Travel trailer blues....

[Mr.LooRead]

Back before the crash of 2008, there were Fleetwood, Sunline, and another that used mostly Amish labor in central PA. Those young men worked fast and still did good work.

I bought a used 1981 13.5 Sunline TT (6'2" wide) in 1987 got 7 years of use and did not lose a dime when I sold it.

[Blanch]

They just don’t make things like they used to. It is very disappointing. I honestly thought buying new was going to eliminate all sort of problems. I was wrong.

This was a low end TT, a Springdale, made by Keystone. If you look up quality issues with Keystone and Thor industries you find all sorts of complaints. Made in America doesn’t mean quality anymore, I am old enough to remember when it did.


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[Riverman]

I spent months looking at new travel trailers... especially at the quality work that they do (much of it hidden under things that the public doesn't see).

So, instead I had a fine cargo trailer build to my exact specs... with 16" on-center floors, walls and ceiling's.

Now that I have a heavy-duty frame, I'm building exactly what I want inside, not what someone from the RV factory wants me to have.

I saved $15K too... happy.

[waldenbound]

I remember wanting a travel trailer, then I heard about these nightmare stories of how cheap they are. No way. But now, I’m thinking of a cargo trailer.

[animalcannibal]

I also bought a Springdale.2008 year model.POS leaked around the slide out and ruined part of the cheap osb floor.Hadto jack the slide out up and relpair the floor.I was lucky to get my money back when I sold it.Now I have a 94 Chateu that I had to rebuild the ceiling because of leaks.At least it has a plywood floor.Of all the campers I've owned,the best were a Terry and a Trailbay.

[MN C Van]

New is new, and good is good.
Every retiree decides they're going to 'see the country', so buy some POS based on size of the flatscreen, make a couple trips, then forget it.
Bob did a spot on vid about using utility trailers instead-
You can build/insulate in no way any OEM would.

[MN C Van]

While going across Nebraska, saw three TT that had evidently jackknifed. Two where literally blown apart in the median- just in little pieces. Third was only twisted up against it's tow vehicle.

Scary.

[Motrukdriver]

The issues with new stuff is the very reason I bought an old TT. 1978 to be exact. It will be a total gut remodel so everything I put inside of it will be of the quality I want and not what I have to settle for. Paid $1000 for the trailer and spent $50 in fuel to go get it back and forth. Dunno how much I'm gonna spend making it our second home but I'm certain I can do it for far less than the cost of a brand new one. I guess I'm fortunate that I can do all that work and have a workshop full of tools. I know most folks can't and it seems like they are the ones that get "the treatment" from sales people. As always, if you are rolling thru and need something fixed you are welcome to stop by. We have a Lowes, Menards, RP Lumber and a whole host of other hard part stores just minutes away.

[tx2sturgis]

I have a friend who paid about $70,000 for a new fifth wheel toyhauler trailer a few years ago and he says he has had multiple problems with that one also.

MSRP on this thing was just over $100,000!

It seems that no matter what you pay, you will have problems.

[American Nomad Patriot]

Anyone with a TT or buying a TT or RV ...Stay away from Holiday World dealerships. I know people that work there. And I had a TT that went in for repairs. Came out with more stuff wrong with it than when I took it in. They also lied and lied and lied to me throughout the whole thing. That's when I found out that they have so many lawsuits against their service dept I don't know how they stay in business.

Blanch, I know the problems are stressing you out. My first TT was an old POS that should have never left the pasture i bought it out of. But..the positive side is that through all the problems I learned so much valuable information and knowledge of repairing them. That knowledge has saved me thousands throughout my 2nd TT and the one I got now. But you're problems and my past problems are exactly why I am building a shuttle bus. I don't care if it costs me $75,000 when it's done. I will know it's built good and strong.
If you have any problems that you can't figure out etc feel free to hit me up. I will help out in anyway I can.