T T Decision Time

[piconroy]

Hello to all. I'm still a relative newbie. I have been researching TTs as the wife has won the debate over going with; drive it or tow it! We are looking at 24-26' possibly 28' max TT. Of course there are many manufactures to choose from and each has floor plans that are similar and would fit our needs. Electronics & appliances are more or less the same in each. So now I'm down to who are the better TT manufactures. Researching this on the Web is quite frankly a waste of time. The best you will get is a top 5 or top 10 list and without much justification for the rankings. Searching the Web for quality info leave much to be desired

So, given we have narrowed down to a size, a floor plan or 2, I need some experienced help on the not so visible considerations. Recommendations on framing, roofing, Siding, flooring, springs vs shocks, Slide mechanical parts (tracks), In general what should I look to upgrade vs taking the std stuff.

I have seen many complaints about Forest River & Bullet leaks, multiple brand stories about slides not fully retracting etc. Why are there so many late model Forest River for sale at rvtrader? I have seen multiple brand complaints about abnormal tire wear and that many are probably related to axles bending. In this case I like the Minnie as they come with dual 3,500 lb axles vs what looks like std 3,000,lb on the others. There are tons of Coachmen out there but many people rip them on quality, why?

We are based in FL but will be traveling much of N America 6-8 weeks at a time over the next 7-10 years. The unit will definitely get some cold weather exposure too. For the foreseeable future we will tow with a 2014 2x2 5.7 Tundra extended cab. I will beef up my tires on the next replacement. I will add a distribution & sway system. This should take me to 10,200 Tundra tow limit but I plan to keep my weight to a total not to exceed 7,000-8,000 lbs max.

My research and conversations with owners and sellers has clearly led me to believe that IF we buy new or used and IF we buy from a dealer we need to be extremely careful in choosing which dealer. It's unbelievable that in this day & age that some of these guys can get away with lousy service and a I don't care about you attitude. I was actually told by one dealer in Southern MD "if you don't but it here then don't bring it here" Remember the days before Honda, Toyota, and Datsun, arrived on our shores how the auto dealers were? Well, it's apparently much the same today in the RV industry. Seriously, I would take 500 miles if need be if the Dealer was worth it.

So, in the end it only make sense to find the best built and hopefully eliminate ans many trips back to the dealer as possible. So, what ever advice you can provide it would be greatly appreciated. Also if you have a dealer or service shop you have full faith in then that would be good info too. We will probably purchase a unit in the next 30 days. So, if you love your unit & your dealer let me know about it

I'm going to try and copy to this to another Forum. So you may see this twice. PAT

[RedRocket204]

piconroy wrote:
I was actually told by one dealer in Southern MD "if you don't buy it here then don't bring it here"

Good thing that is the exception and not the norm. That dealer is just flat out ignorant. Does that dealer not understand people with RVs can move, people travel with their RVs, etc, etc. In fact, we bought our trailer in OR and ended up moving back to CO a few years later. A dealer with that attitude wouldn't see a dime from me in service or sales. Again, that dealer will be the exception.

Couple of other comments. You've mentioned you are interested in a TT that has is better for winter conditions as you may be somewhere and experience that. Keep in mind that a better insulated TT will have benefits in both winter and summer. However, make sure you look into what that 3/4 season TT is offering as better insulation is only a part of a TT designed for freezing temps. You will want dual pane windows along with enclosed and heated tanks/plumbing.

If you are going down the path of used, I highly suggest finding a friend who is experienced with RVs and knows the tell-tale signs of poor maintenance and possible leaks. There are many, many very nice slightly used TTs for sale but don't get burned by someone trying to pawn-off a troubled trailer... know what you are looking at and for.

When you find a trailer you are interested in, new or used, make sure and try out everything... and i mean everything multiple times to know everything is working. Do not wait for a post sale PDI to do this as you've already signed the paperwork so the trailer will have to be fixed. Fixing smaller items after a PDI is OK but a slide not properly functioning, shoddy sealant work, internal bad plumbing, electrical problems are all going to be a thorn in your side. Make the salesman earn their money by proving to you everything is functioning before signing. Worse case is you've wasted your time and you move on to the next TT.

