What Brands

[TyroneandGladys]

In the thinking phase of maybe switching from a Class C to a TT. I know it is subjective but what are considered the better built brands of trailers?
Thanks

[Mike_Up]

myredracer wrote:
- not being built in Indiana

I'd run from any not being built in Indiana. I don't want Amateur night playing in my family's RV.

Elkhart county is the RV capital and for good reason!

[Mike_Up]

I recommend the Jayco Jay Flight Series. They are built very good with excellent features. They also have customer service second to none.

I don't recommend the glued together laminated fiberglass/filon trailers. Seen to many 'new' and used of any brand, where the glued failed and the wall was coming apart (delaminating).

I would stick to a true, none laminated roof and floor at least if you must go with laminated walls.

From what I've seen from the many dealer walk throughs I've seen at Northern Indiana dealers, Jayco Jay Flight build quality/materials can't be beat. Then add the standard or optional features, and you have a luxury camper. Price wise, I seen trailers build like Junk with subpar appliances and features costing up to $10,000 more than the Jay Flights.

Do your own walk throughs and pay attention to materials. I stay away from anything build with Styrofoam or particle board in the structure.

Don't get me wrong, there's other brands of trailers I'd consider based on floorplans that Jayco doesn't carry, but there's a large list of makers I will not consider at all.

I'd look first of all at structure materials, plywood vs particle board, I-beam frame vs stamped and bolted frame, and others, and look at customer service as Jayco brands, Jayco & Starcraft were excellent were others were none existant. Also look at warranty and who has to do warranty work. Jayco forces their dealers to do warranty work on any Jayco product, even if bought from another dealer. If the dealer doesn't follow this practice, they will have repercussions from Jayco, as long as Jayco is told about it.

Other makers don't require that their dealers do any type of service on units bought at other dealers. In fact, on one makers website, they state how none selling dealers can refuse service. IMO, UNACCEPTABLE!

I stick with Jayco because I've had very good luck with the warranty work and customer service I've had with 2 Jayco and 1 Starcraft camper I've had.

[fla-gypsy]

There is no right brand. Look at floor plans that meet your needs and review build techniques that fit your budget

[eichacsj]

3oaks wrote:
And over on the Northwood Association Forum, owners say the late model Arctic Fox trailers are still among the best but not as good as they used to make them. Quality of fit and finish has slipped.

Choosing a new TT is a toss up. Each manufacturer has its pros and cons. I think owner maintenance is the key and being handy at fixing minor issues really helps. Even a brand new trailer can become a fixer upper pretty quick.

X2. We love Northwood, we prefer AF but they are expensive. They are very strong built for off road and I strongly recommend them if you plan to boon-dock.

[PenMan]

Just ignore all the other answers. Open Range is by far the best brand. Aren't you glad you asked?

[Tequila]

I think everybody will agree airstream is best. Pricy, however. When I looked around I picked Northwood based on the Frame more than anything. I RV mainly in Mexico, the land of speed bumps. You may also want to look at Lance, but I felt the finishing was inferior to Northwood. Once again price.

[BarneyS]

Based on the fact that my last two trailers were Sunnybrooks, and that I have had no problems with either one in the past 18 years, and that Winnebago purchased Sunnybrook and build their present trailers there, I think I would look closely at the Winnebago line of travel trailers.
The ones I have seen at campgrounds and at RV shows look pretty good.
Barney

[JIMNLIN]

Calicajun wrote:
I would stay away from the Heartland Wildness brand. I own a 2014 Heartland Wildness and do not recommend this level of build at all.

..... then on the flip side we had no issues with our Wilderness. great unit for the price.

We always get the floorplan we like in a price range we can afford.

Same logic when I buy a truck or car or boat or tractor or zero turn .....etc.

[Mikesr]

Even the best of brands can ship a lemon. The way to select a brand is to first find a dealer you can trust and does good repair work. ALL brands have issues and it's a matter of how the dealer corrects them with experience and the right shop. Do it in this order.
1) set a budget and try and stick to it
2) match your tow vehicle
3) find a floor plan you like (all brands have similar floor plans)
4) find that dealer and stick to the above.

Good luck and happy shopping,

[myredracer]

Ooh, hit a raw nerve on this... Could go on for pages and pages but won't. At the worst, some TTs can end up being a problem from day one and costing you a ton of $$, aggravation and lost sleep not to mention ruining camping outings. It's a really good idea to be investigating before paying for a new unit, then finding out stuff.

If we were to be looking for a new TT, I'd be looking closely at a Nash, Arctic Fox or Outdoors RV (all owned by same co.) - not being built in Indiana and not having a Lippert frame would be a major plus to me. Maybe Lance as well. Not to say these don't have issues, but are far ahead of most others IMO.

So many problems with TTs in general, ranging from not serious to extremely serious... Little to no quality control and no industry regulations that manufacturers must follow. We're on our 3rd TT in about 3 1/2 years and I could never have possibly imagined the problems we'd run into until owning one. Anything designated ultralite can potentially have more problems because they build them the lightest they can with the thinnest, lightest and least substantial materials and cut corners all in the name of saving a few lbs. Forget about making a buying decision based on dry weights as they mean nothing in the end. Some TTs have a lot of available CCC and some have nothing left when you've loaded them up with ordinary camping gear and supplies (ours has only around 200 lbs left with empty tanks and towing with just one full tank would put it over the GVWR).

If you come up with a short list, I'd look very closely at the construction details, methods and workmanship throughout. Pull cabinet drawers out, look inside upper and lower cabinets, inside dinette seating etc. and see how good the construction is - do cab. doors and drawers open/close smoothly and properly; are things fairly plumb, level square and straight; etc., etc. Look underneath and inspect the frame - some have very good frames, most have decent ones, but some are not good at all and some frames have better re-enforcing than others. Does the subfloor flex a lot when you stand still and someone walks around on it? Lots of things you can inspect. If you are serious about finding something good, I would find a good independent RV repair shop who has someone who will talk you about different brands and things to look for, even if you have to pay for their time.

Friends of ours have a Keystone Cougar 1.5 yrs. old and I just spent a whole day fixing up the crappy cabinetry that was falling apart. Absolutely the worst cabinetry workmanship and quality I've seen in a TT. If they had the money, they'd get rid of it. A lot of TTs look great on a dealer's lot or at a show, but it's what's not immediately obvious or lurking beneath the surface that can get you.

Anyway, choose wisely and enjoy your TT!

[GrandpaKip]

Hahahahaheeheehee. There ain't no answer to that question.

[Calicajun]

I would stay away from the Heartland Wildness brand. I own a 2014 Heartland Wildness and do not recommend this level of build at all.

[downtheroad]

Most everyone usually 'highly' recommends the brand that they have.
We have had 4 trailers...all from different manufacturers and all were good.

We had great trips and made great memories in all of them.

[3oaks]

And over on the Northwood Association Forum, owners say the late model Arctic Fox trailers are still among the best but not as good as they used to make them. Quality of fit and finish has slipped.

Choosing a new TT is a toss up. Each manufacturer has its pros and cons. I think owner maintenance is the key and being handy at fixing minor issues really helps. Even a brand new trailer can become a fixer upper pretty quick.