Just looking for a little advice

Kebr9 · 09-03-2008, 02:30 PM

Hi I'm looking into purchasing a new pop-up camper from Forest River. its a Flagstaff HW27. I know very little about their quality or how they compare to other similar models built by other manufacturers. Can anyone assist me with the following?

Your first-hand opinion of this camper or a similar Forest River model (likes and dislikes)
What is a reasonable price to pay in an economy like today's (75% of MSRP, 60% of MSRP, etc.)
Anything that you feel would be helpful to know prior to making this purchase.

Thank you very much.

rockwood06 · 09-03-2008, 07:11 PM

We never did the pop-up thing, we went right into a TT, but I would like to welcome you to the FRF. Just hold on... some one will have some info for you soon I am sure.

NDJollyMon · 09-04-2008, 06:04 AM

Welcome. Pop-ups are great...but temporary for most folks. Once you start camping 'off the ground'...you tend to upgrade often! We started in a tent, went to a pop-up...and now look at my sig photo. It's an obsession.

I like the Forest River line. I'm only familiar with SALEM in that line, however. Quality is very high compared with my old Palomino or Keystone trailers.

Price depends a lot on where you are located, the time of year you buy, and how good you are at negotiating. Your best bet at a lower price is to buy 'off season' or during a RV show...which always happen in the winter/spring months. They usually cut some great deals then. Each dealer is different. Some really great deals can be had by buying online these days. Many others here can tell you of that experience. Find out what other places are selling that unit for...and see if it compares. Offer what you think is a fair price and go from there. (think low...dealers never negotiate in your favor...they just want you to 'think' they are) When you think you've got them to rock bottom...don't be afraid to ask for 'extras' to be thrown in to seal the deal. (batteries, hoses, extension cord, adapters, sewer hose stuff, vent cover...) One dealer gave me everything I asked for. Another dealer gave me a $150 credit to buy what I wanted in their RV store. If you feel good about the deal...you got a good price. If you feel like the deal sucks...it probably does. Walk. I guarantee they'll be calling you back. I left the dealership 3 times before I bought my last trailer...but they came to my price in the end.
Never 'look' too excited about the purchase, and let them know you are shopping at other dealers for the best price/deal.

Good luck!

acadianbob · 09-04-2008, 11:14 AM

We had a Rockwood 1907 Premier pop-up before moving a a Surveyor hard sided. I would say that the quality of the Rockwood was only so-so. Once we got past the initial issues it was pretty good; except for a refrigerator that was extremely hard to light in propane mode.

acadianbob · 09-04-2008, 11:16 AM

FYI Flagstaff and Rockwood are nearly interchangeable.

08flagvlite · 09-05-2008, 11:32 PM

As you can see in my post, I have a new Flagstaff now, but I had 2 Coleman pop ups previous to this monster. My first was a Pioneer Chesaleake that had a Queen bed on one end, and a double on the other. The Coleman brand is or was then MUCH BETTER than any of the other brands out there. Stainless steel aircraft cables to lift the roof, Sunbrella 304 marine fabric that is mildew resistant... Ours NEVER had ANY mildew issues or leaks. The tires were wider than any other brands, too. The first one was a 94 model, sold it in 04 for 500.00 less than what I paid for it in 94, and bought an 01 Coleman/Fleetwood Utah w/cassette potty, Hot water heater, outside shower, king beds on each end, slide out dinette area, couch, front storage area, refrigerator, AC, awning, and a front add-on room. Wew loved this one even better, much more room, but a heart condition made me sell this one for what I have now. Randy

naganthunter · 09-07-2008, 02:52 PM

I had a Flagstaff 228D for a little over a year, so I can't speak to long term issues. Based on the time I had it, we had no problems and we used it often.

We'd gone back and forth over TT or Pop-up when we bought it, and decided that we'd go pop-up to see if my wife enjoyed camping. In hindsight, we shoulda just gone with the TT - I should have realized that if she likes the Pop-up, she'd love the TT! Also, you can get a decent TT for not much more than the pop-up - especially now with gas prices the way they are!