BTW, Lance is another well respected brand to add to the others already mentioned.

[donn0128]

First off, your tundra will likely not adequately tow the trailer you think you want today. Buy used. Save your disappointments for your next trailer, if you actually buy another one after a few weeks camping. From your post I feel your going to be very disappointed with what ever you buy. Your expectations are way too high. The RV industry is not the auto industry. Nor is it the housing industry. They build to a price point using mostly the same purchased components from the same suppliers. So your going to get what you pay for

[DutchmenSport]

Flip a coin, and get the floor plan you like. Learn how to use a screw driver and pliers. Read a few web sites on RV maintenance and watch lots of YouTube videos how do to everything on an RV and you'll probably be OK then.

You really won't know how good or bad a dealership is with after purchase follow-up until you actually experience it. But check the Better Business Bureau for complaints.

But, on thing you also REALLY need to consider about popular RV models is this: The more popular a model the more sales there well be. The more sales, the more failures too! Larger failures means MORE people are hitting the social media circuit which makes the bigger more popular RV more noticeable. Just because you hear rumblings of negativity so much, does not mean it's all that way. It just means there are more purchased and more who will grumble about problems.

A manufacturer sell 1000 RV's Of those 1000 RV's 50 of them are sold and have problems. 50 people now post on social media their problems. The other 950 who are happy never post anything.

Another manufacturer, much smaller, sells only 100 RV's. Of those 100, 5 are sold with problems. Now, only 5 people post negative responses on social media. The percentage for both manufacturers is still 5% of failure, but who do you think get's more attention! Right! The company that has more negative feedback, only because of shear volume.

Another thing you REALLY need to considering when hearing about negative experiences with RV's is the very nature of the person themselves who are making the complaints. Some folks purchase an RV with the mentality they are built like tanks and treat them like they are going to war. The get beat up very quick and fast and things break. Is this the fault of the RV manufacturer? No! It's the fault of the owner. The camper was never intended to be used like a battlefield tank. And if you examine closely, a lot of folks who complain about inferior quality of an RV purchase them with wrong expectations and end up damaging something, then call "foul" at the manufacturer. You can't sit a 1000 pound person on a child's high chair and expect the high chair to survive! Yet, folks expect RV's to survive their abuse. These are the ones who complain on Social Media. (Not all, but read carefully and you'll see what I mean).

You are doing the right thing and it sounds like you are doing your research so you won't be blind sided. The success to any RV ownership is to understand the intention for which the RV was built, they type of camping it was built for, how well the owner fixes small problems before they become big ones, and how well the owner does simple daily maintenance. Abuse them, and they don't last. It's that simple.

After all that... well ... I recommend a Keystone Outback. Mine has been pretty much trouble free, except for the stuff I've fumbled up myself.

[NanciL]

We bought a new (last year 2016), 37 foot Forest River and I would never buy another. Thank goodness we have it on a permanent site and will never be towing it.
My guess is it would fall apart after several hundred miles.
Their workmanship is atrocious.
I have fixed most of the stuff myself but we have had seven pipes come apart at the connections at seven different times. The tech said every one of them was under stress due to the way they were installed,
and two of them were installed over the frame and then the trailer was installed on top of them.
When we first got it on site the bathroom door wouldn't close because it was hitting the door frame at the bottom. I gentle pulled the frame out to see how far up it needed glue. It came out all the way to the latch striker plate, so I removed the two screws holding the plate. The whole side piece fell down, and it was holding the overhead piece up which also fell down.
Every single bottom shelf in the entire trailer had no support in the back and collapsed if weight was put on them.
I could go on with a list that would fill several pages (defective water pump, valves and more)
This is our third trailer and each one has been larger than the first, so I am very familiar with the various features. We were caught up in the floor plan which is exactly what we wanted and should have paid more attention to the construction and quality.

