Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 01-25-2012, 09:26 AM   #1
Senior Member
 
Capsfloyd's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Lancaster TX
Posts: 250
Smile Buying a model/manufactor

When you decided on a model ( bumper pull Tt)
You found the floor plan
How did you make your decision on the make?
Our criteria is bumper pull , outside kitchen , no bunks, sofa , large dinette , sleeps 5-6 , Fiberglas or alium ? Right around 6,000 dry weight .can pull total 8,000
Did you go just with price?
Thanks
Capsfloyd is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-25-2012, 10:15 AM   #2
Senior Member
 
Malco's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Central Nova Scotia
Posts: 519
Weight of trailer and overall value.
__________________
2011 Salem 30kqbss
2013 Ram 2500
2005 Ram 2500
1968 Pontiac Le Mans
Malco is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-25-2012, 10:25 AM   #3
Site Team
 
bikendan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Goodyear, Arizona
Posts: 33,607
best quality, fit/finish for the price.
__________________
Dan-Retired California Firefighter/EMT
Shawn-Musician/Entrepreneur/Wine Expert
and Zoe the Wonder Dog(R.I.P.)
2016 PrimeTime TracerAIR 255, pushing a 2014 Ford F150 SCREW XTR 4x4 3.5 Ecoboost w/Max Tow Package
4pt Equal-i-zer WDH and 1828lbs of payload capacity
bikendan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-25-2012, 11:09 AM   #4
Moderator Emeritus
 
Triguy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Southeast Wisconsin
Posts: 6,949
Quote:
Originally Posted by Capsfloyd View Post
When you decided on a model ( bumper pull Tt)
You found the floor plan
How did you make your decision on the make?
Our criteria is bumper pull , outside kitchen , no bunks, sofa , large dinette , sleeps 5-6 , Fiberglas or alium ? Right around 6,000 dry weight .can pull total 8,000
Did you go just with price?
Thanks
Our floor plan limited us to three or four manufacturers of which two Shamrock/Roo and Surveyor are Forest River.

My DW liked the interior of the Shamrock.

Price was a consideration but only if we had found the Shamrock to have been more expensive than the others.
__________________
Scott
DW, 3 Kids and our Goldens

2012 Shamrock 233S
2008 Toyota Sequoia 5.7L 4WD
Triguy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-25-2012, 01:21 PM   #5
Senior Member
 
camper_Lucy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Camping some place I hope
Posts: 584
Once we picked a floor plan then we spent a lot of time on the web determining who had that plan, looking at reviews, and finally going to see the ones we thought where the best, so we could see the fit and finish first hand. Pricing was just a matter of research once we picked the final two, and began talking to dealers use two so you have a little leverage and reference points, the second camper was a fall back if we could not get a reasonable deal done on the first choice.

One note, you listed dry weight as a selection point, IMO I would not use that as it could get you into trouble as the actual weight will be higher and the loaded for camping weight even higher than that, use the campers GVWR that is the top weight you should have so if that works with your tow vehicle you should be good to go.
__________________
2019 Chevy 3500 4x4 Crew Duramax
2021 Wolf Pack Toy Hauler
2019 Street Glide
2023 Road Glide ST
camper_Lucy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-25-2012, 02:23 PM   #6
Senior Member
 
trudinator's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 1,337
Quote:
Originally Posted by Capsfloyd View Post
When you decided on a model ( bumper pull Tt)
You found the floor plan
How did you make your decision on the make?
Our criteria is bumper pull , outside kitchen , no bunks, sofa , large dinette , sleeps 5-6 , Fiberglas or alium ? Right around 6,000 dry weight .can pull total 8,000
Did you go just with price?
Thanks
How are you going to sleep 5-6 without bunks?
__________________
2012 Rockwood 8293RKSS
2006 Dodge Ram 2500 5.9L Cummins Turbodiesel 4x4; 2012 Ford Escape 4x4. 3 very pampered cats.
Days camped: 2011: 61; 2012: 66 Days; 2013: 69;2014: 68 2015: 90 Days camped 2016: 34
trudinator is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-25-2012, 08:08 PM   #7
Senior Member
 
Capsfloyd's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Lancaster TX
Posts: 250
model

Quote:
Originally Posted by trudinator View Post
How are you going to sleep 5-6 without bunks?
queen bed [2] sofa bed [2] dineete u shaped [1 or 2] ????
Capsfloyd is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-25-2012, 08:37 PM   #8
Site Team
 
bikendan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Goodyear, Arizona
Posts: 33,607
Quote:
Originally Posted by Capsfloyd View Post
queen bed [2] sofa bed [2] dineete u shaped [1 or 2] ????
that's a lot of making up and unmaking. you'll have to unmake the sofa and dinette each morning. if you have kids, having a bunkhouse model makes more sense.
some sofas are jackknife sofas and only fit two kids. not sure if what you're looking at has the pull-out full sofa bed.
__________________
Dan-Retired California Firefighter/EMT
Shawn-Musician/Entrepreneur/Wine Expert
and Zoe the Wonder Dog(R.I.P.)
2016 PrimeTime TracerAIR 255, pushing a 2014 Ford F150 SCREW XTR 4x4 3.5 Ecoboost w/Max Tow Package
4pt Equal-i-zer WDH and 1828lbs of payload capacity
bikendan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-25-2012, 08:39 PM   #9
Member
 
Endersbrab's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Ohio
Posts: 52
Go to as many camper shows as possible and go in every model. We did this for a couple years so we had a good handle on floor plans and offerings. We took the kids and had them jump around, climb in beds, open cupboards etc. I even asked a strangers kid that was a big boy to jump in a bunk and tell me how much room he had For us, exposure and hands on viewing was a great way to go.

