Community Forums

rbTN · 11-04-2018, 04:48 PM

I'm trying to find my first TT, and frankly its exhausting.

I'm the guy that is grilling, smoking, what ever no matter the weather. Seriously, I have 2 smokers and 2 grills for different purposes so I figure I will be camping no matter the season as well.

So I'm trying to decide how important those extra pkgs are. I am trying to go used but am having a hard time finding one that has the added underbelly cover and tank heat or at least heat ducted to the tanks.

I can find new units, and they are not that much more than the non-extended season used I am finding. I just wonder how much difference it really makes.

I live in TN, and it can get cold, like single digits, for a day or two, but not horrible. That said, I don't really plan to stay just in TN. I want to travel a lot.

Also, I've read that different mfgs use different quality axles, some not really built for long trips. How can I tell?

thanks,

Roy

tuffr2 · 11-04-2018, 05:43 PM

I am not sure I would want to be in any trailer at zero degrees. I am in one now in the Pa. mountains and at 30 degrees my trailer is not really comfortable. The propane furnace will run all the time me thinks at zero degrees.

And if you can travel why get caught where it is cold. My excuse, in a week I have a wedding to attend.

Here are a few trailers that are advertised for extreme temps. They are Outdoor RV, Artic Fox, Lance, and Grand Design. Of these Grand Design is at the bottom for other reasons. Dual pane windows are available of these units and are a must have if in cold/hot weather.

Best to have a 3/4 ton truck to tow Outdoor RV or Artic Fox. 1/2 ton truck for Lance and Grand Design.

LetsGoEmily · 11-05-2018, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tuffr2

Of these Grand Design is at the bottom for other reasons. .

I'm curious why you have grand design on the bottom? I'm getting ready to buy one, and probably will anyway because the floor plan is exactly what I want and no one else offers it. But what are your reasons?

Liz

dmatt13 · 11-05-2018, 12:10 PM

I don't know anything about Grand Design so I won't comment. However, ORV and Artic Fox are considered two of the best quality built TTs out there. First, they build there own heavy duty frames. The majority of the industry uses Libbert or other manufacturers frames. They also use heavy duty axles, with shocks all around and with the off road package are well made for rough roads...etc.
Their trailers are truly all season. 2" insulated walls, even the slide outs are 2" all around. The underside is completely enclosed and heated.
Lance is 1 1/2" walled but still nicely insulated. I was able to compare the Lance and ORV on the same lot in the same heat and the ORV was noticeably cooler inside than any other brand the dealer had sitting on the lot. Showed how well they were insulated.
After going through numerous different makes of TTs, and then the ORV, I am convinced they are better made than most. No Artic Fox dealer nearby so haven't seen one lately, but they are comparable builders started by the same guy.

tuffr2 · 11-05-2018, 01:18 PM

Grand Design uses Lippert Frames I believe and they are built in Indiana, a lesser quality area where RV manufacturers switch employees.

Artic Fox and Outdoor RV I believe have better frames.

I do believe Grand Design is well insulated.

60sumtin · 11-05-2018, 02:49 PM

Hi Roy and welcome to iRV2. Glad to have you with us.

I guess the question on my mind is where are you going in each season? A season can mean different things to different people and likewise in the world of RV marketing. It would help us all if you could tell us where you are planning to travel. You mentioned the cold. Two inches of insulation in a TT wall isn't very much compared to a typical sticks and bricks house so even the best TTs have limitations. A hole in the side of a snowbank could be just as warm and more insulating.

Even though I live in an area where temps can routinely stay well below 0 degrees F for weeks on end its not the kind of season most RV owners go camping in, even if the roads are bare and dry. Add wind and blowing snow into the mix and getting in and out of campsites with a TT in-tow becomes a challenge. I guess what I'm trying to say is, cold is one thing, winter travel quite another but the RV marketing folks don't talk about that.

Cumminsfan · 11-05-2018, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pup

I'm curious why you have grand design on the bottom? I'm getting ready to buy one, and probably will anyway because the floor plan is exactly what I want and no one else offers it. But what are your reasons?

Liz

Which GD are you looking at to purchase? Big difference from the Transcend to the Solitude and in between.

ColoNative · 11-05-2018, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rbTN

I'm trying to find my first TT, and frankly its exhausting.

