Top of the line travel trailers

We are beginning our search for a 23-25' travel trailer. My husband and I plan to travel 3-4 months at a time so we need a travel trailer that can hold up. We have looked at Airstreams, but keep hearing that they are overpriced.  What other brands of travel trailer should we be looking at?  We are thinking of buying one a couple of years old.  We will be purchasing our pull vehicle once we determine the weight of the travel trailer we want to purchase. 
Thank you.
JOY

Just about any manufacturer makes different levels of 5ers, including top of the line models. I'm not sure you'll find a top of the line model as short as you are talking about.

I like my Forest River Cedar Creek Day Dreamer, but then it is half again the trailer you are talking in term of length. I don't believe it was available in less than 35 feet . . . and it apparently is a discontinued model as of this year.

And it is a 5th wheel, not a trailer.

Airstreams are expensive, but they hold their value like few, if any, others.  I looked for a few years, off and on, before I finally bought a Class A, but Airstream would be my choice for a good investment.

Good time to buy, too.

Domani makes some really outta sight 5th wheels and travel trailers.  Very lightweight but very well built and pretty expensive.  Montana also makes a good travel trailer, though I didn't see on their website that they had any floorplans.  I know the at least made them, a guy in our neighborhood has one.  Very nice.

Are you looking for a 5'er or BP?

you might look at Rockwood signature series, they are real nice!!

THIS IS WHAT I LIKE: www.heartlandrvs.com they have many different quality levels. From entry levels on up

23-25 ft is pretty small for extended travel and most of the top end trailers are in much larger sizes, starting around 30 ft. 

In the size you want, I think you need to look at Forest River, K-Z, Jayco and Heartland. Heartland is a fairly new brand, but has been getting good reviews and owner reports. Their top end travel trailer line is the North Country.

JD said:

We have looked at Airstreams, but keep hearing that they are overpriced. 

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Compared to what?  Measured how?  Which Airstream?

Sure, I could have bought three 30' TTs from the value priced guys for the cost of my traylah.

With reasonable care an Airstream trailer is going to last 30 years at which point it will be a restoration candidate worth several thousand dollars to the right buyer.  With reasonable care most other brands are going to last 10-15 years and someone is going to have to pay to haul them to the dump.

So, what did I get for 3x the price?
1) Aluminum exterior which while neither perfect nor immortal will look good and remain leak free longer than fiberglass, epdm, enameled steel, etc.
2) Running gear that is actually rated to carry the weight of a fully loaded trailer.
3) Enough windows including the curved vista view windows on the front corners which cost a fortune to make.
4) Aluminum wheels instead of steel
5) Torsion axles with shocks instead of leaf springs
6) Aluminum 40# propane tanks
7) Dual heat pumps
8) An interior buildout comparable in fit finish and quality to the best Class A rigs on the market, solid hickory panels, Corian, architectural quality faucets, genuine leather couch, and more cabinetry than any competing traylah
9) Real beds with real mattresses
10) Four awnings, LED lights outside, fluorescent lights inside except for the reading lights, so there's nothing to upgrade.  Buy an Airstream, and you get a traylah not a kit that has to be upgraded to be useful
11) Fully enclosed design rather than an open frame below the floor
12) Aluminum frame system which while not perfect nonetheless has a track record of longevity and ease of repair
13) A full size spare tire mounted, sensibly, up out of the way under the frame

That stuff costs money to make.

To me much of it is about the value of what you get and whether it ages gracefully.  All trailers get old and run down.  Cabinets made out of MDF with a woodgrain vinyl decal on the front do not age gracefully and do not age slowly, and cannot be refinished.

The day I bought my trailer they had a 1974 Airstream in the shop for new carpet and new appliances.  1974 was not an especially good year for Airstream with most people figuring the real classics were made in the 50s and 60s.  But SOMEone thought it was worth putting money into a 36 year old trailer, to the point where they were willing to pay other people to do the work.

Now, how many Keystone TTs are going to be getting new carpet when they are 36 years old?

Airstream isn't perfect and if you figure the time value of money and the maintenance costs no it's still not cheaper than the Keystone brands.  But the real cost of ownership isn't as different as you might think, and it's not like a Rolls or a Jaguar or something where it's all about the bling and there's no substance.

