# Thinking of buying a camper



## bheary (Dec 29, 2010)

Who is top dog and bottom of the pile in the camper business. Looking for a 21-24 ft trailer with 2-3 beds. What do I need to look at in order to ensure I'm buying quality?


----------



## Daveldman (Jun 6, 2010)

Are you looking new or used?


----------



## brushbuster (Nov 9, 2009)

There is not a whole lot of difference really. They will all leak if not annualy maintained. The biggest difference to look at would be aluminum frame vs wood frame. Most of the manufacturers are making their trailers with the same materials, using the same appliances,equipment, and furnishings. Take a trip down to elkhart Indy. some time and check out the rows of manufacturers down there. There are just a few suppliers that accomodate all those manufacturers. I dont think one company does any better than the other. Sunny brook is one company that i know of that makes most of their models with an aluminum frame. Most everyone else is using 2x2 wood construction.
One other thing i would note. some units are made with solid formed wall construction, basicaly that consists of a framed wall sandwiched between a solid ext fiberglassed wall board glued on foam insualton with glued on interior panel.Its a composite wall system.The other method is framed wall metal siding ext. fiberglass batten insulation, and a stapled or brad nailed interior paneling. Is one better than the other? Well, if the composite wall system is water damaged the repair bill is expensive, due to delamination and large areas have to be repaired. If the standard framed wall system is water damaged it is relatively simple to repair and easier to isolate issues.
Jus tmy opinoin as someone who was a certified RV technician.
Another edit. You can always tell if a solid formed walled trailer has water damage. the exterior walls will look wavy, due to delamination.


----------



## bheary (Dec 29, 2010)

Either new or used. Thanks for the info on the construction. So what should I look for when looking at a used trailer


----------



## brushbuster (Nov 9, 2009)

bheary said:


> Either new or used. Thanks for the info on the construction. So what should I look for when looking at a used trailer


 Signs of water damage! First and foremost.
Look for water marks on the ceiling, around windows and doors, spongy floor, cracked caulking. Peel back the rubber molding on the exterior sidewalls where the walls meet the roofline, and look for rusted screws.
If you look hard enough you will find something somewhere. Most people dont caulk their moldings, or the roof, the 2 most prone places for water to get in at is the moldings and the roof joints. Most appliances will last a long time and are quite easy to repair. Except fridges they will run the most money to replace. One thing to look at is the back side of the fridge. open up the exterior cover of the fridge, and look for any yellow corrosion, if you smell sulpher, walk away! Buy a cheap voltage meter and check your voltage to the convertor, you should get 13.0 volts, if it reads in the 12.5 and below you have a bad convertor and that bill runs upwards of $500 +. Those items would be my primary checks.


----------



## Liver and Onions (Nov 24, 2000)

I think anyone new to trailers should buy used. Lots of gently used, 5 year old trailers out there that are priced to sell. A family buys a new trailer and uses it a lot for 2 years. Somewhat the 3rd year. It sits in the backyard all of years 4 & 5. Now they want to stop mowing around it and get what they can out of it because they are pretty much done camping and would rather not hassle with a trailer on vacations.
After 3 years of camping you are going know if want a nicer trailer for more years of camping or you are ready to do something different. 

L & O


----------



## Daveldman (Jun 6, 2010)

Agree with the above. Inspect for water damage very closely. Most interior finishes are roughly the same. I believe that most rv's made in the past 4-5 years are made with aluminum framing. At least thats what I found when looking a year ago. I have 2010 KZ and it is aluminum frame. What it comes down to is what fits your family need and what you can afford. Also, check to see how much rust is on the frame. Interior blemishes can be fixed or overlooked. Structural cannot.


----------



## sylvan19 (Sep 13, 2009)

Great info from brushbuster.. I 2nd the used option for a trailer. A lot of families start camping and as the kids get older they lose interest and get involved in other things so now the trailer just sits. Make sure you know what size you want and slide outs make a big difference. The wife and I have owned three trailers each one got bigger than the one before. After we sold the last trailer we bought our cottage :lol:


----------



## HemlockNailer (Dec 22, 2000)

New or used,let the internet do the work for you. Instead of driving all over the state check the inventory of dealers in a reasonable distance from you on line. You can see floor plans, photos and prices. Even if you are buying from a private seller you can look at similar models to compare. Don't base your purchase on warranty, they are smoke and mirrors.


