Looking for new campers, need input

[gmacklem]

My wife and I got our first camper almost 1 year ago now and love it. But we bought small and now want something bigger. So we are looking at several makes and models. I know many here have been long time campers and have had other brands, so I would like to hear from you what you think about Coachman and Keystone? Are there other brands I should be looking at as well? I am definitely looking at other Forest River products but I don't want to be brand loyal to a fault. I want the best layout/features/price/quality/etc that I can find as I want this next camper to last me for quite some time.

Thanks for your input.

[iowaborn]

Wow, that's a tough order to fill. We also bought too small the first time and upgraded. I cannot offer advice as my only experience is with FR and after attending the Goshen Rally last year we decided to stay with FR. There are a lot of options out there a lot of price points to consider. Initally we looked at a lot of different manufacturers and our final decision was partly based on the quality and location of the dealer. As far as manfactures quality, typically you only hear the negatives and they all have their problems, it boils down to how problems are handled and FR and our dealer have treated us well.

Sorry I cannot offer more, but good luck in your quest.

[Oakman]

For longevity I would look at Cedar Creek and the Wildcat brand. I know someone who has been living full time in his Wildcat since 2003 and it's still going strong.

[bikendan]

a common saying, "Buy your second trailer, FIRST!"

we need more input as to what you like or don't like.
what type of camping will you be doing.

you're going to be limited quite a bit, with the 4.6 F-150.
we've been impressed with Keystone's Montana line of 5th Wheels.

[BamaBob]

X2 what Dan, Oak & Iowa said.

Dan's point especially: your TV will dictate your rig.

If you allow me to assume you can upgrade both the TV & Rig, take a look at the Rockwood 8289WS Diamond Package for starters.

Given that you beef up your F150 upgrade you can pull the 8289WS nicely. For us, the 8289 is plenty large enough for retirement and long trips. We do not plan to full time, but 1/2 time is certainly within the realm of possibility. Our only niggle with the 8289 is the bedroom is a tad on the small size, but it has a Queen bed - same as home - and we have been good friends for 35 years now anyways

If you do upgrade your TV, however, I suggest you build the TV around the rig you like best!

As for other brands, we did a lot of research back in the early 2000's when we moved up from a (Coleman) Pop-up to a TT. No matter what we looked at, or folks we talked to at campgrounds, or rigs we checked out at RV shows/dealers, Forest River always seemed to come out on top in every category of RV save the ultra luxury coaches ($500K+) (although Berkshire Class As are AWESOME rigs at 1/2 that price!)

Next time you are camping just do a informal survey and count the different brands - my unscientific observations indicate mostly FR with Coachman & Winnibego 2nd neck & neck. Oh, and Airstream - but the AS crowd are sorta like the Macintosh Computer Fanatics of the 80's (they ARE good units though)

Oh...another plus for FR? There's this small-time businessman by the name of Warren Buffet bought FR outright in 2005 based on the company's reputation

[R Whitlow]

Make a list of what you must have and what you want. That is shat we did and it helped the salesman to not waste our time looking at units that we would not like. We moved from our first TT without slides to a 42 ft FR Cardinal. We found one we loved it has a master with a king, back bed has a bunk and full. The only think we gave up was a side Isle bath. After a year we don't miss it at all. Taking the time to Make sure you get one that meets your needs are key. I have found no issues with the quality of ours.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Forest River Forums mobile app

[davel1971]

what is the payload and towing capacity of your truck? With a 4.6, depending on how its equipped, it may not be a whole lot.

[TURBS]

Originally Posted by davel1971

what is the payload and towing capacity of your truck? With a 4.6, depending on how its equipped, it may not be a whole lot.

X2

TURBS

Sabre owners united!

[Cajun Po-Boy]

First...shop for the layout and comfort you are wanting out of your next "long term" camper without any consideration of your current tow vehicle because once you have picked that perfect unit for you then buy/trade up for the proper TV to match your desired camper.

I've only owned FR products so can't speak of the other brands...do a lot of homework and cruise the other forums of various brands to find out the ins and outs of particular models you may be interested in.

Good Luck & enjoy the process

[gmacklem]

Sorry, everyone, I should have been more specific on what we are looking for. We are looking to upgrade our tow rig from the 2v 4.6l F-150 to a 5.4l F-150. The 5.4l will about double our tow capacity and be more than enough for what we are looking for.

As for the camper, we saw the Flagstaff SuperLite 27RLWS at a camper show and loved it. It has the most storage of any camper I have seen. It also has the nicest kitchen with tons of counter space and a living room almost as large as my home living room.

