Nobody. What i have learned so far is - all trailers are junk, just of varying degrees.One could easily assume from that comment i have a horror story to tell, i don’t, i love my trailer. I’m just realistic, time allowed my thinking to adjust from newbie delusions. Often asked here is "what is the best brand" as its a question i asked here myself back when i was first shopping around. I now tell my friends not to worry about brands and there reputation of quality, there is little differentiation. They all are capable of producing lemons from time to time. And, even if you avoid the lemon except that you will still have problems, even with a new trailer. My advice is to focus on the brands that have a rep for standing behind their warranty. Find a good dealer for service, acknowledge it may not be the one you purchase from. And. when something is loose,leaking,or crooked, don't make a mountain out of a mole hill, its camping after all. Most importantly, get handy.I own a Heartland and will recommend them. They were great with the little warranty work needed, even went the extra distance addressing an issue well outside of warranty. I would buy another Heartland product. Unfortunately there is very little differentiating Heartland or the many other brands available from one another. Methods of construction, materials used, and attention to quality differ little producing similar products. Its an odd industry. Duplication is everywhere, multiple brands within brands duplicating again. This achieving no real identity or advantage for manufacturer, no advantage for the consumer just more confusion. Also, this confusion is leading manufacturers to dilute brand equity that once saw a line or model thrive.Having given my .02 i’m interested in others thoughts on why the industry is the way it is. Or, if you disagree with my ramblings. Has our RV culture settled for something less than we deserve ? Are we such a tight bunch because things are so . . .

Agree with you.But I will say that it is amazing just how much our dollars will buy. Even though I wish that I could get some things upgraded from the factory. I realize that my priorities would not be the same as anyone else's. So to make everyones wishes come true... The manufacturers would have to upgrade many things, and the cost would go up a lot.Since I have advanced DIYer skills, I am pretty happy getting a good value and upgrading it to suit myself. I do look for certain features that will make my upgrades more feasible to do though.

I disagree with the "nobody" comment. I have had two Sunnybrook trailers dating back to 1997. I still have the second one. Neither has ever had to go in for any kind of service. I have had to tighten, repair minor items myself but have never had to take it to the dealer for any kind of repairs. Had a set screw come loose on the slideout mechanism one time but a mobile repair man found it and fixed it in about 3 minutes. That is the only "major" problem that we have had. Sunnybrooks are now made by Winnabago so I cannot vouch for the quality of those rigs but our present rig has been faultless since the day we purchased it almost 10 years ago. I would say that is pretty darn good quality, and I certainly would not call it a "junk"! :)Barney

I also disagree with the OP.Northwoods Mfg and Lance both go the extra mile to make sure that things are done correctly. Lance uses some pretty high tech construction methods and also materials. Also OutdoorRV Mfg is doing something right too!

its not who makes the best trailer , its who makes the best trailer for you at the price point you want to spend . I loved my $ 2500. mallard , It wasnt great , but it wasnt bad , but it was fun . I like my $ 7000 sunset creek , but I would like it a whole lot better if i got it for cheaper .

I definitely disagree with the OP on this statement: "What i have learned so far is - all trailers are junk, just of varying degrees."We have a Winnebago Minnie Winnie 2101DS which evolved from the Sunnybrook line that Winnebago bought. We looked at a lot of different trailers including going to 2 large RV shows before settling on the one we bought. We were looking at quality, design, and value. This trailer has lived up to all of those requirements. In no way can I consider this trailer to be junk to any degree.

Who makes the best trailer ? - my answer | Good Sam Community

FrankShore
Explorer
Aug 23, 2014
dahkota wrote:
The RV industry (specifically travel trailers) is the way it is because people are cheap. They are quite happy buying Walmart quality at Walmart prices but are quick to complain when they get what they pay for. There are plenty of high end manufacturing companies but people don't want to pay high end prices - they want a deal. And, on top of that, they will find the cheapest dealer with the cheapest price and complain when the dealer didn't pre-inspect what they buy.

One can buy a bayliner or one can buy a grady white. But in the end, you get what you pay for. If you want to buy cheap, expect to get the quality and service that goes with it.

X2 - Well said!
chorbelt
Explorer
Aug 23, 2014
OP is correct, each time we've had our POS out it's been something. Last trip, the doorknob to the bath broke. The knob part actually split/cracked and fell off so my daughter couldn't get out. Get it home and see that the siding is bubbling (Al., not glass) and see that it looks like there is some sort of electrolysis going on causing it to corrode.
chorbelt
Explorer
Aug 23, 2014
FrankShore wrote:
dahkota wrote:
The RV industry (specifically travel trailers) is the way it is because people are cheap. They are quite happy buying Walmart quality at Walmart prices but are quick to complain when they get what they pay for. There are plenty of high end manufacturing companies but people don't want to pay high end prices - they want a deal. And, on top of that, they will find the cheapest dealer with the cheapest price and complain when the dealer didn't pre-inspect what they buy.

One can buy a bayliner or one can buy a grady white. But in the end, you get what you pay for. If you want to buy cheap, expect to get the quality and service that goes with it.

