Newbie - looking for reviews

[sls612]

Hi everyone!
First off, I am brand new to both this forum and the RV world. My husband and I have decided to buy our first trailer. We both grew up camping and want to enjoy camping with the rest of our family, but in our own little oasis. The problem is, how do we decide on a trailer?! There are just so many, and I have been doing so much research online the letters on my keyboard are wearing off.

Anyway, we have narrowed the field to three different trailers, and I'm here hoping that somebody can give me a model/brand review. Being a FR forum I know I may be leaping into enemy territory by mentioning other brands, but everyone seems so helpful that I wanted to start here at least.

These are the three models:
Crossroads Zinger 19RD
Gulf Stream Streamlite Sport 22TRB
Salem Cruise Lite 22RB

We are looking for lightweight, but full featured, and these three seem to be the best we have seen in our area. Does anybody have any thoughts?

Thank you all in advance!

[revrnd]

I can't help you on a trailer selection, but try to speak to fellow RVers in your area. Try to find out if they bought local (or not) & the reasons why. The dealer you buy from can make a world of difference in your RVing experience.

[Willie]

Not sure I can be of help either but I'd say this. We bought our second TT (travel trailer) 3 months ago. This time we knew what we were looking for, not too heavy but with some finish qualities, Bunkbeds, slide(s) certain ammenities, functionalities and so forth. We ended up with a FR Wildwood. Good quality, haven't had a problem (knock on wood) rides well with our TV (Towing Vehicle) and best of all...based on all the posts I've seen from my FR colleagues....Forest River stands behind their product.

my $.02

[cardinal4fun]

Like the other posts I can not offer help on which TT. I can offer advise on what I call liveability. You have narrowed down to three now its time to just sit in each unit. Look for things that make you work to enjoy, items like how hard is it to make the bed, do you have enough storage, is on bathroom better than the other. Where are the tv's located, are the easy to see from more than one location. Good luck and enjoy which ever TT you decide on

[Herk7769]

After talking with many RVing friends; renting a Trail Lite TT for a year; and our own particular needs we came up with this yardstick for use in our final selection.

1) MUST, MUST, MUST pass the "how much trailer is safe to tow with my tow vehicle test"

http://changingears.com/rv-sec-calc-trailer-weight-tt.shtml

for travel trailers

http://changingears.com/rv-sec-calc-trailer-weight-fw.shtml

for 5th wheels

2) Mid Kitchen: Too many friends with rear kitchen units have arrived at the campground with broken dishes and pots and pans strewn through out the camper. "Tail gets wagged a lot."

3) Mid bathroom: Guests in the living room; bathroom; masterbedroom layout. Bathroom accessible to guests without climbing over our bed and vice versa. TWO doors a bonus (our Flagstaff, and the similar Rockwood, layout has a hall door and a pocket door to the master bedroom).

4) MUST be able to access bathroom and kitchen without opening slides. You never know when the "urge" will hit between rest stops. The side of the highway may be your only option for that greasy burrito. Also full truck parking may also prevent you from opening slides to access the fridge to make a sandwich. Access to the dinette to eat comfortable is a bonus. Again our Flagstaff, and the similar Rockwood, layout has about 16 inches between the slides when closed. Enough to squeeze through if it is pouring outside.

After that, it is how much you plan to spend for better quality cabinets and carpets.

[revrnd]

Originally Posted by herk7769

4) MUST be able to access bathroom and kitchen without opening slides. You never know when the "urge" will hit between rest stops.

X2

When I was discussing eventually moving up to a TT from a popup, the chap I used to camp next @ the races & had gradually moved up the ladder to a 5er told me the same thing.

I didn't get a TT w/ slides, but always remember that advice.

[VTX Al]

Make sure that YOU, not your husband, are happy with the kitchen layout - very important !! Is there enough storage for all your pots, pans, gadgets, etc? Is there a pantry ? Can you get to the sink(s) without having to scrunch over under the overhead cabinets ? Is there a light over the sink ? Is there enough countertop for your toaster, coffee machine, coffee grinder, etc without having to use the table top and still leave "work-space"?
...VTX-AL
(P.S. - I am the male in our camping family, but I had to learn all of this the hard way LOL !!

[LadyWindrider]

Hello and welcome. Can't help with the trailers, sorry, but why a light trailer? Because of your tow vehicle? Light trailers seem to have a few more problems, due to their lightweight construction. Also are you going camping, or traveling? If you are traveling, then you may want television and surround sound, etc. If you are camping, as we do, these things aren't important. Out of the last 30 night in ours, we have spent 2 nights when we had television reception from an antenna. Read the post, slides give a a lot of problems, or so it seems. Slides also require larger campsites larger than some places have.

You will have to decide what you will be happy with. For us the question was, are we going to live in it, or sleep in it? We decided it was a place to sleep and get a shower for us, so ours is pretty simple. Also for us, we wanted to haul two motorcycles, so it had to be a toy hauler. It sleeps two only, so if you want to camp with us, bring a tent and get your own site. Camping is our time together not to be interrupted with friends and overnight guest.

It basically boils down to what are your plans? Invite friends, get a lot of sleeping space. Cook large meals, get a nice kitchen with counter space and a large refer. Enjoy your time together? the smaller and simpler the better.