It checks all the boxes and then some. It is at the top of our price range though, so if you know of anything that provides most of the features at less price, let me know. In short, our requirements of the TT are:

Cold weather capable
Storage, storage, storage
Light enough to tow with an F-150
23-29 feet long (mostly because of lower weight)
Would like electric awning and tongue jack, electric stabilizers not a must
Outside speakers

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by gmacklem

Sorry, everyone, I should have been more specific on what we are looking for. We are looking to upgrade our tow rig from the 2v 4.6l F-150 to a 5.4l F-150. The 5.4l will about double our tow capacity and be more than enough for what we are looking for.

As for the camper, we saw the Flagstaff SuperLite 27RLWS at a camper show and loved it. It has the most storage of any camper I have seen. It also has the nicest kitchen with tons of counter space and a living room almost as large as my home living room.

It checks all the boxes and then some. It is at the top of our price range though, so if you know of anything that provides most of the features at less price, let me know. In short, our requirements of the TT are:

Cold weather capable
Storage, storage, storage
Light enough to tow with an F-150
23-29 feet long (mostly because of lower weight)
Would like electric awning and tongue jack, electric stabilizers not a must
Outside speakers

I think your requirements are a good start, but we found that our requires followed things along the lines of the floorplan that was ideal for us. Obviously our needs are grossly different than yours, but here is what we worked off of:

Must haves
- Must have a big shower (we're not little people and didn't like the corner/neo showers)
- Must be able to walk around the bed
- Must be able to change clothes in the bedroom
- Had to have a u-shape dinette
- Sleeping for 6 without reverting to the dinette or sofa bed in the living room (2 in the master bedroom, 2 kids and 2 others/usually adults)
- The "2 others/usually adults" are my in-laws and I couldn't make them sleep on the floor or floor level
- Have an outside kitchen
- Outside kitchen needed cabinets
- Awning placement must be such that we could put a picnic table w/o blocking a door or hatch
- Must be able to get to the bathroom with the slides closed

Must not haves
- Didn't want a "step up" in the middle of the bedroom
- Could not have a "walk through" bath; must be a "side bath"

Nice to haves
- Prefer a bedroom with a slideout
- Being able to get to the fridge with the slides closed
- 1/2 bath
- A door directly to a bathroom
- One or more slides in the bunkhouse
- Less than 40'
- Folding grab assist handle to 2nd door

As you can see, we're particular. The problem with being so particular is that the length of the camper grew. We talked about our list of "must haves" to decide which was more important- a bigger camper vs. taking things off of our "must haves". Momma said we'd go bigger, so we went bigger. We ended up with a monster of a camper, but we hit all of our "must haves", "must not haves" and most of the "nice to haves".

I kept a spreadsheet of campers that we saw online or in person and it had columns for each of the things above. I ranked them according to that and ended up narrowing our selection down from 60+ models.

[Kaadk]

Our list was very similar, but only pulling with a 1/2 ton it eventually boiled down to:

1) Price
2) Weight
3) Kids don't sleep on top bunks
4) We don't sleep on the dinette.

I also found that brand really doesn't matter that much when compared to floorplans. Pretty much everybody offers the same layouts in one rig or another. The only exception I've found was the Chaparral 360 IBL (Chaparral - Coachmen RV) which I learned about through this site.

Aside from that one unit, I haven't seen anything at any of the manufactures that I can't get from another.

[katkt]

Look at the V-Lites. When we went looking, that's where we ended up. We have a 26WFKSS on order. I have a 2010 F-150 Supercrew 4x4, and didn't want to push the limits, for economic reasons. I thought this was a great size for my TV. If it'd of been a two wheel drive with the Eco-Boost V6, I'd of been more interested in a 28. If I thought we'd use it more, maybe even a 30. That extra 2 or 3 miles to the gallon, really adds up. Most of our trips, look like they will be long, with one or two overnight son the way.

It's everything we wanted, without shelling out more money for extra space, my wife and I didn't think we needed. She kept saying "It'll just be the two of us", and I kept saying, "Then why do we need extra seating". She was liking the more open feel of a third or longer slide, and a slightly bigger trailer, but more cubic feet of air space inside, equals more weight.

Without each of us staring at the same storage, and saying whether we think it is too much, plenty, or not enough, that ones up in the air. The one we ordered, seems to have more then enough to make our trips comfortable. NIce pantry and kitchen layout. A large Linen in the bathroom. A big wardrobe in the bedroom.

I also liked the multi entrance bath, that allows both ends of the trailer to use the bath, with privacy. We looked at a Jayco 5er, where you had to walk out of the M bedroom, into the rest of the trailer, to get in the bathroom. That one thing killed a deal we were interested in.

