Need RV advice for purchasing a new one

[mwodek12]

We recently sold our 2004 Forest River Hybrid to upgrade to a fully enclosed TT or Fifth Wheel. Now the questions is what to get. I don't need a new one, but it is an option. We have 2 boys that are 4 & 7...so we have many years of camping ahead.

Our wish list includes the following:

Smooth Side
Bunks (At least 2, but more if possible)
Booth Dinette
Light to middle weight (I have a 2005 2500 HD Chevy with a gas 6.0L)
Outside kitchen
Decent storage (hybrid had very little)
Budget..........up to $20k out the door w/ a hitch

I have been looking for months now, but I just don't know the brands enough to know what is good quality & what is not. There are SOOOOO MANY different brands. We live in Michigan so we would be looking to use this RV 2-3 seasons.....May-October.

I was looking at a 2013 Shadow Cruiser 280QBS recently & love what I see as far as layout & overall looks, but after reading some topics on here, I just don't know if that is the right trailer for me with the issues people have had.

THANKS FOR THE ADVICE IN ADVANCE!

[KenNTennessee]

We just purchased an Evergreen Sun Valley 26FK last week, it's still winterized and we have not used it yet, but towed it 600 miles home from the dealer. We bought it because it was a floor plan that we liked, had the features we wanted, and it appears to be a bit better quality than our Forest River Rockwood. As others have said, no RV manufacturer really has a great quality, but there are notable differences. After months of research, it looks like the smaller companies (in no particular order): Evergreen, R-Vision, Cruiser, Northwood, K-Z and Jayco all have better quality than Forest River and Thor (with the exception of Airstream which is now a Thor brand, but in a different price range). Those two giants have reduced the quality of every company they bought out.

[State_Park_camp]

I purchased a new a 2012 sunset trail ST25RB in August of 2012. I've had more problems with this unit than in all of the 4 other campers I've owned in my life. Most of the problems were minor..( Elec. stabilizer broke on first trip, Caulking on interior walls failed,furnace malfunctioned etc.)Biggest problem I had was a bearing failure on one of the axles. Naturally it happened on a highway. I had it towed,repaired and warranty DENIED. Mechanic told me it was a faulty bearing. Crossroads said it was 14 months old and not covered because I didn't have the bearings repacked within 12 months. I purchased the unit in August, went on 2 trips in 2102. I was planning on repacking bearings at the end of the 2013 season as I've done with every other camper I've owned. I have documented miles for every trip I took. 4700 miles in 14 months. I will never buy one of their products again.

[State_Park_camp]

Goldstalker wrote:
You will have a hard time beating the bang for the buck on the 280 but I agree they have quality issues. Check out the Sunset line.

http://www.crossroadsrv.com/sunset-trail/super-lite/floorplans/item/2014-sf270bh?category_id=103

[AirForceAngler]

I'll agree with most here that the quality/workmanship in almost all TTs is somewhat suspect. From the ones I've seen, I think Jayco's have about the best, but that's by a small margin. They all require an owner to pay attention and make sure they get ahead of leaks and issues before they get too bad or happen at all. We sold a Jayco last summer that we bought new in 2008 because it didn't have bunks and our daughter is getting too big for the couch. We had no problems with it in 4.5 years. We have just ordered a 2014 Grey Wolf 26BH. I'm a little leary of it because it was so low priced so I'll have to really keep an eye on it. It did have a lot of nice options for the money so we'll see. I think the best advice is to find a floor plan you like and go with it.

[APT]

There is the RV show in Traverse City in March.

Narrow down the floorplan you like. There are lots of new options for you. Once you know the model you like, check out Lakeshore RV in Muskegon for some great prices!

Keystone Passport 2650 looks like a good fit for you and should be had for about $20k OTD. TTs market is crowed in the $15-25k, and BH models in the $20-25k range offer a lot of features. My North Trail 28BRS was $21k OTD with some options that could easily save $1000.

[Twain]

mwodek12 wrote:
We are still looking......We tried to make it to a show this past weekend, but we go snowed out. At this rate I am not sure when we will see grass. The snow has been no stop since the first part of December.

Anyway, has anyone ever owned or heard much about the Sun Valley line from Evergreen? They have a layout we seem to like & it is similar to the Shadow Cruiser were were looking at too.....price wise they are pretty close from the 2013 Shadow Cruiser 280qbhs & the 2014 Sun Valley 280bhs ltd. From what I see from their website it is a "green" built RV. Walls/roof/floor are all vacuumed sealed fiberglass, etc. TPO roof??? (Not sure what this really is)

Thanks in advance!

