Buying Advice...Brand options

[chaviator]

Hey everyone, new to the community. Been looking at buying a used Travel Trailer in the near future. We started in a pop-up last year, and the family has loved it. Searching for something with bunks for the kids.
I've found a couple of Keystone Passport Ultra Lites, as well as a couple of Rockwood Minilites on FB marketplace for reasonable prices. Also, 1 Jayco jayflight SLX. All of these options would serve our family well. Just curious if anyone would steer clear of any of these for quality reasons? Thanks in advance for the advice.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

When buying used, condition is more important than brand. All of those models were roughly in the same price class when originally built, so likely to be about the same construction quality to begin with.

 

[steveblonde]

This comes up repeatedly
Rvs are a cost commodity the higher the price NEW generally means the better the quality.
The LOWER the price used generally the more beat up the unit. When comparing to similar units.
Look at what they cost new as compared to similar size units.
And there is NO substitution for getting out and putting your feet in the units physically

Judge your purchase accordingly lol

 

[donn]

If your in the west Nothwood and OutdoorRV build some really stout trailets.

 

[Kirk]

Before you buy, be sure to look at the hybrid trailers, which are basically travel trailers with beds that fold out from the sides with canvas coverings. They give you a lot more space with as many as 3 double beds.

 

[steveblonde]

Before you buy, be sure to look at the hybrid trailers, which are basically travel trailers with beds that fold out from the sides with canvas coverings. They give you a lot more space with as many as 3 double beds.

Not much different than a pop up

 

[Kirk]

Not much different than a pop up

You must never have been in one.

Our son had a hybrid for quite some time and we have stayed in it. The only difference from a popup is that it isn't a popup at all but a travel trailer with outboard beds. Everything other than the beds are exactly as in a modern travel trailer. I'm not saying that it will be what you want, but don't allow them to keep you from taking a look. The outboard beds make for much more floor space in the same size travel trailer.

 

[Isaac-1]

To blur the line further there are some hard sided hybrid trailers like

 

[steveblonde]

You must never have been in one.

Our son had a hybrid for quite some time and we have stayed in it. The only difference from a popup is that it isn't a popup at all but a travel trailer with outboard beds. Everything other than the beds are exactly as in a modern travel trailer. I'm not saying that it will be what you want, but don't allow them to keep you from taking a look. The outboard beds make for much more floor space in the same size travel trailer.

Give it up i grew up with these things my dad was the plant manager for scamper and skipper trailers in 1976 to 1979 the plant manager for Glendale 1979 to 1983 the plant manager for a
Atco work.trailers 1973 to 1976. Owned Eldorado trailer sales 1983 to 2003 Sunridge Rv there is not a bus a pop up a travel trailer size hard wall soft wall hybrid i havent owned or used i learned to drive pulling a pop up then a 24ft at 14yrs old with a learners permit drove to san deigo and back 5000 miles that was 1976. We borrowed used units weekends when i was younger and have probably borrowed and used set up and camped in 1000 different units which im sure gives me a hell of a lot more real world experience than your average user, we took whatever was available at the time. so please
Dont tell me what i dont know

 

[Kirk]

Dont tell me what i dont know

Most hybrids are not that much like a popup, or at least most brands are not.

chaviator​

You should at least take a look to see what you think. It really doesn't matter what the opinions of other are, yours is the only one that matters. A hybrid may not fit, but check them out before you choose.

 

[UTTransplant]

My DD and SIL are thinking about a trailer to pull with their SUV, and I highly recommended they look at hybrids too. You can get a lot of ”kid space” in them without as much weight as a hard sided rig of the same interior size. Since my DD grew up in pop ups, she is warm to the idea.

 

[chaviator]

Thanks for all the input. Im more open to hybrids than my wife. We’ve spent a few cold nights in the pop up already, and we’re hoping to be able to do some four season camping (We live in OH).

I realize theres an abundance of options and differences in quality. Just trying to find something relatively nice the kids can grow into without blowing out the budget. The options I mentioned in the original post seem to fit both. We have a good idea what we want as far as layout and tow ability, mostly interested in overall quality.

