Community Forums

johnythunder · 03-05-2021, 05:32 AM

could someone who has a gulfstream tt tell me if they like it and what model they have

alb2tpa · 03-05-2021, 12:16 PM

I asked the same question weeks ago. Not one owner replied. I did not take that as a horrible thing, since unhappy owners are generally much more likely to tell others how bad a trailer is.

Only model I looked at hard, and then ordered, was a 290RL. Told me 4 months to get it. Talked to one dealer in VT. who has been selling them for decades and was happy with the company. The other dealer, 150 miles away in Syracuse, NY chose not to stock my model because they do not build enough of them. I guess he must have enough similar rear living layouts. He did stock many other models of Gulf Coach.

Maybe an owner will chime in with a report. I intend to after my first week of ownership.

tuffr2 · 03-05-2021, 04:53 PM

I had a 2008 Gulfstream Streamlite 22SLB as my 1st travel trailer. I was tent camping prior to this trailer. So needless to say i loved the travel trailer vs a tent. I would rate the quality as average. I owned this trailer for 5 years and had zero problems.
Everything worked and nothing broke.

This trailer was not insulated very well would be my only compaint.

Planeteer · 03-10-2021, 12:21 PM

I'm usually a lurker but I'll join in.

We just purchased a Gulf Stream a couple weeks ago. It's an Ameri Lite 197BH. No camping yet as it has been too cold, but we have been inspecting it, loading some of our gear in it, and letting the kids crawl all over it for a week or two now.
I have found a handful of Quality issues but nothing I can't fix easily. We expected to have a few issues at this price point though. I prefer to fix it "right" rather than wait weeks/months for warranty work. It took about 45 minutes of vacuuming every nook to get all the sawdust and metal shavings out.

Overall, we feel happy about it and like the camper. It took a while to find the smallest trailer possible that still fit our family and had all our "wants".

Our previous camper was a 30' Gulf Stream class C. We loved traveling in it, but it was way bigger than we needed. We sold it just before COVID so we could get a newer, shorter class C. That's when prices and demand soared, so we decided to get the TT to fill the void until motorhome prices come back down.

I am thinking of starting a thread to document the Quality issues we found and discuss ways to fix them....since I'm new on this forum I just need to figure out where that thread should go

birdsNboards · 03-11-2021, 04:40 PM

Gluf Stream TT owner here chiming in. We have a 2012 Visa 17RWD. We got it last year and had a modest season of camping with it. Much like tuffr2, we upgraded from a bare-bones pop-up so my opinion might be skewed. Ours is considered an ultra-lite model so nothing is built terribly robust. With all that said, we're happy with it. The appliances all work fine, materials aren't overly cheap, and it pulls really nice. You could say someone got carried away with the stapler putting the trim on but that's not much of a complaint. As with any camper, you'll find the places they cut corners in the name of manufacturing speed, like the 1/4in plywood piece meant to hide/protect tail light wiring inside the storage compartment. I'm sure it came off the first time someone used the compartment but it's easily enough fixed to be better than before. I will say that my one clear complaint is how the dinette table attaches to the wall. It's really loose and makes for a wobbly table. I'm guessing that it's not an issue exclusive to Gulf Stream as I assume the table and hardware are from an outside supplier.

There is an owner's section on this forum for Gulf Stream. I posted a very similar question over a week ago and haven't gotten any responses, other than the seemingly obligatory warning about towing safely. We also noticed that there was only one identical unit for sale anywhere in the county, that we could find, when we were in the market. The specs of the camper were more critical to us than the brand so we went with what worked and hope it holds up for us for a few years.

Since there is so little info out there, I'll be sure to share my thoughts. the TT will get used a lot this summer starting with a 2000 mile round trip to the Rockies, and another half dozen local trips.

alb2tpa · 04-03-2021, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alb2tpa

I asked the same question weeks ago. Not one owner replied. I did not take that as a horrible thing, since unhappy owners are generally much more likely to tell others how bad a trailer is.

