Maybe someone can explain this to me. I have a 1995 Mallard (model 19N) by Fleetwood. I measured it and found ball to bumper approx 21ft and camper body is 17ft. I would have thought the model "19N" would indicate the camper body would be 19ft but not the case. So why would it not be model 17 and who knows what the N in 19N means? Thanks in advance for any info.

19N makes it sound bigger! Who knows what salesmen think, they are not logical creatures!

Ahhhhhh....you can't apply logic to model numbers on RVs! Generally speaking, model numbers give you an approximation of the overall length....give or take a foot! My Bay Star 3302 actually has a total length of 33'11". The Minnie 2201 DS trailer we had was almost 27' long, so I'd say the 22 may have been the length of the actual box of the trailer. Bottom line....you always have to check the specs to see the actual overall length and carry a tape rule with you to check any dimension you're interested in when looking at an RV.

My 2101DS TT is 21 feet 11 inches of box. 2111 would’ve been better.

Ah! The difference between a guideline and a rule. As a rule, the model number is not a true indicator of length, as a guideline it’s an approximation (or totally meaningless).

I read an article in Trailer Life that concluded that a model number meant whatever the manufacturer wanted it to.

Why is my trailer "model 19N" instead of "model 17"

spoon059
Explorer II
Mar 05, 2019
My 29QBS is almost 35 feet long...
allen8106
Explorer
Mar 05, 2019
mgann wrote:
Maybe someone can explain this to me. I have a 1995 Mallard (model 19N) by Fleetwood. I measured it and found ball to bumper approx 21ft and camper body is 17ft. I would have thought the model "19N" would indicate the camper body would be 19ft but not the case. So why would it not be model 17 and who knows what the N in 19N means? Thanks in advance for any info.

The model number no longer has any bearing on the length with most manufacturers.
rbpru
Explorer II
Mar 05, 2019
At the last RV show I tried to correlate box size to model numbers. They are definitely brand dependent and sometimes model dependent.

But as already stated, there is no industry standard. You get what you see, not what they call it.
rrupert
Explorer
Mar 04, 2019
We had two Hi-Lo trailers and they gave the model numbers as the measurement from the rear bumper to the center of the hitch to the nearest foot +/-.
Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Mar 04, 2019
Does it matter :H

1994 was 1st year for Mallard and the 19N was smallest TT offered
2001 was last year of the 19N model

1994-1999 it was listed at 21'
2000 it lost a foot--------20'
2001 it grew 2 feet--------22'

????
deltabravo
Nomad
Mar 04, 2019
Two Hands wrote:
I read an article in Trailer Life that concluded that a model number meant whatever the manufacturer wanted it to.

Agreed.

Here's a good case of meaningless model numbers: One manufacturer makes a 25R, 25W and 25Y. There's a huge variance in length across all 3 models. The 25R is the shortest.
Bobbo
Explorer II
Mar 04, 2019
Just like a lumber 2x4 is not 2" by 4", model numbers don't reflect the actual RV size. (Someone actually sued Lowes because the 2x4 lumber he bought wasn't 2" x 4".)
Two_Hands
Explorer
Mar 03, 2019
I read an article in Trailer Life that concluded that a model number meant whatever the manufacturer wanted it to.
wildtoad
Explorer II
Mar 03, 2019
Ah! The difference between a guideline and a rule. As a rule, the model number is not a true indicator of length, as a guideline it’s an approximation (or totally meaningless).
Lwiddis
Explorer II
Mar 03, 2019
My 2101DS TT is 21 feet 11 inches of box. 2111 would’ve been better.