Apex or Freedom Express

I have a 2011 Apex 26BHS - no issues to date. The newer ones have better floor plans I think - looks like you are not interested in the bunks. My dry weight is less than 5K lbs and it tows like a dream with my F-150. I would recommend the Apex brand and would purchase another.

As for the right time to shop - I just browsed rvtrader.com and found a great price that was worth me driving 2 states over to pick it up.