The RV industry is driven by price.  Airstream is not immune to that and if you go over to the Airstream forums there are people who will bitch all day about the build quality and the shortcuts and the poor design of certain elements.  I'm one of them.  The 'streams could be much better than they are.

Nonetheless, I am happy with my purchase and think I got my money's worth. 

Good analysis, Jammer. The same could be said for some other top brands of trailers, but they all cost 2x-3x what the "value" brands do.  I'm reminded of the old tv ads for another top end product... "You can pay me now, or you can pay me later."

Thanks, Gary.  I know there are some other good brands out there, too, that have their own niches.  Arctic Fox comes to mind as one outfit that seems to be trying to build a quality trailer.  They make a heavier trailer intended for 3+ season use and a shorter distance/longer stay use pattern, I believe.  Unfortunately some of the highest quality brands lack a nationwide dealer presence so it's hard to compare.

I think there are four fundamental problems that the high-end segment of the RV industry faces.  The class A outfits run into these, too:

1) The cost delta between the cheapest materials (e.g. MDF) and good ones is huge.

2) Many standard RV components are not available in higher quality versions.  Prevost and Keystone use more or less the same water heaters and fridges, for example.

3) Most buyers don't realize the extent to which costs have been cut from the cheapest trailers.  I think the questions we get here from n00bs illustrate that... trailers that by rights should have come with 50a service from the factory... trailers that have converters that overcharge the battery during their short life... Trailers that are overloaded if you fill the water tank and throw three duffel bags and a fridge full of food inside

4) People equate dollars with size and in particular with square footage.  I think there is a strong DISincentive for the industry to spend extra to make the most of a smaller floorplan.  So we see designs with island sinks and other stuff that goes through square footage the way a drunk goes through money in Vegas with just as much to show for it.

I think the TT end of the industry has a tougher time than the class A part of the world.  People apparently figure it's OK to spend $250,000 for a diesel bus but put the same care and craftsmanship into a TT and nobody buys it.

I love the streams; but like most rv buyers on a fixed income,I buy the best used one available, after a long, patient search. The one I,m in the process of acquiring happens to be a 2009 North Country 22FB 26'10" hitch point to bumper,a great floorplan for a retired couple. New pillow-top memory foam real queen size mattress,22"LCD TV, equalizer/sway control and a new owner start-up kit. I can't believe it doesn't come with a spare tire, which I'm searching for now. It looks and smells new. All for $11,000. I,m blessed.

We would like to thank all of you for your replies, suggestions, and advice.  Our chief concern is the travel trailer holding up to traveling.  We plan to go from Florida to Alaska and don't want to have constant malfunction problems. We will research the alternatives you have offered and will keep checking back for further insights.  Again, many thanks.

JD and STRETCH,

We love our North Country. Had it a little over a year now. I don't necessarily consider it "top of the line" (based on price and the fancy smoothsides available out there) but I can tell you that the build quality is excellent. Here are some of the things I like:
1. Real wood cabinets & drawer fronts.
2. More than adequate axles (commonly cited as a problem with TT's).
3. Lots of storage space, both inside and out.
4. High CCC (this could vary from model to model, of course) - ours weighs about 7,000 lbs empty and has a GVWR of 10,400. So far we have not even come close to that - tops out around 8,500.
5. Beds are very comfortable.

Joe

claiming that a tt will only last 10-15 years before it needs to be hauled to the dump is flat out wrong buddy. I understand you are proud of your investment. If I remember I will take a pictue of my Jayco in 15 years and show you
There is plenty of old rigs up here and our temperatures can change 100 degrees celcius from winter to summer.

I don't know where they all go but I don't see them on the road very often, and when they come up for sale on Craigslist there is usually floor damage and mold from roof leaks, at which point the trailer is economically beyond repair.

Maybe some last longer, especially if they are kept inside.

I tend to agree with Jammer. My parents have an Airstream ( their 2nd one ) and it is indeed VERY well built!
Having said that though, even though they are incredibly well built, unfortunately not everyone can afford one.

Someday ...

Come to Montana, tons of old ones here.  One of my friends 76 just got totalled by 2" hail.  Not sure if he will try to salvage it as the damage is very extensive