I'm curious ?

[Dakota98]

Having just read a posting by Muddydogs & his unfortunate discovery today concerning his 2015 TT. I really wonder about the construction of newer TT's in specific & RV's in general.

It seems that for the most part there is a wide range of poor craftsmanship and they are being made with lighter weight materials, which isn't all bad, but lending itself to in some cases to poor durability.

My question is this. What size TT & year model do you own & what is it's UVW ?

I have a 2000, 22' Nomad Lite. I think by todays standards, it's no where near the weight of a comparable 22' standard, lite or ultra lite TT. My UVW is 4180 lbs.

[westend]

1971 Starcraft Wanderstar--half laden weight, just North of 5K.
Just after restoration and before solar and batteries were added, it was around 4800. That weight is 400 lbs. above the factory weight published in the brochure.
So, in 1971 the UVW was 4,400 lbs. The brochure shows it being pulled by a big Mercury sedan.

[oakbowery]

2009 Cherokee 31B, 7714 uvw and 10,874 gvwr.

[rbpru]

Cost will win out over quality for many because they do not feel they can justify a more expensive TT for a few trips a year.

It is no different than golf clubs, fishing gear, bicycles, musical instruments and a host of other hobbies. When you are not sure, you are hesitant to spend a lot.

Also, they all look good in the showroom, it is over time that the cheaper material show up.The fact that the resale value drops like stone in water does not help either.

I am sure the manufacturers would love the markups on a more expensive unit, but they make what sells.

[Muddydogs]

Heres my numbers.

[HappyTrails2U2]

rbpru wrote:
We bought a used 2010 Dutchmen Lite 25 ft. The weight is

Typical problems include the plastic drawer slide rail mounts breaking, yes, all 6 drawers. I consider this due to poor choice of materials.

That was one of the things I looked at when purchasing our Rockwood 8315BSS Signature Ultra Lite was drawers and cabinet doors. The kitchen drawers were built with aluminum instead of plastic parts. We lived in it for 750 to 800 nights over a 5 year period and never had any of the cabinets, drawers, chest of drawers or bed to break.

[GaryWT]

We have a 2013 Premier, 35 feet, 6450 dry, 8,000 max loaded.

[Tequila]

I bought a northwood simply because the frame looked a lot heftier. Not that it has not had its issues, although most were due to botched installs by the dealer. (not the one close to where I live, where I shoudl have bought it)

[SuburbanHauler3]

My wife and I started looking for a used TH last year. While looking, we came across many that had structural damage at one time or another. Most, if not all that we found were considered super lites or ultra lites, while they were lite, they were also flimsy, most notable the trailer frames. Most looked like Swiss cheese with the holes cut in them to bring the weight down. The range in years that we were looking at were from 2002-present.

We ended up with what we think is a very solidly built TH.
Here are some specs:
1998 Fleetwood Terry 26A Sport Utility Trailer
Overall length is 29'7"
UVW: 6150 (according to Fleetwood, that weight includes all standard features, appliances and mattresses - minus the AC, LPG and the second fresh water tank.)
GVWR: 9600
Payload: 3450

Since picking it up in March I have replaced; the brakes, repacked the bearings, switched to LED lights and replaced that 17yr old Generac.

So far with 2 short trips, 700 miles total, we have been very happy with the TH. We are getting ready this week for a 4000 mile, 1 month long trip to Oregon that we start next Monday.

[colliehauler]

I had a 1998 Gulf Stream Seahawk that was built very well, very solid trailer overall. I bought a new 2003 Gulf Stream Streamlite was not constructed very well, traded after one trip. I bought a 2004 Cherokee that has held up well and still have the trailer.

My opinion only but I think RV's took another down turn in quality after the 2008 downturn. I don't know if it's from losing trained workers and hiring untrained people when business picked back up or trying to get by with less people. The fit and finish just does not seem very good.

The RV mfg have done a good job of keeping the cost down. I know this allows more new people to enter the RV world.

I would expect quality from a mfg that charges almost double for their TT such as Lance.

[DesertHawk]

Lance 1985 Specs 2015 1/2 models, our is an earlier 2015, more like the 2014s.

[Drbolasky]

2000 Coachmen Futura, owned since new. Tips the scales as just over 5,000 lbs before adding cargo. Very few problems with the coach where materials and workmanship were concerned, and what issues we had were dealt with promptly by the dealer. 15 years and about 40,000 miles later it's still going strong.

3oaks - our first TT was a used '83 Sunline T-1550. We loved that trailer; the only reason we sold it was because we outgrew it. I agree 100% with your assessment of Sunline. You could not find a better unit for the money than a Sunline.

[rbpru]

We bought a used 2010 Dutchmen Lite 25 ft. The weight is stated a 5004 lbs.

Typical problems include the plastic drawer slide rail mounts breaking, yes, all 6 drawers. I consider this due to poor choice of materials.

No outside antenna for the AM radio, poor color match on the wood trim and a couch that converts to a bed if you are 5' 1" or less. The dog loves it.

Still it meets our needs, is a dream to pull with our F-150.

There may have been other problems that the original owner fixed but everything was working and demonstrated at the walk through.

It is hard to say if the quality is any better today than in the past but they sell over 300,000 TT s and 5ers every year.

[rvsixer]

I have to agree.

I formerly owned a 2002 Fleetwood Pioneer 18T6, solid unit never an ounce of trouble for the four years I owned it.

Currently looking for a new TT, and visited a few RV dealers to look at the new offerings. Quite disappointed overall. Sheet metal frames instead of i-beams, loose/visible staples everywhere, poor cabinetry, contact holes in partitions and furniture (most at knee and elbow level, so presumably these occurred simply from customers bumping into things).

And, I think most units could be 30 lbs lighter if they just swept all the sawdust and excess cut material out LOL.

The Lance's seemed the exception (except for the stamped frame), but priced accordingly and out of my budget. I am back to looking at robust clean used units.

[3oaks]

Yes, I have to agree, Muddydogs' situation with a 2015 trailer really stinks.

Ok, here's my TT Specs: 2006 Sunline T-2075

As built: GVWR 5,500 Lbs
UVW 4,086 Lbs

It had a Three Year Structural / Two Year Component Warranty

I never had to rely on the warranty. Never even had it back to the dealers in the 10 years and thousands of miles later that I own it. Routine maintenance is all that was required and replacement of wear items like breaks, tires, etc. 🙂

Unfortunately Sunline Mfg., which was located right here in PA, is no longer in business and the RV industry doesn't build them like that anymore! 😞