Help me compare Coleman 250TQ to Palomino 27SBC

[npaden]

This would be my 4th trailer so I have a little bit of experience. Just not the best at finding the perfect one for our family.

Quick links in case you want to check them out:

Coleman 25OTQ - Coleman 250TQ - Local Camping World

Local Camping World. Heard some horror stories about them and some folks have had good luck with them. With them being local I would be able to be sure of what I was buying before I signed on the dotted line. I would be paying cash so wouldn't have to deal with them financing anything.

Palomino 27SBC - Palomino 27SBC - FunTown RV - 350 miles away

At FunTown RV where I bought my last trailer new. High volume place so good pricing. They are 350 miles away. I never had to do any warranty work on my last trailer so that wasn't ever an issue.

I'm looking at something that I can fit a 50" 570 RZR and a Yamaha Grizzly 450 in. I think both of these will work with the RZR in first and the Grizzly in sideways behind it.

One of the biggest differences in the 2 models is the smaller ramp door on the Coleman. I think I would still be able to get the ATV loaded sideways, but not as easy as it would be with the full width ramp door on the Puma.

On both of them I would end up ditching the fancy chairs because there isn't anywhere to put them when the toys were loaded. We will just use some lightweight folding chairs instead. I may be able to keep one of the chairs with the toys loaded, but for sure not both.

Looking at something that we can park on the side of the road somewhere on the way to or from the destination and sleep my 10 year old son in the back bunk (which would possibly require him climbing over the RZR) and the wife and I on the queen in the front.

Pulling with a 2012 Chevy 1/2 Ton 4x4 rated to tow 9,100. I am pushing the envelope on both of these with the toys in them but I don't plan on upgrading the truck, I'll just drive slower and deal with it.

Coleman is a bit lighter on the dry weight but actually has a higher GVWR. I would be loading the same things in either trailer so the actual weight would be lower with the Coleman even though it's GVWR is slightly over my rated towing capacity at 9,680.

Most trips will be under 200 miles with the occasionally really long haul.

The camping world is relatively new to Lubbock and I've never even stepped foot on the property. With some of the horror stories I'm a little concerned with dealing with them, however I would hope that I wouldn't have to other than the initial purchase.

We are lucky to spend 10 nights a year in the previous trailers that we've owned so some of the nicer features are not worth the extra price to us, but we don't want something that is going to fall apart in a couple years either.

Just curious if anyone has either of these models or similar models from the same brands.

Thanks, Nathan

[Y-Guy]

Congrats npaden!

[npaden]

I ended up finding a used 2011 Keystone Fuzion 260 for a good price and ended up buying it. I think it will fit what I need it too and it isn't way too heavy. At least this way if I find out my truck isn't up to the task I won't take too big of a bath reselling it.

I pulled it home a little over 100 miles into a crosswind and it actually pulled pretty well. That was with it empty and the tongue weight is actually more when it is empty that with something in the cargo area.

65mph and 7.1 mpg. Ahh, the joys of pulling a trailer!

[Bayerlake]

Have your wife check out both bathrooms. Looks like a wet vs dry. As a woman, I woulkd vote the Puma for the better bathroom!

[npaden]

Went and looked at the Coleman 250TQ today.

The back door is only 60" wide. Would be very tough to get an ATV in the back sideways. Maybe impossible with the fact that I would have to have the RZR loaded in first.

With the wheel wells sticking up in the floor it would be very tight getting back and forth to the bunk with the RZR in there too.

From a resell perspective a 60" RZR or Ranger wouldn't make it through that back door.

So it's off the list.

I also looked at a Jayco Octane Super Lite 260 and 222 and the Super Lite 260 is actually just a little too heavy and the 222 is just a little too small. They were pricey, but had several options (fuel station, etc.) that the others I've been looking at don't which makes up for some of the difference.

If the Super Lite 260 was 6,000 lbs dry weight I think I would buy it. As it was on the lot it was 6,800 lbs dry weight though.

Still on the hunt, just got the cheapest one crossed off the list now.

Thanks, Nathan

[npaden]

It will work for my 50" RZR, but I need to check to make sure it will fit a regular one.

[dedmiston]

The ramp on the Coleman looks too narrow for a RZR. Have you checked it?

[npaden]

camp-n-family wrote:
The dry tongue weights of either of those trailers starts around 900lbs. Once loaded up it will exceed your hitch receiver rating and likely your payload rating too. That's a lot of trailer for a 1/2 ton truck, even if not loaded to gvwr. The length of the trip makes no difference.

The last trailer had a 1,000lb tongue weight. (the V-Cross design adds weight to the tongue) The truck and hitch is rated high enough with a weight distributing hitch, it is just whether I will enjoy towing it that much. The V-Cross wasn't terrible, it went to Wyoming and back a couple times and to the New Mexico mountains a couple times.

Y-Guy, Thanks for the inspection checklist. I think all the trailers I've been looking at must be the narrow ones. I will double check on fitting 2 ATV's in side by side and also fitting a 4 passenger RZR and/or Ranger in as well. Not the toys I have right now, but toys tend to swap around and if I go to resell it down the road other folks will have different toys than me as well.

Thanks, Nathan

[Y-Guy]

Double check me on this but I think both of those might be narrow 96" (8') wide units not the 102" (8'6") units. So measure your storage area if you are trying to get the ATVs in side by side.

To me it doesn't matter who you buy it from, you need to do a detailed PDI (your own not the one the dealer does) so you can really test out each feature & function, before you sign any purchase papers. Once you sign the paper work you own it and then it's you, working through the dealer (or another service dealer) getting any work done and approved by the manufacturer. If you find problems first, the dealer will get things fixed so they can sell that unit (fast).

You can find many PDI check lists on the web, I recommend the Tom Boles' Check list available here. I think the only thing missing is to test any electric bed and the fuel station ability to pump out gas - for that bring along 2-5 gallons of gas and test it. Check to see if the gas coming out is discolored while your at it.

[camp-n-family]

The dry tongue weights of either of those trailers starts around 900lbs. Once loaded up it will exceed your hitch receiver rating and likely your payload rating too. That's a lot of trailer for a 1/2 ton truck, even if not loaded to gvwr. The length of the trip makes no difference.

[npaden]

Looks like it's been a while since I last posted.

New truck since the one in my signature and I've sold that trailer, bought another (2011 Forest River V-Cross 26 VBH) and sold it too.