Who's got experience with Travel Trailers?

[AeroNautical]

I'm potentially in the market for a non fifth wheel travel trailer, but am amazed at how many poor reviews there are for many of the popular brands out there, even the classic Winnebago. I was looking at a Gulfstream Ameri-Lite, because I am somewhat limited on max trailer weight, and they look very nice, but quality is apparently hit or miss. Do any of you have experience, or recommendations?

[tugboat95]

America lite is a cheaper quality trailer. Thing is people will only complain about problems, rarely compliment. My last one wasa 2012 forest river 27bh. I really liked it. Doesn't really matter who makes it, they all are subject to a Monday morning syndrome. My advice is get a used one. Hear me out. First off you don't know what you want. Even if you think you do. Buy one 2 to 4 years old. Should still be in good shape and that huge depreciation has taken effect. Keep it and use it for a year to 18 months. Discover what works for you and what doesnt. If you love it, then great. If you don't you can sell it and go buy another one with the features you want, for close to the same money. That's what I did. Found out the bathroom didn't work for me and it wanted a slide out. Sold my 2010 trailer and bought the 12 for the same money plus $500.
Regardless of what you get, if the sides have started delaminating or any soft spots on the floor, walk away. That is a money pit looking for a wallet.

They are all mass produced but Jayco I think has the best quality. My first 2 were Jaycos. I took their factory tour. They do use jigs and air operated nailers, but they are all hand built, including all the cabinetry. I think they tend to hold up better over the years. Generally takes about a week to build one. But they produce about 10 to 12 of a certain model each day. Once they reach a certain number, they change to a different floor plan and produce this for a while. Its quite an amazing operation.

1989 Eliminator
4.0L 5 speed
2wd

[tugboat95]

Tires! Spend some money and invest in good tires. Ones from the factory are the cheapest Chinese crap they can find and blow out all the time. Ensure it its rated for proper load level. And if you buy ST tires, never go over 65mph. Light truck tires don't have that limitation, but they don't have the flex that an ST tire has. Personally I prefer the flex. But nothing wrong with good light truck tires.

1989 Eliminator
4.0L 5 speed
2wd

[Pete M]

the most important thing to understand is that trailers are simply not built to automotive industry standards.  be prepared to fix and upgrade things on the fly.   and even if the trailer is built perfect, you still have a bunch of regular maintenance like inspecting and re-caulking the roof or windows.  I've found that a lot of complaints come from owners who aren't hands-on like myself.  (not all complaints are lame, mind you, as serious design problems can crop up too).  sorry, but if an owner needs a dealership to add caulk to the front window because it's leaking, they may not be cut out for the travel trailer life.    I dunno.  If you go in with the expectation that everything should be perfect for 100k miles like a new car, you're going to probably get mad when you find out how tiny the screws are that hold on the cabinet doors when one lets go on a rough road.  But if you go in understanding that this is a cheaply built shed (that endures simultaneous earthquakes and hurricanes) and you don't mind getting your hands dirty now and again, you'll be fine.    My folks love their baby Lance 1575, but they will be the first to admit that if they might not love it so much if I wasn't around to keep it perfect.  dealerships suck.  the work is slow (sometimes taking months) and the fees are high.  I was ecstatic when the warranty expired and I could do it myself.    I've replaced overhead skylights, replaced every single exterior screw with stainless, fixed a few water leaks, fixed a bunch of stuff after dad hooked up the battery backwards, added covers for the roof fans, etc.  I see every issue as a chance to upgrade. 

 

oh, and try to keep it out of the sun/rain while stored.  that prevents a lot of maintenance right there.    my folks live in the forest in GA and have found that moisture is an issue.  so the windows are cracked all the time and there's a small desk fan on a timer that circulates air several times a day.  gotta work with your environment I guess. 

 

 

ditto about the tires.   

 

 

[tugboat95]

I agree with Pete. Maintenance is required. Even in storage and not used for months at a time. Stuff shakes loose constantly. On the road its a 4.0 earthquake. And parking under trees is bad for the roof. Parking under the sun is also bad. Maintain the roof and all caulking. If you choose to cover it, buy a proper cover, not a tarp. They don't breathe properly. Inspect everything regulatory.

