Best?

[MargaretB]

I'm looking at everything I can find in the 20-25' range, with at least one slide. From what I can see, it appears that the Forest River Surveyor Cadet, the Winnebago Minnie, and the Keystone Bullet are pretty evenly matched in terms of quality of design and workmanship. Does anyone have an opinion (!) on any of these, pro or con?

[Ron3rd]

Margret,
Our last trailer was a 25ft Aljo by Skyline. Skyline had a factory in Hesperia at the time so the West Coast price was reasonable. This trailer was a single slide and we paid about $16K out the door. Nice trailer to get started with and we used it for 9 years before selling it to a friend that is still getting a lot of use out of it. Skyline sells under several labels but worth a look.

[fatboy66]

coolbreeze01 wrote:
Best of those three? They wouldn't make my top three choices. Good luck.

That wasn't the question.

[dadmomh]

Dick_B always suggests the Trailmanor as the solution to any question. While they are considered a well built trailer, it is not anywhere close to what you've said you need and they are pricey.

Question......would you consider a road trip to OH to pick up a trailer if you found the right model?? We bought both our Rockwood trailers from RVWholesalers and have been totally pleased, not to mention saving over $4000 on our HTT and even more on the TT - after travel expenses. Before you head out the door, if you haven't already taken a look you might do so. They do not post prices, but email them to you. You can guesstimate the price by the MSRP they show....figure about 30%+ off that number. MSRP prices are not a true number like in car purchases, but you can at least get an idea. Lots of happy customers on here. No games, no trades, just the straight price. They carry a wide variety of manufacturers and have plenty of pictures and floorplans to look at. Just a thought.

Good luck.

[mileshuff]

MargaretB wrote:
Your Minnie Winnie looks really nice, but in our part of the world, it's out of our price range. I'm amazed at the enormous variation in prices between the east-midwest and the west. As much as 33% on some units.

Generally you should be able to talk the dealer down 25-35% off of MSRP list price. Perhaps in many locations the dealers advertises list prices while other areas show discounted prices. Either way, make an offer and ignore the asking price. I have heard that dealers in southern California tend to not budge as much as Arizona or Nevada.

We have a Winnebago 5'er we bought last year. Similar construction to the Minnie. Much better build quality than some of the Jayco's, Heartland etc. we looked at.

[MargaretB]

lhenry8113 wrote:
I am partial to Northwood products--particularly Arctic Fox.

Lars, I've checked out the Arctic Fox and it's bigger than we can handle. So I looked at the Nash models and found two that I like, if I can find them within our price range.

We are gradually crossing things off our wish list in the name of shorter/lighter. So far, I've given up a sofa and my husband has reluctantly agreed to a U-shaped dinette instead of a standard one, which he much prefers. And we've agreed that we don't need a separate bedroom, as long as there's some sort of separator curtain so he doesn't wake me up when he gets up at 5:00 am. We don't watch much TV, so that's not an issue. The only things we won't give up are a slider and a kitchen with some counter-space. Everything else is negotiable, because we're scared to death that we'll get something that will rip the chassis out of our Sequoia.

[FireRob]

MargaretB wrote:
What does DP mean???

Double Post.

He posted the same thing twice and was deleting one of them but letting you know what happened so you don't think your missing something in a blank post.

[MargaretB]

What does DP mean???

[Bill___Kate]

MargaretB wrote:
Good suggestions, but as usual, I have more questions... As far as construction goes, which of the two options you mentioned is preferable??? And how will we know if the roof is walk-on? How do I find out about frame and axle sizes?

Do their reputations differ, pro or con?

To answer your original question about how to determine the differences .... Most the trailers in a given price range will use similar components from one of the few manufacturers - stoves, refrigerators, toilets, air conditioners, etc. - will be pretty comparable.

The differences that might matter the most include the aforementioned things like roof construction, frame, and running gear. As far as the roof, the newest and probably strongest construction method is the use of metal stamped rafters forming an arched roof with roofing material coming down over the edge of the roof/sidewall joint. This type of construction provides better rain runoff, and should be stronger than the previously used flat roofs.

As for the frame, generally the bigger the main frames, the better, but the thickness and type of the metal beams used is also important.

The axle assemblies are designed by the axle manufacturer to a specific capacity that should be marked on a tag on the axle, or be determined by looking up the manufacturers model number on their webpage. Most trailer manufacturers seem to skimp on the axle/tire size, so check it carefully - total capacity should exceed the gross vehicle weight of the trailer by a comfortable margin - the more the merrier within reason.

Same for the tires. Most trailers come with marginally adequate capacity tires. 15" tires and wheels are much more desirable than 14" tires and wheels and there are many more choices of sizes, manufacturers, and load ranges of replacements with more capacity than what comes with the trailer. Try to negotiate for 15" wheels and tires that are a load range higher than what is standard on the trailer.

Most everything else comes down to fit and finish and added features you find desirable. Personally, we like a real back bumper and hitch receiver, power tongue jack, slide toppers, plenty of ground clearance, storage compartment hatches large enough to fit a milk crate into (makes stowing things easier), a black tank flush, and cabling for a satellite dish, but your list may very.

[Huntindog]

Huntindog wrote:

MargaretB wrote:
Good suggestions, but as usual, I have more questions... As far as construction goes, which of the two options you mentioned is preferable???I prefer that the walls sit on top of the frame, just as a house's walls sit on top of the foundation. And how will we know if the roof is walk-on? You are looking for 3/8 boards up there. OSB or plywood. NOT luan. If it isn't specifically listed in the brochure, then don't believe a salesman. Pull a vent off of the ceiling and look. How do I find out about frame and axle sizes? I think that this item is the most important. 6 lugs usually means a 3" axle tube, versus a 2 3/8" tube. Crawl under them with a tape measure and notepad. Note the frame. C channel, I beam, tube, fake I beam, or the swiss cheese variety.
How tall is it, how thick?

Do their reputations differ, pro or con?

[Huntindog]

DP

[Heap64]

Since you are out West already you might take a look at Northwoods Nash line? Still solid trailers but without some of the bells and whistles of the Arctic Fox line.

Northwoods Nash



Northwoods also has a sister company (Outdoors Manufactoring) also made in Oregon that has some nice looking trailers as well.

Outdoors Manufacturing Creekside

Good luck in your hunt!

[MargaretB]

Your Minnie Winnie looks really nice, but in our part of the world, it's out of our price range. I'm amazed at the enormous variation in prices between the east-midwest and the west. As much as 33% on some units.

[Bigbird65]

You asked the right question. We are crazy about our Minnie Winnie 2101DS. We have put 3300 miles on it since March this year. Here is a tour of our Minnie:

[Dick_B]

Did you look at the various Jayco products? How about TrailManor's TT.