Hi ya'll... I'm hoping someone might be able to help me... I am considering trading my 2005 28-foot (livable space) Keystone Cougar 5th wheel for my friend's 2010 Shadow Cruiser (looks like this https://images.app.goo.gl/xNqpDhxZ83NSTrXu9)(22 feet including the toungue). I like the small size of the Shadow Cruiser. ONLY PROBLEM IS: I can't find any reliable pricing information for the Shadow Cruiser, heck, it seems like these things are not very common at all!! I've looked all over Craigslist and a few other websites. I have two concerns...:1) It seems likes the Shadow Cruiser is an unpopular trailer, as opposed to my Keystone being a household name in the industry... am I crazy for considering this trade? Will finding people with parts/know-how-to-repair the Shadow Cruiser be extremely difficult? 2) I can easily sell my 5th wheel for $7-7.5K, I just want to make sure that I am making a fair trade with my friend, fair for both him and myself

Looks like they are a division of Heartland RV. shadow cruiser

Six months ago we drove all over Florida looking for one . I believe that year in good shape would be priced 7K to 8K . The one I was looking for had a slide . Never found one but we bought a winnie Mini 20 footer . I got tired of dragging 30 feet of trailer around and only using 20 feet . Smaller sure works for us , we are travelers not campers !

wanderingbob wrote:Six months ago we drove all over Florida looking for one . I believe that year in good shape would be priced 7K to 8K . The one I was looking for had a slide . Never found one but we bought a winnie Mini 20 footer . I got tired of dragging 30 feet of trailer around and only using 20 feet . Smaller sure works for us , we are travelers not campers !What about the Shadow Cruiser made you drive all over to find one? This one I'm trading for also has a slide.

The Shadow might be five years newer but it’s still ten years old and you know of any issues with the Keystone.

We liked the one or two that we got to see inside , liked white cabinets and the full time bed , plenty of room with or with out slide open , tandem axles . We had been pulling large trailers for 30 years and pulling 20 feet made ya feel like you were driving a ports car ! The first one we looked at had bubbles in front ' fiber glass '. The second had went to hell and back with Audie Murphey . We eventually stumbled on a Winnie Mini which was very similar . We are not campers , we are travelers , move every day or two , never with plans or reservations , we make large multi-state circles of 12 to 20 days . Last nite a cow pasture in central Florida ,

Anyone have any knowledge about Shadow Cruisers?

14 Replies

eend
Explorer
Aug 01, 2019
We had a a Shadow cruiser 195wbs for 8 years , it was a 2010 and sold it this spring. We loved this little trailer and served us well. It is the little brother of the Funfinder. But due to a leak where the front cap and roof meet we decided to sell. The trailer is all aluminum construction and pretty light.
We were sad to see her go, other than it sprung a leak we had no other issues.
Rustycamperpant
Explorer
Aug 01, 2019
My son bought a new Shadow cruiser quad bunkhouse last season. On the first trip the converter went out and he called me for advice ... he had to scramble around to find a battery charger to work the 12vdc stuff. He replaced the board in the converter. While dewinterizing this spring he noticed bad tire wear on the camper, found he had a bent axle. He had to repair on his own dime. Not sure I would buy a Shadow Cruiser based on the limited expeerience my son has had.
rexlion
Explorer
Jul 31, 2019
Nadaguides dot com is free to use.
sgolembiewski09
Explorer
Jul 31, 2019
CA STORM wrote:
NADA wholesale is $6500 retail is $8800

So private party would fall somewhere in between that? Is NADA something that I can use for free, or do I have to have a subscription for it? I'd like to see how much it says my Cougar is worth!
sgolembiewski09
Explorer
Jul 31, 2019
ADK Camper wrote:
As LJAZ said Cruiser RV is no longer the small family-owned company it was back in 2010. Back then the company had a pretty good reputation. I have a 2011 FunFinder 210WBS. It has been a very good trailer for all these years. I had one rather significant sample defect, but I was able to fix it before it became a major problem. Quality wise I think this Shadow Cruiser may be a good choice for you.

As to its value you might call your inurance company and ask about its value. They insure campers and need to track their value to settle loss claims.

Great idea about the insurance company! Thank you for your input.
CA_STORM
Explorer
Jul 31, 2019
NADA wholesale is $6500 retail is $8800
profdant139
Explorer II
Jul 31, 2019
I've owned two Cruiser products -- both have been fine for our purposes. But I don't think that they are any more well-built than most other trailers. Some very credible folks have reported some problems with axles and with fit-and-finish issues. Others (like me) have been perfectly happy. That's how trailers are -- they are not built like trucks.

We have done a lot of slow-speed dirt-road towing with our two trailers. They have held up well to the punishment.
ADK_Camper
Explorer
Jul 31, 2019
As LJAZ said Cruiser RV is no longer the small family-owned company it was back in 2010. Back then the company had a pretty good reputation. I have a 2011 FunFinder 210WBS. It has been a very good trailer for all these years. I had one rather significant sample defect, but I was able to fix it before it became a major problem. Quality wise I think this Shadow Cruiser may be a good choice for you.

As to its value you might call your inurance company and ask about its value. They insure campers and need to track their value to settle loss claims.
LJAZ
Explorer
Jul 31, 2019
In 2010 CruiserRV was a small manufacturer offering 3 brands: Shadow Cruiser, Funfinder and Viewfinder. They were bought by Thor 5 or so years ago, so not the same company today. The Shadow Cruiser and Funfinder lines were essentially the same floor plans with the Funfinder having a slightly more 'upscale' trim. Because they were a small company they just didn't sell nearly as many trailers as the bigger companies like Keystone. They were still made from the same components other manufacturers used like Dometic, Suburban and Lippert so parts and repair know how won't be any different than any other trailer. I have a 2009 Funfinder and it's been pretty reliable and still going strong. I have had to replace the WFCO converter and Jensen radio/CD/DVD player but those are brands most of the manufacturers use as well. As for the value, I really have no idea though.
wanderingbob
Explorer II
Jul 31, 2019
We liked the one or two that we got to see inside , liked white cabinets and the full time bed , plenty of room with or with out slide open , tandem axles . We had been pulling large trailers for 30 years and pulling 20 feet made ya feel like you were driving a ports car !
The first one we looked at had bubbles in front ' fiber glass '. The second had went to hell and back with Audie Murphey . We eventually stumbled on a Winnie Mini which was very similar .
We are not campers , we are travelers , move every day or two , never with plans or reservations , we make large multi-state circles of 12 to 20 days . Last nite a cow pasture in central Florida ,