What Am I Not Seeing??

[Spdracr39]

We knew nothing about rv's but decided we wanted to share the closeness of camping with the comforts of home. We did the research on floor plan options, warning flags to look for, and towing capabilities of our vehicle. After that we look at some new trailers to see what features we couldn't live without. Patiently waiting for the right used unit to come along we ended up with what we believe is the perfect unit for the two of us with enough space for an occasional trip with our adult children. We have had zero issues with our camper. I attribute most of that to the information sharing provided in this forum. Don't be scared off. People don't post the good stuff, people don't post positive reviews, they only take the time to post when it is a rant or need help. When you think about the hundreds of thousands of units out there and the few dozen issues complained about here the percentage is pretty small anyway.

[George Schweikle]

Reasonable comments from someone who has owned both trailers and motorhomes.

Originally Posted by TeJay

You won't like this report and may push back on it but it was my experience and impressions after having three MH's and three TT's and working on a few 5th wheels.

I've never been impressed with the quality of TT's nor 5th wheels. Many like them but my main point is this. Most TT's seldom do very many miles in a season. Most are moved just a few times a year and eventually end up parked on the side of the barn with little use. So the manufacturers say, "Why build a quality product if they are not going to use them?"

I'm not saying that some are not used a lot but it's not like buying a car or truck. I make this point for a couple of reasons.

Most TT's and 5th wheels have tires that can barely carry the load. Most don't have shock absorbers and many don't have self adjusting brakes. And what brakes they do have are mostly drum.

We had a TT that was rated for 7,000 lbs but it had two axles rated at 3,000 each for a total of 6,000 lbs. How smart is that??? We took it to FL for our first trip and put about 2,000 miles on it. When we got back the suspension bushings on both leaf springs were made out of plastic and completely shot. That is not any sort of quality.

I worked on a 40' 5th wheel that did have shocks but they were mounted almost horizontal. I ask you to explain to me how a shock mounted that way is going to work?? And there were no levers or anything so the up and down forces of the suspension could be applied. This was not a cheap unit either.

Since all motor homes are built on a truck chassis they are going to be much stronger and will have good brakes (usually 4-wheel disc) and shocks.

[wingnut60]

Agree that most are made to barely get by with staying together til driven off the lot.
However, if you buy a TT that doesn't have the capacity to carry the weight of the trailer as it sits--whose fault it that?

[Off Road]

I think the best move for someone who is not real confident about RV's and are unsure about what to buy is to rent a few different rigs. I know it can seem like wasted money but we learned so much by renting for the first few years. We mostly learned about what is the difference between a quality built trailer and ones that fall apart in the first few years. You will also learn a lot about what floor plans work for you. You will be surprised how it will help narrow your focus.

[TeJay]

wingnut60,

"Agree that most are made to barely get by with staying together til driven off the lot.
However, if you buy a TT that doesn't have the capacity to carry the weight of the trailer as it sits--whose fault it that?"

At first I just wasn't going to respond to your post #17 above but I wanted to clarify my point. What you said makes some sense to a degree. Yes it was my fault for buying a 7,000 lb TT when the axles were only rated at 6,000 lbs. I suppose it was also my fault for not expecting shocks and self adjusting brakes as well??

When was the last time anybody has bought any vehicle and thought to or had to check for shocks and self adjusting brakes?? I doubt in recent times (30-40 years) most ever did. That's why I made the mistake.

Why would anybody even consider the fact that any vehicle driven or pulled down the road did or did not have self-adjusting brakes and shocks. As far as I was concerned that was a given.

Self adjusting brakes became standard back in the late 50's or 60's. And no driven or pulled anything is sold without shocks except boat, utility and travel trailers.

The same holds true for the axle and tire ratings. When was the last time you bought a vehicle and checked to assure that the axle was rated to carry the load. I know I haven't done that for any vehicle. We just make assumptions based on our past experiences.

So yes I learned a hard lesson and I'm willing to share it with others. Oh by the way I added shocks to the TT's. It was a fairly easy MOD. Also shared it with the TT community and discovered that several others had done so as well and all were very pleased. The last TT was used as a trade in for the MH.

If you do your research one will find that the Air Stream line of TT's is well known for their easy of pulling and good riding units. They are a bit pricey and they have self adjusting brakes and shocks that actually work. The frames are much thicker that most TT's so they flex a lot less both while pulling and while living in them.

That's also a very good way to determine the quality of any TT. Take a dial caliper and measure the wall thickness of any frame. If you did that on a couple of Saturday's of shopping for a TT you'd learn a lot about quality. Measure the frame metal thickness then go inside and jump up and down a few times. If the frame is thicker than most then the rest of the quality is probably better as well. They care enough to have a thicker frame and you can't see that bling.

One more point about the underrated axles. I called the factory, complained and was told because I really did understand what THEY did the company immediately send two 3,500 lb axles. Two hours before I called my dealer had called and was told ABSOLUTELY NO to the 3,500 lb axles.

The dealers know how cheap the units were but when a customer realizes what they did and still do they immediately responded. I can supply the names of those involved if anybody is interested.

[TeJay]

Off Road,

That is an excellent suggestion.

[UTTransplant]

Quality is usually associated with cost, relatively speaking. There really is a difference between a Yugo and a Volvo. Whether the cost difference is worth the quality is something everyone decides for themselves. A more expensive trailer like a Nash or Outdoor RV has a beefier frame and heavier duty axles with higher capacity. Note this is all relative, and lemons exist in every product. Also note that people are more likely to complain than praise. That's why you see more complaints than positive reviews.

