Advice on trailer quality

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trailertrash

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Aug 31, 2007
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My husband and I are in the beginning stages of the RV search.  We have finally narrowed it down to a 21-23 ft. trailer. We thought about a HI-LO but didn't like the interior quality.  We even considered a class c but quickly realized they were out of our price range.  I love the 21 ft. Bigfoot.  I wondered if there were any box trailers out there that were high quality (well made inside and out.) and less expensive than the bigfoot. Which companies have a good reputation for building a high quality trailer?  What structural things should we look for?  They all look alike after awhile....Thanks for your knowledge!
 
Are you looking for a new or used unit?  You can get some real good high quality used RV/s at much less cost than new ones.  Might even bring a class C into consideration.
 
Trailertrash  Look under my article of Buying a camper.  We're looking for nearly the same item.  25 to 26' down mostly 24'
[edit]Added link.[/edit]
 
So I take it from your comments, Shayne, that a coachman or a gulfstream trailer is not of high quality.....Do they have structural problems  or do parts just fly off as you are driving down the road??? Does anyone know of a trailer company that consistently makes high quality units?
 
There are so many brands, regional as well as national, that it is impossible to list or even identify all the good ones. Price, however, is a fair indicator - all the cheaper models cut corners in various places to get the price down.  You don't always get everything you pay for in a more expensive RV, but it is pretty sure that a cheap one with similar amenities won't be well built.

What's the price range of the Bigfoot you like and how much lower are you trying to go?

Sunnybrook builds a nice trailer and they have travel trailers in their entry level Sunset Creek model. Might be worth a look.  Forest River is another decent manufacturer that has some travel trailer models. I don't have any first hand experience or feedback from other forum members on the lower priced models, though.
 
Having been a MH owner for 40+ years and not too hep on TTs I know that Layton products have been around for over 50 years.  It seems they should be fairly good to hang around that long. But then again you never know.  I do know Tiffin Products are good as well as the Arctic Fox and Holiday Rambler.  Other than that I'm looking too.
 
You have all given me new companies to check out.  Thank you for all of your help.  In regards to the Bigfoot....The 21 ft model is in the low $30,000 range.  I would love to find a used one however they are made in Canada and there aren't many on the east coast.  They are 4 season trailers made out of molded fiberglass which is probably over kill for what I need.  I will definitely look into the other suggestions.  Thanks!     
 
The Bigfoot is an outstanding trailer (or motorhome) and hard to beat for cold weather use. Was just trying to figure out what the price point was that was beyond your budget.

Remember that you can usually buy an RV at 75% of its MSRP, so maybe that $30k+ Bigfoot is "only" $22.5k?

In another thread, someone has recommended the Forest River Surveyor and Keystone Outlook trailers as low price, light weight but well built trailers.

Surveyor recommended
 
That was me who mentioned the Surveyor and Outback.  I can't say I recommend either as I only looked at them and mine, a Surveyor, has not yet arrived from the factory.  I sure do hope I can recommend it after using it for awhile.  One company I did look at in camparison to quality and finish was Fleetwood, a major brand who makes many many trailers under several names.  I, myself, was not impressed at all with several of their units.  Things just seemed left unfinish in their lower priced models.  You could see cut lines that looked like all they needed was a simple piece of moulding to hide things and give it a finished look for example.
 
The test we used was to lean against the wall.  If it gave.. there was not proper support behind it.  Also jump on the floor.  Same thing.  Look for staples in the trim.  Check the drawer glides also.  The rails are not always secured properly.  Just a few tips.  If I remember correctly, Layton is on the bottom of the food chain.

Barb
 
Just for kicks I checked out a Layton this weekend.  You are right  they fit at the bottom of the list with Gulf Stream and Coachman  JMO  Tango is there also
 
Shayne said:
Just for kicks I checked out a Layton this weekend.  You are right  they fit at the bottom of the list with Gulf Stream and Coachman  JMO  Tango is there also
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Gee Shayne I didn't think anything could get below those others you mentioned. ;D
 
as for Gulf Stream and Coachman,  that would defiantly be a personal opinion , because some one has a bad experience with a manufacture that makes many many differant lines of rv's doesn't make all of them bad....  If you read into most of the posting that a problem has come up and the retail buyer is put between a rock and a hard place , it's because a dealer has not stood behind his customer,,,,,, pushing it off on the manufacture.....(and I'm a dealer)  If you look at any rv manufacture there will be people on a internet forum that will state it's a POS , It's the same in the auto industry ,,,, say you bought a (car)  Ford ,Chevy or any of them  and had issues with it
does that make there trucks bad???  or there suv's or minivans,  ( one bad Apple doesn't make all appels bad) go out and shop and see for your self what is best for you,,,, not what others say on a internet forum

