's just the luck of the draw if you get a good one.

Poppy & Nana wrote:
avoid Dutchmen!!!!

My Dutchman has also been almost Flawless for 3 years now and the few minor issues were handled quickly. No complaints here.

Oh boy, it starts already. My first TT was a Dutchmen. We had absolutely no problems with it ... none ... nada. Second was a Keystone Springdale. Minor small issues at first, some I fixed myself, a couple warranty covered no problem. After the 2nd month, no issues ever again. Third TT is a Keystone Outback, almost 1 year old now, so far, no issues. Warranty did fix the shower drain (it leaked), and absolutely no issues since.

As I've said before, there are no bad campers out there when they are maintained with diligence and used for the purpose they were built for. Misuse them, and abuse them, and none of them will last a year.