All that being said, you are still getting a metal or wooden box that drives down bumpy roads. Things work loose and shake apart. The happiest camper is one who recognizes that and rolls with the punches as they fix things. It is a great lifestyle, and our latest travel trailer has done at least 35,000 miles over roads ranging from interstates to Forest Service and BLM tracks over the last 2 years.

[slickest1]

You do not say what type of RV you are thinking about. My advice is to look at alot of different units and decide which will suit you best. Then really look over several models and I mean in and out and from top to bottom. Also you need to see how everything works and where different components are located.
A lot of the complaints you read about are people that go and look at Rv's and get caught up in the bling and the sales pitch. I have seen posts on here about folks wondering where their water pump is located and where the hot water tank is and on and on. These are the type of things that you need to know before you lay down your money whether you are buying new or used. Sometime it is things like that that point out a not so good build.
Over the years we have had many used RV's from Campers up to a Diesel Pusher.
In all of that we bought 1 new fifth wheel and it was mid range in price. It was ok but the quality was not worth the price.
I hope this helps just look hard before you buy.

[Miliaz]

I am so incredibly grateful that you all have taken the time to reply to my question 😃!! What great information you have given!

[Miliaz]

I can't thank you guys enough for taking the time to respond and give me such incredible advice and guidance 😃 ! If we do end-up getting one, I sincerely hope that we get a chance to meet at least some of you. If it allays your fears at all about our intelligence and competence 😉, my husband is a pretty smart guy who is a whiz with fixing just about anything. His trade by day is a physician but has always said that his second choice would be a carpenter. We have 5 children, ranging in age from 24 - 9. At least some of them will be coming every time, so we want to have as much sleeping capacity as possible. The older ones have talked about getting a cabin or bringing their tents b/c we're very aware of how uncomfortable it can be to pack everyone into small of quarters. We did have a Georgie Boy back in 2003 but only had it out a few times b/c our special-needs son was a baby at the time, and we just didn't anticipate some of the problems that arose. However, with everyone older and more capable now, we really want to give it a go again, only this time in what we're hoping might be a bigger/better fit for our larger family (which looks like might be a toy hauler). We all want to take advantage of all of the fantastic things to do at campgrounds, like canoeing, fishing, hiking... things like that. We have numerous boy scouts in our little group, so we're eager to get more involved with nature and appreciate what God's given us. After reading all of this terrific advice you've all given us, I think we're going to talk about it again 😀!

[Superslif]

Yes, we also have a "special needs" child. He gets excited as I make plans for our summer trips. I tell him where were going, and he will see what there is in the area.

I would never trade any new RV purchase as a reason not to join the RVing lifestyle. Even this coming season I have 55 nights reserved so far. 95% of the time we use state and national park campsites.

I will say the $15k 25' RV trailer is going to be built with cheaper materials and short-cutting build methods compared to a $30k or $35k unit of the same length.

[MisterT]

it's also easy to get confused with buying an RV versus buying a car. These are NOT the same in any way. You live in, sleep in, bathroom in, cook in, and watch tv your RV, but not a car. If you have an issue or accident in your car, you can just rent another in the meantime, not so with an RV. Even if you have a tow vehicle to use, you then have no place to live, sleep, bath, cook, or watch tv, without extra trouble and costs. With an RV you are usually on a 'truck' type chassis, sometimes with air suspension and much larger wheels and tires that you generally cannot change yourself, not considering that most ClassA units don't even come with a spare(where would you store it?)... and, RVs come with substantial storage room compared to cars. With cars you don't have a refrigerator and don't bring your pantry with you.

these 'slight' differences between cars and rvs seem easy to understand, but it is like comparing a ditch to the grand canyon.

and, most folks use their RVs much less than their cars. go figure.

[UTTransplant]

Originally Posted by Miliaz

I can't thank you guys enough for taking the time to respond and give me such incredible advice and guidance 😃 ! If we do end-up getting one, I sincerely hope that we get a chance to meet at least some of you. If it allays your fears at all about our intelligence and competence 😉, my husband is a pretty smart guy who is a whiz with fixing just about anything. His trade by day is a physician but has always said that his second choice would be a carpenter. We have 5 children, ranging in age from 24 - 9. At least some of them will be coming every time, so we want to have as much sleeping capacity as possible. The older ones have talked about getting a cabin or bringing their tents b/c we're very aware of how uncomfortable it can be to pack everyone into small of quarters. We did have a Georgie Boy back in 2003 but only had it out a few times b/c our special-needs son was a baby at the time, and we just didn't anticipate some of the problems that arose. However, with everyone older and more capable now, we really want to give it a go again, only this time in what we're hoping might be a bigger/better fit for our larger family (which looks like might be a toy hauler). We all want to take advantage of all of the fantastic things to do at campgrounds, like canoeing, fishing, hiking... things like that. We have numerous boy scouts in our little group, so we're eager to get more involved with nature and appreciate what God's given us. After reading all of this terrific advice you've all given us, I think we're going to talk about it again 😀!

My kids (now 25-35) were confirmed tent campers to have their own space while we were camping in a trailer. My daughter would preferentially ask to sleep in a tent even at 8 (a good Girl Scout) while the boys preferred tents by 12 or so. As adults, they all prefer tents! We would cook outside unless it rained, enjoy a campfire, and then divide up the sleeping quarters. It is generally easy to put a tent out in most public campgrounds, but hard to do in most private campgrounds; check first. If it was cold or rainy, we came inside and played cards or other games. Great family times.