1989 Eliminator
4.0L 5 speed
2wd

[gogmorgo]

I'm pretty sure there's also a rule on the books that all trailer wiring has got to be hot trash from the factory. My parents have an old Trillium fiberglass "egg" trailer that's old but has been excellent in terms of reliability. No leaks ever. Everyone I know with a more modern trailer complains about leaks, everyone with slide-outs has rodent issues, people complain about the flooring shrinking and peeling off in the winter, but my parents haven't had any of that. It makes me wonder why they moved away from the fiberglass egg model. And while I doubt the fiberglass would survive particularly well in a collision, I can't imagine it would be much worse than the modern trailers that turn into matchsticks and crushed pop cans.

[Pete M]

I will personally take to fisticuffs with any mouse that dares enter our trailer before I ever go back to not having a slideout.   the space it provides is incredible, especially with small trailers like the 1575. 

[AeroNautical]

I'm most certainly mechanically savvy, so no issue there. Thanks for all the input. I will definantely check out Jayco, I did some research after tugboat95 mentioned it, and they seem to be very well built for a decent price, AND they come from the factory with Goodyears. I guess I should have added the specs I'm aiming for as well:

 

Weight: Not more than 5100 lbs dry.

Tongue: 600 lbs dry, I know LP bottles will raise that quickly.

Length: at or under 27 feet

I'd really like a slide out, as Pete was mentioning above.

I'm 6'5", an interior where I don't have to duck would be nice too.

If anyone has a trailer somewhat like this and is happy with it, let me know what you've got. 

 

I'm not exactly sure how to measure frontal area, apparently it can change based on how aerodynamic the front is. An 80 sq/ft brick frontal area wouldn't be the same as an 80 sq/ft bullet shape, does anyone know the actual formula? 

[tugboat95]

What are you pulling it with? Please don't say a Comanche.

1989 Eliminator
4.0L 5 speed
2wd

[AeroNautical]

4 minutes ago, tugboat95 said:

What are you pulling it with? Please don't say a Comanche.

1989 Eliminator
4.0L 5 speed
2wd
 

Haha, no way. Tow vehicle will vary, but mostly fullsizes, even an F250 which is a bit overkill. Smallest would be a Gladiator over short distances, which is still well within its tow ability. 

[tugboat95]

A half ton truck will pull any of your weights without a problem. The Gladiator should but I'm not familiar with their towing capabilities. The frontage area should only be considered if you are using a smaller engine/vehicle to tow one . Think older Ford Escape (my experience). if it can tow 5100lbs, it'll pull against that wind field. Also if you use an SUV (Suburban) a trailer will lean towards heavy trailer sway. This is due to the length of vehicle behind the rear axle. Further away the hitch is, the worse the sway. This can be overcome with a properly set up weight distribution hitch. Get one. Take the time to properly set it up. Trial and error is the only way to tune your setup. 10 to 12 percent on the trailer weight in your tongue. Trailer slightly down while pulling. Not quite level. This helps while towing to allow for bumps and suspension travel. Keeps the weight in the rear axle of the truck. If its level then a pump will send the tongue up further putting weight in the back of the trailer, bringing your tongue up and taking weight off tour rear axle truck axle. Think Fulcrum and the hitch is the middle.

All that said..Ford F250 will never knew 5100lbs is back there

1989 Eliminator
4.0L 5 speed
2wd

[CPH-0628]

Back in 2018 we went out and bought a 2012 ford f150 ecoboost and a 2017 Crossroads zinger 328sb. We liked the camper and never had any problems out of it. Just didn't like how it pushed the truck around so much. But in all reality this was a camper weighing at around 9,000lbs and 37ft long. It's gonna happen at that length and bumper pull. It wasn't a cheap camper but wasn't a high end either. The crossroads may be something you might want to look into. We kept that camper till last year when we sold it for $1500 less than we bought it for. Like everything else, the camper market is crazy.

We currently upgraded to a 44ft fifth wheel toy hauler and an 06 f350 diesel. Every camper of gonna have a problem at some point. It just depends on how you take care of it and treat it. Me personally I like to be the original owner of a camper that way I know it's complete history. You can definitely find decent used campers out there. Just look them over really well.

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

[Pete M]

don't forget a weight distribution hitch  

[87MJTIM]

My wife and I have owned several travel trailers (TT) in the past 15+ years.  Currently, we have a 34' TT that we tow with a Chevy Sub - 8.1 liter engine.  The trailer GVW is 10,000.  (We are looking to downsize now that our kid is finishing college and will join the working world. Hopefully.)

