Prospective TT Buyer w/ Questions
I'm a current popup trailer owner/user and my family and I camp an average of 4 weeks per year. This year may even get closer to 5. We've had an '89 Coleman popup that I restored extensively a few y...
Forum Discussion
We bought our '95 Sunnybrook 26 DB last Labor Day. I spent some time inspecting it at the seller's house. It became obvious to me that this trailer was well cared for, as I found no damage at all, and only minor things to be repaired that I could fix. After camping in it for several nights since then, I've determined that we had a dose of good luck mixed in with my inspection diligence. I've replaced the circuit board on the water heater, and the reignitor on the fridge. Neither of these are serious issues. Water damage would be. I've yet to find a single spot where I thing water has gotten in.
Regarding what to look out for, water leaks/damage is by far the biggest concern. The appliances are probably second, as they can be expensive to repair or replace. The roof is also very expensive to replace. Lots of other things can be repaired or replaced by you if you are decently handy. I'm very handy, but I had some things to learn about TTs. One very recent example was this weekend. When we bought the trailer, the fridge vent cover up on the roof had a long crack on the front edge. To buy some time when we bought it, I taped over the crack with some window seal tape I happened to have. I noticed last weekend that the tape had torn open along the crack. I bought a new Camco plastic cover from a local mobile repair guy, and took it with me to our local CG where we stayed this weekend. On Friday, I climbed up on the roof and replaced it. It was easy, and it cost me $21 to buy the new one. A dealer would have charged a LOT more.
We tow our trailer with an '05 Suburban. It tows it well, but I wouldn't want any more trailer. The GVWR on the TT is 7,000, and the tow rating on the Suburban is 7,700. That's close enough for me. I still need to get it weighed to determine how I'm doing on payload. That's more of a concern. Our fresh water tank is right up against the front wall under the bed, so how much water we carry greatly affects tongue weight.
I would definitely add Sunnybrook to your list of brands to consider. Ours is a bunkhouse model, and it also has the fold-down sofa and dinette that folds down. It could sleep several people if necessary.
Regarding what to look out for, water leaks/damage is by far the biggest concern. The appliances are probably second, as they can be expensive to repair or replace. The roof is also very expensive to replace. Lots of other things can be repaired or replaced by you if you are decently handy. I'm very handy, but I had some things to learn about TTs. One very recent example was this weekend. When we bought the trailer, the fridge vent cover up on the roof had a long crack on the front edge. To buy some time when we bought it, I taped over the crack with some window seal tape I happened to have. I noticed last weekend that the tape had torn open along the crack. I bought a new Camco plastic cover from a local mobile repair guy, and took it with me to our local CG where we stayed this weekend. On Friday, I climbed up on the roof and replaced it. It was easy, and it cost me $21 to buy the new one. A dealer would have charged a LOT more.
We tow our trailer with an '05 Suburban. It tows it well, but I wouldn't want any more trailer. The GVWR on the TT is 7,000, and the tow rating on the Suburban is 7,700. That's close enough for me. I still need to get it weighed to determine how I'm doing on payload. That's more of a concern. Our fresh water tank is right up against the front wall under the bed, so how much water we carry greatly affects tongue weight.
I would definitely add Sunnybrook to your list of brands to consider. Ours is a bunkhouse model, and it also has the fold-down sofa and dinette that folds down. It could sleep several people if necessary.
