Newbie purchase questions

Damer419,

Under the RV.Net Logo at the top of the Forum page there is a RVing faq link that has lots of info. Check out "2. Checklists & Procedures" I'm sure there is info there that will help you. Might have to filter some of it out as the lists mostly pertain to new units.

Good Luck!

Craig

Care taken by the previous owner is tough to fake, especially considering most dealers won't invest the time and money on a thorough cleaning until the rig is sold. Water damage is probably the biggest concern, and sometimes VERY hard to detect. Staining, spongy floors...And unless you're very lucky and have the most thorough dealership ever, unnoticed things will likely pop up anyway. Like the mouse nest and holes in one of my furnace ducts, under the fridge, where nobody could see them. I only figured it out because one duct didn't seem to blow, and I noticed paper towel shreds in the outlet!

I've yet to see a bad post about KZ's. As you're looking at used I wouldn't discount them, used HTT's of a specific brand and model may be fairly hard to find.

i would go with a 3 bed unit.
23b is an infamous model we often badtalk about. Most common responses: 1: low clearance 2: low payload 3: climbing over a u dinette.
Imagine kids sleeping on the u, you have to climb over spouse, jump between kids, all while having to pee like a race horse. That will get old quick.

shop around some, when we bought our's used it had a one year warranty from the dealer.

Thank you for the responses......I dont know how it is throughout the rest of the country but used HTT do not come available all too often.......have had them on my radar for over a year always keeping track of what was for sale at our local dealers (we had a ton of dealers here) and monitoring Craigslist.....always seem to be 1 or 2 at any given time........gotta be ready to pounce on the right one when the time comes I guess. Maybe they are not too popular out west for some reason....I would think that California weather lends itself perfectly to HTT's.

Thanks again for the tips......I realize there are lemons with any brand and buying used there will be issues that pop up. Like I stated I come from a boating background so am used to constant repairs. Hope trailers are slightly less of a headache, but good to know I will be expecting surprises often like with boats.

We've had our 2004 x23B for a year now. We have 4 kids, age 10, 7, 5, and 1. Having moved up form a 10' pop-up, we got used to sleeping in cramped quarters, so we never have to fold the couch or dinette for extra sleeping space. The 1 year old sleeps with us, the other 3 kids bunk together on the other bunk. As they get older, that might change, but we'll either 1) open up the couch for sleeping room, or 2) place a cot down at bedtime in front of the couch. The x23B has worked well for our family. Things like ground clearance, u-dinette, cargo-capacity haven't been an issue for us, since we're accustomed to packing light and travelling with empty water tanks, buying firewood upon arrival, etc...but you gotta decide what you can live with... :)

As far as shopping used, there are a lot of things to look at, but first and foremost I look for a clean camper that is in like-new condition, especially inside; you can tell that it's been taken care of. Also check condition of the tires (dry rot, treads, age, etc), signs of water damage (water stains, etc), make sure all appliances/equipment work; check canvas condition. One of the big things we (and the dealer, apparently) missed was that due to previous roof damage, there was a bit of delamination at the rear left of the camper. We knew the roof and back had been replaced, and made as sure as we could that all was sealed tight and dry, but the delaminated part was not visible except in certain light and at certain angles. So...be sure to check for delamination (bubbles) in the sidewall. The dealer offered to take it back because they missed it too, but we decided to roll with it considering the rest of the camper was in immaculate shape, and based on the deal we got, worst-case scenario we trade it for something nicer and newer. Well, good luck!

One thing that the misses and I go back and forth on is whether to bite the bullet and buy a new trailer. We want to keep this thing for a long time. I imagine that with canvas there is more potential water leakage as they get older compared to a TT. Other than that are there any innovations/amenities on 2014 models compared to 2006-2010 models?

I am really tripping out on prices......Rockwood Roo 233s in So Cal is 30k and same trailer in the midwest is listed at 18-22k. I road trip might be worth it to save 5-8k.

kvangil wrote:
we got used to sleeping in cramped quarters

Think that goes with the territory that you and I are both in with 4 kids =) Mine are all so close in age (5yrs, 4 yrs, and twin 2 year olds) that we definitely can cram in small spots for now.

As far as the 23B goes, Not sure how you see it kvangil, but as they get older I envision all kids being on the bunk/dinette end and the wife and I on the other bed. So no issues climbing over the dinette for me.

Before the x23B, we had a 14-year-old pop-up camper and never had any canvas leaks. We've had the x23b out in a heavy rain storm, and were quite dry. As you're used to tent camping, the only thing you'll notice is occasional condensation on the canvas on some cool nights. With normal care (opening it to dry if packed wet, checking the seams and attachment points periodically), I don't see why the canvas wouldn't last.

As far as when the kids get bigger, if we're still using this camper 5-6 years down the road, the plan is to have the 2 girls on 1 bunk, and then open up the couch for the 2 boys, or do a combination of the couch and a light cot (which we already have) for the 2 boys. Then we'd still use the bunk by the dinette. We don't envision folding the dinette down to use as a bed unless the grandparents come with us.