What is considered a "low end", "middle of the road" or "high end" TT?

[Filterman]

As a general rule, and I say this with almost 40 years of RVing, is that anything with a "light weight" connotation is going to mean lesser quality materials and less of them. We have owned both and they each have a purpose. It's when you try to use a light weight RV for purposes it wasn't designed for ( back country travel, long gravel road trips etc) that you realize the old "you get what you pay for adage. IMHO tge best time spent us thinking through what you are going to use your RV for short and long term and purchase accordingly.

[kantonburg]

Originally Posted by Darmo15

I would never call someone's camper low end. If it makes them happy that's all that matters..

I hope I didn't offend anyone. I was just curious if there was a standard understanding of which models were considered better.

I'm sure my grey wolf would be considered low end. It was in our price point, was the layout we wanted, weight worked without have to buy a new TV, and most importantly my wife and I agreed on this one.

[railroaderone]

Originally Posted by kantonburg

and most importantly my wife and I agreed on this one.

And that's the most important thing

[Boso]

Their is no way to answer that without offending someone. What someone loves will be considered junk by others.

[Darmo15]

Weather you have a half million dollar coach or you sleep in the back of a pick up truck I think we all have one thing in common. We love being out doors by a lake, in the mountains, or at the beach. The people at the camp ground are the best people any where.

[sfsgm]

Originally Posted by kantonburg

I hope I didn't offend anyone. I was just curious if there was a standard understanding of which models were considered better.

I'm sure my grey wolf would be considered low end. It was in our price point, was the layout we wanted, weight worked without have to buy a new TV, and most importantly my wife and I agreed on this one.

Go to the manufacturer's website. Very often they will categorize their own trailers. I've never seen any web site that categorizes them "low end" up to "high end" but I have seen them use the terms "entry level" and "premium". My last two trailers have been Cardinals. Supposedly it is (or perhaps now was) the top end of the Forest River line up. But I am absolutely convinced that once you strip away the siding and the interior walls, you'll see the same poor quality workmanship that exists in nearly every other trailer out there. Screws that aren't screwed in or are stripped, brackets that are mis-aligned or missing screws, holes punched through cheap veneer instead of drilled, and on and on and on. The quality differences may be found in the grade of appliances, the mattresses, the plumbing fixtures, the quality of the cabinetry, whether the doors are radiused or not, the light fixtures, what type of roofing material is used, whether the flooring and roof underlayment are OSB or CDX.

I doubt if any of these replies were meant to be elitist. If those terms offend somebody, then it's their problem. Gee whiz, Because "words hurt" we've gone from crippled to handicapped to disabled to physically challenged. A rose by any other name, ya know?

[sfsgm]

Originally Posted by kantonburg

After reading the now closed "FR no more" thread I saw several mention a low end TT.

Keeping in mind every manufacturer and series has their issues, but is there a consensus of what is low end vs. high end? This question only applies to FR trailers.

And what makes each category fall within that category?

Thanks for any input.

Footnote to my last post: Forest River used to classify their trailer levels using a modified matrix like Keystone's current line up but without the class designations, but that no longer is the case. Perhaps the most current example would be to go to the Keystone website and look. Their fifth wheels, for instance are listed running from "Standard", to "Select" to "Premium" to "Luxury".

It's sort of like purchasing meat. You have "select", then "choice" then "prime".

[keith_h]

I'm not sure I would use the term low end as to me that means comparing it to other trailers in the class/price range. Instead I would consider our trailer an entry level trailer that is about average when compared to other similar trailers. It is small and came with just the basic 2 burner cooktop and microwave. The cabinets look ok but portions are wrapped in fake wood vinyl. In a nutshell it is functional and a good trailer for learning about what we want in a future trailer and how things work. Something I would expect of an entry level anything.

