Newbie looking for manufacturer recommendations

[dminnery]

Hi All,
After 30 years on tent camping, we want to get a travel trailer for the comforts and extending our camping season.

We have 2 kids under 8 and live in the NW, we like to take long road trips so expect to get some use out of this.

The design we like is the bunk beds with dedicated queen bed, so no matter who's sleeping the dinette is always available. I'm not too hot on the pullout expandable dinette or bed, seems like more to go wrong and possible leak.

My question is this - What is a good brand, a good value?
It's overwhelming!
Winnebago, Viking, Starcraft, Forest River,Lance, Coachman, Dutchmen, etc.

I have a 2015 toyota tacoma 4dr, v6 with factory installed towing package.
the 20-22' trailers seem like a good foot.

thanks for the help!

[hsk1977]

We are newbies too and bought our first TT in February. We went with a Starcraft and have been very happy with it so far. Both Starcraft and Jayco models come with a 2-year manufacturer's warranty, as opposed to only 1 that most brands offer. That might be something worth considering. It meant a lot to us, especially since we are new to all of this!

[dminnery]

Thanks all, this is incredibly helpful.

It's like buying a mattress, there is so much similarity in design that it's hard to tell the difference between models and makes.
Look forward to kicking some tires.

[Ralph_Cramden]

dminnery wrote:
Hi All,

My question is this - What is a good brand, a good value?
It's overwhelming!
Winnebago, Viking, Starcraft, Forest River,Lance, Coachman, Dutchmen, etc.

Let me rearrange your list according to my personal opinion.

Lance.
Winnebago.
Starcraft.
Dutchmen.


Forest River.
Viking.
Coachmen.
All Forest River brands.

Steer Clear, better yet run away fast from those and any other brand associated with Forest River!.........


That opinion is brought to you by a current and former owner of Forest River products, who went against his better judgement and gave them a 2nd try. They'll not get a 3rd.

[bartlettj]

We have a Passport 238MLWE that we bought in 2011 (2 adults, 2 young kids), it has the features you are looking for, mainly that it's light, it has bunks and a queen, and is available in the NW. We tow it with a Tahoe, and have put about 25,000 miles on it and lots of nights. It works well for us with a couple of minor upgrades- mainly better mattresses and 6 volt golf cart batteries. We're planning to upgrade to a 5th wheel bunkhouse soon, as we're getting a big dog and we camp mostly in the winter/rain. My gross weight with it fully loaded is 4200 lbs, including water in the tank.

It's light because it uses a sandwich of foam and thin plywood for the walls and floor (no studs or joists except for the perimeter frame and where the doors and windows mount), no underbelly insulation, single pane windows, small tanks, no slide. We've camped in cold weather with it and use it for a guest house in our driveway, and as long as the weather is above about 25 degrees it stays comfortable enough. Below that and the plumbing will freeze up and the furnace can't keep up. I extended an extra furnace duct/vent into the bathroom and that helps with the comfort level.

[bluepost]

I would look more at layout and weight than brand. They all use pretty much the exact same components. With the exception of an Airstream there really isn't a big quality difference between them. You'll know when looking at them. Most manufacturers have low, medium, and higher end material lines...i.e. Full molded front cap, laminated vacuum walls vs lap siding, aluminum wheels vs steel etc.

The technology in these at the price point is impressive. Literally a house on wheels, but at the same time you'll be surprised at how cheaply assembled they are. But they work, and work really well all things considered. Like the old phone answering machines, they all do the same thing. You'll be camping with any of them making memories with your loved ones. Don't get too hung up on the buying process.

[dminnery]

SusanDallas wrote:
Look at the KZ Sportsmen Classic 180bh. It has 2 bunkbeds, a queen bed with a single dinette with no slide. It has a dry bathroom. The 180bhs has a slide. I ordered mine with the rooftop AC and larger fridge
The weight of the trailer at delivery was 2700lbs. The queen bed has a regular mattress and is very comfortable.

thanks, that looks very nice!

