We recently sold our 2004 Forest River Hybrid to upgrade to a fully enclosed TT or Fifth Wheel. Now the questions is what to get. I don't need a new one, but it is an option. We have 2 boys that are 4 & 7...so we have many years of camping ahead.Our wish list includes the following:Smooth SideBunks (At least 2, but more if possible)Booth DinetteLight to middle weight (I have a 2005 2500 HD Chevy with a gas 6.0L)Outside kitchenDecent storage (hybrid had very little)Budget..........up to $20k out the door w/ a hitchI have been looking for months now, but I just don't know the brands enough to know what is good quality & what is not. There are SOOOOO MANY different brands. We live in Michigan so we would be looking to use this RV 2-3 seasons.....May-October.I was looking at a 2013 Shadow Cruiser 280QBS recently & love what I see as far as layout & overall looks, but after reading some topics on here, I just don't know if that is the right trailer for me with the issues people have had.THANKS FOR THE ADVICE IN ADVANCE!

SnowriverCheck out these guys. Made from an excellent manufacturer.

I don't have advice on brand and here is why. From my experience and from reading on these forms it is painfully apparent that the RV industry has a quality problem - across the board. They don't have the standards that the auto industry has in place. So, my only advice is this:1. Buy what you really like and think you'll get a lot of use out of over the years.2. If you're not handy, learn to become handy. 3. Expect some issues that will need to be fixed (even if brand new).

Buying used is a good idea. Most of the time with a used unit all of the initial manufacturing quality issues have been taken care of...the bugs have been worked out. Unless you feel confident in your ability to discover possible problems, I would have a unit you are interested in buying inspected by an independant RV inspector/mechanic.You might want to consider a toy hauler....with the boys as they grow you'll need more room for them and their toys. Great thing about the toy haulers, once you empty out the garage you end up with a flexible space. It can be used as a living area, workshop, gameroom, mancave and the boys bedroom. Some of the toyhaulers even come with a toilet and sink room (1/2 bath) in the garage area.In the RV Parks we stay in, I see a lot of families now using toyhaulers instead of plain TT or 5th wheels.

You will have a hard time beating the bang for the buck on the 280 but I agree they have quality issues. Check out the Sunset line.http://www.crossroadsrv.com/sunset-trail/super-lite/floorplans/item/2014-sf270bh?category_id=103

Another. http://www.kodiak-rv.com/floorplan/kodiak-express/283bhsl/

Need RV advice for purchasing a new one | Good Sam Community

23 Replies

KenNTennessee
Explorer
Feb 15, 2014
We just purchased an Evergreen Sun Valley 26FK last week, it's still winterized and we have not used it yet, but towed it 600 miles home from the dealer. We bought it because it was a floor plan that we liked, had the features we wanted, and it appears to be a bit better quality than our Forest River Rockwood. As others have said, no RV manufacturer really has a great quality, but there are notable differences. After months of research, it looks like the smaller companies (in no particular order): Evergreen, R-Vision, Cruiser, Northwood, K-Z and Jayco all have better quality than Forest River and Thor (with the exception of Airstream which is now a Thor brand, but in a different price range). Those two giants have reduced the quality of every company they bought out.
State_Park_camp
Explorer
Feb 15, 2014
I purchased a new a 2012 sunset trail ST25RB in August of 2012. I've had more problems with this unit than in all of the 4 other campers I've owned in my life. Most of the problems were minor..( Elec. stabilizer broke on first trip, Caulking on interior walls failed,furnace malfunctioned etc.)Biggest problem I had was a bearing failure on one of the axles. Naturally it happened on a highway. I had it towed,repaired and warranty DENIED. Mechanic told me it was a faulty bearing. Crossroads said it was 14 months old and not covered because I didn't have the bearings repacked within 12 months. I purchased the unit in August, went on 2 trips in 2102. I was planning on repacking bearings at the end of the 2013 season as I've done with every other camper I've owned. I have documented miles for every trip I took. 4700 miles in 14 months. I will never buy one of their products again.
State_Park_camp
Explorer
Feb 15, 2014
Goldstalker wrote:
You will have a hard time beating the bang for the buck on the 280 but I agree they have quality issues. Check out the Sunset line.