[Oakman]

Here’s a general classification of the Forest River trailers. Top of the line is the new Riverstone followed by Cardinal and Cedar Creek. At the other end of the line are Wildwood, Salem, and Cherokee. Neither the Wildwood nor Salem has enclosed underbellies so I consider those to be basically summer campers. Everything else is mid-line with emphasis on looking like they are upscale trailers.

That’s my opinion so feel free to disagree. Keep in mind that I am only considering Forest River trailers and not those of Forest River’s subsidiaries (Coachmen, Palomino, Prime Time, or Shasta).

[ddbck]

Very subjective question. People have different things they have as priority when deciding what to get.

[Tony Zornik]

Originally Posted by Oakman

Here’s a general classification of the Forest River trailers. Top of the line is the new Riverstone followed by Cardinal and Cedar Creek. At the other end of the line are Wildwood, Salem, and Cherokee. Neither the Wildwood nor Salem has enclosed underbellies so I consider those to be basically summer campers. Everything else is mid-line with emphasis on looking like they are upscale trailers.

That’s my opinion so feel free to disagree. Keep in mind that I am only considering Forest River trailers and not those of Forest River’s subsidiaries (Coachmen, Palomino, Prime Time, or Shasta).

We recently bought a 2006 Wildwood, stored in a barn and never pulled anywhere. Virtually new. Anyway, there is a membrane on the underside of the trailer. What do you consider to be enclosed?

[cobatoma]

I bought a "High End" trailer, Cedar Creek 38CK. It has a king bed, washer, dryer, dishwasher, built in vacuum system, auto levelling, 2 large TV's ad nauseum - but my old, 24' Scamper had more quality. Aside from many mechanical and electrical issues, the doors are warping, the floor coverings wearing, wallpaper separating, drawers binding. The kinds of things you'd expect in an entry level or low end unit. Not a happy camper. Will be looking at a Redwood soon. Neighbour has one and it's impressive.

[Briorick]

Originally Posted by Tony Zornik

We recently bought a 2006 Wildwood, stored in a barn and never pulled anywhere. Virtually new. Anyway, there is a membrane on the underside of the trailer. What do you consider to be enclosed?

From what your stating, and, if your entire undercarriage is enclosed within the membrane, meaning everything is covered and not exposed to the elements, then you too have an enclosed underbelly. Might have been a standard option at the time, when it was purchased new. And then again, maybe it was an option that was an added extra.

There are pros and cons of having an underbelly. My TT does not have one and I am happier that it doesn't.

[Tony Zornik]

The trailer has the "Northwest Package" which probably explains the underbelly insulation and soft membrane. Also, heated tanks. The consignment RV dealer also said the fiberglas insulation is high density. The only roof vents are the one where the AC is now installed and one in the bathroom. I appreciate that because, although there is some low/high ventilation efficiency with the roof vents, they are also R-1 holes in the lid.

[CaptnJohn]

No such thing as low end or entry level in my mind. We all buy the best that fits our needs and/or pocketbook. We looked at higher priced models and lower priced models We bought the one floorplan we both liked and had the features and options we required (love the auto-level on our 5er). We have a 2016 model and still look (will be in FL for the Tampa show) but we have had few problems are I'm apprehensive of going new again and finding big headaches.

[Steve29rlx]

I have a 2016 Wildcat 29rlx. I consider it a low end camper. I also consider it a pretty nice camper for the price. To me, what makes the difference in low level and high level is materials used in manufacturing. Real finished wood trim vice paper cover wood fiber or plastic. Counter top material. A 34 ft high end camper might weigh more than a low level 40 ft camper. All the things that make a camper nicer comes with a trade off in weight, more accessories to break.
The perfect camper for me would be about 34 - 36 foot, front living, mid kitchen, bathroom that goes all the way across the camper, rear north south bedroom and no slides.