1st find a floor plan you like,   2nd find a dealer ( bigger doesn't mean better) ,  dont get in a big hurry this time of year dealers would like to see there 07's find a home  so deals are out there,  enjoy your camper and maintain it well for many years of family fun
 
After selling Gulffies , Coachies and Winnies  I didn't think so either  But the Industry is doing it's darnest to prove me wrong  LOL
 
I bought my r-vision 26' Trail lite without the benefit of much research and have to say I only had one major problem and it was fixed by my dealer.  I have since researched my next purchase (Class a or c not sure yet) and found my trailer is not well thought of on the resale market.  It does what I wanted it to do.  I have fun with it and that is the main idea.  It will never be an investment.  You have to picture yourself in it and using the features it came with.  Don't buy things you don't need.  While I have had things come loose or fall off, (window valances, cabinet doors) I have been able to quickly fix them.  These or the examples I can find of low quality or poor build construction.  Trailers are small places so you will bump into or constantly rub things.  When you look in trailers touch everything and gently push on walls and apolstery borders to see if they move.  These will be the things that break or fall off first.  (Another sign of poor construction)  I found the fleetwood line to be better than what I bought and it is not as complex as a motorhome.  I would stick with a TT that was constructed with solid walls with foam insulation and something other than a rubber roof.  Less places for water to leak in.  Good Luck.
 
We have a Fleetwood Wilderness TT that we're really happy with. Keystone also makes some great TT's. My suggestion would be to get an idea of the floorplan that would work best for you, then search both new and used to find your best deal. We usually buy used RV's, they're still in great shape, you get a good deal, and the previous owner has worked out all the 'bugs'. But, we are looking at some new models because we found a new floorplan that will fit our family and style perfectly. I'm now looking for older models for sale with the same features we found in this new one. One thing to consider is how much it will be used. If it's just for short trips/vacations, a lower end model might be okay. But if it will see a lot of use, consider a mid- to high end model. They're generally better constructed to hold up to the use it will get. From what I've read here in the Forum, a used higher end RV trumps a new, lower end RV!

LuAnn
 
Has anyone had any experience with a Forest River Surveyor Sport?  It is one of their light weight models.  Are the light weight models sacrificing  the structure of the trailer to keep the weight down?  Thanks.....
 
Our Fleetwood is an ultralight TT. We don't have any slide-outs in it, which add weight. We've been VERY happy with it, and because we were limited as far as weight, it has served us very well. I don't think it would hold up to full-time use very well, and it lacks features that bigger/heavier TT's might have, such as an enclosed underbelly or solid doors dividing sleeping areas. We just have curtains for privacy there, and that helps keep the weight down. But, for the use that ours gets (which, if we're lucky, is one weekend/month or a long trip of 6-10 days in the summer), it has been great. It is made of aluminum framing with fiberglass, and I don't feel that the structure is any different than heavier TT's built the same way. I think they usually do away with other things, like the bedroom doors or storage cabinets, to decrease weight. I also wouldn't spend a lot of time walking around on my roof, because it's probably not built to withstand that kind of thing like heavier/better built TT's would. But then, hubby only gets up there occasionally, just to wash it, so it doesn't make a difference for us. We did see a Surveyor (it was not a light weight) on the used line at one of the dealers. It seemed pretty decent from what I can remember, so I added it to my line of brands to be considered when the time to "size-up" our TT comes.

LuAnn
 
Are the light weight models sacrificing  the structure of the trailer to keep the weight down?
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Yes. To become an ultralight, you pretty much have to sacrifice everything for weight - chassis, structure, interior trim and furnishings, insulation and amenities. And they may leave off "extras" that you will later add on as aftermarket anyway (awnings, slide toppers, larger or 2nd tv, etc).

But those sacrifices don't necessarily mean the rig is not acceptable for light use, meaning weekends and short vacations.
 
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