researchitis

nephi007 wrote:
Howdy. Here is what I've learned from this site to get with our next travel trailer purchase..Solera slide out topper...water pressure regulator.. Barker or Atwood electric jack..azdel construction material.. lippert axles good..drexel axles are bad..geared corners for the slide and not cable or hydraulic..many outlets..maxi tires..surge protector..sloped roof for runoff..30% off MSRP..diamond plate rock protector..EZ lubes.. By the way we are looking at the Passport 252BH for now. so far that's it..anything else?

"anything else" you asked ? Well, the other "else" I would say is I don't necessarily agree with some of the conclusions you have already reached.
At some point in the process, you just have to go buy "a camper" and move forward from there. You are not going to get everything perfect in the buying decision. Compromises will be made.....just like anything else in life.

yes, you forgot about the little red campfire!!!!!!

Yes. A big one:
To help you decide on what RV to buy you could go to www.rvknowhow.com and read Joe and Vicki’s suggestions and/or download their e-book `RV Buyers Homework’, which walks you through the process of choosing the best RV for your needs, selecting the right floor plans and features, determining the RV’s cargo-carrying and towing capacities and evaluating its livability. (Nov-Dec Highways, pg. 21)
RVtravel.com and the Better Business Bureau have a DVD that covers the same subject
(http://rvbookstore.com/shop/detail.aspx?p=710&m=2) and Chuck Woodbury has an ebook with similar advice that can be instantly downloaded from www.rvbookstore.com.

nephi007 wrote:
Howdy. Here is what I've learned from this site to get with our next travel trailer purchase..Solera slide out topper...water pressure regulator.. Barker or Atwood electric jack..azdel construction material.. lippert axles good..drexel axles are bad..geared corners for the slide and not cable or hydraulic..many outlets..maxi tires..surge protector..sloped roof for runoff..30% off MSRP..diamond plate rock protector..EZ lubes.. By the way we are looking at the Passport 252BH for now. so far that's it..anything else?

Think you pretty well covered it except did you mean Dexter axles, and why are they bad or worse than anyone else's? A lot of them on the road............Tires? they'll only be load rated for what's necessary to move the whole package down the road....and from that notorious Far Eastern Country :B. Any slide room has potential for drive problems; any operator type is powered by an electric motor to move the actuators, cables, gear rack, pump fluid through lines etc. Hydraulic is just potentially messy in the event of a failure.

Main function of the 'crown' roof that is now popular is increased interior headroom, not exterior water shed. It can leak the same as a roof with less 'pitch'. And you still have that long, long seam around the perimeter of the trailer where roof membrane meets wall. I'd be more concerned with how well the manufacturer sealed the seams and penetrations. EZ lube axles do not eliminate the need for annual bearing inspection. Says so right in Dexter's service manual. Many owners of TT's with EZ Lube axles (a Dexter product BTW) that post here don't ever add grease through the zerks; they simply perform and old fashioned repack and seal replacement.

30% off the elusive MSRP is good if you get it. Make your best offer and walk if you're not agreeable. Happy hunting.

that surge protector should be a multi function surge protector, not the $90 special. water pressure regulator should be a watts type, not a $9.00 walmart special.
bumpy

nephi007 wrote:
..azdel construction material.. lippert axles good..drexel axles are bad..

H'mm these 2 may need more research.

I'm not saying adzel is bad, it's good product. Just for myself, it is not a show stopper in buying a camper if it does not have it. You have cut out a lot of good campers.

Your axle selection, are comparing Lippert to ??? Do you mean Dexter Axle or drexel. If you are comparing Lippert to Dexter, you might want to research that more.

You are doing good trying to research all this. Now is the time. Some of the aftermarket products like tongue jacks and slide toppers can be added after if the camper of your dreams does not come with them.

Something you did not have was warranty. While not a show stopper, those with 2 or 3 year warranties on the camper itself, are standing behind their product stronger then those with only a 1 year warranty. In the world of RV's the longer the warranty is an indicator of a better product. And yes, it often costs more. All depends what you are looking for, higher quality and longevity or less cost and you will be trading it in a few years.

Forgot another very important one, trailer running gear capacity compared to the GVWR of the camper. Are the tires, axles and springs rated to handle the full GVWR or only part of it? How much extra above reserve capacity is in the tires and wheels over the fully loaded axle weight? Do you have 15 to 20% extra reserve tire and wheel capacity? That can be more important than brand of the tire.

Good luck, it is truly a buyers market and the more educated you are the better off you will be.

John

How is the frame under all of that?

:B

Just when ya think yer research is about over....WHAM! Just about everything everything ya think you've learned turns out to be wrongedy wrong wrong.

Welcome to the "Headache" stage of your admitted case of "Researchitis", O.P.!

since you are in Utah :
Komfort , Arctic Fox , & Nash .
All heavier duty trailers than the typical Elkhart Indiana offering .
All made in Oregon .
We bought 3 " new/used " RV's before ordering a Komfort from the factory .
We went camping and learned from others and attended a bunch of trailer shows as we became edu-macated .
We sold the new/used RV's for little to NO depreciation cost within a couple of years of purchase .
So buy used from a private party and start your education .
It will take a couple of tries to get it right , anyway .
Tow Vehicle : 2500 of any brand . Don't waste your time on a silly half-ton that will limit your choice of trailers .

"analysis paralysis" is what I call it. Don't let it cripple you.

I learned a long time ago that good advice is great...but sometimes you gotta go with your gut instinct and get what feels right, and here is the number one biggest reason why:
When I go with my gut and still make a mistake, I chalk it up to experience and learn from it. If I follow someones else's advice just because it seem to be the popular way to go, but AGAINST my gut feeling and end up with troubles, I'm madder at myself for not listening to ME!

Now that in mind, we just bought a Passport TT. It has cable operated slides. I never noticed any advice against them around here.
It has Dexter axles under it.