Buying advice HTT Aerolite and kodiak 18ft

those two trailers are exact twin brands. they're made in the same factory, on the same assembly line.
many of Aerolite and Kodiak trailers are the same thing, just different outside graphics and interior decor patterns.

used to be that both brands had the same exact hybrids, model for model, similar to the Roo/Shamrock twin brands.
now, i believe Kodiak has more hybrid models than Aerolite but you can find the twin of the Aerolite hybrids, in the Kodiak line.
not only that, but Camping World contracted with Thor Ind., the parent company of Aerolite and Kodiak, to build Coleman trailers, which are twins of some of the Aerolite/Kodiak trailers.

That is why I am looking at those two. The kodiak seems to have less options and slightly lower grade finishes. Do you have any info about the questions I posed above?

bikendan wrote:
Camping World contracted with Thor Ind., the parent company of Aerolite and Kodiak, to build Coleman trailers, which are twins of some of the Aerolite/Kodiak trailers.

Slight thread hijack but I think it's relevant. Any chance this contracting applied to the Thor Wanderer Lite as well bikendan?

Front Range wrote:

bikendan wrote:
Camping World contracted with Thor Ind., the parent company of Aerolite and Kodiak, to build Coleman trailers, which are twins of some of the Aerolite/Kodiak trailers.

Slight thread hijack but I think it's relevant. Any chance this contracting applied to the Thor Wanderer Lite as well bikendan?

no, i think the Thor Wanderer was built by Thor of California, an independent division of Thor. it had no twin brands. their floorplans were unique to them, especially the toyhauler ones.

erdvm1 wrote:
That is why I am looking at those two. The kodiak seems to have less options and slightly lower grade finishes. Do you have any info about the questions I posed above?

as far as i know, they are built with all the same materials, so the quality should be the same because they are twins. as far as options, don't know about that.
but their rep for hybrids hasn't been that great since the Thermarest ends disaster.

Thor has been doing some weird things in the past few years. they don't seem to be able to make up their minds about their hybrids. for one brand to have less models than the other, even though some are twins.
Aerolite has only 3 hybrids and Kodiak has 4. they share the same model for the one you're looking at but the other hybrids are different.

Kodiak seems to have a longer list of standard/optional features than Aerolite has way more floorplans for their whole line.

like i said, they used to have the exact same floorplans, model for model. and they were made in the same factory, on the same assembly line. they had the same materials, standard features and options.
if that's changed, i've never heard or read that has occurred.
since the Thermarest debacle, Aerolite/Kodiak hybrid sales took a nose dive and they haven't recovered since.
i think that's why, along with the economy, Thor has cut back on the number of floorplans that are available.

bikendan wrote:

erdvm1 wrote:
That is why I am looking at those two. The kodiak seems to have less options and slightly lower grade finishes. Do you have any info about the questions I posed above?

as far as i know, they are built with all the same materials, so the quality should be the same because they are twins. as far as options, don't know about that.
but their rep for hybrids hasn't been that great since the Thermarest ends disaster.

Thor has been doing some weird things in the past few years. they don't seem to be able to make up their minds about their hybrids. for one brand to have less models than the other, even though some are twins.
Aerolite has only 3 hybrids and Kodiak has 4. they share the same model for the one you're looking at but the other hybrids are different.

Kodiak seems to have a longer list of standard/optional features than Aerolite has way more floorplans for their whole line.

like i said, they used to have the exact same floorplans, model for model. and they were made in the same factory, on the same assembly line. they had the same materials, standard features and options.
if that's changed, i've never heard or read that has occurred.
since the Thermarest debacle, Aerolite/Kodiak hybrid sales took a nose dive and they haven't recovered since.
i think that's why, along with the economy, Thor has cut back on the number of floorplans that are available.

In this case the Aerolite has more standard features than the Kodiak. As an owner of the Aerolite 174es I can confirm that the Kodiak is not as well appointed but it is close. The Coleman version is the best appointed of the three however.

Cotay wrote:

bikendan wrote:

erdvm1 wrote:
That is why I am looking at those two. The kodiak seems to have less options and slightly lower grade finishes. Do you have any info about the questions I posed above?

as far as i know, they are built with all the same materials, so the quality should be the same because they are twins. as far as options, don't know about that.
but their rep for hybrids hasn't been that great since the Thermarest ends disaster.

Thor has been doing some weird things in the past few years. they don't seem to be able to make up their minds about their hybrids. for one brand to have less models than the other, even though some are twins.
Aerolite has only 3 hybrids and Kodiak has 4. they share the same model for the one you're looking at but the other hybrids are different.

Kodiak seems to have a longer list of standard/optional features than Aerolite has way more floorplans for their whole line.

like i said, they used to have the exact same floorplans, model for model. and they were made in the same factory, on the same assembly line. they had the same materials, standard features and options.
if that's changed, i've never heard or read that has occurred.
since the Thermarest debacle, Aerolite/Kodiak hybrid sales took a nose dive and they haven't recovered since.
i think that's why, along with the economy, Thor has cut back on the number of floorplans that are available.

In this case the Aerolite has more standard features than the Kodiak. As an owner of the Aerolite 174es I can confirm that the Kodiak is not as well appointed but it is close. The Coleman version is the best appointed of the three however.

well, then things have changed with both lines because they used to be exact twin brands.

bikendan wrote:

Cotay wrote:

bikendan wrote:

erdvm1 wrote:
That is why I am looking at those two. The kodiak seems to have less options and slightly lower grade finishes. Do you have any info about the questions I posed above?

as far as i know, they are built with all the same materials, so the quality should be the same because they are twins. as far as options, don't know about that.
but their rep for hybrids hasn't been that great since the Thermarest ends disaster.

Thor has been doing some weird things in the past few years. they don't seem to be able to make up their minds about their hybrids. for one brand to have less models than the other, even though some are twins.
Aerolite has only 3 hybrids and Kodiak has 4. they share the same model for the one you're looking at but the other hybrids are different.

Kodiak seems to have a longer list of standard/optional features than Aerolite has way more floorplans for their whole line.

like i said, they used to have the exact same floorplans, model for model. and they were made in the same factory, on the same assembly line. they had the same materials, standard features and options.
if that's changed, i've never heard or read that has occurred.
since the Thermarest debacle, Aerolite/Kodiak hybrid sales took a nose dive and they haven't recovered since.
i think that's why, along with the economy, Thor has cut back on the number of floorplans that are available.

In this case the Aerolite has more standard features than the Kodiak. As an owner of the Aerolite 174es I can confirm that the Kodiak is not as well appointed but it is close. The Coleman version is the best appointed of the three however.

well, then things have changed with both lines because they used to be exact twin brands.

It may still be the case with the higher end models (whatever that actually means), but the 172 doesn't have the glass cabinet doors, the cable TV connector on both sides (it appears to be on the non-door side however), the sanitation/black tank flush connector, or the the power tongue jack. Otherwise they appear exactly the same except for the furniture materials (the Aerolite has a leather/leatherette on the Dinette/couch and the Kodiak appears to have a sued in the 2014 models.