----------



## bheary (Dec 29, 2010)

Well there is a new one at Hamilton rv in Saginaw that looks like a Helluva deal, 2015 Jayco for 13, 800. Then a family friend has a smoking deal on a 2008 for 6k. Both have same floor plan, 2 bunks and a queen no slide out. That's some great information on checking behind the fridge and roof nails


----------



## caseyj (Apr 8, 2001)

Always check out "nadaguides.com" when shopping for a camper. New or used. Disregard MSRP prices that you will see in each camper on a dealers lot. A 20% discount is the norm on prices. Also consider the price for a hitch. Usually $300 to $600 or more if your looking at 5'vers. Check out Craigs list for local sales.


----------



## 6Speed (Mar 8, 2013)

There are camper forums just like this site. Google them up and look around. The members here will give you good advice (probably!) but i suggest doing the research yourself. Buying a camper is riskier than buying a boat, new or used I've found, and I've owned many of each. I'm happy with my 2011 camper but I had to lean on the dealership really hard to make things right. The up side of this is that you can buy a fairly late model camper from a disgruntled owner at a good price if you pay attention....


----------



## Jim58 (Jan 16, 2010)

Rv.net is a good place to do some research and ask questions. Also brand owners forums are an excellent place to find the good the bad and the ugly. One thing I can say for sure they are not all the same. In many cases just a quick look at fit and finish in the interior will tell you all you need to know. There are a core group of manufacturers that make most of the brands in our area and the majority of them are producing close to the same quality product. There are however a few manufactures producing higher end products and they will be worth your effort to search out if you are truly interested in a better quality unit. That being said they are being hauled down the road on our wonderful highway system and they all can develop issues as the miles add up.


----------



## bheary (Dec 29, 2010)

C'mon michigan roads are smooth as silk


----------



## brushbuster (Nov 9, 2009)

Jim58 said:


> Rv.net is a good place to do some research and ask questions. Also brand owners forums are an excellent place to find the good the bad and the ugly. One thing I can say for sure they are not all the same. In many cases just a quick look at fit and finish in the interior will tell you all you need to know. There are a core group of manufacturers that make most of the brands in our area and the majority of them are producing close to the same quality product. There are however a few manufactures producing higher end products and they will be worth your effort to search out if you are truly interested in a better quality unit. That being said they are being hauled down the road on our wonderful highway system and they all can develop issues as the miles add up.


 I will disagree with you here. If you compare price point to price point they are all the same. Like i said they all use the same stuff, all the cabinets are press wood and photo paper with hardwood doors depending on the price point, appliances are either going to be dometic or atwood or norcold, there are a few more appliance manufacturers but the 3 I listed are the primary suppliers,the slide motors are the from the same manufacturer, the slide mechanisms, seals, roof materials, poop tanks, water tanks, gates, caulk... all the same. The only thing that makes one unit better from the other is price points. Some manufacturers will make only units with a higher price point, and others will only make units with a low price point, but comparing manufacturers with the same price points, no difference in my opinion. Hell some of those manufacturers own several brands and build them in the same plant.I would stick with some of the more prominent brands that have been around and made it through the bad times we had.


----------



## Jim58 (Jan 16, 2010)

brushbuster said:


> I will disagree with you here. If you compare price point to price point they are all the same. Like i said they all use the same stuff, all the cabinets are press wood and photo paper with hardwood doors depending on the price point, appliances are either going to be dometic or atwood or norcold, there are a few more appliance manufacturers but the 3 I listed are the primary suppliers,the slide motors are the from the same manufacturer, the slide mechanisms, seals, roof materials, poop tanks, water tanks, gates, caulk... all the same. The only thing that makes one unit better from the other is price points. Some manufacturers will make only units with a higher price point, and others will only make units with a low price point, but comparing manufacturers with the same price points, no difference in my opinion. Hell some of those manufacturers own several brands and build them in the same plant.I would stick with some of the more prominent brands that have been around and made it through the bad times we had.


 
Thanks for making my point as he was talking "Quality" not "Price Point"


----------



## jancoe (Jan 24, 2010)

I agree with all above. I work at a rv dealership and are rv certified. there is a newer slide out system called the swintek/lippert in wall slide out. It's been on the market for a out 4-5 years. We are always servicing the mechanical components to this slide. Constantly breaking parts. Also these slide mechanisms are known leakers. Avoid them if possible. Pay attention to the small details. Trim work can get sloppy on cheaper price point units. Good luck


----------



## bheary (Dec 29, 2010)

Well the used deal was too good to be true. It had some floor rot under a stowage area.