But, if the pop-up is your thing, then by all means go for it. Just make sure you have warranty service nearby in the event you do have any issues.

Kebr9 · 09-11-2008, 12:36 PM

I just wanted to thank all of you for your comments and suggestions. Sorry I didn't reply sooner, been dealing with the remnants of Hurricane Gustav.

eandsphotography · 09-11-2008, 04:20 PM

well, here goes my opinion. I bought a pop-up and kept it for 3 weeks. Absolute pain in the rear. If by any way possible you can tow a regular trailer, i belive you'd be better off going that route. I had bought a fleetwood avalon which was a beautiful pop-up. Had every thing that a TT has. but canvas is canvas and not fun in the rain. There is a reason why everyone upgrades from a pop-up to a hard sided trailer, just take that into consideration. Also, while you can get a brand new pop up relatively cheap, and it will be a place to sleep consider this... A really nice pop-up is not gonna run you that much less then a smaller travel trailer. My second TT was made by Puma (a forest river product) and while mine was 27 ft long , i had looked at some of their smaller models in the 16-17 foot range and they are much nicer then a pop-up in that same size.
I hope i didnt offend any of the pop-up owners on here, i just cant recommend them after having one myself.

Here is one good point that i can say that i do miss about the one i had...
When your sleeping in it, it really is more like camping then being in a TT. I loved being able to hear the bugs and crickets outside while laying in the bed. Today's TT's and 5th wheels are beautiful and comfortable, but if we're being honest here, you really are just towing your hotel room with you.

Kebr9 · 09-12-2008, 12:56 PM

Thanks for giving your point of view on the pop-up. We actually purchased a new 2003 Starcraft Aruba 28 BHS TT and it was really beautiful. Literally towing your hotel room with you (to use your phrase), but it was so expensive to store (when we weren't using it) and expensive to tow due to gasoline prices, that we sold it. We love camping, but there are only two of us now so we thought we would get something that we could store in our own garage and hook up and go at a moment's notice. Haven't purchased the pop-up yet, so I appreciate hearing from all of you. By the way, you said canvas is canvas and not fun in the rain. Does that mean that they leak?

wildwood · 09-13-2008, 07:30 AM

we had a pop up for ten years and enjoyed it, bought and sold it for 600.00, well worth the money, we used when our kids were growing up. we got out of camping for about six years and then returned about three years ago.

about three years ago we wanted to consider getting back into camping, we bought a used hybrid, part tt and part popup. we really enjoy it. big thing is having to dry out the vinyl sides when it rains, we havent had much problem with leaks. sometimes some drips around the seams where the sides connect to the buldhead but they can be sealed. there are some condensation issues when camping in cold weather. they are more like being in a tent though which is fun, not as secure and in some campgrounds, i have heard that popups may not be allowed due to safety concerns, given animal concerns. however i think there arent a lot in this category, sorry i dont have the specifics.

we now have a wildwood tt that we store at beach and it works well. we dont have a tow vehicle to pull the new tt and dont plan to buy one. it is convenient to store at beach and go there when we can.

enjoy your pop up if you get it, they are light weight, easy to use, cost effective, and fun, just take a little more patience and work.

enjoy

eandsphotography · 09-13-2008, 02:06 PM

what i meant by the canvas is , go take a walk around a campground and look at the pop-ups. I dont care how clean you keep them, in 3-5 years they all look horrible. Now i dont mean to generalize pop-up owners so please dont take offense to this, but a majority of pop up owners have one because they couldnt afford anything else and wanted to get into camping. I can appreciate that, but that also brings a lot of "trash" along with it. Unfortunatly, pop-ups just have that stigma attached to them, whether it is correct or not,well that's each persons opinion.
Like i had said, the pop-up i had was beautiful and had every amenity my current TT has including a hard sided shower. But in Barack Obama's most famous recent statement,
"you can put lipstick on a pig and it's still a pig".
Good luck. ( and i still think you should go with a smaller TT!!!)

Erik

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