Best Used Tent Trailer

[SoCalPal]

Hi All.
I'm looking to buy a "used" tent trailer for occasional camping (beach, mountains & desert).
I'll be pulling it with a Toyota Tundra V-8 so power and weight are non issues. Length is not an issue either.
My questions are these:
Which brand of used tent trailer is the 'best' overall quality?
Is there any particular date range I should be looking at?
I'm leaning toward a tandem axle. Any negatives?
Any major drawbacks to having a slide out? What about an A/C & heater or electric jacks?
I like the layout of the 2004 Jayco 1407 but Viking seems to have some positives too.
I've read that roof leaks are a chronic problem. Any recommendations?
Any advice is greatly appreciated.

[PAThwacker]

I stole my 2007 Jayco Jay Series 1206 for $2K. It far exceeds the quality build of my $14,000 piece of **** Flagstaff 625D.
Features aluminum skin roof, aluminum skin sides, with diamond plate walls on the front wall and rear wall. If I was still camping with the flagstaff the AC would have fell right through the roof, side panels collapse, and lord knows what else.

I leave my pup outside 24/7 and just keep an eye on the roof and side sealants. Water leak unattended on a Jayco can cause catastrophic roof lifting mechanism failure.




Features outside are my chuck box on left and classic coleman exponent on right side. Outside cooking exclusively and inside has suspension rod shelving, and folding dresser on top of the storage cabinet. No ac or bathroom. Thetford campa pottie outside and showering outside. No biggie.

[SoundGuy]

wowens79 wrote:
Coleman made some good ones but did have some roof issues on some models. If you google Coleman ABS roof issues you can find the info. Sorry I don't remember the years and models that had the problems.

The problematic ABS Strata roof was used for 8 model years on many models from 1996 to 2003, then replaced with the even worse AlumiTite a.k.a. "AlumiLeak" roof on some 2003.5 to 2006 model year trailers, 'though the actual name AlumiTite disappeared in advertising by (IIRC) 2005. One would want either a conventional single centre seam aluminum roof used on most Destiny series campers OR a seamless Filon roof which appeared (IIRC) with the 2007 model year OR a seamless aluminum skin roof which was used on many models in the last couple of years of the company's existence before the doors were closed in Jan 2011.

Roof aside, when buying a used popup trailer I'd be looking for one that has been stored indoors year 'round, except of course when out camping. We owned our 2000 Santa Fe for 6 yrs, stored it in my heated workshop, and although it had camped 200+ nights and been towed in excess of 30,000 miles it looked about as close to showroom new as any used trailer could. The buyer got a steal, whether he knew it or not. 😉

[wowens79]

We bought a Flagstaff that was about 3 years old in 2007, and kept it for 9 years. It was was garage kept almost its entire life. We never had any problems with it, and we had a great time in it.

It had A/C that worked great, only struggled one trip, we had no shade and it was about 100 degrees and humid. Also had a furnace, and heated mattresses.

It was probably one of the best purchases we ever made. We paid $6000 for it, and sold it for $5000 after 9 years, and we made priceless memories with the kids.

Coleman made some good ones but did have some roof issues on some models. If you google Coleman ABS roof issues you can find the info. Sorry I don't remember the years and models that had the problems.

As others have said the care taken by the owner is probably more important than brand.

[SoundGuy]

SoCalPal wrote:
I'm looking to buy a "used" tent trailer for occasional camping (beach, mountains & desert).

I've read that roof leaks are a chronic problem. Any recommendations?
Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Having previously owned Jayco and Fleetwood I wouldn't buy anything but a Fleetwood as it had the best lift system by far in the business and was the only manufacturer to use breathable Sunbrella tenting. HOWEVER you do need to educate yourself about the various types of roofs used on these trailers and stay away from those to be known leakers, the AlumiTite a.k.a. AlumiLeak specifically. Too many ABS Strata roofs also failed so the best choice is either a seamless Filon or aluminum skin roof used on post 2007 models or a conventional aluminum skin with a single centre seam.

[SoundGuy]

DutchmenSport wrote:
Like a tent, the inside of the canvas material will sweat and will get water droplets on it. This is normal to wake up in the morning, accidently touching the sides of the camper canvas, and getting splattered with a shower!

