prime time crusader 325 RES

[dretired]

Originally Posted by DnD

I went and looked at a 325 tonight and am seriously considering it. I would like to get the new Touring edition but because we like the J-Lounge. I wonder what the Lane version looks like. The dealer has no idea PT had come back out with the Touring edition. Hopefully the dealer can get some pictures so we can decide.

@dretired - Have you decided to go for one?

I am waiting for the right deal to come my way.. I really like the looks of the "Champagne edition" as i had said before.. dealers were not offering enough on a trade -in ..and.. i have to wait until May to tap any retirement funds without penalty

[DnD]

We ended up ordering ours 10/29 and took delivery 12/29. We absolutely love it. heading out this Friday for our 2 trip with it. So far no major issues and all the minor issues were repaired by the dealer right away.

Do check out the Touring Edition..The furniture is fantastic, I really like the auto leveling and the other perks are good too. I had considered also adding the Champagne finish but in the end opted for the high gloss white that came with the Touring Edition. I was concerned about the AZ sun beating down on the brown and fading it.

PM me anytime if you want more info.
Good luck and let us know what happens

[RV Guy]

Our web site has been updated with new 325 photos that show the Lane Furniture.

Prime Time Manufacturing, Manufacturers of travel trailers and fifth wheels

PTM

[zs325RES]

Hello new friends.
My wife and I are anxiously awaiting delivery of our new Crusader 325RES Touring Edition this spring. We ordered it at the Grand Rapids RV show this month after some serious shopping. We found the Crusader to be a great value compared to all the other brands out there, plus the quality stood out for us. We can't wait!

Question: I have a 2006 Silverado 2500HD extended cab short box with the 6L gasser (4.10 gearing) and am hoping this truck will tow this rig as expected. The truck is rated for +12,000# for a fifth wheel and my hopes are high that it will perform well. We intially plan to camp only within 2 hours of home here in SW Michigan, so no mountains, etc.
Any advise and experiences would be much appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

p.s. If you are wondering, my avatar picture is of a 1/12 scale radio controlled truck pulling my scratch built 5th wheel trailer - only until I have a good picture of our 1:1. This RC setup is a huge hit in the campground when we bring it with us.
Might need a day to get the profile pic to register?

[WEMig]

Originally Posted by zs325RES

Hello new friends.
My wife and I are anxiously awaiting delivery of our new Crusader 325RES Touring Edition this spring. We ordered it at the Grand Rapids RV show this month after some serious shopping. We found the Crusader to be a great value compared to all the other brands out there, plus the quality stood out for us. We can't wait!

Question: I have a 2006 Silverado 2500HD extended cab short box with the 6L gasser (4.10 gearing) and am hoping this truck will tow this rig as expected. The truck is rated for +12,000# for a fifth wheel and my hopes are high that it will perform well. We intially plan to camp only within 2 hours of home here in SW Michigan, so no mountains, etc.
Any advise and experiences would be much appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

p.s. If you are wondering, my avatar picture is of a 1/12 scale radio controlled truck pulling my scratch built 5th wheel trailer - only until I have a good picture of our 1:1. This RC setup is a huge hit in the campground when we bring it with us.
Might need a day to get the profile pic to register?

I pull a Crusader 320RLT with a F250 6.2L gas. It handles it pretty well. The only concern is cargo weight with that size of camper. I'm currently about 60 lbs over my trucks cargo capacity. Not sure what the weight is on the 325RES, but our 320 weighs in at 11400 with a pin weight of 2300 lbs.

[zs325RES]

Thanks for the quick reply.
The 325RES weighs in ~10,300# dry with a hitch weight of ~1500#, so based on what you say, it should be OK. This is the thing that has me the most stressed out.

Any other comments are appreciated.

Test: my profile pic posted

[DnD]

Originally Posted by zs325RES

Hello new friends.
My wife and I are anxiously awaiting delivery of our new Crusader 325RES Touring Edition this spring. We ordered it at the Grand Rapids RV show this month after some serious shopping. We found the Crusader to be a great value compared to all the other brands out there, plus the quality stood out for us. We can't wait!

