Opinion on brands of tt
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glockholiday
Well-known member
I have a friend with a 2007 Keystone 27ft not sure which model and he loves it. I personnaly like Forest Rivers but have never owned one. I've had 2 Fleetwoods, a 2001 27ft Prowler which was awesome and my current is a 2007 Fleetwood Redline 35' Toyhauler, while the fuction of this trailer has been great it seems there is a lack of quality when compared to other models. I would just get which ever model has the options you are looking for and put a Neo-Angle shower at the top of your list. I can barely get wet in my rectangle shower/tub of course I am 6'3" 240. One side note is that an average 30ft fiberglass sided trailer is 1000#'s heavier than the same model with aluminum siding.
Rancher Will
Well-known member
I have owned one PU camper plus three 5th wheel RV's over the past 50 years. They were all good units and we were happy with them. I have a number of friends who have RV's also and we discuss them. One thing I have learned is that no matter what brand you get, there will be at least a few little details (hopefully not large ones) that need attention. So check out your favorite and be prepared to take care of a few details.
For example our current RV, a Keystone Montana, came from the factory without one of the grey water holding tanks' pull rod installed for opening and closing the dump valve. The Montana has a closed in bottom so the dealer had to open the RV bottom cover to get to the valve to install the pull rod before delivery to me after I discovered the problem while doing a check upon delivery. The same RV also came from the factory missing one grease zerk in one of the spring shackles. I installed the zerk the first time I lubed it. The same RV had a screw installed in the floor heat outlet right in front of the shower stall that would certainly have cut anyone stepping on it coming out of the shower. That was also fixed by the dealer at delivery when I brought it to attention. I believe everyone that I have talked to about these things has had similar experiences.
For example our current RV, a Keystone Montana, came from the factory without one of the grey water holding tanks' pull rod installed for opening and closing the dump valve. The Montana has a closed in bottom so the dealer had to open the RV bottom cover to get to the valve to install the pull rod before delivery to me after I discovered the problem while doing a check upon delivery. The same RV also came from the factory missing one grease zerk in one of the spring shackles. I installed the zerk the first time I lubed it. The same RV had a screw installed in the floor heat outlet right in front of the shower stall that would certainly have cut anyone stepping on it coming out of the shower. That was also fixed by the dealer at delivery when I brought it to attention. I believe everyone that I have talked to about these things has had similar experiences.
A lot depends on where you live, your camping style and budget. Both make good and soso RV's/ Sometimes it even depends on which plant they are made in. Personally I would throw Northwood into that mix. Their Nash and Arctic Fox lines are superior in many respects to either FR or Keystone.
We have a 2005 Cherokee light 28A by Forest River and it has been trouble free so far in the five years we owned it. Only maintenance has been annual wheel bearing lube. And I did replace the tires due to concerns about tire aging.
Im in lovely southwest Ohio and it's snowing today. This is not a totally new adventure for us as we use to camp with my Grandpa years ago. I've decided to give up drag racing for a few years to spend time with my family. We are looking at 26-30 ft. It has been a bit overwhelming looking with all of the different floor plans. Thanks for the input so far.
buckeyefan
Member
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sc371f - if you send me a private message, I can tell you some pro's and con's in SW Ohio.
I am just north of Cincy.
I am just north of Cincy.
boatbuilder
Well-known member
One big thing. Take the whole family when you are looking and get an idea of the floor plan they like and actually try to move around like you would while camping. This will help narrow down floor plans, then you can start looking at brands. Have the kids actually lay on the beds to see if they feel to closed in, etc., etc.
Next big thing, have fun and don't sweat the small stuff. As Rancher Will said there will always be something to do just like a stick house.
Next big thing, have fun and don't sweat the small stuff. As Rancher Will said there will always be something to do just like a stick house.
Tom
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sc371f, PMs aren't enabled until you've posted a minimum number of public messages. You should now be good to go.
buckeyefan
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Tom - good to know. I guess I didn't read the forum rule close enough. 
Tom
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It's not spelled out in any rules; It's just an anti-spam measure.
We had a 2005 FR Flagstaff 27BHSS for 4 years that we were very pleased with, never had any quality issues. The only negative thing I can say about the particular TT was it was not intended for colder climates but in it's defense it did not have the enclosed under belly which we knew but learned the hard way. We live in NE Ohio so regardless of which manufacturer you choose just thought I would point out that if you plan on camping in late fall, early spring or worse yet...winter, you may want to take that into consideration.
good luck in whatever you choose!
good luck in whatever you choose!
