Community Forums

wdross · 05-12-2017, 03:37 PM

We purchased our 2015 Blackstone 280RKSB last October and got one trip in before we put it away for the Winter. We have been using it almost every weekend since mid February traveling to our Son's College baseball games near Portland, mainly dry camping in the College parking lot. It has been a pure joy using this trailer! We have owned a TT and 2 fifth wheels and this is definitely the best one we have owned to date! It pulls like a dream, even in the winds of the Columbia River Gorge and having the large fresh water tank, you can take long showers and still have plenty of water! The parts I really enjoy are the things that most RV'ers update are included from the factory. The fantastic fans are awesome, the large LED TV is great, really everything you would want. Now that I have truly been able to use this, I am really a fan of ORV and hope they continue to keep a low production quality unit that is worth every penny!

ORVPDMAN · 05-15-2017, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wdross

We purchased our 2015 Blackstone 280RKSB last October and got one trip in before we put it away for the Winter. We have been using it almost every weekend since mid February traveling to our Son's College baseball games near Portland, mainly dry camping in the College parking lot. It has been a pure joy using this trailer! We have owned a TT and 2 fifth wheels and this is definitely the best one we have owned to date! It pulls like a dream, even in the winds of the Columbia River Gorge and having the large fresh water tank, you can take long showers and still have plenty of water! The parts I really enjoy are the things that most RV'ers update are included from the factory. The fantastic fans are awesome, the large LED TV is great, really everything you would want. Now that I have truly been able to use this, I am really a fan of ORV and hope they continue to keep a low production quality unit that is worth every penny!

Glad to hear you are having fun times with your Blackstone!
Safe travels!!

IdahoBob · 05-15-2017, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wdross

We purchased our 2015 Blackstone 280RKSB last October and got one trip in before we put it away for the Winter. We have been using it almost every weekend since mid February traveling to our Son's College baseball games near Portland, mainly dry camping in the College parking lot. It has been a pure joy using this trailer! We have owned a TT and 2 fifth wheels and this is definitely the best one we have owned to date! It pulls like a dream, even in the winds of the Columbia River Gorge and having the large fresh water tank, you can take long showers and still have plenty of water! The parts I really enjoy are the things that most RV'ers update are included from the factory. The fantastic fans are awesome, the large LED TV is great, really everything you would want. Now that I have truly been able to use this, I am really a fan of ORV and hope they continue to keep a low production quality unit that is worth every penny!

It is terrific your new rig is "pure joy" for you!

Many of us have similar experiences but fail to report them.

Forums tend to support problem solving and the posts can paint a distorted picture of a great product, like ORV trailers.

Mr. Wonderful

P.S. Currently we are about 2500 miles from home base, with our WR. And happy as clams. (Where did that expression come from?)

IdahoBob · 05-15-2017, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IdahoBob

It is terrific your new rig is "pure joy" for you!

Many of us have similar experiences but fail to report them.

Forums tend to support problem solving and the posts can paint a distorted picture of a great product, like ORV trailers.

Mr. Wonderful

P.S. Currently we are about 2500 miles from home base, with our WR. And happy as clams. (Where did that expression come from?)

Follow-up:

Origin: Happy as clams"

Why would clams be happy? It has been suggested that open clams give the appearance of smiling. The derivation is more likely to come from the fuller version of the phrase, now rarely heard - 'as happy as a clam at high water'. Hide tide is when clams are free from the attentions of predators; surely the happiest of times in the bivalve mollusc world. The phrase originated in the north-eastern states of the USA in the early 19th century. The earliest citation that I can find is from a frontier memoir The Harpe's Head - A Legend of Kentucky, 1833:

"It never occurred to him to be discontented... He was as happy as a clam."

