Travel Trailers.....what brands to stay away from??

[imq707s]

I'm looking for a nice used bumper pull travel trailer....something 5 years old or newer, and in the 22-25ft range.

I've looked on CL,on rvtrader, and at dealers......I never knew there were so many different brands of campers. If someone told me it was in the hundreds, I would believe them. Many of them look identical inside and out....but just have a different name.

Are there some quality brands that stand out above the rest? What about crappy ones that are build really cheap that need to be avoided???

Any help would be great!

[Winged_One]

2oldman wrote:

SoundGuy wrote:
Why "bumper pull" ? ... old terminology from yesteryear? :h

Yep.

My 1988 Ford F150 came with a 5,000 lb rated bumper. Just add a ball to the hole that was provided, and it was good to go (for that weight).

[93Cobra2771]

Looking at used TT's, the answer was mentioned above.
How was it maintained?
Has roof been resealed?
If in 5year old range, are tires the originals or ready for new ones? (400-500 bucks right off the bat)
Is the owner pointing out mods or upgrades he has done? (if so, he has likely kept maintenance up)
Or is it sitting in the backyard with half flat tires, major black streaks and such?
Is owner willing to let you walk on the roof and inspect? (if not, then it's a leaker or he knows the roof hasn't been maintained).

That's just a few things.

[humblerb]

There are probably a half dozen manufacturers and about 10,000 different brands. Do a little internet research and you will see that A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H are all made by "123".
As someone else said, how the owners have maintained the rig will have a lot to do with how good the trailer is.
Our first was made with wood studs and built really solid.
It was too heavy for us and we traded in for one with aluminum studs (not built quite as well). We have had zero serious issues with the lesser quality construction.

[fla-gypsy]

All of them/None of them; this pretty much covers it.

[Bumpyroad]

avoid anything with a rubber roof.
bumpy

[_1nobby]

SoundGuy wrote:


Curious terminology I've noticed is oft repeated here on the forums.

To use one of YOUR phrases......don't overthink it.

[TomG2]

As has been pointed out, a microwave is a microwave, a water heater is a water heater, a refrigerator is a refrigerator and so forth. The real shoddiness is hidden under the skin and under the trailer where only an expert might find it. There are some trailers built with a lot of glitz and not much quality. I like buying mid-priced units from established reputable dealers.

You have probably already received proposals on some very nice units from your post. Why don't they let us do buy and sell ads on here?

[DutchmenSport]

I've had good success with every camper I've owned. The success comes in my own ability to fix and tweak things as they are needed, or get a repair when something goes wrong.

And I will say, that 95% of every issue I've encountered with my campers has been my own fault or stupidity. Pretty much, the other 5% was covered under warranty.

Is one brand better than the other? The answer, REALLY is "NO." But, if you are expecting ANY camper to be as reliably built as any new automobile, you're in for a rude awakening. Expect problems, and be happy when there are none, and you'll survive RV ownership.

EVERY brand, style, make, and manufacturer of an RV will spit out units with some problems. None are "perfect!" None!

[Durb]

I enjoy walking the campgrounds and checking out other rigs. You would think as old as the RV industry is there would be a "best" solution and 70% of the people would have the same thing. No way, many times I don't see duplicate brands let alone duplicate concepts. In my mind an RV is a toilet, a bed and a sink; manufacturers just have different ways of putting them together. I would concentrate my search on what works for you then find a unit that has had a meticulous previous owner.

Check the NADA guide for other brands for trailers/5th wheels. There must be a thousand listed.

[2oldman]

Campfire Time wrote:
This is like when people go back and forth about the term 1/2 ton vs 1500/150 designations. Old habits are hard to break. 😞

"Unleaded" will be with us for decades to come.

[handye9]

imq707s wrote:
I'm looking for a nice used bumper pull travel trailer....something 5 years old or newer, and in the 22-25ft range.

Any help would be great!

When you're talking used travel trailers, you can pretty much forget about who built it, and concern yourself with how it was maintained by the previous owner. An entry level trailer that, has had top notch maintenance, could be a better unit than a high end trailer that has been neglected.

The appliances, HVAC, and lighting systems are only made by a couple manufacturers. They are pretty much the same across all travel trailers.

These things get dragged down our BAD roads at 60+ miles per hour, they sit out in all kinds of weather, and no matter who built them, things will come apart. Wheel bearings need to repacking, tires need replacing, caulk joints need to be inspected and repaired, plumbing fittings loosen up, screws loosen up, etc. Water leaks are your enemy. Even 2 - 3 year old trailers can have rotted wood, due to poor maintenance.

[Campfire_Time]

2oldman wrote:

SoundGuy wrote:
Why "bumper pull" ? ... old terminology from yesteryear? :h

Yep.

X2. This is like when people go back and forth about the term 1/2 ton vs 1500/150 designations. Old habits are hard to break. 😞

[mayo30]

Oasisbob wrote:
It is very confusing and the industry works hard to keep it that way. What I mean is different brands can be made on the same asembly line with just a different name and cosmetic differences. Someone had trouble with their Prowler so never again. They buy Wilderness. Same asembly line. Same trailer different name. In my observations quality is sorely lacking with few exceptions. As for trailers Lance is great quality for the design. I also like Camp Lite and top of the quality chain is Airstream in my opinion. Read the archives here. Problems in quality occur because asembly line focus is on speed not pride of workmanship. You tube has video's to support this. How a company deals with problems counts alot. Some have their trailers at the shop all through the season for warranty work. What a joke. Take your time and research. Best of luck

A very astute reply.The last three words cover it all.

[BB_TX]

Keystone has 11 or 12 different named TTs. Forest River has over 15. KZ has 7-8. Jayco has 6-7. Arctic Fox has at least 4. Add in Winnebago, Coachmen, Lance, Airstream, Dutchmen, Gulfstream, etc. and, yes, there is an incredible number of brand names out there.

And you will invariably find someone who says never buy so and so brand as they had nothing but problems with it. And then there will be another who says they had that same brand and it was the best rig they ever had. One will say brand X had the worst customer service ever, followed by another who says brand X customer service was great.

Really a roll of the dice. Pick one that fits what you want, looks good in and out, everything works as it should, a price to fit your budget, and go with it.

[2oldman]

SoundGuy wrote:
Why "bumper pull" ? ... old terminology from yesteryear? :h

Yep.