[The_Rhino]

Just like with cars, laptops, appliances, etc. there's nothing wrong with calling an entry level TT "entry level"... IMO the true entry level TTs are the ones the dealers advertise in the local paper for $9,995 - $14,995 to attract folks new to camping. They have stick & tin construction, NO slide-outs, and no amenity upgrades - pressboard vs. hardwood cabinet doors, showers w/no backwall, manual vs. power tongue jack, etc... IMO you're better-off buying a gently USED TT...

For popular floor plans FR, Thor, etc. have multiple lines/models to fit various budgets. For instance, we have the popular 2 slide-bunkhouse w/separate bathroom entry. FR offers the lower-priced stick & tin Cherokee 294BH & Avenger 32BBS, the mid-priced alum. & fiberglass PT Tracer 305AIR, PT Tracer 3150, and the higher priced PT Lacrosse 318BHS, Hemisphere 312QBUD, etc.

We chose the Prime Time Tracer 3150 because it came with a lot of upgrades yet weighed only 6,500 empty. Ours has alum. rims, power tongue & stab jacks, roomy outdoor kitchen, slam latch cargo doors & tidy water/cable/etc. connection center. The stick & tin Cherokees/Avengers were heavier w/less upgrades & the Lacrosse/Hemisphere were both pricier & heavier although they have better furniture, doors, porcelain toilet, etc.

We actually bought our Tracer gently-used so IMO got a great TT for an entry-level price...

[trbomax]

Originally Posted by bikendan

Never seen a wood frame trailer with filon siding, instead of aluminum siding.

Well heres your first then.

[kantonburg]

Originally Posted by The_Rhino

Just like with cars, laptops, appliances, etc. there's nothing wrong with calling an entry level TT "entry level"... IMO the true entry level TTs are the ones the dealers advertise in the local paper for $9,995 - $14,995 to attract folks new to camping. They have stick & tin construction, NO slide-outs, and no amenity upgrades - pressboard vs. hardwood cabinet doors, showers w/no backwall, manual vs. power tongue jack, etc... IMO you're better-off buying a gently USED TT...

For popular floor plans FR, Thor, etc. have multiple lines/models to fit various budgets. For instance, we have the popular 2 slide-bunkhouse w/separate bathroom entry. FR offers the lower-priced stick & tin Cherokee 294BH & Avenger 32BBS, the mid-priced alum. & fiberglass PT Tracer 305AIR, PT Tracer 3150, and the higher priced PT Lacrosse 318BHS, Hemisphere 312QBUD, etc.

We chose the Prime Time Tracer 3150 because it came with a lot of upgrades yet weighed only 6,500 empty. Ours has alum. rims, power tongue & stab jacks, roomy outdoor kitchen, slam latch cargo doors & tidy water/cable/etc. connection center. The stick & tin Cherokees/Avengers were heavier w/less upgrades & the Lacrosse/Hemisphere were both pricier & heavier although they have better furniture, doors, porcelain toilet, etc.

We actually bought our Tracer gently-used so IMO got a great TT for an entry-level price...

What makes stick and tin lower quality than smooth side? Is the vacuumed side with dense insulation more durable in the long run?

[trbomax]

Well our 315wp may or may not be low end,entry level,or "built to a price point" as the sales people like to say,but it has the same chassis,axles,hitches,furnaces,air cond,you get the drift as the "high end" Ceadar Creek like my BIL has that both endcaps must be replaced on,the glass fell out of the kitchen cab doors on second trip,Twice now I have had to dump the oil in the hyd levelers and rig my 2 bottle jacks under the lg just so he could load it on his truck. and he had to argue with FR over replaceing a converter that caught fire (really) on the first trip.The burnt piece of crap had to be returned to "FR"S testing labs before a replacement could be sent out,while he sat in tenn, and waited instead of going home.
So my low end,price point,entry level piece of cheap crap may be just that BUT its always came home with us on time and all systems go.
Maybe another good feature of haveing low end junk is that after a few years you can just scrap it and buy new,not have to deal with trades and so forth!