 

We like to go to RV shows in our area.  There are usually two a year - Feb and Sept.  The dealers offer significant discount on TTs.  You don't have to buy, but you can look at many different brands and sizes at one time.  You can walk around inside each one.  Look to see how everything is positioned: kitchen counter space, cabinet storage, sleeping arrangements, and most important, the bathroom.  I always stand in the shower, pull the curtain/door closed, and raise my arms, like I am washing my hair.  Are my arms hitting the sides/door/ceiling.  You said you are tall.  You will have to consider head room as well.

 

While you may see lots of different maker's names and models, there are really only three different manufactures.  The TT will all have the same layouts across makes and models.  Kind of like GM vehicles: Chevy, Buick, Olds, Pontiac, Cadillac.

[CPH-0628]

Just like 87MJTIM said, try out the shower. Also be sure to test drive toilet. It sounds funny but trust me it's one thing most people don't think about.

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[tugboat95]

Just like 87MJTIM said, try out the shower. Also be sure to test drive toilet. It sounds funny but trust me it's one thing most people don't think about.

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

Diddo on the bath. Thought one would work but in actuality I couldn't sit on it with the door closed. I'm 6'5 and my legs were too long.

1989 Eliminator
4.0L 5 speed
2wd

[AeroNautical]

I was definitely going to use a weight distribution hitch, which would add about another 70lbs or so to tongue weight. At this size, it would probably be unsafe not to. The soonest RV show is in October for me, which is a shame because that would have been a great way to look for what I wanted without buying pressure. I'm looking at an RB (rear bathroom) now due to the issues you guys mentioned, size. Thanks alot for all the input.

[87MJTIM]

This is just my attitude, but...

 

If a TT has an exterior door to the bathroom, I walk away.

[Pete M]

20 minutes ago, 87MJTIM said:

This is just my attitude, but...

 

If a TT has an exterior door to the bathroom, I walk away.

 

it's definitely a personal choice.   but it has a purpose for other folks. that's so any friends/family you have over to your campfire can use the bathroom without walking through your bedroom first.  or for coming in dirty and wet from swimming or hiking and have a legit changing room (with a shower no less) without having to walk through your bedroom first.  in our little trailer I can touch the bed while standing outside on the step at the door.  it's right there.  

[AeroNautical]

10 hours ago, 87MJTIM said:

This is just my attitude, but...

 

If a TT has an exterior door to the bathroom, I walk away.

Why is that, exactly? Do you mean if it’s the only door? I understand in that case

[87MJTIM]

7 minutes ago, PFCLeist said:

Why is that, exactly? Do you mean if it’s the only door? I understand in that case

Someone opening the door from outside while I'm (or anyone else) is...um...reading.

 

There are other features on TTs that would cause me to walk away.  The exterior bathroom door is just one.

 

But, other may want that option for reasons Pete listed.

[Pete M]

pretty sure they would have a lock on the inside like normal bathrooms.  

 

but there is so much choice in floorplans out there that irritants are easily avoided.  the best plan s to do some basic research on the internet, and then experience the floorplans first hand.  then go back to the internet to re-research with your new found opinions.  

[87MJTIM]

That is why I go to the RV shows.  We go inside may different styles.  We look for counter top space, cabinet storage, bathroom layout, and "traffic flow" in-out-around the TT.  We decide if those features work for us.

 

One new feature that TTs are installing is 12v refrigerators.  You no longer need shore supply and/or propane to run the refrigerator.  It can run off the on-board battery and be charged from the tow vehicle's alternator when towing

[AeroNautical]

11 hours ago, 87MJTIM said:

That is why I go to the RV shows.  We go inside may different styles.  We look for counter top space, cabinet storage, bathroom layout, and "traffic flow" in-out-around the TT.  We decide if those features work for us.

 

One new feature that TTs are installing is 12v refrigerators.  You no longer need shore supply and/or propane to run the refrigerator.  It can run off the on-board battery and be charged from the tow vehicle's alternator when towing

Really? Does it use the seven pin connection or is it separately wired when being charged? I was also looking at factory solar panels.

[Pete M]

16 minutes ago, PFCLeist said:

Really? Does it use the seven pin connection or is it separately wired when being charged? I was also looking at factory solar panels.

 

If I remember right, ours runs off the trailer's battery, which gets charged through the 7pin.