DW and I used to be a pop-up family, but sold that in '10. We have a 6yo autistic DS, and it was just too much work (he was 3 then). Now, we want to get back into camping, but with a 24'-27' TT. I want DW to be able to load the camper for trips as she has time, as she is a stay-at-home mom. And when we get to the CG, I want setup to be much easier than it used to be. We also have an 18yo DD, who still loves to camp with us, even though she has started college locally. So we are specifically looking for a bunkhouse model with 2 twin beds.
Our problem is our budget. We can only swing $4k to $5k. I have an '05 1500 Suburban w/tow pkg, so we don't have to worry about that side of the equation. We would qualify to borrow the money for a much nicer budget, but we don't want to go that route. I'm seeing CL ads for units 10-12 years old, or older, that occasionally dip below $5k for asking price. My biggest fear is leaking that has caused wood rot that won't be readily detectable.
Are there any particular brands that have stood the test of time better than others? I seem to have read good things about Sunline (like the 2670 layout). We are seeing a LOT of Coachmen for sale. I don't know if that is a good or bad thing. Are they generally a good brand?
Any advice anyone has to offer will be great. We don't want to throw away our very limited budget on a bad purchase.
We are renting an '06 Jayco 27BH for this upcoming Labor Day weekend. This will be our first camping trip this year, and we're really excited about it. We're staying local, but I get to tow this TT about 15 miles to the state park CG, and I'm looking forward to that. This couple renting the TT to us has 4 units total, and the wife mostly runs the rental business. Her husband has a mobile RV repair service, and travels all over NC, VA, SC, etc. One of his services is to inspect campers that someone wants to buy. If we find a unit we really like, we may hire him to give it a professional look see.