So, the few of you that didn't know this, "You're welcome!"

wdross · 05-15-2017, 08:05 PM

My final straw before checking into the ORV products was a 2015 Forest River Chaparral 5th. Wheel that we purchased brand new. We liked the glam factor of it, but there was some notable flaws. I finally was fed up with it about a year and a half into our experience with it when I was climbing the stairs up into the front bedroom and saw daylight between the stairs and the exterior wall! That was it! I started researching and found ORV, went to the closest dealer, and was hooked! We traded our fifth in, took a pretty good hit by the way, and got into our very slightly used Blackstone! Best decision I've ever made! I see far more positive input on this forum than negative and that proves that this is going to be a long term quality investment.

jtbuilds · 05-16-2017, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wdross

My final straw before checking into the ORV products was a 2015 Forest River Chaparral 5th. Wheel that we purchased brand new. We liked the glam factor of it, but there was some notable flaws. I finally was fed up with it about a year and a half into our experience with it when I was climbing the stairs up into the front bedroom and saw daylight between the stairs and the exterior wall! That was it! I started researching and found ORV, went to the closest dealer, and was hooked! We traded our fifth in, took a pretty good hit by the way, and got into our very slightly used Blackstone! Best decision I've ever made! I see far more positive input on this forum than negative and that proves that this is going to be a long term quality investment.

My buy it new 2015 ORV Timber Ridge so I don't have to repair anything was your 2015 FR. Final straw for me was looking into why the floor was sagging.....they'd cut the front steel cross member and the weight of the floor was bending the .100" steel over.

ORVPDMAN · 05-17-2017, 07:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jtbuilds

My buy it new 2015 ORV Timber Ridge so I don't have to repair anything was your 2015 FR. Final straw for me was looking into why the floor was sagging.....they'd cut the front steel cross member and the weight of the floor was bending the .100" steel over.

I'd like to see pictures of this please.
james.baker@outdoorsrvmfg.com

jtbuilds · 05-17-2017, 08:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ORVPDMAN

I'd like to see pictures of this please.
james.baker@outdoorsrvmfg.com

For what reason?

ORVPDMAN · 05-17-2017, 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jtbuilds

For what reason?

If it is something we did at the factory or a design issue it needs to be presented to the appropriate managers so that we can prevent it in the future.

Blackbelle · 05-17-2017, 01:56 PM

As with any RV there can be issues. ORV has bent over backwards to fix any issues I have had with my trailer( Todd Morton )specifically. I think they have been great to work with, and have read lots of horror stories about RV manufacturers who could care less about you or the trailer after you pulled it off the lot. I wouldn't hesitate to buy one again just based on the customer support.

bucknaz · 05-17-2017, 05:52 PM

I have to wonder if he has a OVR or a Carriage, maybe both

**NLOVNIT** · 05-17-2017, 07:25 PM

Several posts have been removed for being rude, sarcastic, condescending & baiting. Basically violating our Be Courteous! rule.

Please discuss the issue & not each other.

Lori-

PRT · 05-18-2017, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wdross

We purchased our 2015 Blackstone 280RKSB last October and got one trip in before we put it away for the Winter. We have been using it almost every weekend since mid February traveling to our Son's College baseball games near Portland, mainly dry camping in the College parking lot. It has been a pure joy using this trailer! We have owned a TT and 2 fifth wheels and this is definitely the best one we have owned to date! It pulls like a dream, even in the winds of the Columbia River Gorge and having the large fresh water tank, you can take long showers and still have plenty of water! The parts I really enjoy are the things that most RV'ers update are included from the factory. The fantastic fans are awesome, the large LED TV is great, really everything you would want. Now that I have truly been able to use this, I am really a fan of ORV and hope they continue to keep a low production quality unit that is worth every penny!

Glad you are enjoying your new trailer. We have basically a Blackstone in the 5th wheel and we just love it also for more or less the same as you. Love the big fresh water tank.

Off Road · 05-18-2017, 09:10 AM

I looked at and researched and looked at a lot of trailers before we purchased our Creekside. I also rented several different brands of trailers. I told my wife I was not interested in purchasing a trailer because of the poor build quality of most of the brands out there. Cheap simple stapled together cabinets, small undersized tires etc. seem to be the norm. Coming from a sailing background I was used to the more robust build quality of boats that are subjected to the rigors of ocean passages. Then I was pointed to Northwood and ORV by visiting hunting forums. Those were the trailers that guys who spend time on gravel washboard roads use. These are guys who are not gentle with their trailers. I was immediately impressed with the build quality and the insulation. No their trailers aren't perfect, everything built by human hands has the potential for problems, but the factory support has been very good. I have been very happy with our trailer and would not hesitate to buy another.