http://www.crossroadsrv.com/sunset-trail/super-lite/floorplans/item/2014-sf270bh?category_id=103
AirForceAngler
Explorer
Jan 30, 2014
I'll agree with most here that the quality/workmanship in almost all TTs is somewhat suspect. From the ones I've seen, I think Jayco's have about the best, but that's by a small margin. They all require an owner to pay attention and make sure they get ahead of leaks and issues before they get too bad or happen at all. We sold a Jayco last summer that we bought new in 2008 because it didn't have bunks and our daughter is getting too big for the couch. We had no problems with it in 4.5 years. We have just ordered a 2014 Grey Wolf 26BH. I'm a little leary of it because it was so low priced so I'll have to really keep an eye on it. It did have a lot of nice options for the money so we'll see. I think the best advice is to find a floor plan you like and go with it.
APT
Explorer
Jan 30, 2014
There is the RV show in Traverse City in March.

Narrow down the floorplan you like. There are lots of new options for you. Once you know the model you like, check out Lakeshore RV in Muskegon for some great prices!

Keystone Passport 2650 looks like a good fit for you and should be had for about $20k OTD. TTs market is crowed in the $15-25k, and BH models in the $20-25k range offer a lot of features. My North Trail 28BRS was $21k OTD with some options that could easily save $1000.
Twain
Explorer
Jan 29, 2014
mwodek12 wrote:
We are still looking......We tried to make it to a show this past weekend, but we go snowed out. At this rate I am not sure when we will see grass. The snow has been no stop since the first part of December.

Anyway, has anyone ever owned or heard much about the Sun Valley line from Evergreen? They have a layout we seem to like & it is similar to the Shadow Cruiser were were looking at too.....price wise they are pretty close from the 2013 Shadow Cruiser 280qbhs & the 2014 Sun Valley 280bhs ltd. From what I see from their website it is a "green" built RV. Walls/roof/floor are all vacuumed sealed fiberglass, etc. TPO roof??? (Not sure what this really is)

Thanks in advance!

Last summer we looked at some Sun Valleys because the floor plan were interesting. It was midday and none of the units were plugged in so it was hot. However, it was a great way to test the insulation and the Sun Valley's were much warmer than the Open Ranges and a bit warmer than the Everlights. I was impressed at how well the Open Ranges held off the Florida sun.
Fredford
Explorer
Jan 29, 2014
We just bought our first TT in Jan at our local RV show. We spent 6 hours there, had a list of requirements and weight for our Highlander and then only viewed the ones which fit our criteria. There were so many different models, layouts that I took a camera and took pictures of the ones which were possibilities so I wouldn't forget what we liked and which brands they were so we could go back for 2nd and 3rd viewings as we shortlisted them. RV show is a great way to see a lot of them at once and to ask questions. Well worth the price of admission.
mwodek12
Explorer
Jan 29, 2014
We are still looking......We tried to make it to a show this past weekend, but we go snowed out. At this rate I am not sure when we will see grass. The snow has been no stop since the first part of December.

Anyway, has anyone ever owned or heard much about the Sun Valley line from Evergreen? They have a layout we seem to like & it is similar to the Shadow Cruiser were were looking at too.....price wise they are pretty close from the 2013 Shadow Cruiser 280qbhs & the 2014 Sun Valley 280bhs ltd. From what I see from their website it is a "green" built RV. Walls/roof/floor are all vacuumed sealed fiberglass, etc. TPO roof??? (Not sure what this really is)

Thanks in advance!
Twain
Explorer
Jan 12, 2014
We like the quad bunk house as its more of a separate room for the kids vs. the double bunks and twin over double styles. The room makes a huge difference with 5 people and 2 dogs. Our Passport meets your list minus a full outside kitchen, but they have those in certain models.

If I was able to have a do over, I would get the outside kitchen as we cook all meals while camping.
krobbe
Explorer
Jan 09, 2014
I like the 28 to 30ft(box size) bunkhouse models. I have a 6 & 9 yr old and having a separate room for the kids at their bedtime is great. You'll find some under 20K that are just a few yrs old.