[jus2shy]

Have you considered the camplite series from livinlite trailers? They're 100% aluminum construct I believe, so lighter weight from base materials. However, aluminum tends to conduct heat/cold so very hot or very cold camping would not be so great. At least that's what I think. Looks like they have a marketing tie-in with Ford given the hype of aluminum construction.

LivinLite

[OutdoorPhotogra]

Weight also comes with quality, ala Northwood, Outdoors RV, Lance, etc.

You have to look at how far you will travel and how many nights on the road. My retirement RV will be one of the above brands but for now I'm with cheaper, lighter options. We camped in a PUP for 8 years and it was great except taking down in the rain. Will soon be owners of a 5th Wheel that is a good brand but lite model which has tradeoffs. Since we'll camp mostly long weekends with occassional longer trips, I can live with the tradeoffs until I cut back on work hours.

[BadgerMcAdams]

TurnThePage wrote:
https://www.jayco.com/products/travel-trailers/2017-jay-feather-7/19bh/

Almost everybody that comes along new, asks which brands are good and bad. >>>Snipped<<< To get those models that are considered better, you typically pay more. The one I posted above is typically considered one of the better manufacturers, but you still never know.

Hence why an Airstream Classic costs 139K...I about choked when I looked it up for giggles.

But as the rest have stated, quality is based on the day, week, month, position of the moon, and whether the floor workers are having an ON or OFF day.

Good luck in your search...

[SusanDallas]

Look at the KZ Sportsmen Classic 180bh. It has 2 bunkbeds, a queen bed with a single dinette with no slide. It has a dry bathroom. The 180bhs has a slide. I ordered mine with the rooftop AC and larger fridge
The weight of the trailer at delivery was 2700lbs. The queen bed has a regular mattress and is very comfortable.

[Alabama_Jim]

Go to the Riverside web site and see how you like those.

[epeters]

Hybrid owner here, from Portland in the PNW. While we have the biggest (aka heaviest) one that was made back in 2007, it has been wonderful for us. We've pulled it all over the west and southwest as well as year round to the coast and interior Oregon/Washington. We have either been lucky or just fortunate, but dealing with the tented ends hasn't been an issue. They dry super fast, so the few times we've closed up to head home and had to reopen them to dry out has been rare, and when we've done so, they tend to dry out in a hour or two depending on weather at home.

We've camped below freezing with no issues. Weather over 100 degrees gets a bit tough, but the AC takes the edge off.

Having a full bathroom and kitchen, place to play games in wet/cold weather is a wonderful thing.

For your truck situation, I'd consider a hybrid. They are a great option for space and weight concerns and not as problematic as some think.

[TurnThePage]

https://www.jayco.com/products/travel-trailers/2017-jay-feather-7/19bh/

Almost everybody that comes along new, asks which brands are good and bad. Unfortunately it just doesn't work that way consistently. Any of them can make a great product and a terrible product on the same day. Most experienced people either expect to do maintenance and repairs themselves or find a dealer that they think is good. Mostly you need to go into the process looking for the easy to see flaws before purchasing, and keeping a close eye on everything afterwards. You might as well count on spending time/money doing preventive maintenance right up front. To get those models that are considered better, you typically pay more. The one I posted above is typically considered one of the better manufacturers, but you still never know.

[dminnery]

Thanks all, we want to stick with a travel trailer.
The hybrids are interesting but not a good fit for us.

I am aware of the limits of our truck, so I'm trying to keep the weight below 4,000 lbs.
Unfortunately, the Lance is over that.

I have been looking at these model, but not sure if the brands are good, any insights?

http://www.dutchmen.com/coleman/floorplans-and-pictures/floorplan-details/?modelId=25410
http://www.coachmenrv.com/product-details.aspx?LineID=62&ModelID=1593#Main
https://starcraftrv.com/travel-trailers/launch-outfitter-7/17bh/

We will be attending the RV show here in February, thanks for the help!
David