Trailer construction quality question?

jungleexplorer wrote:
I guess what I am wondering is if there are certain manufacturers that have a reputation of building better quality trailers then others? I really like the trailer I got, but it is not quite what I really wanted, it was just what I could afford at this time. It is heavier then what I wanted and it does not have the bed configuration that I wanted for the long run. It is a 19 foot (inside living space) trail with bedding for only three people. It has a huge bathroom and lot's of storage space, but I would rather have a trailer of this size that could sleep 5 people. This trailer will work for me and my wife and our 12 year old son, but we have two older children that are married and if they ever wanted to travel with us, they would have no place to sleep.

The bottom line is that I am thinking about fixing this trailer up and selling it. I got is for under NADA bluebook. It needs some minor repairs and a good wash and wax. I live in Texas and I think I can haul it over to the Midland oil boom area and sell it for a lot more then I paid for it, which would give me enough money to buy something else that has more sleeping area and is lighter.

I have not quite decided on this yet and this is why I am asking the question about quality. I am trying to decide if these super lightweight trailers are just pieces of junk waiting to fall apart and I would be better off sticking with a heavier trailer and upgrading my towing vehicle.

In the end, what is important to me is getting a good trailer that will last for a long time. I can't seem to find a travel trailer review site that offers any reliable reviews. Every manufacturer touts their trailers as the best and most owners love the trailer they have and don't really have enough knowledge to evaluate a trailer properly because they have only had experience with maybe one or two trailers. There seems to be a lack of any good unbiased knowledgeable reviews when it come to trailers.

Anyway, thanks for the advice.

Yah, somebody else might have ideas for a "consumer reports" of camping equipment... I've never found it. To be totally honest, I do not think what you are looking for exists (100% unbiased reviews)...

I'll tell you what I did: I researched on my own a lot! Probably over a year of just reading and searching online groups like this one. When I started narrowing my search I also looked for an owners group for the specific brands I was interested in.

Then, I started visiting RV shows and dealers in my area. After awhile, and thanks to a lot of good information I read here, I was able to start picking out items that concerned me, things I liked, and so on.

For instance, I eliminated one particular brand when I walked into a couple of their units at an RV show and noticed unprotected electrical wiring running along the floor exposed in the living area. I've got little kids, so that put me off. In another unit, I opened a drawer and the face of it came off in my hands... These were brand new units on display at a show mind you. If you visit enough of these you will start to get some feel for how they are built.

(I probably looked like a crazy man, crouching down and looking up under units to see whatever I could, and sticking my head back under sinks and so on LOL.)

Also, just like a house (well, a house that moves a lot) things break. Lots of vibration and flexing. It's gonna happen, even well built rigs will have some issues, even brand new ones.

And finally... Lots of strong feelings on the web, take it all with a small grain of salt. I'm happy with my brand, but it's NOT perfect in the quality department. Good, not perfect... Every brand produces a lemon sometimes. Wish I could help more, still new myself in many ways. I think I ended up doing ok, but it took a lot of sluething on my own. I hope somebody else will have a better idea. Welcome again, best of luck.