Most of the manufacturers will have a range of units they build. That said it takes some critical looking to see if the money you're ready to spend is returning what you expect. As an example, are Corian style counter tops important to you? How about such add ins as a fireplace? will you be camping or traveling in colder climates? If so double-pane windows, heated fresh, gray and black water tanks, duel speed furnace, and an "arctic" insulation package are a must. Some higher end TT's have disc brakes and never-lube axles - planing on longer road trips?
Many of us have excepted less quality as we learned the features we wanted to focus on. Compromises are worth it if you only plan to camp 10 - 12 times over the year, or the kids are gonna be out-growing camping with the family.
In my experience, Sunny-brook was the highest quality of the 4 TT's I owned, that was some 10 years ago. The sales woman was an ex-factory designer for them, and what an education she gave us on construction and materials, space usage and cabinet design!
Good luck! The staff and members here are with ya!
johncmr
Many of us have excepted less quality as we learned the features we wanted to focus on. Compromises are worth it if you only plan to camp 10 - 12 times over the year, or the kids are gonna be out-growing camping with the family.
In my experience, Sunny-brook was the highest quality of the 4 TT's I owned, that was some 10 years ago. The sales woman was an ex-factory designer for them, and what an education she gave us on construction and materials, space usage and cabinet design!
Good luck! The staff and members here are with ya!
johncmr
fayliss
Active member
Have owned several Jayco units and my wife and I currently own a 31" Jay Flight G2 RKS and we have liked everyone. The corner shower is a must along with the slide which provides us a great deal of living space. The construction seems to be very good and most come with a two year warranty. We have nothing to say but good things about Jayco.
cut2please
Member
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- Nov 25, 2010
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I own a Keystone Raptor toyhauler. It had it's minor problems that had to be addressed after the first time out but other than that it has been trouble free.
The big thing you have to keep in mind when shopping is the usefullness of the eye catching items that make a RV seem better than one you just looked at. While a fireplace seems really nice If you are not going to be camping very often during cold weather it is a waste of space and money. If you are traveling with kids, young or older, cabinet space is a must or you will have a camper with clothes thrown everywhere. I have two girls one 7 and one 14 and the older one does not travel without a friend so add another 14 to the mix and you really need cabinet space. I am in central Alabama, we mostly camp in Florida and most of the camping is during the warmer months, so a second AC was a must for me. Make sure you check out bed set ups. While dinettes can double as a bed, converting them back and forth gets old and they are only good as long as the person sleeping on them is not very tall. Pull out sofa beds work great, but you need to check out whether they block the passage to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Being awakened in the middle of the night because someone has stumped their toe on the pull out bed while on their way to the bathroom is no fun. Make sure you sit on the furniture just like you would be sitting around in the evening watching TV. It was not until we had camped a few times that we figured out the love seat sofa in my living room was very uncomfortable sitting more than 10 min. at a time. I can go on and on about things to look for but in the end the best advice is to be in a big hurry when buying and to look at as many as possible. Take several weekends and don't just rush though each camper, but spend some time in each one with the whole family. A camper has a total different feel with 4 people as opposed to just 2 people.
Good luck and have fun.
The big thing you have to keep in mind when shopping is the usefullness of the eye catching items that make a RV seem better than one you just looked at. While a fireplace seems really nice If you are not going to be camping very often during cold weather it is a waste of space and money. If you are traveling with kids, young or older, cabinet space is a must or you will have a camper with clothes thrown everywhere. I have two girls one 7 and one 14 and the older one does not travel without a friend so add another 14 to the mix and you really need cabinet space. I am in central Alabama, we mostly camp in Florida and most of the camping is during the warmer months, so a second AC was a must for me. Make sure you check out bed set ups. While dinettes can double as a bed, converting them back and forth gets old and they are only good as long as the person sleeping on them is not very tall. Pull out sofa beds work great, but you need to check out whether they block the passage to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Being awakened in the middle of the night because someone has stumped their toe on the pull out bed while on their way to the bathroom is no fun. Make sure you sit on the furniture just like you would be sitting around in the evening watching TV. It was not until we had camped a few times that we figured out the love seat sofa in my living room was very uncomfortable sitting more than 10 min. at a time. I can go on and on about things to look for but in the end the best advice is to be in a big hurry when buying and to look at as many as possible. Take several weekends and don't just rush though each camper, but spend some time in each one with the whole family. A camper has a total different feel with 4 people as opposed to just 2 people.
Good luck and have fun.
