What brands to look at

[IAJack]

My wife and I are beginning our search for a travel trailer as I am getting too old to run in and out of a tent. I have been browsing the for sale listings and trying to get an idea of what we want. So foar I have it narrowed town to:

Non 5th wheel
Under 21'
Lightweight
Dual Axle (not a firm req.)
Sleeps 2
Budget @ 15K


So what brands should I look at and consider for quality? Right now I am kinda drawn to the Minne Winne, Forest River and Pacific Coachworks brands.

Thanks

[Brenwol1]

Three months ago, my DW and I purchased a Heartland Mallard M185BH. A single axle 21' TT. We live the larger fridge and freezer. It's a four-season version as we camp all year. Just right for the two of us and we have been happy with it so far.

[tuffr2]

If you can swing a Winnebago mini that will be a better than average trailer. My advice is to get a walk around bed, not a corner bed. Making a corner bed is not easy and doing a crab crawl in and out of a corner bed gets old after 2 days.

Going from a tent to a travel trailer is a huge step up in comfort. You will wonder what you guys did not make the move sooner.

[Dropthejacks]

I would stick with a duel axle if I had the choice, for better handling and a better ride. Know going in what tow vehicle you will be using and what it will safely and comfortably tow and then stay within those boundaries. DO NOT trust the RV salesman when he says, "Oh yea, you can pull that, no problem." I concur with tuffr2, walk around bed if possible. Try to find something that has the sitting area directly across from the TV. There's nothing more irritating than trying to watch the TV at an angle, and it will get old quick. Minnie Winnes are popular, and you don't hear many folks complaining about lots of issues and problems.

[IAJack]

I have a 2013 F150 3.5 EcoBoost Super Crew and short bed as my tow vehicle. I want to stay under 6K trailer weight as the max payload for the truck is only 1400 and I will need a WDH.

I was mainly wondering if there are some better quality brands to look at in the lower price and lightweight range.

[RescueRamsey]

Originally Posted by IAJack

I have a 2013 F150 3.5 EcoBoost Super Crew and short bed as my tow vehicle. I want to stay under 6K trailer weight as the max payload for the truck is only 1400 and I will need a WDH.

I was mainly wondering if there are some better quality brands to look at in the lower price and lightweight range.

Don't worry so much about the light weight, every "light weight" trailer I've seen has been junk. That extra weight has to come from some where, I'd especially stay away from the models that have holes punched in the frame rails. I have 2 friends in my camp group with that exact truck, both tow 30' trailers that are not the "light" models, those trucks do amazing... Oh and both of those guys have toy hauler trailers with cars in them.

[1bigmess]

You're in Arizona. Look at the Outdoors RV products. Be prepared to get an adequate tow vehicle for the time right if you choose one of the larger ones, but it's worth it.

[bneukam]

The only lighter weight trailers I would own is Winnebago, Grand Design, and Lance. But you’ll have to buy used to get closer to your budget, which is not a bad option. All the other brands are the same in lower cost, and cheaper construction.
IMO it depends how much you’ll be using it. Why spend a lot of money for a few trips a year.
We love our Lance 1995 with our Ram 1500. Nice towing, and decent mpg. Light tongue weights which allow extra payload in the truck bed for bikes, firewood, generator, and kayaks. Walk around bed up front, with a u-shaped dinette, and under 600 lbs tongue weight fully loaded. We use ours year around, and love to travel, and be in the outdoors. So the Lance fits us perfectly.

[IAJack]

Today we went and looked at three different dealers and several different models. I was disappointed as hell in the Winnabago Micro Minnie and Drop as they seemed cheaply built and just not what I expected.



I looked at the Rockwood Mini Lite by Forest River and it was second in quality to the the Lance which was like a Mercedes for fit and finish.



The Coachmans were just OK and the Jayco Hummingbirds certainly didnt impress me at all.

[VAGABONDTVLR]

You can also check out the Nash tts. What ever you do go for the double axle for safety reasons. If you blow a tire there is still one working for you.

Good luck in whatever you choose.

[happy cynic]

I bought a 2004 Fleetwood Terry 250RKS. It has a walk-around bed, a dinette, a scissor sofa, a large tub and shower combo, and a large fridge and freezer. It's only 27 feet long. I bought it used from a dealer for $8500, and I couldn't be happier with this little camper. It's the extreme edition, which just means that the bottom is insulated (enclosed), and it weighs 3540 lbs empty. My little Chevy Colorado can only pull 7000, so this was a good match for me. Even fully loaded, my camper will never be over 6000 lbs. So far, no major issues, knock on wood.

Also, I have noticed when I visit RV parks that there are always quite a few older Fleetwood Terrys in the park, and I see that as a sign that they were well made.

[ALLOY]

Copied this from a post I made in another thread....these may strike out on the $15k new.

Fiberglass RV - Powered by vBulletin

With a fiberglass shell there is no aluminum framing to transfer the cold to the inside which then causes condensation.

Some of the brands have heated and enclosed tanks.

Resale is really good too


...let me add with any brand there are lemons. A thorough owner approved PDI is very important even if it cost money to do.

[IAJack]

Well I ended up buying a used 2011 Lance 1881 for 11,000. It had everything I wanted including a walk around bed, dual axle, lightweight, WDH included, and it is in good shape. The best part is I paid cash so I am not upside down on it.

[Highway 4x4]

Congrats, you got a great TT at a great price that will fit in any camp suite. Enjoy it.