Which is why Fleetwood used Sunbrella tenting - with proper ventilation, no condensation. :B

[SoundGuy]

ScottG wrote:
On any used tent trailer, look underneath, upward at the bottom of the floor. If you see bare wood, I would move on.

Most popups have "bare wood" floors. Fleetwood used oriented strand board Structurwood for flooring and specifically warned against treating it with any sort of waterproofing agent - leave it alone, just as the manufacturer intended. 😉

[Ralph_Cramden]

Nothing can compare to an original Coleman, or the later versions after buyout by Fleetwood then FCTA until their demise @2011 made in Somerset PA. All the others are junk in comparison. Just stay clear of the few years with the ABS roof although I jave seen some abs roofs that did not deteriorate. Dont confuse them with the Somerset Line made by Columbia NW in Kecksburg PA which look like a Coleman but are slapped together garbage.

[slider45]

My cousin scored a used Starcraft Venture that is well maintained. Bring someone who knows how to check thoroughly especially the underneath.

[ScottG]

On any used tent trailer, look underneath, upward at the bottom of the floor. If you see bare wood, I would move on.

[DutchmenSport]

We owned a Starcraft Venture pop-up -1999 new-. We had it for 6 years and when we traded for our first travel trailer, it was still in pristine condition. But, we worked very hard to make that happen. And we had all the "canvas" -more like plastic- siding replaced after the first year of ownership.

The awning flipped over the roof and punched a hole in the roof. At the tune of $4000, insurance paid to replace the entire roof. So, when sold, it was virtually still a new camper.

But I would not expect that (plastic) siding to last for 18 years. I figure, when the actual siding material was about 5 years old, it was time for a new replacement. The roof should last forever! It was aluminum, one solid sheet.

As far as leaking, it couldn't leak. The camper had no roof vent, no air conditioner, no bathroom, so really, nothing to make any holes in the roof. No holes, means no where for water to penetrate.

Lots and lots and lots of pop up camper have air conditioners mounted on their roofs. Some folks even mount bicycle racks on the roof in addition to factory mounted air conditioners. Air conditioners weigh somewhere between 70 and 100 pounds. The lifting mechanism on most pop up's will have no problem lifting an extra 100 pounds.

If shopping for a used pop-up, you need to examine the canvas siding, or plastic siding, or whatever the material is made of. This will be the most vulnerable and potentially area of greatest failure. Check the seems carefully. Make sure all the grommets and bungee cord catches are there, no rips, no tears, no shredding, no seams coming apart.

The box of the camper will most likely be just fine!

Extend both bunk ends, and look for a gap under the bunk where it sits on top of the rear and front wall. If there is a gap and you see daylight, you'll also have mosquitoes and bugs come through there.

When we were shopping for our first pop-up, I noticed this gap, almost half an inch on new Coleman pop-ups. And I think that is was biggest reason we walked away from Coleman. Also, at that time -1999- Coleman had the door that flipped down and it became the step to enter the camper. I could only see that failing under heavy weight eventually.

Look for gaps where water, light and bugs, can get through. If you find them, either figure out if you can seal them up, or have the existinging owner do that, or walk away.

I doubt you have very many leaks in a pop-up. Mold? yes. If the pop-up was ever closed up wet, you will forever be fight on-going mold. It will never completely go away. You can clean it, slow it down, but it will always eventually come back. Look for traces of mold on the canvas materials.

Like a tent, the inside of the canvas material will sweat and will get water droplets on it. This is normal to wake up in the morning, accidently touching the sides of the camper canvas, and getting splattered with a shower!

[Lwiddis]

Horsepower, towing capacity and tongue weight are always an issue.

[rexlion]

Yep, condition! Find one that looks like it's been taken care of, at a price you can be happy with, buy it and go camping. Best if it's been stored under cover, because that reduces the chance of it being water damaged.

[donn0128]

As with any used RV condition is far more important that brand name. Depending in how you intend to use it and where you plan on going the lighter and smaller the better. As for AC? Most tent trailers simply dont have the roof strength to support one without extensive bracing.