Buying a travel trailer....have a few questions?? UPDATE WITH PICS PAGE 4

[luv2hunt]

Another thing to keep in mind on the Arctic Fox and other brands is resale. I purchased a 2003 Arctic Fox 27Y brand new for $17,500 and sold it last summer for $11,500. The trailer was very clean, no pets, no smoking and the interior was near perfection. Just something else to keep in mind.

[bearpaw]

Funny to see this topic today, I just bought a 31 foot last night.   

I have worn out 4 campers pulling them all over the northwest including a lot of rough roads. I've been watching for a good deal on another hunting camper for a couple years. I knew what I wanted to spend and have been looking for the best camper I could get within that budget. Last night I found a great deal, we went and looked at it immediately and bought a camper for less than half of what I planned on spending. 

If you are buyng a used camp trailer, here is a list of all the things I checked for.

- Check the four outside corners and around all doors and windows for separation, leakage, or other damage.
- Push on the front corner of the camper hard enough to rock it, you are checking to see if there is any looseness in the front of the frame.
- Check the lower panel on the front of the trailer, you can judge usage by the amount of chips from road grime coming off the towing vehicle rear wheels.
- Check for how the tires are worn, uneven wear indicates axle problems.
- Check for stains on the ceiling inside, if it leaks there will likely be stains.
- Check the floor for any softspots, indicates a water leak inside the trailer.
- Push on the walls throughout checking for weak spots.
- Make sure fridge, range, oven, water heater, air conditioning, water pump, and furnace all work.
- Check inside lights all work.
- Check that all the windows open and close tighly.
- Check that vents on top of the camper close tightly and are in good contition, not broken.
- Look under the camper for any damage.
- Check running lights, turn signals, and brake lights.
- Ask if the sewage drain valve works correctly.

I suggest watching craigslist (better deals), but be cautious and try to buy a camper from a dry climate area or one that has been kept covered from rainy weather when not in use. 

[Kowsrule30]

If you can afford an Arctic Fox with slideouts then definitely go for it. I can't think of a better four season trailer. That being said we ended up going with a 2002 28" trailer that was in near mint condition. We picked it up for 7K and have been very happy with it. I couldn't justify spending much more than that on a travel trailer because there would come a point where it would be more cost effective to just stay in hotels (even at hotel room rate of $100 a night it takes whole lot of camping to make up for a $20K+ trailer, extra gas from towing, maintenance, time invested, campground fees (if you choose to stay in campgrounds) etc....... Even though our trailer is not considered "four season" on par with an Arctic Fox we had no issues camping in it from Oct-Dec last year. We stayed at a campground that had bathrooms (near our hunting areas) so we didn't hook up the water/sewage (though I am confident we could have and would have been fine...just more hassle than it was worth in my mind).

The biggest 28" trailer I've ever seen!!!!       

[bearpaw]

There are a couple campers in the classifieds here on H-W. 

[Alchase]

Any review on the airstreams and how they hold up?

You guys with the trailers if you could provide pictures of your layouts and descriptions on why they work well would be awesome! LOL

Hard to tell looking at advertisements which layouts work and which do not.

[bearpaw]

Any review on the airstreams and how they hold up?

You guys with the trailers if you could provide pictures of your layouts and descriptions on why they work well would be awesome! LOL

Hard to tell looking at advertisements which layouts work and which do not.

Best layouts really depends on the purpose of the camper. Hunting, summer recreation, for family, for a bunch of guys, that all makes quite a difference in what type of beds and accessories are needed.

[MADMAX]

http://seattle.craigslist.org/tac/rvs/3034646706.html

Looks like a good deal

look on craigslist theres a bunch with pictures

[DBHAWTHORNE]

Any review on the airstreams and how they hold up?

You guys with the trailers if you could provide pictures of your layouts and descriptions on why they work well would be awesome! LOL

Hard to tell looking at advertisements which layouts work and which do not.

My parents have a vintage 1957 Airstream. Theirs has been refurbished on the inside a couple of times but the fact that it's still on the road and looks great is a testimony to the quality.....but you will pay dearly for that quality...that being said theirs could be sold for far more today than the original purchase price.

