Need honest opinion on TT choices...New vs used?

Jayco has a good reputation and one of the few that have a 2 year warranty as standard. I owned a Jayco for 12 years. I now own an Aerolite and I am satisfied with it. I would have considered a Jayco but the Aerolite checked all the boxes for me at the price I was willing to pay for it.

In my opinion there is no such thing as rank in quality of brands. I don't really think there is a whole lot of difference from one brand to the next. I do think however, that each brand has different lineups. Some that they produce as cheaper ones, and some they produce as better quality ones. You're more or less (may not always be true) going to get what you pay for.

I would advise you get your blue jeans dirty. Crawl under, over, pull out drawers and look behind them, stick your head in holes it don't fit into, and examine every nook and cranny before you buy. Determine the relative quality for the price for yourself between different RV 's. Make your own comparison between different brands and different lines. This process should take you a couple of months. Determine for yourself exactly what you're getting for your money. Once they got your money it's too late to decide you could have done better.

I shopped for over a year before I bought mine.

Used.
You never know what you'll really want/need in a trailer until you start camping.
Talk to owners at campgrounds and see what they do and don't like about their rig.
All brands have lemons. Some brands may be better than others, but all will have some shortcomings.

I would buy used. One method of seeing how a unit holds up over time is to look at a lot of used rigs. Some were taken care of , and some were abused. Ours was 4 years old when we bought it and it looked brand new. So, for us, we purchased a rig that we felt would hold up, and it has. It is now 13 years old and we are in no hurry to trade it in.

BTW, many folks think an RV should be built with the same quality as a stick-built, but they are not intended for the same purpose. They are meant to be used part time, not full time, IMHO.

OK so, if you are comfortable try looking at base quality. You may not be a very physically construction type of person but I assume you can tell the difference in some construction methods and materials.
There are some basic rules to remember.
1 Screws are generally better than staples. Cabinets and fixtures how are they held together.
2. Real wood is better than Plywood and plywood is better than particle board.
3. Stuff that appears to be solid, should FEEL solid. Things made to move should move.
These three basic rules encompass the majority of problems. New or used it doesnt matter other than on the roof, they apply. Appliances are going to perform whatever function they are designed to, generally for about 5 years with minimal maintenance, then 3-5 more years with maintenance and then they will need serious maintenance or replacement.
Its not that different than anything else in life, its your attention to detail that will make the biggest difference.

Water leaks are the a biggest problem for TT. The second biggest problem is the wheels are not aligned and the axles are overloaded thus tires blow out after 10,000 miles or less due to incorrect wear.

The TT manufactures know that most (90% ???) of the TT are only used for weekends a few (10+) times a year in the summer and the floor plan and construction reflect this.

I have never purchased New. Always used. Let someone else take the big deprecation hit on a new TT. My current trailer is a 2005.

Are there manufactures that use better interior components? All the sinks, electronics, speakers etc....all seem to be ****. Now I realize that simple math says that they make these things with the thought that they are used 10-15 times a year. But are there any that use better components?

And I would imagine that all manufacturers have a bottom end, mid and high end....what are they and how can one tell the difference? I suppose price tells the bigger picture.

Well a level up would be Northwood (got their name by building for hunting/boon-docking) but their outdoor kitchen is on their 31 ft, to heavy for your 3/4 ton. Their sister MFG is Outdoor RV, not sure if they are the same build as Northwood, but I have herd a lot of people like them. Might want to check them out.

Used, but zero tolerance on water leaks.

Not that I am prejudiced or anything... ;) but you might want to take a look at Keystone Outback Travel Trailers. Ours is not a bunk house model, but it is a very good camper. We've had this camper 4 years now, and it's been trouble free (except for stuff I messed up myself). Click here and look at the floor plans to get an idea. We love ours!

You could also search for a used Lance if you find a model with a nice floor plan.