Think ahead, as far as where everybody will sleep when the lights go out. I think it would be real easy to buy more trailer then you'll use, but that may just be me. Will you need that extra sofa that makes into a bed, or will it be a catch all?

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by gmacklem

In short, our requirements of the TT are:

Cold weather capable

just to clarify, FR doesn't make any true 4-season trailers. just cause it has heated holding tanks and dual pane windows as options, doesn't make the trailer truly "cold weather capable".

[gmacklem]

Originally Posted by bikendan

just to clarify, FR doesn't make any true 4-season trailers. just cause it has heated holding tanks and dual pane windows as options, doesn't make the trailer truly "cold weather capable".

Can you elaborate on that? I don't know much about a 4 season camper but thought that an enclosed undercarriage and heated tanks was all it took. Is there more? What do other mfgs do that FR doesn't?

Thanks.

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by gmacklem

Can you elaborate on that? I don't know much about a 4 season camper but thought that an enclosed undercarriage and heated tanks was all it took. Is there more? What do other mfgs do that FR doesn't?

Thanks.

I think the real question is how cold (and for how long) do you want to go?

[dustman_stx]

I know little of Coachmen campers other than this: I was in a brand new one on a lot a few months back during a steady rain- not pouring, but more than a drizzle. Felt a drip on my arm. Slide was leaking. Asked to look into another on the lot and he stated that he couldn't open it and let slip that it had the slide fascia on order. This likely means that it had leaked as well and rotted the fascia.

After looking at MANY campers, here's what my personal recommendation is:

If you aren't dead set on a fiberglass sided camper, I'd look at the Palomino Puma. We had a 2012 and now have a new one on order. In-laws have a 2012. They've been great. Lot's of bang for the buck.

If you are set on a fiberglass camper, I think you'd be well served by a Keystone or a Rockwood Signature Ultralite or Windjammer. I will say that one of the main reasons I went back to Puma instead of getting a Rockwood this round was because of the tire and axle ratings. Too light for my liking. I have considerable reserve capacity on both with the Puma line, but you have limited payload on the Rockwoods and are right at axle and tire ratings when loaded.

[gmacklem]

Originally Posted by ependydad

I think the real question is how cold (and for how long) do you want to go?

I would like to be able to handle down to the teens for a few days without rupturing pipes and tanks.

[ryand]

The majority of info has been covered here as it relates to TV and other potential options within the FR lineup. I can speak only from experience with my Coachmen. We looked at everything for nearly a year before purchasing and the dealer we bought from pointed out a few things that relates to the Keystone VS Coachmen. Apparently this only may be true when I bought in 2011...Keystone at the time still used Formaldehyde in their process and you could clearly notice a difference entering a keystone vs coachmen in the odor during one of the many trips during the summer heat we made to the dealer. That was not the main reason we went with Coachmen however....I feel that their Catalina line offers one of the best values and price points in the industry. Granted it is a aluminium sided trailer and a bit heavier but the fit and finish over the keystone was very apparent.

Based on the info here, the Freedom express may not be of the same standards but as in anything in life people tend to air more negative things about a product than the positives.

When we eventually upgrade I think it will be a Wildcat 5er....Kids are not big enough to warrant this and we are very happy with our unit now. Plus its paid for!!

As others have said, most floor plans are available in nearly every mfg.

[dustman_stx]

Originally Posted by ryand

The majority of info has been covered here as it relates to TV and other potential options within the FR lineup. I can speak only from experience with my Coachmen. We looked at everything for nearly a year before purchasing and the dealer we bought from pointed out a few things that relates to the Keystone VS Coachmen. Apparently this only may be true when I bought in 2011...Keystone at the time still used Formaldehyde in their process and you could clearly notice a difference entering a keystone vs coachmen in the odor during one of the many trips during the summer heat we made to the dealer. That was not the main reason we went with Coachmen however....I feel that their Catalina line offers one of the best values and price points in the industry. Granted it is a aluminium sided trailer and a bit heavier but the fit and finish over the keystone was very apparent.

Based on the info here, the Freedom express may not be of the same standards but as in anything in life people tend to air more negative things about a product than the positives.

When we eventually upgrade I think it will be a Wildcat 5er....Kids are not big enough to warrant this and we are very happy with our unit now. Plus its paid for!!

As others have said, most floor plans are available in nearly every mfg.

True about the Azdel composite- much less odor than traditional luan. Still some formaldehyde from the carpet and upholstery, but I could tell a difference. The Coachmen trailers that were leaking were all Freedom Express, 2014 models.