Question: I have a 2006 Silverado 2500HD extended cab short box with the 6L gasser (4.10 gearing) and am hoping this truck will tow this rig as expected. The truck is rated for +12,000# for a fifth wheel and my hopes are high that it will perform well. We intially plan to camp only within 2 hours of home here in SW Michigan, so no mountains, etc.
Any advise and experiences would be much appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

p.s. If you are wondering, my avatar picture is of a 1/12 scale radio controlled truck pulling my scratch built 5th wheel trailer - only until I have a good picture of our 1:1. This RC setup is a huge hit in the campground when we bring it with us.

Welcome to the forum!

As a new 325 owner myself I know how excited you are! We just got ours 12/29. We have had it out twice and have had no issues at all.

You haven't provided enough numbers on your 2500 to know if this 5er will exceed it's limits. We would need to know the GCWR, GVWR (both from the sticker on the door) and the actual weight of your TV with all the gear, fuel & passengers. Also knowing what your RAWR is would be very helpfull.

That RC rig you have is beyond cool. Great job building that!

[DnD]

Originally Posted by zs325RES

Thanks for the quick reply.
The 325RES weighs in ~10,300# dry with a hitch weight of ~1500#, so based on what you say, it should be OK. This is the thing that has me the most stressed out.

Any other comments are appreciated.

Are you going to be hauling that trailer empty? Probably not. Dry weight is a useless number when figuring out what you can safely tow. This is a mistake alot of folks make when looking at trailers (myself included) so you are not alone.

The 325 tops out at 12k and that's with only 1600 lbs of cargo capacity. Which sounds like a lot...it really isn't. It has a 60 gal fresh water tank. If you need to fill and haul water from home that's 480 lbs right there which leaves only 1,100 lbs of cargo. Odds are you will run at least 11.5k and more likely at 12k.

To know for sure we will need the additional numbers I mentioned in my previous post.

[dretired]

Originally Posted by zs325RES

Hello new friends.
My wife and I are anxiously awaiting delivery of our new Crusader 325RES Touring Edition this spring. We ordered it at the Grand Rapids RV show this month after some serious shopping. We found the Crusader to be a great value compared to all the other brands out there, plus the quality stood out for us. We can't wait!

Question: I have a 2006 Silverado 2500HD extended cab short box with the 6L gasser (4.10 gearing) and am hoping this truck will tow this rig as expected. The truck is rated for +12,000# for a fifth wheel and my hopes are high that it will perform well. We intially plan to camp only within 2 hours of home here in SW Michigan, so no mountains, etc.
Any advise and experiences would be much appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

p.s. If you are wondering, my avatar picture is of a 1/12 scale radio controlled truck pulling my scratch built 5th wheel trailer - only until I have a good picture of our 1:1. This RC setup is a huge hit in the campground when we bring it with us.
Might need a day to get the profile pic to register?

Awesome r/c rig ..can you make one for me ?...i think you should be ok pulling your 5ver ..if...you dont overload the truck and fifth wheel ...and stay away from mountains...

[DnD]

zs - Here is a link to a good site with explainations of terms and calculators for determining how well your truck is suited to the 325:

Understanding RV Weights

[grayfox]

Great link DnD, I recommend as well.

Here's another good one. First let me say, ZS, take your truck to a Cat scale and weigh it buy it self then weigh it fully loaded for camping... gear, dog , DW, kids etc. then weigh it combined with the 325 hooked to the truck Loaded and empty . If my guess is correct you'll be surprised. I think you you'll be able to manage your weight with these base lines.

http://catscale.com/cat-scale-locator

[zs325RES]

Great responses, much appreciated.
My wife and I have been camping for 30 years using 3 different Jayco fold down campers so we know what packing frugal is all about. The last one is a tandem axle 14' box (24' open) Jayco that we bought new in '93 - love this trailer!

Originally Posted by DnD

Are you going to be hauling that trailer empty? Probably not. Dry weight is a useless number when figuring out what you can safely tow. This is a mistake alot of folks make when looking at trailers (myself included) so you are not alone.

