2003 Teton Grand 5er, Quality & Fair Price

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C

Cass

Member
Joined
Mar 18, 2007
Posts
5
Looking for input on this one for quality and price... It is in another state, so I have not see it in face to face so to speak, but the photos look good.
Description:
39' 2003 Frontier XT3 Grand, Bordeaux decor w/plum carpet (an upgrade to Royal). Oak trim, Opt shirt closets w/adj shelves and vanity, Queen size bed / tub/shower, Omega 12x12 tile in bathroom, Built in floor safe, Coffee table w/2 end tables, Dometic 10 cf dbl door refer w/oak doors, Water filter w/goose neck faucet, Bose lifestyle stereo sound system digital 5.1 W/CD, Microwave/confection oven, 2 Fantastic fans w/rain sensor, 27" Toshiba tv and 13" Toshiba tv, Heart interface freedom 2500 inverter -w/2 extra batteries, Adj height Mor-Ryde re suspension - 3 axles w/EZ-lube, Skid roller (64" wide), Aluminum wheels, Electric rear stabilizer jacks, Electric over hydraulic brakes -, Arctic package, Dual pane insulated windows, 2 ea 31,000 BTU/h furnaces , 2nd 15,000 BTU a/c - penguin in lvr, Sealand china toilet, Optional surge suppressor breaker, Florescent lighting in kitchen and liv rm, bd, and bath, Power cord ext storage compartment, 2 - 40 lb LP bottles w/empty indicator, Carefree 1-touch awning/acrylic fabric 16', Rear bay window + 4 awnings, GE washer - dryer, Sat dish prewire fore winegard auto motorized dish, 6 new tires.

NADA shows 45,000 as Low Retail with No Options and $ 69,000 as Average Retail with the Options.


 
NADA states the low of $45000 and that's about what it is worth.  You don't add the accessories because they are already there and figured as standard equipment no matter what it is.  But the price isn't the big thing, that trailer weighs over 15000# and by the time you load it, its going to be one heck of a load.  What are you planning on hauling that with.  No 3/4 ton is going to do it for sure.
 
Weight wise, you are going to be right at, if not just over the limits of a new F350 with the tow boss package. F450/4500 or better, probably an MTD would even be better yet.

Larry
 
Grand Teton is a quality coach but very heavy which will probably require a F450 to tow it and remain safe and within weight limits.  Suggest you carefully check GVWR, GCVWR, and hitch weight when slecting a truck to tow it.
 
Thanks for the replies.

I am aware of the weight / safety issue, so I am looking into a new F-450 and a lightly used F550 as a tow vehicle. I am leaning towards the F-550 as it will give me a little more muscle. 

Are there any items in particular that I should be looking at on a 4 year old 5ER that may be potential problems?  With new tires, it probably has not been towed enough to tell if an axle is out of alignment. Is there any way to eyeball something like that?


 
Think the  only thing left for you to do is dig deep and make sure the Lady is happy or you won't be.
 
I can't think of any good way to eyeball axle alignment. You have to measure carefully from some fixed point, typically the center of a front cross member. Should be equal distance to the axle on each side. Do you have reason to suspect the alignment is off? Or just suspicious of the new tires?
 
This will be our 1st venture into RV'ing, so I am just trying to cover the bases.

No, no reason, it is 4 years old, so new tires could be nothing more then needed to be replaced for normal reasons. I just thought that if they had more miles on them a visual check of the tires might be a way to discover an alignment issue.

I just don't want to not check on something and then find I have a problem that I did not know about.

Thanks for the reply, now I know how to check it myself.



 
A Teton is an excellent machine, so I would be surprised if there is an axle problem. But all the RV manufacturers have their share of screw-ups...

Batteries would be a good thing to check and load test if possible.  I don't know what original equipment batteries are on a Teton. At 4 years, typical RV batteries are at or past end of life, but if they are Trojans or Concord Lifeline AGms, they probably have 3+ years left in them if they were not abused.

And of course try all the appliances.
 
We started with a 40' Teton and really liked it. The comfort of this 5er is truly like home. When you do your inspection be sure to look real close at all seams where two body pieces meet, ie, the front cap and the body sides. This includes the roof to the body sides. Ours had two leaks in this area and required some "creative" repair work. Ours was two years old when w bought it and we paid about 60% of what the unit originally sold for. If you are in colder climate areas, Teton is the only way to go. They are probably the best insulated 5er made.

We did find that a 5er did not suit our preferred style of travel and subsequently traded it for a motorhome. If we ever decide to settle down and go for longer stays in one place, we would definitely consider another Teton.

They are HEAVY, so get a MD truck. I'd look seriously at an International or Chevy Kodiak.

Chet18013
 
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