Trilogy by Dynamax div. of Forest River

RoninKansas · 08-05-2012, 09:37 PM

Anyone own one or know any others that have knowledge about these new 5th wheels? Looked at 2 units and they seem to be very well built. A little costly but nice features.

chaimemet · 08-15-2012, 06:06 PM

We just returned from Lazy Days. We traded in our Airstream for the 3850 Trilogy 2013. They are installing a gen and washer & dryer etc. We had to trade in our truck for a bigger and badder one.

RoninKansas · 08-15-2012, 07:08 PM

Thanks for the response. Let me know how you like the unit. they are impressive.

chaimemet · 08-15-2012, 07:15 PM

we will move into the unit next wednesday and stay their to test out the systems till the following monday. We were moved by the quality of the wood work, the cookers kitchen, residential frig, infrastructure strength, radial walls, radial fiberglass roof, tecma head, monotone fading full paint scheme. etc etc. Oh yeh a place to put a garbage can, washer and dryer and a kings size bed.

funkyJunk · 08-15-2012, 07:40 PM

And the basement on those things are HUGE!

chaimemet · 08-15-2012, 09:11 PM

When the rigs come into the dealer they weigh them on a state scale then attach a dealer scan ticket with the weight clearly visible, sometimes that number can be different than one quoted in a manufacturers brochure. After installing a genset a washer and dryer and any other accessories the rig is weighed again and then they deal with the tow vehicle ascertaining its ability. There is a truck parts assembly shop nearby that can beef up your truck if necessary. Maybe a leaf spring maybe air cushions we will see. Liability insurance issues of course. The Trilogy we purchased weighed in at 14675 w/o accessories, liquids, and personal items. Maximum GVW is 18500, a heavy dude! Last time I was there I saw a fellow who had just purchased a nice Raptor toy hauler and he had an old body GMC 2500 HD with extra springs and they would not let him haul the trailer, they delivered it to his home in Alabama.
The Trilogy has a tremendous amount of storage space and you have to watch yourself so if you are coming from a unit with limited space.... dont need to take your total existence with ya!

dezolen · 08-15-2012, 09:48 PM

Saw these at spring RV show. Certainly up there with Mobile Suites at a bargain price in comparison. Workmanship and the fact they come fully loaded made me want one if it weren't for new TV requirement. Hope they build one in 36' range.
Love the full end to end height.

RoninKansas · 09-01-2012, 03:47 PM

We are considering one but no real owner experience out there.

chaimemet · 09-01-2012, 08:45 PM

We moved from the AS to the TR last thursday through friday at LZ. It was amazing how much stuff we had in the AS squirreled away. The TR has ample closet and drawer space for what we had; and now its properly organized and stored. We do most all our own cooking and the pantry in the TR turned out to be a good design factor for a cooker. I still have to learn how to use the convection as the unit has no oven, no great loss as the 22" amanas' that come with most RVs are terrible. The stove top is a real home size for larger pots. But the use of a residential s/s frig/freezer w/water and ice is an absolute winner. Runs on a dedicated inverter when travelling.

A room height of 8'8" with radial walls makes this rv stand out and the feeling of claustrophobia never happens when the door closes as it did with the AS. There is no question about it, it stands out, roof height is consistent across the unit and the unusual paint profile makes for an understated elegency. We had to stay put till the hurricane pasted Tampa as it was battering points south made an exit impossible. We had some options installed by the furniture shop, like a new clothes rod config, after the washer and dryer were installed and a pull-out tray in the under carriage compartment for my big Dometic portable frig/freezer. We had a few minor punch items of warranty concern all handled professionally at LZ. Our technician who worked on the unit was just great in his knowledge of systems as he only works with 5vers. We wanted to stay put for a few days to run everything.
As they said to me we are learning these units also as they are brand new. There is no common denominator in the RV/Marine industry as there is in the auto industry. We have our own yacht brokerage company and are used to the mechanical idiosyncrasies that come with yachts found when surveys are performed so we were willing to take a chance with a new product coming from a very reputable company who moved there tooling from very expensive motor couches to the fifth wheel rv market. The TR was cheaper than the Redwood its closest competitor and had the amenities that we wanted. We will change out the big recliners as they are a real hassle to move when you pull out the sofa bed and position for travelling. I think a couple of scandinavian type recliners with or w/o ottomans. We did buy a "Majic Coffee Table" which is really majic. It fits well in front of the sofa. We also bought a revolving bar stool w/o back that one can use for food prep at the kitchen island. Our unit is a 3850 which increases storage space with hamper and closet/drawers at the expense of a large walk-in shower. The trade off for us is OK since we have a 17 year old with downs who is always with us and we neede the extra privacy as a complete bathroom allows w/o walking by someone in the shower stall if you want access to the master. There are tradeoffs. We did install water cutoffs on the individual water pipes under the sinks, the AS had stainless. The AS had a larger shower stall and the water temp was regulated so you could not burn yourself as the bathroom sink and kitchen sink temp was higher. We had schematics for wiring and plumbing not so here. So we went from a studio apt to a 2 bedroom condo. It is a whole lot easier to open a sofa queen size air bed at night than the fancy leather switchblade twin in the AS. The bed can stay made in the TR and the air mattress is only an extra comfort factor not even necessary to enjoy a nights sleep. The TR has a Tecma head it has a suction function that automatically cleans out the bowl. It does consume more water than a push pedal type but it has a great reputation as far as reliability goes. We see a lot of them in the marine industry. The lights in the TR are halogen with heavy glass enclosure lenses. They do not seem all that hot maybe because the glass absorbs much of it. There are a lot of lights here! In the AS i started exchanging many of the internal and external lights for LEDs. I saw the new Tiffins are now LED. They are harsh though with a blue tint. You have to balance them out with halogen or incandescent. Thats all for now.