I'm the guy that is grilling, smoking, what ever no matter the weather. Seriously, I have 2 smokers and 2 grills for different purposes so I figure I will be camping no matter the season as well.

So I'm trying to decide how important those extra pkgs are. I am trying to go used but am having a hard time finding one that has the added underbelly cover and tank heat or at least heat ducted to the tanks.

I can find new units, and they are not that much more than the non-extended season used I am finding. I just wonder how much difference it really makes.

I live in TN, and it can get cold, like single digits, for a day or two, but not horrible. That said, I don't really plan to stay just in TN. I want to travel a lot.

Also, I've read that different mfgs use different quality axles, some not really built for long trips. How can I tell?

thanks,

Roy

Hi Roy,
Welcome! You are gonna love it once you pull the trigger. We are entering our second winter with our ORV 21RBS, we love it! Last winter spend 3 nights in Nebraska at -20, we and the trailer held up just fine, propane burn was huge! Seriously, ORV Is built to handle the weather, they also build their own frames in Oregon, and use Dexter axles. Straight up we love ours, we picked it up Feb 1 2018, so far we have 10000 miles and 66 nights in it. Just figuring out our next adventure right now. Might retrace the Oregon Trail from Ft Laramie, Wy to Oregon City, Or. have fun!

tuffr2 · 11-05-2018, 07:35 PM

One big thing I do not like about the Lance is the A/C is not ducted which makes the A/C loud. I got to test the insulation of the Lance on a hot 92 degree day with the Florida sun beating down on it. I really did not stay cool as I got the inside temp down to 75 degrees but when I turned off the A/C the inside temp rose from 75 to 85 in 13.3 minutes.

I looked at Artic Fox trailers on an 82 degree day at about 2:00pm. The trailers were still cool from the night before. This gives me the impression that the Artic Fox was better insulated than the Lance.

In Hammersville Ohio, 35 miles east of Cincinnati Mike Jones RV have both Lance and Artic Fox.

bneukam · 11-05-2018, 08:41 PM

ORV insulates half of their RV’s with fiberglass batts. Not because it’s the best way , but because it’s cheap. Most new homes being built today no longer use, gaps create drafts.

LetsGoEmily · 11-05-2018, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cumminsfan

Which GD are you looking at to purchase? Big difference from the Transcend to the Solitude and in between.

Yes, I was actually surprised they started the transcend model. We are going to get a GD Imagine XLS 19RLE. 23.5 ft long, and the perfect floor plan! Half ton towable.

Liz

tuffr2 · 11-06-2018, 04:19 AM

Liz - I watched a YouTube video on the Grand Design Solitude XLS 17 RLE. Very very impressive. There is a lot to like. The 1st thing I noticed was no particle board. Looks like the much better plywood was used for the flooring. Also a ton of storage. No slides will make the trailer easier to heat and cool. And this will be nice to tow behind a 1/2 ton truck. I towed a 5,500lb wet trailer behind a 2011 F-150 with a Drawtite WD hitch. It towed really nice.

Good choice

runamuck · 11-06-2018, 05:46 AM

our Coachmen Freedom Express 246RKS has the closed and heated under belly and ducted heat and a/c. It is all welded aluminum framing with foam sandwich floors and walls. It does not have dbl. pane windows but seems very well insulated. we take a small recirculating electric heater for heat as the furnace is noisy. the electric heater does a great job of heating the trailer. I dont think we would stay out in any sub-zero weather because we dont have heated water or sewer lines and besides, how much could that even be.

rbTN · 11-06-2018, 07:50 AM

thank you all for the input! Just read more of the "whats a good travel trailer to buy" thread and one post stuck out, the more I look, the more my idea of what I want seems to change.

To answer some questions - I don't know that I would plan to be towing the trailer in the snow, or camp in 0 degree weather, but I'd think sometime you'll get a cold blast and it may be in the middle of your trip. I really want a trailer that can travel, meaning I want to take it out west, see the sights, etc. I'm not planning on just weekends in my general area, but those will happen as well.

I have a 2001 dodge ram 2500 diesel for my TV so have some room weight wise and don't have to have an ultra light.

However, the smaller (less than 25') no slide units I've looked at make me feel a bit claustrophobic after seeing ones with slides. And I doubt it would get any better after a few days