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by VTX Al

Make sure that YOU, not your husband, are happy with the kitchen layout - very important !! Is there enough storage for all your pots, pans, gadgets, etc? Is there a pantry ? Can you get to the sink(s) without having to scrunch over under the overhead cabinets ? Is there a light over the sink ? Is there enough countertop for your toaster, coffee machine, coffee grinder, etc without having to use the table top and still leave "work-space"?
...VTX-AL
(P.S. - I am the male in our camping family, but I had to learn all of this the hard way LOL !!

I agree buying the rig is a group decision. Having a "Happy Camper" with you is number one on the "how to have a good time while camping" list.

I guarantee she will not be that Happy Camper the first time her favorite pasta bowl is in pieces her first time out.

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by windrider

It basically boils down to what are your plans? Invite friends, get a lot of sleeping space. Cook large meals, get a nice kitchen with counter space and a large refer. Enjoy your time together? the smaller and simpler the better.

[skeeterbait8]

The only thing I can tell you do to is find on a lot somewhere close by and go sit in each of them. Sit, look, open every door, try out bed.... AND BATHROOM. See that there is enough room for you to function IF there is bad weather and you are forced to be inside for 24+ hours straight! It's not always going to be perfect weather and space means a lot. Take lots of photos of everything that you look at. When you get home go over those photos... take your time. Look at all the details. That is how we came up with the reason we went with the 23ss instead of the 21ss. I saw something in the photos that being inside I hadn't noticed. While I was in it I was smitten with everything and wasn't looking at things as good as I should have.

[sls612]

Thank you everyone! I appreciate your tips, and all very valid points. We have more trailer hunting to do, I think, since now I will definitely pay more attention to how they "feel" when we are both in the trailer at the same time!

We do need to go lightweight, because of our tow vehicle. GVW 4500 lbs so we're looking in the 3500 dry weight range. I know the lightweights aren't as sturdy, but we're quite limited. We don't want a pop up or a hybrid so that narrows the field considerably, but we don't have a lot of extra stuff to bring, just us and our bicycles, so the weight shouldn't be a big issue. We'd be mostly doing weekends at campgrounds; ideally, campgrounds with hookups! We do want to bring a tv for those rainy days or evenings when we just want to relax with a dvd. Even camping we just can't seem to fully separate from technology. But most of our time will be outside in the woods or around a campfire.

So now my husband and I will go sit on trailer toilets, lay in "queen" beds, pretend to cook on a tiny 3 burner stove, and play imaginary euchre at the dinette, and really see what we're getting ourselves into! I really appreciate everybody's advice!!

[Willis]

You didn't really say whether the TTs you are considering are new or used. If money is not the most important issue then of course new is great. But since you are new to RVing and this would be your first TT then you might consider a used TT. Yes, you will then have to worry more about the condition, leaks, tires, etc., but sometimes used also have the bugs worked out. As you can tell from reading these forums, sometimes even new RVs have ridiculous problems. Some dealers will offer service plans on used TTs they sell so that is another consideration.

The BIG advantage of buying used of course is the cost savings. Right now used TTs are crazy cheap. If you're like most of us, this will only be the beginning of a great adventure and you might like it so much you'll want to trade up in a year or two. With a used TT you can get in cheaper to start and see if this is really going to be your "thing." I'm 57 years young, but on TT #4 after years of tent camping. My last TT I bought off the used lot and it still had the stickers on the bathroom mirrors and styrofoam in the micro. Someone had bought it and then I guess their loan fell through or something. So it was sold as used and it was $7000 less than the same model selling new that we had looked at. It lasted us 10 years with literally not a single significant problem. You never know if you don't look.

So unless this is your retirement swan song I'll bet you'll be wanting something roomier after a season or two so just give that a thought.

[LadyWindrider]

WAIT A MINUTE!!! I saw bicycles. How are you going to carry them? Plenty of post on here about NOT being able to mount a bike carrier on a lightweight trailer. If you want the bicycles, make sure you can carry them on something besides a bumper hitch, which don't work on light weights, or a frame hitch, which many post have said will void the warranty if installed. Didn't metion what your tow vehicle was, but must be pretty small.

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by sls612

We do need to go lightweight, because of our tow vehicle. GVW 4500 lbs so we're looking in the 3500 dry weight range.

since you didn't tell us what you're towing with, i.e. engine size and rear end ratio, it's hard to understand your tow limits.
GVW is the tow vehicle's or trailer's Gross Vehicle Weight. this doesn't state your tow vehicle's tow capacity.
and using a trailer's fictional "dry" weight is a common newbie mistake. no RV weighs its "dry" weight.
our 23' HTT weighed 400lbs. more, on the dealer's lot, than its dry weight.
the dry weight doesn't add the weight of many standard things, such as: oven, a/c, spare tire, awning, battery and so on.
try and use the trailer's GVWR for your numbers. this is the max the trailer can weigh. your tow vehicle should be able to tow the trailer at its GVWR, in nearly all cases.

[commander ryker]

Not big gulfstream fan, they tend to have more quailty issues, the Zinger is ok and the salem is an entry level brand but tend to build a nice unit. You might also look at passport or outback, they are lite and top brands, check out ebay for some great prices.
2010 PASSPORT 195 RB BUY WHOLESALE LOW PRICE SAVE $3000: eBay Motors (item 400138410709 end time Jul-30-10 17:15:00 PDT)