Used 2014 Kodiak Express 283BHSL

[alucke72]

My wife and I are looking into possibly trading in our 2012 grey wolf 28bhks for a 2014 Kodiak express 283bhsl. Is there anything about the 283bhsl we should know about, good or bad, before we make our decision to buy it or not?

Adrian

[Persistent]

Dutchmen TT's are not regularly recommended by many owners including me. I have a 21 foot Kodiak Cub. New ones have high probability of bad experiences.
What is the issue with the Gray Wolf you have. What do you hope to get with the new Kodiak. All the issues with the Gray Wolf have been dealt with. It has about the same specifications.

Quality Travel Trailer Brands
Winter of 2018 I joined the Dutchmen Owners forum and expressed my disappointment with my new Dutchmen Kodiak Cub. My opinion of Dutchmen travel trailers has not improved since then. Total cost of ownership has not been lower than much higher priced trailers.
Last year I found a thread on iRV2.com started by a new member who wanted advice on what to buy for his first travel trailer. What followed was a compilation of 1000’s of camper hours of experience and a list of brands from owners with firsthand experience. Needless to say Dutchmen and many other Thor companies were specifically not recommended. Their only advantage is low purchase price. Jayco is now a Thor company and the last 3? model years are also specifically not recommended. A short list of recommended brands and brief comments follow. I wish I had this information before buying.
Artic Fox
Difficult to find east of the Mississippi
$25k to $50k thermal pane windows
Hamersville Ohio (Cincinnati)
Outdoor RV
Difficult to find east of the Mississippi , $25k to $50k
Thermal pane windows, dealer in Denver.
Cooler in sun, Excellent support
Lance are $10-$25k more than the same length ORV Creekside or Timber Ridge.
2018 28'8" Timber Ridge was $34,700
Air Stream
Recent corrosion problem
Grand Design
Insulated well
Winnebago
Was Sunnybrook
Grand Design
One bad review
Elite Suites
Lance
Newell
TIFFIN
Excellent service
Nash
Oliver Travel Trailers
A company with a different business model.
New TT's are only available from the factory, no dealers. They have none in stock. They are only available by ordering. There are very few floor plans and sizes. Only the best components are used.
Easier to tow:
Air Stream, Oliver, and Escape are streamlined shaped trailers of high quality that are true cold and hot weather campers. They are easier to tow. They are heavier than many light weight and cost a lot. However, you get a lot more.
There are others that have curved leading and trailing roof edges. These also tow a little easier (see Forest River Rpod as an example). I have no first hand reviews of most other trailers.

[alucke72]

The grey wolf 28bhks gvwr is 7752lbs and our truck's tow weight is 7700lbs. Our hitch WDH rating is 1050lbs. And when our trailer is fully loaded loaded tongue weight is 1100lbs. Was just wondering. We are also looking at a 2019 Coleman lantern lt 283bh. The Coleman is perfect gvwr, tongue weight when fully loaded and about 1/2 ft shorter that the grey wolf. How are the Coleman lantern lt travel trailers?


Adrian