Thinking about a used TC vs New

We had a 1992 Fleetwood Caribou for 12 years. It was a 9 foot model. We really liked the quality and the layout initially. However, after about 8 years, I noticed stress cracks in the aluminum siding along the top edge where the cabover joins the body of the camper. Eventually I took it in for repair, and the repair people said it was poorly braced there, and no surprise about the problem developing.
A second problem was that the fresh water tank developed a leak. There was no way to fix the leak, so replacement was the option. We could not get the same tank any more so had to replace with a smaller version that would fit in the space.

I bought used and good a really good deal. The camper had been barely used a few times but was 5 years old. The cost was less than half of what I would have paid new. In addition I bought from a dealer who sold it on consignment. He guaranteed the camper and assured us that it would be in perfect condition. There were a few small repairs needed. Those were done and the seller was charged for the cost.

Only thing about going used is you have to take what you can get. A lot of people think they can name their camper make/model/year, and "poof," it will appear before them.

If it's in good shape, with a good price, and your truck will haul it, I say go for it!

There was a time when Fleetwood TC's were called leakwoods.I have one of them.I got it with a lot of frame damage,done a lot of work on it and put 9191 miles on it going to Alaska last summer.Just remember something that looks like a small leak is probably not that small. If it was taken care of it should be a nice TC we like the one we have.
Happy camping
Dennis

I used to own a Fleetwood Elkhorn. While the camper was fairly well built and notable "best bang for the buck" when new, the front window and front roof seam was problematic on mine.

As with any used RV, check inside for water damage and all the appliances to ensure functioning before handing over money.

Used TCs are like used cars. There are those of us that take care of our stuff. If you get one we owned, you'll be in good shape with something used but not trashed. I've moved to only buying used cars because I'm confident there are people out there trading in great vehicles. After a few years of this approach, my theory has proved out. Sure it is more work to find a great used car for a great price, but they are out there.

On the other hand, the technology has changed. I wouldn't personally buy a TC with slides that was built before 2005 for most manufacturers with Chalet being an exception since they didn't exist in 2005. 2005 might not be exact, but I know several manufacturers had a lot of changes before then. For Chalet or other newer manufacturers, I wouldn't buy one from the first year or two. Slides are pretty great if done right, but based on what I've read here, the manufacturers didn't get it right their first time.

However, every TC is "handmade". The quality varies greatly even in new ones. A great delivery inspection is essential. From time to time, there are posts here with people complaining about their new ones that have issues. If you search, you can find that evidence as well.

when I was looking at TCs the Caribou was the top of the line for fleetwood. came close to pulling the trigger. drove out to the factory in Ohio to see the model I wanted. that was the year that they just started making them fiberglass which I knew before my local dealer.
bumpy
bumpy

You can do things to raise the camper platform in the truck bed to gain cab and door clearance up front. A layer of dense Styrofoam insulation board, build a wood box to store stuff, use planks to block up etc.

We've had many Fleetwood camping products over the years and had minimal problems, at least not any more and many less than some new models and others brands. We bought a 1990 Shadow Cruiser hard side 9.5 TC and put it on our 04 Chevy Duramax 3500 DRW 4x4 and have only had the expected age related things to fix or modify. $2,500 purchase price and that much in AC ons and simple fixes. Resealed roof seams and such. It's not super clean and purrty but does is job and at a low wet weight of 3000#, entire rig 2,000 under max rating and all stock suspension. The new ones scare me in the cost and then seems like there's always something anyway and too often after warranty express. Good luck with your search, much succeess and happy camping.

I have a 2003 Fleetwood Elkhorn 11x. I've owned it for over 6 years and it's been a fine camper. There were a few places around the bottom that rotted a bit and I fixed them.
The interior isn't high end but it's not low end either. Since we have young children I really don't need or want something really nice. We've got vinyl flooring, blinds with no curtains, no TV, etc.
I did a lot of research on Fleetwood TCs before buying this one. It seemed a lot had major problems right away and a lot of them were great campers for years. It seemed if there was going to be a problem it would show up soon. Since mine was 6 years old when I bought it I thought it would be fine and it has.