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Old 07-26-2017, 03:47 PM   #1
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Cheaply made!!!

. In March of this year we bought a 2017 Flagstaff tent trailer, very first trailer /RV. We have slept in it five times in driveway, had it out camping 5 times. I thought after a year of research on different styles, makes, and reviews I thought I was ready. Wrong!! Is it me or are ALL trailers / RV's made very cheap!!!!! Lucky I am a handyman. Not sure if I would upgrade in a few years ..

Just my thoughts...
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Old 07-26-2017, 03:50 PM   #2
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. In March of this year we bought a 2017 Flagstaff tent trailer, very first trailer /RV. We have slept in it five times in driveway, had it out camping 5 times. I thought after a year of research on different styles, makes, and reviews I thought I was ready. Wrong!! Is it me or are ALL trailers / RV's made very cheap!!!!! Lucky I am a handyman. Not sure if I would upgrade in a few years
It would be far more helpful if you would give details.
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Old 07-26-2017, 05:10 PM   #3
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I have a 2017 as well. You get what you pay for.
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Old 07-26-2017, 05:13 PM   #4
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A better quality build would cost 3 times more and be so heavy that a tent camper would have to be towed by a 3/4 ton truck.


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Old 07-26-2017, 05:14 PM   #5
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A better quality build would cost 3 times more and be so heavy that a tent camper would have to be towed by a 3/4 ton truck.


True story!
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Old 07-26-2017, 09:07 PM   #6
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I wouldn’t call them cheaply made. Flagstaff tends to be higher quality than Coleman and quite a few other manufacturers. My camper feels like it is well built and pretty solid overall.

There are a few things I’m surprised at, however. They don’t include things such as tank and battery monitors like you get in a TT. The radio is disappointing (really, it doesn’t recognize an iPhone plugged into the USB port?). It seems their idea of USB charging (see the marketing material) is the one USB port on the stereo. They assume you will have electricity so they didn’t install even one 12 volt outlet.

We owned an 1998 PUP and while our new one has a few advancements like LED lights and sealed axles, there really isn’t that much difference between the two. I guess there are only so many ways you can build a popup trailer, so the equipment hasn’t improved that much over the years.
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Old 07-26-2017, 09:10 PM   #7
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Thank you for your comments. All bring a valid point forward. Thier made with 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch covered with house paneling, drain very slow. Unless you adjust hose and hold in place. The stair to one of the beds had to rebuild due to it was missing some needed supports. External sink drain was missing two screws and pulled out, dealer sent the the sealant and I bought two screws and painted them black to match others on the trailer. Door pin broke needs replaced not expensive , it's about quality, I have owned it four months not four years. Don't get me wrong we love using it and it beats the ground and our grandchildren love going with us. Guess I need to remember it's about building momeries for us all. We bought it to enjoy camping not an extension of our home.
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Old 07-26-2017, 09:15 PM   #8
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2017 Flagstaff 625D

We had a 1998 Coleman Cheyenne Popup it didn't give us any troubles until the roof started cracking it never leaked etc... So we invested into our 2017 Flagstaff 625D expecting the same thing no problems. We love Tent Camping but off the ground but totally concerned about all the extras and warranties we will see....
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Old 07-26-2017, 10:42 PM   #9
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Popups are the lightest of all RVs and the lowest cost.
So that means thinner and less durable and since they are the simplest, probably less skilled workers.

We had a 1970 Starcraft popup that was built like a tank and was almost as heavy.

We sold it to by my BIL's 1985 Viking popup. What a piece of junk. Particle board, thin frame/chassis, wonky bed tracks, thinner canvas. It basically just fell apart.

It was the more modern lighter weight materials that were way less durable.
Part of the move towards fuel savings.
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Old 07-27-2017, 01:34 PM   #10
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From Rockwood, the Freedom series is the bottom of the line for tent campers, lower quality materials. Unfortunately, the quality of the workmanship seems to be lacking across the board. The dealer told me that they spend 8 to 16 hours per trailer and sometimes more, of all kinds, fixing up what the manufacturers missed.

Even then, we had to have several things fixed after our first trip (2 months).

We bought the Premium version as the materials appeared to be higher quality, and, despite some problems, we are quite satisfied.
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