Dutchmen travel trailers

[go44]

Good Day
I have been shopping for another trailer..

Seen a nice Dutchmen trailer , any comments good or bad about this product......
Thanks

[go44]

Good Day
I have been shopping for another trailer..

Seen a nice Dutchmen trailer , any comments good or bad about this product......
Thanks

[RustyJC]

As you've noted, these kinds of questions are tough to answer on a public forum. Any negative feedback might tend to draw defensive reactions from some owners of the product who have not shared the particular experiences cited.

That having been said, if I were in your shoes, I'd keep looking. Just my 2 cents worth based on what I've seen in quite a few years of RVing.

Rusty

[TXiceman]

Barrie and Brenda, I agree with Rusty and will add some additional comments based on our observation over the years.

Dutchman trailers are considered entry level trailers. If you get to looking at them closely, they generally have large pretty windows, but at the expense of storage space. They have very few drawers, often just one or two in the kitchen. Many have only one large full-length hanging closet which is great for the ball-gowns your wife may take when you are camping. They have few if any drawer space in the bath or bedroom. You wind up storing everything in duffle bags stored under the bed or in the bottom of the one large closet.

This kind of storage is O.K. for week end use, but not very good for longer term trips.

To get a general idea of the overall construction of any RV, take along a flash light and look in to the back of compartments, closets, take the drawers out and look at the backs of the cabinets. Is wiring and plumbing bundled neatly and secured or is just loose and hap-hazard. See how the wood framing for cabinets is assembled. Is it tenon type joints, secured with screws or just butted and held by a couple of wire staples.

This is true of many trailer that are considered to be entry level. So take your time and shop until you find one you like and are comfortable with.

You may want to consider a gently used higher end trailer in lieu of a new entry level.

Ken

[Frankie]

My two cents. I have a Dutchman trailer. I have had problems,but have had great support from them. My trailer went back for structual and delamination problems last aug. Came back in sept. Had a couple problems related to the warrenty repair done at factory and it is going back in dec. The fact that they answered all my e-mails and phone calls promptly and professionally and are taking care of it is enough for me too stick it out to the end. I read all these stories about no response and how they dont care,I wondered why, after being treated the way I have been. Yeah it stinks that some of the workers decided to miss some stuff,oh well. I have a crew of 5 and sometimes things get through them and I end up going back to a job to satisfy a contract.It could have been a lot worse in my case but Dutchmen has stepped up to the plate and are trying to get this thing fixed.I cant say for sure that you will or would be treated the same way by them but they are doing the right thing with my case. I just wanted to share my perspective on Dutchman.

[Ray,IN]

We traded in our well-used 1992 Dutchmen Royal 30' 5er for a new 2005 Grand Junction last April, and they sold it the next day. We had used it for extended trips out West and wintering in Florida, as well as short trips while we were working. Lack of storage was an item, but structurally the unit performed well for those 13 years. Water damage from leaking clearance lights finally demanded some rebuilding. Clearance lights are sealed around the outside, but if water collects in the lens it will leak through the bulb socket and follow the wiring into the walls. It was only after several years and a new rubber roof did I figure out where the water was actually getting in; I solved it by drilling drain holes in the bottom of each lens. I would have bought another Dutchmen, but my wife wanted this one. It's made by Colorado, which is by Dutchmen. Guess we both got our way huh.

[8isenuf]

Hello

I too own a Dutchman TT. It is indeed an entry level unit. We have been well pleased with the trailer. It is designed for weekend and vacation use. Ours was purchased new in 2002 and the warranty was clear that its purpose was weekends and vacations. Fulltiming would void the warranty!

How much storage is dependant on the floor plan and size of the trailer. Ours is a 29Q. We have a front bedroom and rear bunkhouse. We have both short and tall closets. We have 8 kids so we could never have enough draws though.

Just check it our carefully and see if it will fit your plans both for now and the near future

[Grandpaw]

my 93 model was great!
my 95 model had some problems !
I looked at a then new 2002 model and walked away !
quality contol went downhill

[dws182]

I own a 2011 Dutchman Four Winds travel trailer. Recently, we pulled the trailer 250 miles to a state park where were camping. Before we left, we filled the fresh water tank since we would not have water hook-up at our site. When we arrived we had no water. Nor did we have a fresh water tank. Somewhere along our 250 mile drive our tank detached itself from beneath the trailer. We contacted the dealership where we purchased the trailer and were told that this is an occassional problem (not just with Dutchman) because of the frame brackets are not made to support a full tank during transport. Really?... I thought that was the reason for a fresh water tank so you can take water with you, especially when water isn't available where you would be camping... When we contacted the manufacturer we were told that the trailer was out of warranty and that the tanks aren't designed for travel when they are full, even though there is NOTHING in the owner's manual that suggests that! So we spent tens of thousands of dollars on a "travel" trailer that we can't travel with and have water too... What a disappointment. Needless-to-say, we are still arguing our case with Dutchman.

[KJcachers]

What size tank? At 8 pounds/gal that weight could get huge with a larger tank. Wasn't aware trailers had issues losing full tanks on the road. Thanks for the heads up.

[RustyJC]

So Dutchmen says you're not supposed to carry water in the fresh water tank??!! Who would have guessed!

Rusty

[RanCarr]

Unreal! The tank fell off and was lost? Then what is the fresh water tank for if not carrying fresh water?

I bypassed Dutchmen TTs because I didn't like the floor plans we saw. I didn't bother looking further than that.

This is an old thread. Maybe they fixed the "lost water tank" issues by now.

[RustyJC]

Originally Posted by RanCarr

This is an old thread. Maybe they fixed the "lost water tank" issues by now.

The post reporting it (post #9) was made at 8:33AM CDT this morning.

Rusty

[RanCarr]

Originally Posted by RustyJC

The post reporting it (post #9) was made at 8:33AM CDT this morning.

Rusty

YIKES!!!!! I better start watching the dates more closely!