Heartland North Trail vs. Dutchmen Kodiak

[Trevut]

Hi all! First post here. My wife and I are looking to buy a bunk house bumper pull travel trailer for our family. We're looking mainly at Heartland North Trails and Dutchmen Kodiaks. Why should I buy one over the other? Is there another brand that I should be considering over these two?

I've tried to read reviews and numerous forums about both brands and I feel like I'm not getting anywhere. It seems like people either love their trailer and advise everyone to buy it or they've had so many problems with it that they've advised no one to ever buy it.

Thanks in advance for your help and feedback!

[mbopp]

Our previous trailer was a North Trail. It was OK, no major issues, but we like our Grand Design so much more.

[rickhise]

I had an ultra lite forest river. The kinda of
Unit made me feel like a strong wind it would fly away.


Ultra cheap O,
Later
I went with a floor plan I really liked and that help me overcome
some of the cost cutters the manufacture uses

[mobilefleet]

and be careful about "lite" campers, especially forest river. Flagstaff and Rockwood use floors that are a laminated sandwich of super thin luan and styrofoam, not plywood or osb, and they are absolute garbage. Be sure to check what materials are used.

[bobndot]

Welcome , brands don't matter much. Read the fine warranty print. In today's market some mfg.'s are suggesting owners to inspect the caulk more frequently to give them that "wiggle room" to not make a repair at the same time forcing the dealer to dig into his own pocket to take care of his customer and that happens more often than you would think.

I would buy the floorplan that works best for you. As far as I know both brands are owned by Thor. I would think if you had any major issue with either, it would be the same corporate people making the decisions .
Find a good reputable dealer that will be willing to take care of warranty issues in a timely fashion. I would buy from a dealer close to home where you can return for service, otherwise you might have to wait a long time for appointments.
If you use an independent repair shop or an out of network dealer, your Mfg. will most likely offer a much lesser hourly labor rate, some shops will accept it and others won't.

[WayneAt63044]

I would echo azdtyheat's comments and encourage you to purchase a unit that's on the lot rather than order one. The one you can see can be vetted for quality and furnishings where as a newly ordered one may have unannounced build changes. The running gear and appliances are pretty much the same across all manufacturers.

[Lwiddis]

I’m not negative. Buy the one that fits your family the best. Inspect slowly before the final binding signature. Bring a RV experienced friend who won’t have stars in his/her eyes. You’ll be fine.

[azdryheat]

Towables are all the same. Built as quickly as possible, by line workers that are paid by the piece, with no quality control to be seen. Buying any RV is a gamble. Best bet is to shop for the floorplan you can't live without and never mind who makes it. Ensure that you find a quality repair facility.