Comparing Jayco X18D to Roo/Shamrock 183 and Starcraft 187TB

Jayco, Roo/Shamrock and Starcraft have been considered the best hybrids made for many years. they sell more than any other brands, so that says something.

the Roo/Shamrock appears to have a double sink, while the other two have a single sink. the Starcraft has a linen cabinet, that the others don't appear to have. but it's heavier and longer than the other two.

bottom line is you can't go wrong with any of them since they are almost all exactly alike. i'd say whatever one you can get the best price from. be sure to get quotes for the Roo from RVW and for the Roo, Shamrock and Jayco from RVDirect. use those quotes for shopping.

i will say that many who've bought one of these, have later wished they had bought the bigger/longer versions with the slideout, like the 233S. you must have a tow vehicle that's not capable of towing anything bigger.

noelleh wrote:
Hi all,

We are looking to upgrade from our trusty old popup to an HTT with 3 popout beds (tall & still growing teenagers), and I'd love your input on deciding between these different brands. I hear that Jayco is generally a high-quality brand, but I have nothing else to really compare the 3 mentioned in my subject line. Are there other brands that have this similar configuration?

I'd love help with comparisons on long-term quality, features you love, value/price, etc. of the various brands. Are there major differences in quality in these brands, or are the cost differences due mostly to trim packages?

Currently we have our eye on a used like-new 2012 Jayco X18D nearby, but we would be willing to buy new if the price was right and/or buy a different brand altogether, perhaps.

THANKS !! :-)


Noelle in MN

We did the same thing back in 2007. Basically you are comparing two manufactures. Jayco owns StarCraft so they are the same camper with different decals. And Roo and Shamrock are also the same camper with different decals. There might be some small differences but overall the same units. I own a Jayco and love it. They are built well and have had no major issues. I have also heard folks say good things about Roo's as well. I have never owned a Roo so I cannot say anything good or bad about them. We are glad we made the upgrade from a pop up. And this is from someone that swore he would never own a travel trailer other than a pop up. lol