Last summer we looked at some Sun Valleys because the floor plan were interesting. It was midday and none of the units were plugged in so it was hot. However, it was a great way to test the insulation and the Sun Valley's were much warmer than the Open Ranges and a bit warmer than the Everlights. I was impressed at how well the Open Ranges held off the Florida sun.

[Fredford]

We just bought our first TT in Jan at our local RV show. We spent 6 hours there, had a list of requirements and weight for our Highlander and then only viewed the ones which fit our criteria. There were so many different models, layouts that I took a camera and took pictures of the ones which were possibilities so I wouldn't forget what we liked and which brands they were so we could go back for 2nd and 3rd viewings as we shortlisted them. RV show is a great way to see a lot of them at once and to ask questions. Well worth the price of admission.

[mwodek12]

We are still looking......We tried to make it to a show this past weekend, but we go snowed out. At this rate I am not sure when we will see grass. The snow has been no stop since the first part of December.

Anyway, has anyone ever owned or heard much about the Sun Valley line from Evergreen? They have a layout we seem to like & it is similar to the Shadow Cruiser were were looking at too.....price wise they are pretty close from the 2013 Shadow Cruiser 280qbhs & the 2014 Sun Valley 280bhs ltd. From what I see from their website it is a "green" built RV. Walls/roof/floor are all vacuumed sealed fiberglass, etc. TPO roof??? (Not sure what this really is)

Thanks in advance!

[Twain]

We like the quad bunk house as its more of a separate room for the kids vs. the double bunks and twin over double styles. The room makes a huge difference with 5 people and 2 dogs. Our Passport meets your list minus a full outside kitchen, but they have those in certain models.

If I was able to have a do over, I would get the outside kitchen as we cook all meals while camping.

[krobbe]

I like the 28 to 30ft(box size) bunkhouse models. I have a 6 & 9 yr old and having a separate room for the kids at their bedtime is great. You'll find some under 20K that are just a few yrs old.

[colliehauler]

I would say go to a RV show and look at floor plans that would work for you. Pretend your camping and using the rig and see if the floor plan is a good fit. Build quality will be similar in the same price point.

[mlts22]

Only travel trailers I'd say that are heads and shoulders above the competition are Camp-Lites. The reason is that if there is water intrusion... you have some wet aluminum or epoxy. Unlike everyone else in the industry, you have no rot to worry about.

Quality in the RV industry is, as a general rule, just abysmal. Some RV makers used to use Azdel, but are back to fiberglass on luan, because it gives them more sales when people's rigs delaminate.

[therink]

My recommendation is start with desired floor plan and this will limit the list quite a bit. From there you can decide on brand. For the most part, most rvs are built basically the same (wood frame and aluminum sided or aluminum frame with filon siding).
Each major brand forest river, Keystone, etc has multi. ple brands based on price level and creature comforts, appearance themes, etc.
In my opinion floor plan comes. Once you find one you like, go through it with a magnifying glass. If you have good eye, you should be able to tell if the unit is a good build it not. One brand and model trailer can be built on a Tuesday and be great, then same brand and model built the next week can be junk. It depends on which crew built it. Consistent quality control definitely is lacking in the rv industry. What is most important is that you do not sign the dotted line on a new or used unit until you have performed a thorough PDI. Don't count on the dealer saying that they went through everything. Many dealers simply wash and vacuum them and let the buyer find the problems.

[dadmomh]

You are so close to RVWholesalers that I strongly suggest spending time online looking at dozens of models. They most always have pix and some videos. Specs are most often up to date. Have no idea how many companies they represent, but LOTS.

We bought both our ROO 23SS HTT from RVW and even after trip expenses we saved over $4000 over the guy locally. When we decided to move to a TT, that was the starting and ending point. They had exactly what we wanted, the MSRP was $32,000+ and we paid $20,000 and change. Very good to deal with...no games. If you see something interesting online, they will email you the price and that really is the price. If you choose to finance, they will shop the best rate available for you. When you get there to take delivery, everything is ready for your PDI and signing a zillion papers. If you prefer a local dealer, suggest you at least print out the quote and info from RVW and use as a negotiating tool. In looking online, you can guestimate the price to be right about 30% off MSRP.

Some local dealers will tell you that if you buy from either RVWholesalers or RVDirect, another very popular firm, that you'll not get service. Not so. They have a service network and will handle it for you. At the very least you can shop from the warmth of your own home and narrow it down.

Happy shopping!