Ok HTT folks, posting here is uncharted territory for me.Right now, we have a '96 Coleman Cheyenne that we love. It's paid for, suits us, and is paid for. On our last weeklong trip, it was a bit chilly and had a hike to the bathhouse. I think we all were yearning a bit for some hard sides and a potty. Curiosity got the best of us and we spent the day checking out some HTTs. What recommendations do you have for me? I'd like to stay under 20' and under 5000lbs gross (my V8 4Runner can tow 7000lbs). I want something that will be comfortable, but not too big to be unsafe or harm my precious Runner.Right now, the Jayco Jay Feather is at the top of the list. We really liked the X17Z that we saw (twice) today. One Jayco dealer that we stopped at had a X18D which would probably be ideal for us with the three bunkends, I'm just concerned it's a little too big?. I like the 2 year Co-Pilot Warranty and the Jayco quality, plus Jaycos are pretty available where I live. We also looked at Jay Flight Swifts (not enough headroom), Skyline Sky Cats (definite NO), and the KZ Sportsmen Classic (eh, ok). What other brands should I consider? Starcrafts and Flagstaffs are hard to locate and man those Roos are pricey!!Are there any that I'm overlooking that are worth a look?Thanks for your help! Hoping to join your crowd soon!

Partner, we own a 233s 2013 roo. Yes it did cost a bit, before we negotiated a better deal and yes it weighs 4200lbs dry, but those 3 queen size beds hold 1300lbs. each. Now I am a good size man, and that is a blessing. My son is 6'2", he doesn't have to duck indoors, and the shower still fits him. Strong frame, insulated. Ours is 26 feet closed up and with my ez wdht, can't complain. Very sturdy on rough terrain, not all places in va are paved, some are downright ugly. And our Roo doesn't squabble a bit. Just a thought

I dont know how many you need to sleep, but I think you would be ok with an X18D. Yes, its a little heavier than the X17, but it has more cargo capacity too.I am towing a Starcraft 18SB with a Chevy Traverse which is around 3,000lbs empty and 3700 max. The Traverse is a V6 with a 5200lb rating and even in the hills here it does OK. Not a powerhouse, but decent. I would think your TV would be completely fine pulling slightly more weight than I have, knowing you have even more capacity.

We need to have three sleeping areas, hence why the X18D would be a nice fit.

We just bought a 2013 Jayco X18D last month and we love it. Upgraded from a P/U. More room than we need but we felt that the X17Z was just a bit too small and would rather have the extra room. I have had Jayco's before and they are a well built camper, I can't see you going wrong with the Jayco. Only MHO. Good Luck in your decision. Ours weighs in at 3715 lbs.dry and GVW is 4,400 lbs.

Roo pricy? Where ya pricing them? RVWholesalers sells hundreds of them at low prices.-- Chuck

Considering an HTT upgrade | Good Sam Community

Community Alumni
Jun 17, 2013
atreis wrote:
Check out KZ Sportsmen also. They have similar small models and tend to be lower priced.

I just bought a KZ Sportsmen Classic 20RBT and I love it so far. Has 3 full-sized bed pop-outs. Gross weight 4500 lb. My only complaints are that the mattresses are uncomfortable (the kids don't care but the wife and I are getting a memory foam topper) and the heater thermostat sucks. Hysteresis is way to wide so I'm upgrading that. We've only had it out a few times so far so I can't comment on its long term reliability but so far so good.

I should also mention that this is my first TT. I upgraded from tent camping so I don't have much to compare it to.
bikendan
Explorer
Jun 14, 2013
Santa Fe wrote:
I checked the RVDirect price on the Jaycos...it was surprising. What's the catch? It seems too good to be true...

no catches with either RVDirect or RVW. the only difference is that RVDirect will take trade-ins but you'll lose out just like you would with any trade-in.
both companies have been around for years and have dominated the RV sales world with their prices. they've become the price sources for shopping with other dealers, who are quite aware of them.
surprised you've never heard of them since you're so close to their dealers in N.Y.
RandK-M
Explorer
Jun 14, 2013
No catch. When I bought my Jayco 17Z in January 2010, I got a quote from RVDirect fr $12,990 they would have shipped it for free to a dealer in Albany NY which is 100 miles from me. I was all set to do the deal, but I took the quote to a closer dealer in Kingston, NY that is only 45 miles away and they matched the price.
The sticker price (which I know nobody pays) was something like $18,500 at that dealer.

Ray
mrp116
Explorer
Jun 14, 2013
No catch. Take your RVDirect price to your nearest Jayco dealer (or do it over the phone and forward them the e-mail). Tell them that you're going to buy this trailer one way or another, and that is the price/quote you have. Ask them what their best price is (tell them you're willing to order) and see what they say. They may not match it, but they might be close. This is what we did when we purchased our Jayco TT this spring, and the difference was just under 1k. After figuring out expenses, our time making the trip, and the benefit of purchasing from a local dealer, we decided that the $975 wasn't worth the hassle for us. After a night in a hotel and gas the difference was maybe $600. We had to order, but that was perfect for us as we got everything exactly the way we wanted it. We placed the order on April 11, the unit arrived at the dealer on May 29.

Remember, you should be able to get 28% - 30% off MSRP from any dealer. You may have to work a couple dealers, but 28% off MSRP is the maximum you're willing to pay. I had read that on here before, and I was skeptical, but we ended up with 29+% off.
Santa_Fe
Explorer
Jun 14, 2013
I checked the RVDirect price on the Jaycos...it was surprising. What's the catch? It seems too good to be true...
smccollamjr
Explorer
Jun 14, 2013
You shouldn't have trouble towing any of them. We towed our Jayco 23B (just under 5k) with a V6 4-Runner for a few years. We didn't win any races but never had any problems even with over 150k miles on the Runner.
Santa_Fe
Explorer
Jun 14, 2013
Hoosierdaddy47 wrote:
If it were me, I'd look at the Jayco X23F. True, it's longer than you want, but it still grosses at (Just) under 5K and has gobs o' room. Also, I don't know if you can find one, but the Starcraft Travel Star 187TB is a virtual twin of the X18D and seems to price out 5-7000 dollars less! Try Schreck RV in Apollo, PA.

Hey, I follow your page on Facebook!!

I checked out Schreck's (we've bought from them in the past). The Starcraft's are actually more than what I can find a Jay Feather for. There's a little hometown Jayco dealer that my aunt and uncle bought from in the past; they have some attractive prices.

I need to sleep at least 3 comfortably (4, max). The youngest going with us is 17, hence why the three separate beds of the X18D would be nice.
3LittleDucks
Explorer
Jun 13, 2013
We couldn't be happier with the floorplan of the HTT we bought this spring. Works great for the 5 of us. Not sure of the #/age of ppl you're travelling with though.
atreis
Explorer
Jun 13, 2013
Check out KZ Sportsmen also. They have similar small models and tend to be lower priced.
bikendan
Explorer
Jun 13, 2013
I agree about your statement that Roos are pricey.
You must not have checked RVW or other similar dealers.
Even at RVDirect, who sells the Roo and the Jayco, the Roo will be cheaper for the similar floorplan.