The 325 tops out at 12k and that's with only 1600 lbs of cargo capacity. Which sounds like a lot...it really isn't. It has a 60 gal fresh water tank. If you need to fill and haul water from home that's 480 lbs right there which leaves only 1,100 lbs of cargo. Odds are you will run at least 11.5k and more likely at 12k.

To know for sure we will need the additional numbers I mentioned in my previous post.

I understand the dry weight concept and fully know that our gear would add to that.
I still plan to remain diligent about weight concerns with this BIG STEP UP to a 5r. We have no need to haul heavy water around. Given this, I would expoect us to be just north of 11k# total weight for the 325.


The door sticker on the 2500HD states:
GVWR 9200#
GAWR front 4800#
GAWR rear 6084#

I can't comment on the GCWR.

Thanks again for all the great feedback.

[grayfox]

MY 320 RLT weighed more than the sticker by 300lbs. The suggestion about weighing your rig combined an dry gives you a baseline so you can manage you weight Not just for capacity, but for balancing the load between the TV and coach for better handling.
JUST MY OPINION. NO OFFENSE.

[DnD]

Originally Posted by zs325RES

Great responses, much appreciated.
My wife and I have been camping for 30 years using 3 different Jayco fold down campers so we know what packing frugal is all about. The last one is a tandem axle 14' box (24' open) Jayco that we bought new in '93 - love this trailer!

I understand the dry weight concept and fully know that our gear would add to that.
I still plan to remain diligent about weight concerns with this BIG STEP UP to a 5r. We have no need to haul heavy water around. Given this, I would expoect us to be just north of 11k# total weight for the 325.


The door sticker on the 2500HD states:
GVWR 9200#
GAWR front 4800#
GAWR rear 6084#

I can't comment on the GCWR.

Thanks again for all the great feedback.

In re-reading my note I realized that the humor didn't come through and it seems a little snotty. The trouble with responding to threads at work. I appologize.

In order to determine what you can tow you will need to know the Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR) for the TV. It should be on the door sticker.

You then need to get the truck weighed with all your family, gear and a full tank of fuel. Add approx 100lbs for the hitch if not already installed. Subtract that number from the GCWR and you will know exactly what your weight limit is for the trailer...or what gear you may need to leave behind.

You will also need to pay attention to the GVWR and RAWR. The problem alot of the time with towables is that while there may be room for the total combined weight you still end up overloading the rear axle or the vehicle's max weight when a trailer gets hitched.

Your pin weight should come in at approx 20% of the trailer's total weight (if loaded properly). So in this case 11k * 20% = 2,200 lbs.. Take that and again add all your family, gear and fuel...you are probably going to be very close and possibly over both GVWR and RAWR.

Again I am sorry about my previous note I didn't mean for it to be snarky

[dretired]

Originally Posted by Pirogue

We have owned a 325RES since February 2012... We love it!
I too have read some horror stories on this forum concerning Primetime and a few specific to the 325. I am truly sorry for those people who have had trouble but we have had pretty much no issues past a few minor growing pains. We had never owened a camper so we had to learn some things on the fly. The worst problem for us so far is the refrigerator struggles during the dog days of southern Louisiana summer. I plan to bring into the dealer to let them work on it but we have been to busy using it. As far as other complaints, I wish the bathroom door opened in the oppisite direction. If the bedroom is closed you have to back down the stairs a bit to get the bath door opened to go inside. The sofabed is pretty much useless. It is short and doesnt lay level. We bought a queen size blowup and it fits perfect on the living area floor. The TV should raise up a little higher. You have to hold the remote over your head to get the TV to respond. The receptor is at the bottom of the screen and the cabinet blocks the beam. I consider all these issues very minor. I have studied lots of units and truly believe there is no perfect camper.
The good news is so far we havent had any show stopping problems. No leaks, no electrical problems, everything works when it is supposed to. Nothing has come loose or fallen off yet. I guess we will have to wait and see how durable she is.
So if your not looking to sleep more than you and your partner and maybe a few grandkids at one time, I believe you would be happy with this model.
I would be happy to answer any questions you or anyone might have about it.

