Forum Discussion

BPeterson's avatar
BPeterson
Explorer
Jun 05, 2018

What's this camper??

I'm camper shopping - my beloved vintage pop-up is leaking more and more every time it goes out, and my fiance and I are getting on the hard sided travel trailer bandwagon.

We came across a Craigslist add for a potentially perfect rig for our towing setup and lifestyle, but I cannot for the life of me determine any solid information about it. Here's what I've got:

The model is identified as a Silver Creek (by Base Camp RV) model 1601XE. The pictures confirm this but I cannot find anything about this camper online. The manufacturer seems to be no more, and the model links to a newer, much much larger line of campers from the early 2010s. See the pictures for what I'm talking about.

Does anyone know what we're dealing with here?? I'm the kind of guy who needs to do an excessive amount of research before buying anything, and this camper has so far defeated me. Thanks in advance for anything you can provide!!

Here's the ad link: I've talked with the seller and he knows only what the previous seller told him. I know the condition is solid, but it's the technical specs I'm missing.

https://madison.craigslist.org/rvs/d/16-ft-travel-trailer-with/6591129330.html
  • RockDodger's avatar
    RockDodger
    Explorer
    Jun 05, 2018
    The Silver Creek series were lightweight trailers made by a now defunct company called RVision in Grant, NM. They aren't very well built because the company made them in a hurry to sell quickly at lower prices. I only knew one person who had one of these and all he did was complain about how something didn't work, or this thing fell off, so if I were you I'd pass on it for something with a reputation for quality. Also, Craig's List is getting to be less of a safe place to buy things these days. Good luck to you.
  • SoundGuy's avatar
    SoundGuy
    Explorer
    Jun 05, 2018
    RockDodger wrote:
    They aren't very well built because the company made them in a hurry to sell quickly at lower prices.


    I'd also caution against any trailer with a front glide as this trailer has. Fleetwood Folding Trailers tried that back in the early 2000s with their Coleman Caravan series and those trailers leaked like a sieve.

    As a former RVision owner I'd have to disagree that this is an RVision product. Back in 2005 we held a rally in RMNP in Colorado and one of the owners of the company that manufactured this Base Camp trailer brought one to the gathering. The company Base Camp RV is now defunct but was located in Longmont, Colorado. If I go back through my files I'm pretty sure I have a pic somewhere of this unit.
  • SoundGuy's avatar
    SoundGuy
    Explorer
    Jun 05, 2018
    OK, so I found those pics - the model brought to the gathering was a Twin Peaks hard wall folding trailer by Base Camp RV in Longmont, Co.





    As I recall Base Camp RV was owned by two partners and I remember being told they were planning to also offer a full height travel trailer with a glide bed, which I believe turned out to be this Base Camp RV Silvercreek 1601XE the OP has found.
  • drsteve's avatar
    drsteve
    Explorer
    Jun 05, 2018
    The front slide could be problematic. Pulling it down the road in a rainstorm puts a lot of stress on seals. I would check very carefully for any signs of water entry or damage on this unit.
  • SidecarFlip's avatar
    SidecarFlip
    Explorer III
    Jun 05, 2018
    Looks nice actually but I have to agree. Any intrusion (slide out, windows and even clearance lights all present positive pressure (rain) intrusion issues. Why a lot of builders now have no front facing windows and surface mount clearance lights. Too much of a chance of water intrusion.

    Looks good (pictures) but looks can be deceiving. I'd be looking hard at the front area for evidence of water leaks and weathered seals on the push out.
  • BPeterson's avatar
    BPeterson
    Explorer
    Jun 05, 2018
    gbopp wrote:
    ***Link Removed***


    Thanks! Forgot the link...


    And thank you all for your responses - super helpful! I was so stumped by this thing but as you say - the pictures look nice and it's an ideal layout for my fiance and I.

    I think I'm going to take a look at it either way, but that's good advice on checking the front seals. My camping luck means it's beautiful when I'm driving and pouring rain when I'm trying to sleep, but a leak is a leak.

    The search continues then! Off topic if you have other suggestions for lite/ultralite camper models around this size, I'm all ears! I'm a huge fan of the Forest River R-pods, but aren't quite ready to shell out the 10k they still seems to demand used.
  • GeorgiaJim's avatar
    GeorgiaJim
    Explorer
    Jun 05, 2018
    I find it interesting that he has no inside pictures of the front slide.

    I see a lot of 1 to 3 year old ,16-19 ft trailers for under 10K in my area. If I was spending $6000on a trailer of that size and age, it would have to be perfect or an Airstream.
  • BPeterson's avatar
    BPeterson
    Explorer
    Jun 06, 2018
    GeorgiaJim wrote:
    I find it interesting that he has no inside pictures of the front slide.


    He had one image looking into the bed, but he didn't have the slideout all the way out so it obscures the window. Not sure why he didn't set it out completely...

About Travel Trailer Group

44,029 PostsLatest Activity: Jan 13, 2025