Which should I buy?

So far, my wife and I are going to be patient. We have talked about it and if I find one, I am still planning to have an rv mechanic help me inspect it. I really like to find one that holds up as well as my coleman popup, but I will just see how my luck pans out.

My brother has a 17' Casita and although it looks like two bathtubs put together, the design looks almost flawless against leaks. There is only one seam in the middle and even the a/c is on the front vs top.

I can see why they hold such high values. I wonder if I can fit my whole family in one comfortably?

Thanks everyone for their ideas and replies. I am still confused on what I am going to do!

Last year, we bought a 2004 Jayco 23b from a dealer. It had the roof and rear panel replaced due to a roof leak. So far, in all kinds of conditions and driving through a couple crazy rainstorms, it has not gotten wet inside at all. I check all the seals periodically and it's been tight. So...there are decent ones to be had....

Quote: If you find one with a history of leaks, even if its fixed, there is probably hidden damage. Quote

Guess that all depends ....on the 2 I had, they did have a history, but were repaired..... the 25 footer where the AC seal leak, the roof was damaged and replaced by the dealer. The 17A which went back to the plant was as good as new when completed. If anyone has had any experience with the Jayco factory repair, they actually pull the unit off the floor/frame and replace the entire floor unit, than drop the body back down on it ..... all exterior seals etc were changed. Anything questionable was replaced. My '99 Litehawk , which was the predecessor to the Kiwi, went back to the plant for water damage repair ....they picked it up at the dealer and took it back, did the repairs, and when I went to Indiana to pick it up, they took me thru the facilities and showed me exactly what they did and what they replaced. That's why I will buy nothing but Jayco/StarCraft ....they stood behind it, and yes, after seeing what they did, I had no problem buying the 17A that went back to their service facility!

You might want to consider the KZ Sportsmen. They have some really nice hybrids, are affordable, and are a quality built trailer. We just bought the KZ Sportsmen Classic 21' TT. Its not a hybrid but the ones I've seen are nice if you're moving from a popup.

We owned two popups over a 17 year period. Now we've had our hybrid for 8 years now. We've camped in rain and snow and never had any leaks.
hybrids require more vigilance and many new owners fail to properly store the canvas or maintain the bunk seals.

Remember, forums like these attract people with problems, not those who don't have problems. What you've read is not a fair representation of hybrids.

I've been on various hybrid forums for nearly 10 years now and would not hesitate to buy another one.
By the way, we recently retired to western Washington and will continue to use the hybrid for the next few years.

but since you are buying used, you run the risk of getting one with leaks, due to poor care/maintenance or age, especially ones before 2004. Personally, I wouldn't buy a hybrid over 5 years old.

vivaster wrote:


Does anybody have experience with going from a popup to a travel trailer? Why are there so many nightmare stories with hybrids and leakage? Someone mentioned "buying other peoples problems". Is that true? Sorry about all the questions, I am unfortunately a little worried and also feel blessed that we have been so lucky with our Coleman popup.

We went from a Coleman to our current Roo. We didn't want to give up the "camping feel" of the popup, but it was time for more features - bathroom, AC, real kitchen, easy of packing & setup... No problems and we love it.

But, with a popup the roof curves over the walls all the way around - pretty simple. As stated, any light weight travel trailer is going to have a potential to leak - lots of seams and caulking on the roof. And hybrid bunk doors are another spot for water to get in. Manufacturers seemed to have learned as they went - the older designs have improved with experience to make better seals. And some manufacturers just got out of that segment all together. Forest River (Roo, Shamrock, Solaire, Coachmen, Surveyor) and Jayco/StarCraft seem to be the 2 most committed manufacturers still in the game. Some campers may have design issues, and others may just leak because the factory had a bad day and its a workmanship issue on a particular unit. No way to really know what % of hybrids actually have issues, but I don't think its "most" and I think over time the issues are decreasing with better seal designs.

They are great campers - just be careful. If you find one with a history of leaks, even if its fixed, there is probably hidden damage. If you find one that hasn't leaked, its probably not going to as long as its maintained.

We owned two Coleman pop-ups before buying our 2009 Kodiak 160SVT. We love the hybrid. It's so much easier to set up and take down than the pop-ups were. We like the convenience of a galley and head and still have that 'sleeping under canvas' feel. We've adapted to the lack of storage by using laundry baskets for our clothes. We've had the hybrid for 18 months, with no sign of a leak. We've done quite a few weekend trips, plus a month in Florida.

We bought our hybrid used from a dealer who has a good reputation.

I don't know that it's just hybrids, any of these used "lightweight" trailers, can have big problems. I would have no problem buying a new or late model hybrid, same as a travel trailer. Buy a 2000 of either style and you're taking your chances, need to know your stuff, or trust someone who does.

There are a lot of good used hybrids out there, but, there are also a lot of not so good used hybrids. If you can find one local, and have it inspected before you buy it, that would be a bonus. I have owned 3 hybrids ..... two which were Kiwis I purchased used, the 3rd is my current StarCraft AR-One which I purchased new. The AR-ONE is the twin to the Jayco Swift. I am a huge Jayco fan, the only manufacturer I will purchase, but I can say, I did have a few with water leak issues. The two kiwis both had water damage ....the first, a 2000 17A had gone back to the factory and had been repaired, the owner had all the paper work to show me.... the second was a Kiwi 25E, it had to have the roof replaced by the dealer, because the AC seal leaked. The main reason for water damage is lack of maintenance. So, in saying that....heres what to look for. Get on a ladder and check the silicone on the roof ....if it is tried up and cracked, it hasn't been maintained. On the Kiwis, inspect the silicone that seals the front and rear walls to the rubber roof .....if they are gonna leak, that's where. You don't have to climb on the roof .... pound it with your fist, if its been leaking, the material under the rubber membrane will get soft, and u'll feel it. it'll feel soft. Also check around the AC unit ... there are 4 mounting bolts on the AC unit that are supposed to be checked and tightened yearly, most don't, and the rubber seal will eventually leak. Next, look inside the storage areas, look at the plywood that is exposed in the storage area, look for traces of wetness. Look at the linoleum, when the plywood floor gets wet, the linoleum will begin to change colors. Pound on the floor, it should be hard as a rock. Now, go inside, step around, feel for anything soft....even look inside the cabinets. Now, look up, look at the ceiling ....any sign of water damage will form dimples .... and check those shelves that are at both ends up top ... look in the corners, if there is a leak at the roof n end walls, the ceiling material will start to dimple and sag. Push up around the A/C, see if the ceiling is soft. Also, as most are fiberglass .... look for delamination or bubbling. When the wood that the fiberglass is bonded to gets wet, the outside panel will begin to pull away.... that's when you have problems. Just take your time when inspecting a used one, if they aren't hiding anything, and it is supposedly in good shape, they will want you to look! Good luck...there are still lots of good ones out there

Thanks for your replies. I have read online alot of forums about hybrids and problems with leakage around the beds and I am really hesitant because I live in an area where we get lots of rain and we camp in alot of rain. It is really hard to trade up from something I know is working well to something with so many unknowns. I park my trailer in the elements and only cover with a heavy duty tarp.

Does anybody have experience with going from a popup to a travel trailer? Why are there so many nightmare stories with hybrids and leakage? Someone mentioned "buying other peoples problems". Is that true? Sorry about all the questions, I am unfortunately a little worried and also feel blessed that we have been so lucky with our Coleman popup.