Do Brands Matter? (Keystone/Crossroads/Wildwood/Jayco)

[Jarrett]

We have decided that we want a 26-29 foot rear living or rear kitchen model. We're still deciding if we want fiberglass sides or aluminum, but we've found several of these floorplans that are suitable for us at a few different RV dealers.

We've found Keystone/Sprinter (Holiday World), Crossroads Sunset Trail, Cruiser RV MPG (FunTown RV) and Radiance, Forest River Wildwood, Coleman (Camping World) and Jayco Jay Flight models that we like. They are all in the same general price ballpark.

We are hesitant to pull the trigger because we don't know which brand will be more reliable for us over time. Is there any way to know or do you just jump on a brand and hope for the best?

What is your experience?

[crk112]

Give good thought and consideration about the extra add-ons they're going to try to sell you.. paint warranties and discount cards and stuff... in the end a lot of money-wasters, just extra income for the dealer.

Find a unit that meets your criteria... floor plan, features, construction materials, price, color.. spend some time on dealer websites browsing inventory to formulate an idea for what you want. Wife and I were able to narrow down dealers pretty quick just by how responsive OR UNRESPONSIVE they were.

Pick a couple of dealers and then go visit. Have your idea of what you want but be open-minded. We went to the dealer with two specific units in mind from their online inventory, but wound up looking at 7 units. If they listen to your criteria and can show you units that consistently fit within that criteria then they might be worth your purchase. If it seems like they're not listening to you or you have to keep reminding them about your budget or that you wanted rear living, maybe time to move on.

And lastly.. don't neglect your hitch.. depending on your tow vehicle you may want a weight distributing hitch. I'd encourage you to determine for yourself whether you need one, but if you have a half-ton for example you probably will want one. It'll make the drive a lot more enjoyable and a lot less white-knuckle. 🙂

Cheers and good luck! Hope to see you on the road. Safe travels;

ck

[mowingman]

The reputation of the dealer is much more important than the brand in my opinion. I am in the DFW area,(Denton). We have about 12 RV dealers within 15 miles of home. I did not buy from any of them, as all have mixed reviews about their sales and service. I ended up driving up to Kansas to a very reputable dealer and buying a one year old used travel trailer as a starter.

[badsix]

I think there are definite differences between most brands, but you'll pay for the extra quality. we were at a major rv dealer and walked by a new t/t and on the front corner at the seam there were corrosion holes in the metal skin, poor quality ?
Jay D.

[USAFBILL]

jarata1 wrote:
id stay away from camper world and go to a smaller dealer

X _ 2

[downtheroad]

Grand Design and Arctic Fox seem to be a notch above the rest right now.
Otherwise, pick the floor plan that you like the best and get on down the road.

For any RV, being handy and having a good variety of tools will give you the best, "brand."

[TurnThePage]

Whatever you buy, you should expect to spend some time doing preventive maintenance right up front. I would check and re-caulk (or Eternabond tape) the roof edges, seams and openings ASAP, then work your way down the front/back/sides with a non-silicon caulk as needed. Inspect your plumbing while it's pressurized and ready to use, etc, etc. If you're not handy have the brakes adjusted/checked and bearings lubed/checked. Learn about the term PDI, and do it thoroughly. If you're thorough, after that most brands will be pretty equal.

[bobndot]

jump on a brand and hope for the best?

jump on a brand and hope for the best. ( i left out the question mark )

and i agree with the first 2 posters. Pick a floorplan and try to find a dealer with a good reputation.

I would read the owners forums of each brand for an owner opinion, read what they are saying.

I like what jim did, 2016 $15k is nice.:C
I was getting a little worried when he mentioned $50k for a new one. Losing $25k as soon as you sign would hurt .

[jim1521]

I just went through two months worth of tire kicking. I started off looking at the Grand Design trailers, specifically the Reflection series. I liked what I saw and used that as the "bar" if you will for standards in a mid-$50's (new) priced trailer. I then looked at the Imagine series by GD, and it was good, but not as good as the Reflection.

From there I looked at a number of Forest River models, Keystone models, Coleman models, and Heartland - specifically the Mallard. I found all of these just mentioned to be about the same quality and build grade - but none up to the standard of the a Reflection. Things like insulation rating, quality of finish inside, slider hardware, wall thickness, etc. we're some of the key differentiators for me.

Over the weekend I found a 2016 Reflection that was basically brand new, and saved over $15k. Bringing it home Thursday.

Good luck with your search.

[jarata1]

id stay away from camper world and go to a smaller dealer

[Ron3rd]

You hear good and bad about all the major brands. Seems to be no pattern; some are good, others have problems. We had a Forest River Rockwood trailer and it's been great. Others have had problems with Forest River. In my opinion, the trailers you're looking at in that price range are all built about the same.