Looking for recommendations for a qualityTT

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
I believe if you are new to the RV world there are many things to understand. You will get 10 mpg, your will average 250 to 300 mile a day, you will be passed by everything on the road and there is a fair amount of maintenance required; after all you are pulling your hotel room and restaurant with you.

There are issues with TTs, some perceived some true. If something breaks , that is a problem, if you do not like the location or design of something that is an annoyance.  There are many things about RV's that could be better but that does not mean they do not work.

RVs are built to a price point, that is what the folks are willing to pay for.

For those say there are no quality TTs built, they should look at Tiny Homes type products, genuine 2x4 and 4x4 home type construction and features. You got the money, someone will build trailer to your specs.
 
RGP said:
For those say there are no quality TTs built, they should look at Tiny Homes type products, genuine 2x4 and 4x4 home type construction and features. You got the money, someone will build trailer to your specs.

Tiny homes are not self contained so not really conducive to the RV lifestyle. I would also posit that towing a tiny home around as one does with an RV would cause great damage in a short amount of time.
 
Oldgator

You are correct off course but my point was, the travel type channels show many custom made RVs that you could darn near take to war. They are outrageously priced and very heavy and most are motor homes.

The TT market is what it is because the folks are satisfied with the quality or at least are not willing to pay for more. The first TT maker to find a way to make drastic improvement in quality without adding cost will force the remainder to follow.

I addition when the TT manufacturers are on their third years of record production, there is not much incentive to change.   
 
RGP said:
Oldgator

You are correct off course but my point was, the travel type channels show many custom made RVs that you could darn near take to war. They are outrageously priced and very heavy and most are motor homes.

The TT market is what it is because the folks are satisfied with the quality or at least are not willing to pay for more. The first TT maker to find a way to make drastic improvement in quality without adding cost will force the remainder to follow.

I addition when the TT manufacturers are on their third years of record production, there is not much incentive to change. 

And we are willing to put up with the substandard quality the RV industry is famous for. Not to mention the terrible service after the sale (I'm most cases). So I guess we only have ourselves to blame.
 
I believe that when reading about TT complaints, one was to keep in mind the difference between design flaws and bad workmanship.

At a recent RV show my wife was coming down the stairs of a fifth wheel and the wall flexed when she bumped against it. We then started to notice it in other models. This is not shoddy workmanship, it is poor design. So too the tank valves that are hard to reach when dumping, the switched or controls that require a stool to read, the slide that blocks access when pulled in, the bed that butts up against the wall at both ends, a cushy feeling floor and a host of others. These are not errors in construction these are design choices and compromises made to provide the features people want in their TTs. Most important most were there, in plain sight, when you bought it.


Poor workmanship, of which one could write volumes about, are things that do not look or work because they were built wrong. If they were made correctly they would function as intended.

So when reading comments of product quality keep in mind is it a poor workmanship or poor design. 

       
 
RGP said:
So when reading comments of product quality keep in mind is it a poor workmanship or poor design. 

Poor design, poor materials and poor workmanship. Folks say if you buy entry level you get what you pay for. Should I not expect the same design and workmanship quality in entry level than I would in high End? In my mind the difference in entry level and high end would be finish and options. I would expect better "stuff" in the high end unit but not better workmanship.
 
Folks say a lot of things, many are simply opinions.

There is no credible proof that "Entry level" means shoddy. Typically they lack the features of the more pricey units. I have seen shelves instead of cabinets, no or little trim such as window valances, and drapes.

The use of particle board instead of plywood or wood printed vinyl covering instead of hardwood is an inexpensive option. If it does the job for 20 years, as in my PUP, it was a good idea.

Let's face it, which is the better automobile, a decade old Ford Probe or a decade old Lincoln Town Car. Both were made by Ford, both get you to work and back but the expectations are different for each. Different expectations does not mean one is shoddy.

TTs are built to a price point as are many other items we use every day.

 
I agree with the above. Entry level means lower grade furniture, most likely an el cheapo mattress, laminate countertops instead of solid surface, etc. I've owned two Coachmens. One was an entry level Catalina travel trailer, and now own a Leprechaun, that supposedly just a bit better than the entry Level Freelander. I've had a lot less problems than what I keep reading about a lot of other brands, including some highly recommended and Coachmen's customer service has been excellent. There's nothing like touting your supposedly superior fiberglass roof, then have it blow off going down the road. ;D
 
Just a follow up to my earlier post.  Got back from Vegas last night.  No issues with the trailer.  Everything worked as advertised.  We are very happy with our decision to buy a Coachmen.  Of course we found some very minor issues and learned some things like needing a shower mat as the shower floor was slippery but overall we could not be happier with our purchase.  Guess we made one rookie mistake.  My wife was reheating some food in the oven as I was taking out the garbage.  I was returning to the trailer I heard a smoke alarm as was thinking "Wow, someone's smoke alarm is going off."  As I got closer to the trailer, I realized it was our trailer.  I opened the door and could see smoke and my wife had a confused look on her face as she was not burning anything.  As the trailer is brand new, I guess the stove needed a "break in burn".  Anyway, no harm - no foul and happy to know that the smoke alarm works.       
 