Only model I looked at hard, and then ordered, was a 290RL. Told me 4 months to get it. Talked to one dealer in VT. who has been selling them for decades and was happy with the company. The other dealer, 150 miles away in Syracuse, NY chose not to stock my model because they do not build enough of them. I guess he must have enough similar rear living layouts. He did stock many other models of Gulf Coach.

Maybe an owner will chime in with a report. I intend to after my first week of ownership.

Well, my intentions were good, but the dealer just called and said my April delivery estimate might be mid July due to massive supply problems at Gulfstream. I called the factory and they confirmed. They do not even have frames available in the near future for my model. Just deposited on a Puma 31FKRK. Not the same, but the availability out there was terrible and the prices have gone up thousands since December.

Ldubs · 04-04-2021, 01:39 AM

We have a 2021 Vintage Cruiser 19ERD, purchased last year. We have been out a hand full of trips. So far no issues other than a piece of trim falling off.

Like previous posters have said, I would categorize the overall quality as average. I agree with @BirdsNBoard's comment about someone going a little overboard with the pneumatic stapler. Silicone caulk too. But overall we are pleased with ours.

You will read quite a bit of negative feedback over on the Gulf Stream Owner's forum. I'm sure the issues are real. Of course people are much more likely to speak up about problems than about no problems.

Reel Suite · 04-21-2021, 04:08 AM

Picking up a Gulf Stream 28CRB next weekend. I’ll let you know what we think. They aren’t making any more cabin cruisers for at least a year GS told me.

SKP Kirk · 04-21-2021, 02:28 PM

Gulf Stream has been around for many years and are one of the few still family owned RV companies. From Wikipedia:

Quote:

The company is the largest privately held full-line recreational vehicle manufacturer in North America, offering 26 brands and more than 100 models, while employing over 1,500 men and women in Elkhart County.

The company was established in 1983 and grew out of a previous family business that made mobile homes.

Like most large RV companies, they build a wide range of price & quality of RV and they have a very middle of the road reputation. While I have known of a few who had really bad experiences with one of their RVs, I have known more satisfied owners.

RHD51 · 04-24-2021, 09:14 PM

Haven't been here in awhile.
I have an 2006 Gulf Stream Amerilite 21FMB. Have owned it for about 5 yrs. and put several thousand miles on it.
I am extremely happy with it! It tows wonderful with no sway, at about 4K lbs. loaded, my 1500, 5.8 Silverado barely knows it's there even with 800 lb. HD in the bed.
Interior was modified by orig. owner witch I have since redone to my liking.
All systems and appliances work perfectly, have never had a problem with any appliance, plumbing or electrical issue. The frame and undercarriage are in great condition with no rust. Orig. roof with no leaks except for one caused by damage and was repaired.
Only structural problem was when I attached a cargo carrier to the rear bumper and broke the welds holding the bumper to the frame. Had local welder add brackets and reweld.
I feel like I got a great deal on this unit and couldn't be happier when I read all the horror stories about how campers are produced today.

derosacamp · 09-05-2021, 08:13 PM

We just picked up our 2021 Gulfstream Vintage Cruiser 19 CSK and we are on our maiden voyage. I agree with the previous posts that the overall quality is typical for a small trailer. However, better quality than some of the other comparable brands. I was attracted by the one piece roof and aluminum frame. It tows great. We are experiencing some warranty issues and Gulfstream has been responsive.

green_plaid · 09-05-2021, 08:40 PM

I had a 2021 Ameri-Lite 199DD...it did have some quality issues but I fixed everything and then some. Decided a few weeks ago to upgrade out of the Gulfstream and I looked at every aluminum sided trailer made by Forest River, KZ and Thor. And after looking at the prices as compared to quality I decided to upgrade to an 2022 Ameri-Lite 248BH. Gulfstream is not perfect but they do a pretty good job for the price point and better than anything I saw from Forest River. Best part was I paid 12900 for mine and traded it in for 12400. Actually had quite a few offers from dealers to buy without trade for 12500 but I'd lose the tax benefit of trading in to buy a new one. The new one had a non negotiable price but it was still pretty decent all things considered.