[whacker1]

Bearpaw reminded me whith his post - if you are buying used in a 5-10 year old model to check the tires to see if they are weather checked & cracking.  A new set of 4 trailer tires is going to cost you $80 per tire or so x 4 = 320. 
Just part of the decision making process.

[jrebel]

Again...excellent advise from all.   I stopped and checked out a few trailers today on my way home from mushroom picking.  Holy cow there a ton of trailers out there in various models, configurations, and conditions??  I know I want a bunkhouse so that helps narrow it down.  I also know I want other seating than just the dinette, this means a minimum 26' trailer.  So I have narrowed it down to a minimum 26' with bunks.  Now to start looking at quality, I refuse to pay for someone elses junk and I have seen a lot of that in the past week.  I found a couple new ones today with fantastic floor plans for not much more that people are trying to sell 5 year old trailers for.   Oh the decisions.....I hate buying new, but I also refuse to pay top dollar for garbage...Hmmmm. 

Keep the suggestions / information coming, I am not the only one that can use this helpful information. 

Bearpaw
Especially big thanks for a great checklist to use when buying used.

Thanks

Johnny

[medic6]

Like most people I have had several including an 8.5' S&S Camper, 25' Bunkhouse Outback and now we have a 36' cougar 5th wheel.  My advice is simple if you plan on hunting all year and want the family to enjoy it with you.

1. Buy new- any "issues" will be under warranty for at least 1-2 years no questions asked.  The resale of used trailers is surprisingly high and you can brake even or close when you trade up.
2. Get a floor plan your wife likes! If this is your first trailer I am willing to bet in less then 4 years you will upgrade to either a bigger model or you will have identified the cons and pros of the trailer and will purchase another accordingly.  If she loves using it and being in it,  you win. Believe me on this one
3.  Get a slide
4.  Consider getting a Generator it allows you to go off the grid for a week without any issues.
5.  Go trailer for your first.
6.  Look at every model and make to compare the floor plans, but purchase at a large repeatable RV dealership that will do warranty work on-site.  Outback and Cougar have my vote for affordability and comfort.  The wife loved the white interiors to the outbacks.  Good Luck

[jrebel]

Here is a question???  What are the pro's and con's to aluminum construction vs wood construction?  Other than weight.....  Which is stronger / more durable?  or is it a wash?

[Humptulips]

I just pulled the trigger on a new small jayco this past weekend. Large water  fully enclosed underbelly upgraded insulation package with factory 2year warranty. My cousin is the expert in the family and reccomends northwoods/nash and jayco followed by dutchmen/thor and forest river

Do not! I repeat do not buy a Thor! I am in the process of fixing one. It's hard to believe what kind of materials go into them where you can't see. :bashjust curious if it is a newer one. They used to have major problems but rumor is  they had fixed them

It is not new. It is a 24 foot toyhauler I bought from a private party. I thought I checked it out well but apparently not well enough. It obviously had had the floor partly replaced.The main problem is chip board in the floor. At the factory it had chip board and it is like a cancer infecting anything it touches with a fungus. It doesn't leak and is dry but the chip board just grows that fungus. I'm half done. Replaced the floor and up the walls about 6 inches to clean out all the infected wood. The floor joist all had to go and they looked like they were the scraps from a pallet factory. None of it made out of durable wood.
It's a big job but I think I will have  a good one when I'm done. Made a mistake buying it though. Saved some money but if I had realized the full story I would have passed or asked them to cut the price in half.

[smdave]

Here is a question???  What are the pro's and con's to aluminum construction vs wood construction?  Other than weight.....  Which is stronger / more durable?  or is it a wash?

If wood gets wet it rots, and if aluminum gets wet well it gets wet.

[Icdeadelk]

I have a 2000 28' prowler with super slide all fiberglass sides. Purchased in 04 like new. love the trailer and would recommend this brand to anyone who was looking to buy. No matter which brand you get make sure if you keep it outside all the time that you invest in a cover for it. $350-$450 is pennies to what water damage to these rigs could cost. I was lazy and also lucky not to have any leaks but now I have to get the roof reconditioned and resealed around the seams and all areas around the trailer that have seams as well. Got lucky. The cost is gonna be $1300 to get it all done. Just cause I was to cheap to buck up and cover it up.    Good luck            Mitch