 

[Carbonation]

Of the 3 you specifically mentioned, Keystone, Rockwood and Jayco, from my personal experience, I lean toward Rockwood, but it's a crapshoot.
Used depends more on the previous owner than the original build quality.
The Jayco I bought new had terrible build quality, and spent 9 months in the shop. However, once all that drama was past, we had 3 good years, and it looked and performed brand new when I sold it this past spring.
In comparison, the Rockwood trailer I owned had no time in the shop, and served well.
I've seen Keystone at RV shows, and think they are all over the map on build quality. Some look good, others, poor trim and fit, stuff just not right.
Give your choices a good going over. Good luck.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

It's nigh impossible to generalize on the quality of any given model or manufacturer. RV build quality is horribly inconsistent, where hurried assembly line workers may rush through a step in the process or even omit something altogether. Lower-priced models are especially prone to that, yet some percentage that roll off the line are near perfect. Design quality, e.g. the choice of components and structural strength & rigidity, is a little different, pretty much driven by the target price. Buyers think that anything costing $40k+ ought to be well designed & built, but often that is a bare-bones price and a really well built one would be twice that. It's hard to think that anything with a price tag that large as "cheap", but it's a fact.

 

[Kirk]

We’ve spent a few cold nights in the pop up already, and we’re hoping to be able to do some four season camping (We live in OH).

We camped in a popup for years in WY when our boys were growing up and we even took it elk hunting in the mountains twice in late October so we did stay in it with cold and snow. But we also hunted out of a tent before that so............. I would agree that it wouldn't make for good family camping in cold weather, but the hybrids are far less difficult to keep warm as they have far less canvas to deal with, but they aren't as good as would be a hard wall travel trailer. At the same time, lower priced and ultra lite travel trailers are not well insulated and aren't that much easier to heat than either of the other two. If you camp when the daily high temperatures are near or below freezing, you may not be happy with a hybrid but the same would probably be true for most ultra-lite models and the least expensive models.

It's nigh impossible to generalize on the quality of any given model or manufacturer.

While I agree up to a point, there are manufacturers that have better and also some with lessor reputations for quality and for good reason. At least as important as the brand & model is the selling dealer as dealer prep can be as little as nearly none to as much as a complete checkout. In all probability the dealer who sells lowest has little margin to spend in pre-delivery preparation and so will not be able to afford as much time and effort before you get the RV. The dealer that we bought our current RV from makes no excuses for the fact that he isn't the cheapest place to buy but he gives written statements of what will be done prior to delivery and the support after the sale. As a result, by far the majority of his sales are to experienced RV owners, many of whom travel 100 miles or more to buy from him. We have had our present RV since 2012 and the dealer still does an annual check up for us at no cost because his deal includes an annual preventive inspection as long as the original buyer keeps the RV. The importance of the choice of dealer is often overlooked.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

My point is that even the best (and most expensive) RV manufacturers produce a percentage of lemons, and the poorest ones produce some decent quality units. Anecdotal good or bad reports about this or that brand have limited value in making a selection.

Agree whole-heartedly that a better dealer can make a big difference, especially if the unit came with multiple factory defects. Unfortunately, buyer fixation on the lowest possible price has driven too many dealers to strip away most or all of their "dealer prep" services or relegate them to a tech with little training or incentive to do well..

 

[MoInEd]

Based on my experience of buying two new trailers in the last 4 years and checking many at different dealerships, almost all have terrible built quality (at least for my standards). The last one we bought a month ago, I went through 8 ones the dealer had on the lot and all had major visible issues, picked what looked like the best and brought home and have already opened it up to do major improvements. Sinks removed and resealed, the floor is squeaky already (not used even), shower resealed properly, windows/doors will be resealed properly, the slider weather strip hits on some screw heads and will be torn up, so need to move the weather strip there, etc etc.
We did check many brands. I think don't be fixated on a brand. Pick a floor plan you like and then check out the ones on the lot and pick the best, and then try to see what needs to be fixed on a brand new trailer!

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

The typical RV trailer is indeed mediocre quality at best. To attract sales, they all drive for the lowest possible price for a given level of equipment & size and sacrifice quality for that. It's not until you get into the larger and better-equipped models that manufacturers are willing to spend a bit more to get better cabinetry, upholstery, fit & finish, etc. And sturdier frames as well. Partly because the buyers are more demanding and partly because the extra cost is a smaller part of the total.

 

[Kirk]

Unfortunately, buyer fixation on the lowest possible price has driven too many dealers to strip away most or all of their "dealer prep" services or relegate them to a tech with little training or incentive to do well..

And the same is true for quality control, which is expensive and does not contribute anything to production. The history of RV manufacturing is littered with names of companies that tried to stick to their high quality standers and price their RVs at what that required, putting quality above price. Until you get into the market where price is unimportant you just can't compete if you do not cut corners somewhere.

 

[Isaac-1]

There may be one exception to this, which I will call the Luxury trailer market, these are usually priced much higher (often double) than their generally comparable counterparts, this includes such trailers as Airstream, Oliver, maybe on the lower end Northwood, etc.