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midwest
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Joined: 12/11/2011
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dkuntz wrote:What kind of 'hidden' costs do I need to consider?
Thanks for all the info on the mfgs....that makes a lot of sense now that you explained Thor.
I have a new Ford 150 ecoboost with the 3.53 axle. Tow about 9500lbs
By 'hidden costs' I am making a general statement about all the supporting costs involved in RV'ing. Some folks enter into this pastime not really thinking about, for instance, the cost of fuel. And some folks go to an RV show, and fall in love with the layout of a nice 30' travel trailer, and then think they can pull it with the family minivan. They can often become very disappointed with the the fact that in reality, they need a heavy duty pickup to actually pull the trailer they choose. See where I'm going with this ? It certainly pays to really do your homework and fully understand what the trailer is really going to weigh, and whether your tow vehicle can handle the chore, and still do so safely.
By most accounts, the folks on this and other RV forums are giving pretty high marks for the F150 eco-boost, so as long as you can stay within the tow limits, and the axle limits with a ready-to-go-camping setup ( assuming whatever margin of safety you feel is appropriate ) then you're off to a great start.
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padave
Richland PA
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Joined: 02/20/2005
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I looked at the trailers you mentioned. They are nice trailers. I personally preferred Prime Time Lacrosse. I recommend that you take a look at the Lacrosse and Tracer.
wife and 2 daughters
2008.5 Nissan Titan
LE 4x4 Crew w/ Big Tow
Lacrosse 318bhs
Equalizer
former:
Rockwood Roo 233
Coleman Westlake
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tomman58
Southeast Michigan
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Joined: 06/12/2005
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I think you need to research the quality more than the "cute" items that grab you for a moment. If you are like 75% of people that buy a trailer you will use it for a few weekends then maybe a 2 or 3 week vacation each year.
Sure their are some who FT and then there are a lot of Snowbirds spending 3 to 5 months in their rigs.
Point is most of us that have the liberty to purchase most models have spent either a goodly amount of time searching, have family with a certain one, got lucky and found a good dealer, got sold by a slick sales guy at a show. Told our smart car could pull anything.
You are at one place that will give you slanted advice but intermixed are some real folks that tell you the negatives along with the pluses, good luck.
2008 Silverado D/A,CC 4x4 ,3.73,IBC LTZ+
2012 Jayco 322 FKS
2 Trek bikes
Honda EU2000i
It must be time to go, the suns out and I've got a full tank of diesel!
Lifes short enough without bitch'n about it!
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popeye59
Zion ,IL
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Joined: 10/15/2009
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dkuntz wrote:Are there any I should be avoiding?
Any of them that are the "Ford" of the RV's
Frank and Jean
EM1 USN ret
DAV Life Member
'09 Rockwood Roo 233S
'03 1500 Silverado LS
I didn't say it was your fault, I said I was going to blame you
The things that come to those that wait will be the crappy junk left by those that got there 1st.
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anaro
Cary, NC
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Joined: 01/16/2011
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You need to research trailers based upon the floorplans that you like and within the weight ratings you can handle. By weight ratings, we mean payload, tongue weight and overall tow capabilities. With a half ton you run out of payload before you run out of tow capacity. IIRC the Ford ecoboost is better than most others in the class but check the sticker inside your door. Remember the payload includes your family and anything else you throw in your TV as well as the tongue weight. Also remember that the loaded tongue weight is much heavier than the published tongue weight..... trying to save ya from the mistake I made. I had a TV w/ a 9100 lb tow capacity, 910 lb tongue weight capability and only had 800 lbs of available payload. Long story short, I had not enough TV for my TT and had to upgrade to a F250 within a year of owning my TT.
Ok now back to what you were really asking about. As previously stated, every brand makes good and bad trailers. What you don't want is the monday morning/friday evening trailer. I recommend crossroads because they make a decent trailer with a good 2 yr warranty and have great customer service. Remember that when you buy used, trailer warranties don't transfer like car warranties, they are good for original owners only. When looking at used units, look for signs of leaks ie delamination, soft spots etc. Ask for maintenance records. Make sure every system/item works by demonstration, not by sellers word. I know you want to buy used, but go to a dealership and look around. Sit in the trailers with the whole family and the door closed. Practice doing your daily activities with everyone in the TT (ie mom cooking, kids playing, dad walking to bathroom), think about where you will store everything in the trailer (ie kids clothes in that cabinet, pots and pans in this cabinet, food over in that cabinet etc). This will help guide you on floorplans so you can narrow down what you want. Remember if getting a slide, make sure you can move around in the trailer with the slides in. Even a little bit of movement is helpful to do things like use kitchen, open fridge and go to the bathroom. Good luck and happy hunting.
2009 Ford F250 Lariat Crew Cab 6.4L diesel 4WD
2011 Crossroads Zinger ZT26BL
Reese Dual Cam
6 nights camped in 2012!
27 nights camped in 2011!
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ROBERTSUNRUS
Lakewood, Ca.
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 Hi, it's hard to compare a car to a trailer. By Ford, do you mean in the upper middle somewhere? Pick a size, check all of the prices, and choose a trailer priced in the upper middle. On the other hand, the worst made car is probably built far better than the best made trailer.
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turninghawk
Orlando, FL
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Joined: 09/11/2003
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ROBERTSUNRUS wrote: On the other hand, the worst made car is probably built far better than the best made trailer.
Very true.
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forrestrv
washington
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Joined: 01/29/2006
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Personally from my own experience i would go with Northwood they pay attention to detail, on my new 2012 northwood rv it shows. I truly believe they make a far superior product...i will buy a northwood again and personally i feel they are the caddilac of rv's just my 2 cents, good luck in your search
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eubank
Angel Fire, NM, USA
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Joined: 01/17/2004
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Thor owns Airstream, but they do not build them. Airstreams are built at the factory at Jackson Center, OH, where Airstream has been since they opened that factory in 1952. See some history below, including more on the California factory, dating from the 1930s:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airstream
Lynn
fordsooperdooty wrote:Thor RV is #1 and builds the most RV's of every type. Huge corporation. They make Airstream, Dutchmen, Redwood, Keystone, CrossRoads, Heartland, Breckenridge and a couple of others. ...
Pics and stuff at my Flickr pages
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