WTH ?

spike99 wrote:
IMO, buying a trailer is much like people with their vehicles.

Some folks buy it, never wax it, never "make it better" and only reactively fix an item - when it does breaks. Like a BIC lighter, they use it until it costs too much to fix, then get rid of it (re: throw it away, sell or trade it in for another). Especially since Trailer ownership is between 3-5 years.

Others buy a vehicle, add little things to it (to make it better than factory) and in the end, dramatically reduce the risk of things reactively breaking. Especially while on the road - far away from home.

For me, I investigate each of my trailers and where needed, +1 its tires, +1 its leaf spring packs, replace factory linear brake wiring with much better STAR brake wiring AFTER its factory warranty is over. I will also install better power fan in the bathroom, install roof vents, install better mattress, LED tail light upgrades, electrical Surge protection, etc. etc. Make it better for longer life and to reduce the risk of "reactive" breakage. And, upgrade the things that make its usage better for me (to my liking) as well.

Remember that RV factories only build to "minimum" SPECs. Above minimum means more profits out of their pocket (which is a bad thing from their view). If you want "better than factory" and plan to keep your trailer a long time, then some "minimum spec" items must be upgraded yourself. Sad to say but true....

Some good valid points but I wouldn't buy a car and then expect I'd need to replace all the tires , brake assemblies , shocks , springs etc. Pretty sad situation . Too bad they don't have an option when ordering "any" trailer to upgrade to a heavier duty running gear package . Sounds like it would add a couple of grand to the price but I know I'd pay it .

Thee's a reason they only put on average a 1 year warranty on them. 2 at most. And a 2 year warranty is no guarantee that it's built better. As far as the tires, frame and suspension goes. Look for bracing above the spring hangers. If you don't see any, run. If you can't pronounce the name of the tires, have them changed out to Goodyear Marathons, Maxxis, or Carlisle. As for the springs, look at the cargo carrying capacity. It should be as high as you can get. Stay away from trailers that have 900-1500lbs of CCC. By the time you load up with gear and maybe water you'll be pushing the limits.
For the most part everything out of Indiana is built the same way with a few variables that don't make one better, just different.
If you want something a little better then look at one of the smaller brands. Lance, Northwood, Outdoors RV, Airstream, Oliver or Bigfoot to name a few. All those have gone the extra mile to make something that will stand apart from the rest. Will they all have no problems? No, they all have problems. But having a solid foundation takes away one area that is susceptible to problems.
And you do get what you pay for.

The travel trailer you buy (TT) is designed for the average family doing the average family outing. Most are designed for use at campgrounds (CG) with electricity and some degree of water and sewage dump. Many full hook-up CGs have all three, most have at least electricity.

The TT manufacturers design and build for a very price competitive market. They build fast with parts that will do the job. It is safe to say they do not over design their products but the industry sells over 400,000 TTs and fifth wheels (5ver) each year. The vast majority serve their owners well.

As for frames, tires, materials, appliances etc. they are universal throughout the industry. Almost all TTs in a given price range will have the same raw materials suppliers. There is no magic bullet or manufacturer.

For those who want something different or a cut above the norm, there are companies for that market also. The egg type shells such as Casita and Bigfoot or the tube like Air Stream or the more conventional models such as Lance are often mentioned as being a cut above the rest. This is also reflected in their price.

There are also the modifications made by those who boone dock, winter or desert camp and other such unique camping styles.

My suggestion is to select the floor plan with a loaded tongue weight your tow vehicle (TV) can handle, then rent one for a week or so of travel. You will learn a lot very quickly.

IMO, buying a trailer is much like people with their vehicles.

Some folks buy it, never wax it, never "make it better" and only reactively fix an item - when it does breaks. Like a BIC lighter, they use it until it costs too much to fix, then get rid of it (re: throw it away, sell or trade it in for another). Especially since Trailer ownership is between 3-5 years.

Others buy a vehicle, add little things to it (to make it better than factory) and in the end, dramatically reduce the risk of things reactively breaking. Especially while on the road - far away from home.

For me, I investigate each of my trailers and where needed, +1 its tires, +1 its leaf spring packs, replace factory linear brake wiring with much better STAR brake wiring AFTER its factory warranty is over. I will also install better power fan in the bathroom, install roof vents, install better mattress, LED tail light upgrades, electrical Surge protection, etc. etc. Make it better for longer life and to reduce the risk of "reactive" breakage. And, upgrade the things that make its usage better for me (to my liking) as well.

Remember that RV factories only build to "minimum" SPECs. Above minimum means more profits out of their pocket (which is a bad thing from their view). If you want "better than factory" and plan to keep your trailer a long time, then some "minimum spec" items must be upgraded yourself. Sad to say but true....

Lynnmor wrote:

The "I never had a problem" crowd are living at the edge.

Or maybe they bought the right trailer to start with?

Bols2DawaLL wrote:
There seems to be lots of discussions regarding folks changing out tires and/or axles and/or springs etc etc on brand new TT's . Is this normal ?

Not unheard of but also not common IMO, the trick I think being to pick a trailer that has considerable CCC, meaning a trailer with a UVW at least a ton or more under it's GVWR even if you never could conceive of loading so much junk into the trailer that it's GVW loaded & ready to camp would ever come anywhere near it's GVWR. That's been the case with the last two trailers I've owned and I've never had an issue with running gear with either one. :)

Nylon equalizer bushings wearing out quite quickly is just the nature of the beast and is common ... if it's an issue that concerns you just swap them out for a wet bolt kit with brass bushings that will last considerably longer. I did this with my previous KZ Spree, haven't yet bothered with my current Coachmen but now that it's 4 yrs old likely will the next time I have it in the shop as it's a pretty good investment for anyone who intends to keep their trailer long term. :)

I have replaced absolutely everything below the frame. These things are basically junk.

Tires - because I don't want cheap Chinese junk.

Wheels - to fit real tires.

Brakes - because the drum armatures were severely worn.

Axles - because they were bent from new.

Springs - because they broke.

Spring bushings - because the cheap nylon was spent.

Shackles, bolts, nuts - because they were failing.

Welded frame - because it was cracked in 4 places.

Stabilizer jacks - because they were assembled wrong.

Look at Northwood Mfg. for a company that makes a good frame and uses suspension parts that are not at the very minimum that is legal. Look at the NCC (net carrying capacity) for similar size trailers.

The "I never had a problem" crowd are living at the edge.

You still do get what you pay for. Don't buy a TT that is almost overloaded be for you put anything in it. You can still get a trailer with good tires and axles.

I owned a pop-up for 3 years, a hybrid for 5, and a large travel trailer for 5 more. I did not need add'l ground clearance so no axle swap for me. I never had trouble with tires (kept 'em inflated and I checked for wear). I did install shocks on the last trailer due to our awesome roads.

I don't believe that you automatically need to swap out the entire suspension. Use it for a while and see if it's needed.

No, not currently but you might want to check back in a few years.