X2 - Well said!

Yeah, I don't think 25K and up qualifies for "Walmart" pricing. For how crappy ALL trailers are put together, the only thing more money buys you is the whorehouse look of glitzy mirrors and fake granite.
BB_TX
Nomad
Aug 23, 2014
I also disagree with the OP. Maybe everything he has bought has been junk of varying degrees. Mine, I have been truly amazed at how few problems we have had after 7+ years. Fit and finish is still good, inside and out.
EcoBullet
Explorer
Aug 23, 2014
FrankShore wrote:
dahkota wrote:
The RV industry (specifically travel trailers) is the way it is because people are cheap. They are quite happy buying Walmart quality at Walmart prices but are quick to complain when they get what they pay for. There are plenty of high end manufacturing companies but people don't want to pay high end prices - they want a deal. And, on top of that, they will find the cheapest dealer with the cheapest price and complain when the dealer didn't pre-inspect what they buy.

One can buy a bayliner or one can buy a grady white. But in the end, you get what you pay for. If you want to buy cheap, expect to get the quality and service that goes with it.

X2 - Well said!

Yeah, I pretty well agree with you guys. That said, I'm pretty well pleased with mine, haven't had any problems so far, and am amazed that we can buy a fully equipped home on wheels for as little as we can. I'm hoping that storing under a carport and doing regular maintenance will keep her going for awhile.
atreis
Explorer
Aug 23, 2014
I've not owned one, but having been in them the Northwoods Mfg trailers really do appears to be better made.
rbpru
Explorer II
Aug 23, 2014
I have to disagree, try the following; build a house that you can.
• Design to build 25 of in a day.
• Mount it to a frame on wheels.
• Pull it down the road at 70 mph.
• Have your bed, bath, kitchen, microwave, tv, air conditioner and other stuff stay in place through bumps and bounces.
• Carry your water and septic.

Then pound these out with semi-skilled labor using the cheapest materials you can obtain that will survive the RV environment and sell them at the price that the average RV person will pay.

Do that, then decide if all RV’s are a piece of junk.
MarkTwain
Explorer
Aug 23, 2014
I agree with some qualifications:
1. Trying to determine which is the "best" trailer is questionable and subjective at best.
2. All trailers have defects, some just more than others
3. There is a variable positive correlation between the cost of various trailers and quality of the work.
4. As a consumer group, "Rvers" seem to be reluctant to exercise their consumer muscles by tolerating less than quality work and products. For example, tires, we all know that trailer mfg. put the least expensive tires with the lowest load rating on all new trailers. We should all demand the tires of our choice before agreeing to buy the trailer. No tires! No sale!
5. As a Heartland 5th. wheel owner, I agree that it is a great trailer. I especially praise the warranty and service from Heartland.
colliehauler
Explorer III
Aug 23, 2014
FrankShore wrote:
dahkota wrote:
The RV industry (specifically travel trailers) is the way it is because people are cheap. They are quite happy buying Walmart quality at Walmart prices but are quick to complain when they get what they pay for. There are plenty of high end manufacturing companies but people don't want to pay high end prices - they want a deal. And, on top of that, they will find the cheapest dealer with the cheapest price and complain when the dealer didn't pre-inspect what they buy.

One can buy a bayliner or one can buy a grady white. But in the end, you get what you pay for. If you want to buy cheap, expect to get the quality and service that goes with it.

X2 - Well said!
I have said the same thing many times as well.
dahkota
Explorer
Aug 23, 2014
chorbelt wrote:

Yeah, I don't think 25K and up qualifies for "Walmart" pricing. For how crappy ALL trailers are put together, the only thing more money buys you is the whorehouse look of glitzy mirrors and fake granite.

I paid $15K for my first tt and it went across the country twice (over 25K miles), through hail storms, thunderstorms, snow storms, off-road, bad road, dirt road, you name it. I had exactly one issue, covered under warranty, which was actually user error but they covered it anyway.

I paid $27K for my second tt and it had a similar life as above, though I also used it for fulltiming for seven months. One issue, covered under warranty that was also caused by user error. A second issue was a radio manufacturer's defect, not the fault of the tt manufacturer.

In both cases, I bought the tts from a well regarded dealer who actually did pre-purchase inspections to fix any issues before I bought them. In both cases, I believe I got more than what I paid for, considering the use and abuse I inflicted on the tts. A complete "home" that moves at up to 70 MPH on the potholed, badly paved, and dirt roads traveled on with hardly a whimper is a great deal in my opinion. Oh, and neither had mirrors or granite.

Maybe I just got lucky. Very lucky. Maybe it helped that I purchased from a reputable dealer that repairs any problems before I buy the trailer, rather than after. Maybe it made a difference that I didn't buy the cheapest tt I could find with more bells and whistles than structure. Who knows. I just know that it can't all be blamed on the manufacturers, as they only produce what people will buy. If people keep buying bottom of the line trailers from no frills quick cash dealers, that is what the manufacturers will make and the dealers that will stay in business.