----------



## Daveldman (Jun 6, 2010)

bheary said:


> Well the used deal was too good to be true. It had some floor rot under a stowage area.


At least you caught it up front. My first camper was a hybrid, and it had a leak in the nose that affected the fold out bed, and I didn't notice it till some time later. Lesson learned. Fortunately, that one had a accident, and was totaled. I was more careful in selecting my current unit.


----------



## bheary (Dec 29, 2010)

So I have been hearing about how much they depreciate. I'm curious to know by how much. Let's say I bought a new 28 Jayco bunkhouse this year at a sale price of 13,800 and I took great care of it for 2 yrs and attempted to sell it in a perfect condition. Would it be unreasonable to get 11k for it 2 yrs down the road?


----------



## Shoeman (Aug 26, 2000)

I don't subscribe into "they're all the same"

When my wife bought our Eagle a few years back I found huge differences in trim, cabinets and hardware. We looked into several in the 35' range. The cheaper ones were just junk. The baseboards made of covered paper and just from showing it on the lot already showed wear. The furniture/fabrics on the entry level units were also junk. (I use entry level in comparison, because we were still talking north of 30K)

Fit and finish is another. Yes, appliances, pumps, tanks are all the same.


----------



## Happy Jack (Jan 21, 2003)

Depreciation- 10 yrs ago I bought a new Jayco 28 RLS TT at a show $15,500 sold it last June for 8,300. Great condition. I would rec Jayco to anyone.


----------



## brushbuster (Nov 9, 2009)

Shoeman said:


> I don't subscribe into "they're all the same"
> 
> When my wife bought our Eagle a few years back I found huge differences in trim, cabinets and hardware. We looked into several in the 35' range. The cheaper ones were just junk. The baseboards made of covered paper and just from showing it on the lot already showed wear. The furniture/fabrics on the entry level units were also junk. (I use entry level in comparison, because we were still talking north of 30K)
> 
> Fit and finish is another. Yes, appliances, pumps, tanks are all the same.


I guess i just got a bad taste in my mouth from working on them turds. I have repaired the $10,000 jewels to the $75,000 jewels and to me they are all the same
Some turds look a little better and cost a little more, but in the end they are still a turd.

Sent from my SCH-S720C using Ohub Campfire mobile app


----------



## jancoe (Jan 24, 2010)

brushbuster said:


> I guess i just got a bad taste in my mouth from working on them turds. I have repaired the $10,000 jewels to the $75,000 jewels and to me they are all the same
> Some turds look a little better and cost a little more, but in the end they are still a turd.
> 
> Sent from my SCH-S720C using Ohub Campfire mobile app


Yep. Expensive or not there all the same to me. There all gonna leak. 8 years here in the service side and I would never buy anything new or priced higher than the others. Stay away from hybrids. Those fold out beds all leak. Everyone that comes through our shop has water damage at either the front or rear bed, walls.


----------



## brushbuster (Nov 9, 2009)

If were to buy one it would be an older jayco or a sunny brook. No slides, and metal siding. Primarily for ease of working on them. And those 2 brands have stood the test of time.
Jancoe is right on. Anything that slides out or folds open will leak. Just a matter of time. Some of those damned things leaked before they made it off the sales lot.

Sent from my SCH-S720C using Ohub Campfire mobile app


----------



## Zofchak (Jan 10, 2003)

bheary said:


> Who is top dog and bottom of the pile in the camper business. Looking for a 21-24 ft trailer with 2-3 beds. What do I need to look at in order to ensure I'm buying quality?



If you want a very high quality trailer there are not many better in that size range than Bigfoot. They are made using 2 fiberglass shells (One upper and one lower), so they don't have the common leak issues that many other trailers have. They're also well insulated and the interiors are very well built. You'll spend as much on a used Bigfoot as a new Jayco or Forest River trailer, but they will hold up better and deprecate much less.

http://bigfootrv.com/


----------



## john warren (Jan 25, 2005)

what are you towing with? i saw a nice airstream about that size on craigslist not long ago for a very reasonable cost. 
not all campers leak. mostly stick built will. but molded fiberglass ,,,very rarely.
your tow vehicle is really going to dictate what you can and can not pull so start there.
unless you planning on or already have a $60,000 truck .


----------



## bheary (Dec 29, 2010)

I bought a 2010 Jayco bhs prior to the weekend. It's really nice thanks for the help.


----------



## RobW (Dec 6, 2012)

If you've got the cabbage, check out the Olivers...


----------

