Bought a used HTT today!

[poppin_fresh]

I finally pulled the trigger on a used Starcraft Travelstar 18SB that popped up on CL just yesterday. Its a 2005 model, but owned by an older couple that was meticulous about taking care of it. The interior is in mint condition and still smells new. It has all of the upgraded appliances and they don't even looked like they got used.

I was paranoid about leaks, but I looked EVERYWHERE for signs of any leaking or softness and found absolutely nothing. Not a bubble or stain in any of the cabinets under the tents or anywhere else. The underside of the trailer is also virtually spotless as well as the roof.

I ended up getting it for just under NADA "low retail" which I think is fair given how clean it is. For only an 18 foot trailer its surprisingly roomy! It should serve our small family of four for several years until we have a bigger TV and can upgrade to larger quarters.

[bikendan]

poppin_fresh wrote:
I didn't buy a hybrid for the tent sleeping experience like some people do. For me it was the most room I could get and still tow it with my SUV. Almost everything else I could tow would have required folding the dinette every night for either the kids bed or ours.

i hate to say this but this is same reason many new hybrid buyers give and then they end up selling their hybrid after one season.

it's dealing with the canvas that ends up being the big negative, because they ignored the realities of the canvas, for all the extra sleeping capacity and floorspace, in a smaller package.

yes, these are definitely positives of hybrids BUT it's because of the canvas ends that make all that possible. and many end up getting tired of putting away wet canvas and then having to pull it back out to dry or they get tired of noisy neighbors or dealing with temp control in the bunk ends or numerous other things.

it's said many times, "if you don't love the idea of sleeping under canvas, DON'T buy a hybrid".
of course, you may be an exception but after being on hybrid forums for the past 7 years, it's a very common scenario with new owners.

[poppin_fresh]

Winterwolf227 wrote:
We just traded out our Starcraft 21Sb for the rig in my Sig. I know we will miss the openness of the Hybrid when in the state parks, but setting up and taking down became a pain in the rear. Im ready to push a button to retract the slide and awning and head down the road to our next adventure.

I hear what you are saying.

I didn't buy a hybrid for the tent sleeping experience like some people do. For me it was the most room I could get and still tow it with my SUV. Almost everything else I could tow would have required folding the dinette every night for either the kids bed or ours.

I think this trailer will suit us for a couple years, but I can definitely already see how nice it would be to always have the beds made and ready to go and not have to mess with popping out the tent ends. After our first trip out this weekend, while we had a blast, I'm already working on my wish list for our next camper. 🙂

Jon

[Winterwolf227]

We just traded out our Starcraft 21Sb for the rig in my Sig. I know we will miss the openness of the Hybrid when in the state parks, but setting up and taking down became a pain in the rear. Im ready to push a button to retract the slide and awning and head down the road to our next adventure.

[dadmomh]

Congrats on the new HTT. No better place for a Saturday afternoon nap than on the bunkdend with the ends unzipped and breezes drifting through. Ahhhhh. We are looking for a new home for our HTT as we just moved to the darkside. I know we'll miss the ROO, but it was time for a change for us. Meanwhile it's still within eyesight. Know there will be some tears when it actually pulls out of our driveway. Happy Camping!

[Padlin]

For safety sake, use a WDH. I'd go the next size up from the 500 lb if you go with the Camco. I use a 600 lb Equalizer and it's none too big. The manual on the Traverse may have info on this too.

[Hoosierdaddy47]

Adventure RV sells Camco Eaz-Lift WDH for 129 bucks (500 lb tongue) on eBay. Gonna get one myself.

[certified106]

bikendan wrote:

certified106 wrote:
As far as weight distributing hitches goes, you most definitely need one! I am not usually one to go over board on safety equipment but with your tow vehicle I wouldn't feel safe or at ease without o e.

if you read your owner's manual, it will tell you that one is required over a certain tongue weight, which i'm sure you'll be at.

That is exactly what I was referring to..... thanks for putting it more eloquently. Lol

[bikendan]

certified106 wrote:
As far as weight distributing hitches goes, you most definitely need one! I am not usually one to go over board on safety equipment but with your tow vehicle I wouldn't feel safe or at ease without o e.

if you read your owner's manual, it will tell you that one is required over a certain tongue weight, which i'm sure you'll be at.

[certified106]

As far as weight distributing hitches goes, you most definitely need one! I am not usually one to go over board on safety equipment but with your tow vehicle I wouldn't feel safe or at ease without o e.

[poppin_fresh]

Padlin wrote:
Congrats, we enjoy ours and have had no major issues, good little trailers. If you have any questions drop me a note. By the way, it's actually a 16' box, 20' bumper to ball, have yet to figure out where the 18 in 18sb comes from.

Couple things to keep in mind, mine is tongue heavy, not much carrying capacity, and do check your tires.

Thanks for the tips. I had noticed that it has a lot of tongue weight per the specs, but it really didn't seem to squat my Traverse too much. I towed it home tonight and it towed just fine. I'm really on the fence about whether I need to spend the $$ for a WDH or not.

As for the tires, the previous owner put brand new ones on last fall, so they are good to go!

Jon

[RandK-M]

Best of luck with your new trailer and above all - Happy Camping!!

Ray

[mbopp]

Congrats! We traded our '05 21SSO on the hardside in my sig. The dealer couldn't believe how little-used it appeared. When we picked up the new TT they said it had been sold already. Somebody got a nice HTT.

[Padlin]

Congrats, we enjoy ours and have had no major issues, good little trailers. If you have any questions drop me a note. By the way, it's actually a 16' box, 20' bumper to ball, have yet to figure out where the 18 in 18sb comes from.

Couple things to keep in mind, mine is tongue heavy, not much carrying capacity, and do check your tires.

[drenjoey]

Congrats on the new HTT.
We too have fond memories of our 2004 Starcraft, Unfortunately, Cindy storm dropped a pine tree ( we're from Maine) on it and totaled it.
It was a great HTT....... well built.

Have fun and Welcome
Dre