Phrogman said:
Just a follow up to my earlier post.  Got back from Vegas last night.  No issues with the trailer.  Everything worked as advertised.  We are very happy with our decision to buy a Coachmen.  Of course we found some very minor issues and learned some things like needing a shower mat as the shower floor was slippery but overall we could not be happier with our purchase.  Guess we made one rookie mistake.  My wife was reheating some food in the oven as I was taking out the garbage.  I was returning to the trailer I heard a smoke alarm as was thinking "Wow, someone's smoke alarm is going off."  As I got closer to the trailer, I realized it was our trailer.  I opened the door and could see smoke and my wife had a confused look on her face as she was not burning anything.  As the trailer is brand new, I guess the stove needed a "break in burn".  Anyway, no harm - no foul and happy to know that the smoke alarm works.     
Fantastic, glad you are happy with it.  You will be looking forward to more adventures in it now!
 
Phrogman said:
Just a follow up to my earlier post.  Got back from Vegas last night.  No issues with the trailer.  Everything worked as advertised.  We are very happy with our decision to buy a Coachmen.  Of course we found some very minor issues and learned some things like needing a shower mat as the shower floor was slippery but overall we could not be happier with our purchase.  Guess we made one rookie mistake.  My wife was reheating some food in the oven as I was taking out the garbage.  I was returning to the trailer I heard a smoke alarm as was thinking "Wow, someone's smoke alarm is going off."  As I got closer to the trailer, I realized it was our trailer.  I opened the door and could see smoke and my wife had a confused look on her face as she was not burning anything.  As the trailer is brand new, I guess the stove needed a "break in burn".  Anyway, no harm - no foul and happy to know that the smoke alarm works.       

Unfortunately, RV's are small, and the smoke detector is mounted too close to the cooking area in many RV's. It may end up an ongoing issue.
 
kdbgoat said:
Unfortunately, RV's are small, and the smoke detector is mounted too close to the cooking area in many RV's. It may end up an ongoing issue.

Certainly hope not as that is a big design flaw.
 
I've had three different RV's, and if DW fries up some scrapple or something else good for breakfast, it has set the detector off in all three, and yes she uses the vent over the stove. Turning on other exhaust fans help, but when it's 35 degrees out, one will lose a lot of heat doing that. Of course if it's nice out, she fixes breakfast (and all other meals outside).For the most part, it's not even smoke a person can see.
 
Well I have to disagree with the folks that claim that people only post negative reviews, complaints with no positive report. I have a Passport, purchased it brand new in 15. It has brought us a lot of joy. We have fun, and generally enjoy the experiences that we have. But....campers, travel trailers if you will. Are, what they are, a cheap, quickly built box to appeal to the masses. I believe that besides Airstream there are only about 4 companies that build all brands and models. They are all very much the same. As long as your expectations are not too high, you will enjoy your time in one. But as I said...they are, what they are. Your not buying a quality home, it's a weekend retreat that needs quite a bit of upkeep and most of all....a good dealer service dept behind you. Oh..and a good extended warranty.
 
Hi all, we are brand new to RV-ing, recently retired, we purchased a Grand Design Reflection TT. I was looking here to see if there are ANY high quality brands. We have had a host of issues with this trailer, at least GD has good customer service, but I really question the quality and design. I?m coming to the conclusion if we want a lot better quality, we need to move up to a 5 th wheel. Seems there is just no demand in the market for a high quality (regardless of price) trailer? We didn?t go this route because of price, we really needed to keep the utility of the truck and camper shall, not dedicate it to the 5the wheel.
 
Well, one needs to keep in mind that RV/TT manufacturing is not the same as automotive assembly lines.  Compared to automotive factories, the RV stuff is like someone building a TT in their pole barn.  In automotive, one person has one job they do on a well laid out assembly line and they get pretty efficient at it and quality control is better.  That is not the case with RV/TT production.  So one is not likely to get the fit and finish and reliability of an auto.  Therefore, quality out the door is all over the map.
 
sanjosedale said:
Hi all, we are brand new to RV-ing, recently retired, we purchased a Grand Design Reflection TT. I was looking here to see if there are ANY high quality brands. We have had a host of issues with this trailer, at least GD has good customer service, but I really question the quality and design. I?m coming to the conclusion if we want a lot better quality, we need to move up to a 5 th wheel. Seems there is just no demand in the market for a high quality (regardless of price) trailer? We didn?t go this route because of price, we really needed to keep the utility of the truck and camper shall, not dedicate it to the 5the wheel.
Hi and welcome. The TT we have also has a 5th wheel version and I would say the quality was much the same.  I guess it depends on what you are looking for and willing to spend and even that doesn't give you much of a guarantee.  I thought Grand Design had a pretty good reputation.  Once your issues are ironed out, you will probably feel much better and be happy (hopefully).
 
Back
Top Bottom