Good luck.
__________________
2012 Flagstaff 23lb Microlite
TV = 2003 Chevy Trailblazer EXT with 5.3 V8
Camper delivered 03-29-2011
Nights camped in 2011 = 17
Nights camped in 2012 = 4, 10 more planned
Endersbrab is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-25-2012, 10:13 PM   #10
Senior Member
 
Capsfloyd's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Lancaster TX
Posts: 250
We are in a bayside pop up right now .. It is me and the DW and a 18 month grandson when he gets to go , his mom and dad may come some time?
Also looking at the Rockwood signature ultra lite 8317RKSS
Puma 28KRB
Capsfloyd is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-25-2012, 10:54 PM   #11
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 273
Quote:
Originally Posted by Capsfloyd View Post
When you decided on a model ( bumper pull Tt)
You found the floor plan
How did you make your decision on the make?
Our criteria is bumper pull , outside kitchen , no bunks, sofa , large dinette , sleeps 5-6 , Fiberglas or alium ? Right around 6,000 dry weight .can pull total 8,000
Did you go just with price?
Thanks
It looks like you have2 questions:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Capsfloyd View Post
How did you make your decision on the make?
Did you go just with price?
Thanks
If I understand you correctly, let's use Flagstaff and Rockwood as an example. Both are made by Forest River, have identical floor plans, and are made in the same factory. Both are usually not sold by the same dealer at a single location, but depends on locality and proximity to retailers with the same product (marketing strategy and legalities as it relates to dealer/manfacturer contract agreements). What do you do? Buy from the dealer who has the best price considering everything else is equal.
__________________
2012 Rockwood 8314BSS
2011 Chevy
Camping, Dutch Oven Cooking, and Homebrewing
campdohbrew is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-25-2012, 10:59 PM   #12
Site Team
 
Terier's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 10,446
For me it was mostly *small* - budget, size, and towing weight. I didn't shop brands, models, or a particular floor plan. Found something I liked, started picturing myself in it, and couldn't pass up the great sale price.

With my limited budget I never thought it would be possible to own a trailer and make this dream come true.

Click image for larger version

Name:	sold sign.jpg
Views:	294
Size:	45.4 KB
ID:	10064

LOL- It wasn't until the RV show last October I found out my floor plan was in a zillion different models and brands.
__________________
Great choice for "Living within my means" and camping for one...

Formerly owned 2011 Salem Cruise Lite 20RBXL & 2011 Toyota Tundra Dbl Cab
Terier is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-25-2012, 11:54 PM   #13
Senior Member
 
GASPEDDLER's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 755
The bunk room was a must with our 3 kids. We had an older 5th with a dining room table and chairs. We hated waking up to find kids asleep all over the floor and couch. Now we shut the door on the bunkhouse and enjoy our breakfast without stepping over kids. The outside kitchen was a consideration but not a deal breaker. It ended up being a favorite feature for us all. I also wanted a bumper pull to free up the bed of my truck.
__________________

2012 F-350 4x4 King Ranch Super Duty CC 6.7 Turbo Diesel 3.55 e-locker
2011 Palomino Puma 30KFBDS with Side Paw Kitchen and Bunkhouse
Equalizer E2 Hitch
GASPEDDLER is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-26-2012, 08:07 AM   #14
Now a "Top Member"
 
EdJunior's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Roman Forest, TX
Posts: 4,323
Bottom line...if Mama is happy, everyone is happy. Make Mama happy!
__________________
Ed and Sharon
2010 Wildcat 28RKBS
2019 Ford F-250 XLT - AWESOME Truck!
Retired AF MSgt

I thought I was wrong once, but I was wrong!
EdJunior is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-26-2012, 08:20 AM   #15
Senior Member
 
Jestercyco's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Arlington, Texas
Posts: 469
Amen to that!
Jester
__________________

2012 Super Crew 4WD 6.7 PSD
2015 Cardinal 3800 FL
2007 Road King Black Cherry-Hers
2007 Road King Blue-Mine
1979 FXS Hot Rod Shovelhead
Jestercyco is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-26-2012, 08:53 AM   #16
Moderator Emeritus
 
Triguy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Southeast Wisconsin
Posts: 6,949
Quote:
Originally Posted by Capsfloyd View Post
queen bed [2] sofa bed [2] dineete u shaped [1 or 2] ????
Quote:
Originally Posted by Capsfloyd View Post
We are in a bayside pop up right now .. It is me and the DW and a 18 month grandson when he gets to go , his mom and dad may come some time?
Also looking at the Rockwood signature ultra lite 8317RKSS
Puma 28KRB
I don't think it will be a problem setting up the dinette and sofa if you do that only occasionally.

Normally, its true that you will want to avoid sleeping on the dinette because of the constant making and unmaking every day. But, you are wise to think about how you will camp MOST often.

In general, I would say that your floor plan needs to fit yours and DW's lifestyle first and foremost and then consider how you will work it out when guests come in. It sounds to me that you regularly intend to camp just the two of you, sometimes bringing your grandson, and sometimes bringing his mom and dad. If you plan to have your grandson or his parents there often, then buy a floorplan that can have beds for everyone; making everybody happy.

Contrary to popular believe, people do sometimes regret buying too big a trailer. My folks once bought a trailer that they regretted and sold after a year because it was designed to sleep 5 comfortably and they rarely if ever had three extra guests with them. Your mileage may vary.

So, the number of beds really depends on how often you intend to camp with guests.
__________________
Scott
DW, 3 Kids and our Goldens

2012 Shamrock 233S
2008 Toyota Sequoia 5.7L 4WD
Triguy is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Forest River, Inc. or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 03:28 AM.