Pirogue

any other issues so far ??

[dretired]

Originally Posted by JayandJill

We purchased our 325 RES in April of this year. We've been living in it with 2 dogs and a 2yr old. We LOVE it!! Few minor problems. The DVD player doesn't like to open, I have to open the door and hold the tray down. One of the lights above the sink had the screws loosen up and they had to be re-tightened. I'm very disappointed in the E-stone counter tops. They scratch VERY easily. I was told that the new models don't have the same material. The landing gear switch did go bad and we had to have that replaced. We also have the 4 door fridge. It also has issues holding temps during warmer days. The air conditioning doesn't seem to keep up on really hot days too. We're thinking about adding a second air conditioner and maybe slide covers to help. I'm very interested on how to handle the fridge problems. Keep us posted!! We've spent the summer in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, I can't imagine how warm the fridge would get if we were in the south somewhere!!!

any updates with issues ??

[Pirogue]

Originally Posted by dretired

any other issues so far ??

We are one year old this month and trouble free!

I finally brought it in for the few minor warranty issues we had and the dealer fixed them. We actually may not know if the refrigerator issue is completely resolved until the temp gets real high as it does here in southern Louisiana. As mentioned in my original post the fridge works fine until the ambient temps get real high. However they said they found a problem and it should be fine now. We shall see come June.
So far we are just "pickled tink" with our camper and look forward to years of enjoyment.

On a side note; I just purchased a TST tire monitor system and am glad to have the extra peace of mind while towing. I also was hoping to buy a Franks voltage booster but Mr. Frank strongly suggest I go with the 50/100 amp unit vs the 50/70. But at 1K bucks I have to wait a bit longer to get it than I had hoped. I realize the risk but I am diligent in checking the power pedestal before plugging in and hopefully I wont end up regretting waiting.

I hope you are not having any issues and are enjoying your camper.

We are headed to Natchez State Park tomorrow to "rough it" for the long weekend. I will be the guy with the big o smile on his face and a cup of Community Dark Roast in his hand.

Happy Easter.

[dretired]

Originally Posted by Pirogue

We are one year old this month and trouble free!

I finally brought it in for the few minor warranty issues we had and the dealer fixed them. We actually may not know if the refrigerator issue is completely resolved until the temp gets real high as it does here in southern Louisiana. As mentioned in my original post the fridge works fine until the ambient temps get real high. However they said they found a problem and it should be fine now. We shall see come June.
So far we are just "pickled tink" with our camper and look forward to years of enjoyment.

On a side note; I just purchased a TST tire monitor system and am glad to have the extra peace of mind while towing. I also was hoping to buy a Franks voltage booster but Mr. Frank strongly suggest I go with the 50/100 amp unit vs the 50/70. But at 1K bucks I have to wait a bit longer to get it than I had hoped. I realize the risk but I am diligent in checking the power pedestal before plugging in and hopefully I wont end up regretting waiting.

I hope you are not having any issues and are enjoying your camper.

We are headed to Natchez State Park tomorrow to "rough it" for the long weekend. I will be the guy with the big o smile on his face and a cup of Community Dark Roast in his hand.

Happy Easter.

Thanks Happy Easter to you too... We have not bought a crusader 325 yet maybe in 3 weeks...i have one on hold

[Tkumbera]

I just joined the forum today because I was considering purchasing the Crusader 325RES. After reading the entire thread my mind has been made up to go ahead with the purchase. Thanks to all of you for the valuable info. My wife and I have been shopping for a new camper for some time now and the decision of what to purchase was not easy. Thanks again.

[jbenton757]

My wife and I are on our 2nd outing with our 2014 325RES Touring/Champagne Edition, we are having some problems with our single door refrigerator it's either to warm or too cold and we can't seem to regulate it for the right temps for both the freezer and the refrigerator. Other then that we love this 5ver!