Flagstaff T12BH VS> A Starcraft of same floorplan

[Kayak_Kamper]

Went to a dealer, {StarCraft} No need to post that experience. Now looking at the Flagstaff. Both have a little storage deck in front. Anyone have any thoughts? seems the axle set up on Flagstaff is better?.. Can not tell in pictures...so will need to see the FIT/Finish etc. Thanks for any input you may have....The A frame concept is appealing...However The ALINER and CHALET is to far away ..And the price?... Well like 10K More...Really?? This only a four to five year toy {TEST} ..Then I will perhaps upgrade to a real trailor...etc....The issue is ..Hat Creek California, Burney falls ..Lassen and a whole lot of ...little places just can not support a large footprint. Heck I can name then...but few go there..Nice having the Trout stream Six feet away ..from Cutthroats to brookies..Dolly Varden..YUM YUM!!!

[LauraB83]

We bought the StarCraft Comet Hardside with the minideck on the front this spring. We love the deck, it carries everything that we would have put in the back of our truck when we had the Kodiak Hybrid.

[Jafa]

Kayak Kamper wrote:
Only concern is Dometic cool cat heat pump..90/90 is NOT unusal in Florida. If I was in Mt Lassen California..no problem.. But Florida is not hot .. it is hot and WET!!!! Counting the days ..delivery in 2 weeks....Lagstaff T12bh.. Now my better half.. has me doing the HD antenna and 12 volt/ac tv search.. This is really a drag..Because.. .. Not to name Drop... BUT...Blue Ridge, Watkins Glen , Maine coast, New Hampshire . Skyline and ..luray caverns .. Howe caverns Florida caverns. Carolinas Smokies,, Tahoe .. A lot of Sierras.. Going Going ...Florida Coral reefs...And I have to ensure...I can stream every silly Forensic cop show.. This is why I LOVE TO KAYAK!! Someday ..I will meet Me!!! in a Campground..

For television you might want to check at truck service center such as pilot or flying j they have a lot of 12 volt stuff. I get the brand name and check Amazon for a price comparison.

[Kayak_Kamper]

Only concern is Dometic cool cat heat pump..90/90 is NOT unusal in Florida. If I was in Mt Lassen California..no problem.. But Florida is not hot .. it is hot and WET!!!! Counting the days ..delivery in 2 weeks....Lagstaff T12bh.. Now my better half.. has me doing the HD antenna and 12 volt/ac tv search.. This is really a drag..Because.. .. Not to name Drop... BUT...Blue Ridge, Watkins Glen , Maine coast, New Hampshire . Skyline and ..luray caverns .. Howe caverns Florida caverns. Carolinas Smokies,, Tahoe .. A lot of Sierras.. Going Going ...Florida Coral reefs...And I have to ensure...I can stream every silly Forensic cop show.. This is why I LOVE TO KAYAK!! Someday ..I will meet Me!!! in a Campground..

[ElBesoBlanco]

It's a hugely informative group on Facebook with over 1000 members & welcomes all A-Frame brands. There's a few other brand specific A-Frame groups as well as other splinter groups to discuss A-Frame camping.

I like to keep aware of other pop up stuff so I bounce around the other pop up groups and mostly lurk. Like this forum, they are mostly tent trailers but still interesting reading at times.

[Jafa]

ElBesoBlanco wrote:
That's awesome! Congrats! You'll enjoy having the little deck to carry stuff on! Hope to also see you in the A-frame forums! Come back and let us know how much you are enjoying your trailer!!

A-frame forum! Where?

[ElBesoBlanco]

I drove a couple hours away to pick up my Flagstaff A-Frame even tho there was a dealer a few miles from me.

It totally understand the frustration of a dealer having trouble with the public perception of not wanting to pay for a trailer because it's small and folding. It's definitely a niche market.

It's such a backward way to think that because the trailer is small and folding, it should be cheaper than a conventional travel trailer. That would be like saying a convertible car should be less expensive because it's missing the hard top roof and it's smaller than a full size car. Silly isn't it?

Lots of variables and not comparing apples to apples. Each type of trailer has its own value and merit to a buyer.

I had a small light weight Jayco travel trailer prior to buying my A-Frame. It wasn't cheap because it was light weight and the market for light, easy to tow units is more in demand as the gas prices continue to rise despite cheaper heavier trailers that saturate the market. I sold that little Jayco six years later for what I bought it for. My A-Frame is a couple years old and still selling for more than I paid.

You are right, Tom. The A-Frame market is more for the solo traveler or the empty nester couple or people wanting to save gas and have a trailer easy to tow and use in smaller campgrounds or sites. Not the ideal trailer for a family with a large family since they only sleep 4...

Let us know how it goes! Always interesting to hear others' experiences with their A-Frame!

[tatest]

I've been looking at the same possibilities, complicated by my Rockwood dealer recently going out of business, my Flagstaff dealer not carrying folders because the franchise would impinge another dealer's territory, and the Jayco (folders made for them by Starcraft) not wanting to stock any folders because they don't sell well here.

Dealer told me, when they were trying to clear 2010 inventory in spring 2012, that prices of Pups just got too close to that of comparably equipped lightweight TTs, and our long hot summers make buyers wary of buying a tent for almost the price of a hard side trailer. Hard side A-frame might find its own market, but that will be different from the family market that had been buying tent trailers when they were still less expensive than TTs.

I looked at the Jayco at the factory showroom going through in June, was unimpressed with fit and finish of an early production example of the A-frame model, and didn't like A/C choice nor installation. Starcraft brochures list different equipment but I have to see it to be sure, since brochures have the anything can change disclaimer. I'm inclined toward Flagstaff/Rockwood twins but I'm probably going to need to travel 300-400 miles RT to look at one now.

[ElBesoBlanco]

That's awesome! Congrats! You'll enjoy having the little deck to carry stuff on! Hope to also see you in the A-frame forums! Come back and let us know how much you are enjoying your trailer!!

[Kayak_Kamper]

THANK YOU FOR YOUR THOUGHTS.. DELIVERY OF T12BH IN 3 WEEKS,,,,LOOKING FORWARD TO IT!.

[b2220128]

I have a FR Rockwood A123S. I love it for various reasons, but mostly because it is a great camper for one person or a couple who likes to move around. If I were buying today, I'd get the newer A192HW. It has a similar floor plan with the fixed bed but the bed is eight inches wider. 60X80 vs 54X80 on the lower walled models.

I never went beyond web research on A-liners because you have to go to the most expensive models to get an 80 inch long bed. At 6'2", anything smaller would have me wedged at an angle in between the camper walls, making it impossible to share the bed.

[ElBesoBlanco]

I have the Flagstaff toyhauler A-Frame & love it. No complaints regarding my purchase. I've had "real trailers" and a couple motorhomes and I can say that the A-Frame is by far my favorite! It's a pleasure to tow and a pleasure to set up. I cannot see going back to a conventional travel trailer. The Starcraft A-Frame came out a few years after Forest River did...haven't seen one in person to compare. I looked at Aliner prior to my Flagstaff purchase. It wasn't too hard a choice to consider after seeing the toyhauler model and my spouse felt the Flagstaff finish work was better than Aliner models we looked at, at that time.

[rexlion]

Flagstaff and Rockwood should be pretty much identical except for colors and graphics, they are both Forest River.

I have read a comment not long ago, that if the door (lid) on the storage compartment ever leaks and it isn't caught quickly, a ruined floor could result. The poster of that comment felt that a separate storage compartment would be better than an integrated one. But I have no direct experience in that regard.

I too am looking at A frames. Going to go look at a used Aliner tomorrow, in fact.