By the way the Trilogy weathered the storm just fine, no leaks and it rained constantly hard for 12 hours with wind gusts above 35mph. No shaking. The washer on spin did more shaking.

RoninKansas · 09-03-2012, 07:44 AM

Thanks for the great feedback on your Trilogy. Hope you continue to have success. We are a little Been er to purchasing but not sure on the long bed dooley. Been told we should have no problem with a standard be 3500 GMC. Have you had your unit weighed yet? I am looking a SRW as it will handle up to 4000 lbs. pin weight.
Again thanks.

chaimemet · 09-03-2012, 10:02 AM

Not yet as we just returned from the dealer. My wife had always asked me to weigh the Airstream and TV but it wasn't critical due to the ability of the GMC 2500 diesel. With this rig setup we will do it as soon as we go out on our next trip. Need to be more weight conscious especially since we plan a trip to Alaska.

RoninKansas · 09-03-2012, 10:37 AM

Post corrections!!!

Thanks for the great feedback on your Trilogy. Hope you continue to have success. We are a little closer to purchasing but not sure on the long bed dooley. Been told we should have no problem with a standard 3500 GMC. Have you had your unit weighed yet? I am looking a SRW as it will handle up to 4000 lbs. pin weight.
Again thanks.

chaimemet · 09-08-2012, 08:12 PM

We never weighed the AS as the TV was a beast. But we did have 4 blowouts in 5 years. This time we will weigh when we head out on our first trip. Max is 18k. Since it can hold a tremendous amount we will have to be more aware of what we put inside. As now there is a washer & dryer we will not have to pack so much clothes.

Crusader · 09-08-2012, 08:27 PM

Good luck with the air bed.......I have gone thru two air mattress in the last year and a half. I would rather have the switchblade, but thats just me. I'll give up comfort for dependability.

chaimemet · 09-08-2012, 08:30 PM

The Air mattress is more of a topper than an air mattress. Our daughter sleeps on it with or w/o the topper being blown up as the mattress has an innerspring. The switchblade by Flexsteel requires the bed to be made every night whereas the sofa bed just pulls out with the linen already on. Folds back in itself just not with the duvet.

Crusader · 09-08-2012, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chaimemet

The Air mattress is more of a topper than an air mattress. Our daughter sleeps on it with or w/o the topper being blown up as the mattress has an innerspring. The switchblade by Flexsteel requires the bed to be made every night whereas the sofa bed just pulls out with the linen already on. Folds back in itself just not with the duvet.

Wow.........sounds nicer that mine. I have to inflate mine to sleep on it. Couch has straps across the bottom ( when opened ) to support the air mattress.

chaimemet · 09-08-2012, 09:15 PM

I had just returned from visiting my son in London and had slept nearly 2 weeks on a quality 2 layer air mattress. I weigh 300lbs. It was like sleeping on top of a beach ball! Every time you would move or turn over the beach ball would try to throw you off! I was surprised to see the type of mattress in the trilogy sofa bed. Our daughter is 17 and has downs syndrome. She travels with us always so it was important to have a comfortable solution. The more upper end MHs and 5vers really only accommodate a couple, the trilogy is expansive enough in this 3850 model to go on longer trips with 3 or 4. The Redwood offers a larger model with a spare room and DSuites. Of course you can get a Montana or Raptor with bunkhouses and sleep with your ATV with fold down porches but we were used to the quality in the Classic model Airstream and did not want to camp out ala Nascar weekend style. Oh yeh and those paint themes with the stripes as if you are a roaming Ringling Bros circus group. The Trilogy is subdued just a faded color of gray or brown progression.

RoninKansas · 09-16-2012, 07:16 AM

Just returned form the area of RV manufacturers. Visited the Cedar Creek plant and the Dynamax facility. We were impressed with both lines but the Trilogy is on top. It just has too many standard items to pass on. Cedar Creek coming out with some very good changes though.

Travelers · 10-05-2012, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RoninKansas

Anyone own one or know any others that have knowledge about these new 5th wheels? Looked at 2 units and they seem to be very well built. A little costly but nice features.

We looked one over at the Fall Detroit Camper Show. Looked good. Anybody have anything on real world useage?

Thanks.

Doogie · 10-06-2012, 08:56 AM

My wife and I have been looking for approx a year. We bit the bullet last week and purchased a D3800Trilogy and we pick it up next Tuesday ( our 30th anniversary - coincidence, now I don't have to search for gift) we traded our 2001 Alpenlite and wanted something with same quality. We are looking forward to picking it up and I am sure we will have questions for those of you who already own one.

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