Good luck on your decision

Jack L

[mbopp]

This is what a RV manufacturers rep told me: RV dealers are not the same as car dealers. RV dealers are independent businesses, not franchises. They buy the units from the manufacturer and resell them. Each dealer sets their own policies for their service department. If you have a warranty issue the manufacturer can't force the dealer to service your unit first. So get this - there is no timeframe when a dealer has to do your warranty work. And since customer-pay jobs are more lucrative than warranty work, guess who gets shuffled to the bottom of the priority list?
Now you know why the RV industry fights against any Lemon Laws for RV's. Probably half of their units would be buy-backs under a 30-day out of service rule.
A good dealer is worth his weight in gold. We bought our previous TT (Thor Heartland) from a small family dealer. 7 employees, and the owner was our salesman. When we did our PDI and took delivery the dealer gave us a list of items they found and corrected between the time we bought it and the time we took delivery. And that trailer never went back for any warranty work.
Contrast that with the new TT. It went in for the 3rd time 4/27 and the service writer said we "might" get it back by Memorial Day. This is a large, multi-outlet dealer. Guess where I won't be buying the next trailer from?
My point being - you can buy an Airstream from a bad dealer and a cheap Thor from a good dealer, and be happier with the Thor.

[Durb]

I was sort of in your position 8 years ago when we purchased our first TT. I poured through all of the stats and floor plans to find the best trailer for me. I also checked them out in person. Major differences are that we were weekend warriors and a long trip for us would be 1 week. Build quality was paramount to me and since I always buy used the dealer was not an issue. There are a few brands that take build quality to a different level and eliminate the persistent problems the others have. These brands would be BigFoot, Airstream, Oliver and Escape. That being said, the compromises they pose in terms of lack of slides and relatively small size would most likely be deal killers for 8 week excursions. Let alone the cost.

The trailer we chose was a used Bigfoot 25 ft. rear queen. The trailer was a superb platform and eliminated most of the usual problem areas. 5 year depreciation while we owned it was zero.

Look at my signature and you will see that floor plan and size became more important than build quality. The current trailer is good but nowhere near the Bigfoot. Prioritizing your needs is difficult especially the first time. Good luck with your search.

[Dick_B]

If I lived in Florida I would take a motel room for a few days and visit Lazy Days in Tampa and spend a couple of days or more to find the perfect RV for your anticipated lifestyle.
My must have is to be able to use the kitchen and bathroom at highway stops without opening up any slides. Others may have other `must haves'.

[Alabama_Jim]

We are senior citizens and for us a walk around bed was important. Climbing over someone to go to the bathroom in the night is not fun. We have a 25ft. TT purchased from Riverside Mfg. in Lagrange, IN. We toured the factory and liked the effort they placed in working toward quality. We like our TT. It is the Retro 195. Another thing we wanted was the commode and shower separated, rather than have a wet bath. Take a look at the Riverside line on their website to see if any fit your need. There are everything from teardrops to up to fifth wheels. Some slide outs, some not, some bunks, some not. They have a full range.

[Artum_Snowbird]

Maybe this one might be what you really want.

[Artum_Snowbird]

Hi Pat,

More often than not, newbies look at brands, but they haven't really looked at what they want in a rig. Others might chime in, but for what you are planning to do with yours, here are some suggestions. An interior can make or break a rig, so for me, I want an 80 inch long bed. Do you want it in it's own room? Tried the 74 inch ones, just too short. For me, I want an oven, and some decent counter space to cook on. I like comfortable seating too. Smaller units have dinette seating, some might have a loveseat or a couch. Being able to sit and watch TV without turning your head might be important.

Then we start looking at quality. Tire and wheel size varies. Open pipes versus enclosed pipes underneath. Dump valves location. Where are the steps? Bed next to the stove? Then look at storage. Is there room to put your shoes by the door, and wet clothes? Is there room for a bbq, lawn chairs. Look at the weight of a dry rig. Heavier and smaller often means better build, solid construction.

I like a big rear window so I can look out the back, it's nice when parked in a scenic spot. Sometimes the kitchen is at the back, sometimes the bathroom is.

Once you know what you want in a rig, then start looking for the things you find important.