Looking at 2013 Grey Wolf 28BH
anyone out there have any issues with this brand? Any pros - cons would be appreciated.
Forum Discussion
We purchased a Forest River Cherokee Grey Wolf 26BH in September 2011.
The first set of tires wore out quickly and badly in 2,000 miles. The PDI told me to run them at 40PSI for a 'softer ride'. They were 50PSI tires. My fault for not knowing TT tires must be run at full inflation.
The 26BH is a nice trailer - no slide. The 28BH has the dinette and couch in a slide.
The good - no real issues with the TT.
The furnace thermostat burned out at 13 months - Suburban paid for the replacement and install.
The faucet started to leak water soon after we got the trailer. I couldn't figure out how to stop it, so went to Home Depot - bought a Moen and put that in. No more leak. Looking at the original later - I realized DW was pulling up as she would turn it and unseated the high output - resulting in an internal leak.
The bad - nothing really. It is a bottom level entry trailer. The tanks are not enclosed or protected. You must winterize and protect it from freezing weather. Our water heater was under the head of the bed - road side. Getting to the bypass valves involved removing most stuff from under the bed and almost having to crawl into that space to reach all three valves.
The dislikes - the no-slide was an issue. We've had five grandchildren and two grandparents in the TT for five nights. It rained two days. We survived and amazingly no one was killed.
The jackknife sofa is uncomfortable for sitting more than a half-hour or so. I put several 1/4 in high x 4 in wide x 4 ft long pieces of sheet aluminum between the springs and fabric under the sofa and made the sofa better.
The air conditioner is not ducted or thermostatically controlled. The controls are on the unit. Yes, the compressor will turn off when it reaches the temp setting - but the fan continues to run. Had to turn the fan/ AC off to watch TV or talk while eating.
The two metal posts and heavy table top for the dinette is a real pain.
The toilet/shower are very small.
At the time we bought ours, the trim level was low. The edges of the plywood platform for the bed were rough and tore the bottom of the mattress cover on the second night.
Of course the mattress is a foam brick. Buy a mattress topper. Your back will appreciate that.
I've looked at a lot of reviews. Most of the issues people describe boil down to expecting Arctic Fox or DRV Suites quality out of an entry level trailer at the under $20,000 price point.
It is a good trailer / line for people wanting to get into the RV experience. It is not a good trailer for someone wanting to spend 100 days a year in the rig, travel coast to coast or camp in near freezing weather.
Enjoy the rig, but know its limitations.
EDIT - one of the 10 or 12 people I know with a Grey Wolf trailer is an elderly widow with the 26 BH. She took out the sofa and built a sewing machine table over the furnace and out about 3/4 the length of the sofa with a small household freezer on the other end. She took out the dinette, added a shallow floor to ceiling cabinet along the back wall with a better, larger TV, and a recliner in the remaining space.
The first set of tires wore out quickly and badly in 2,000 miles. The PDI told me to run them at 40PSI for a 'softer ride'. They were 50PSI tires. My fault for not knowing TT tires must be run at full inflation.
The 26BH is a nice trailer - no slide. The 28BH has the dinette and couch in a slide.
The good - no real issues with the TT.
The furnace thermostat burned out at 13 months - Suburban paid for the replacement and install.
The faucet started to leak water soon after we got the trailer. I couldn't figure out how to stop it, so went to Home Depot - bought a Moen and put that in. No more leak. Looking at the original later - I realized DW was pulling up as she would turn it and unseated the high output - resulting in an internal leak.
The bad - nothing really. It is a bottom level entry trailer. The tanks are not enclosed or protected. You must winterize and protect it from freezing weather. Our water heater was under the head of the bed - road side. Getting to the bypass valves involved removing most stuff from under the bed and almost having to crawl into that space to reach all three valves.
The dislikes - the no-slide was an issue. We've had five grandchildren and two grandparents in the TT for five nights. It rained two days. We survived and amazingly no one was killed.
The jackknife sofa is uncomfortable for sitting more than a half-hour or so. I put several 1/4 in high x 4 in wide x 4 ft long pieces of sheet aluminum between the springs and fabric under the sofa and made the sofa better.
The air conditioner is not ducted or thermostatically controlled. The controls are on the unit. Yes, the compressor will turn off when it reaches the temp setting - but the fan continues to run. Had to turn the fan/ AC off to watch TV or talk while eating.
The two metal posts and heavy table top for the dinette is a real pain.
The toilet/shower are very small.
At the time we bought ours, the trim level was low. The edges of the plywood platform for the bed were rough and tore the bottom of the mattress cover on the second night.
Of course the mattress is a foam brick. Buy a mattress topper. Your back will appreciate that.
I've looked at a lot of reviews. Most of the issues people describe boil down to expecting Arctic Fox or DRV Suites quality out of an entry level trailer at the under $20,000 price point.
It is a good trailer / line for people wanting to get into the RV experience. It is not a good trailer for someone wanting to spend 100 days a year in the rig, travel coast to coast or camp in near freezing weather.
Enjoy the rig, but know its limitations.
EDIT - one of the 10 or 12 people I know with a Grey Wolf trailer is an elderly widow with the 26 BH. She took out the sofa and built a sewing machine table over the furnace and out about 3/4 the length of the sofa with a small household freezer on the other end. She took out the dinette, added a shallow floor to ceiling cabinet along the back wall with a better, larger TV, and a recliner in the remaining space.
