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Old 06-16-2016, 08:45 PM   #1
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Moving up to TT, need help please

We currently own a Lance TC and plan on moving up to a smallish TT soon. Plan on keeping our 09 Chev 2500 4x4 to pull the TT with, so I should have a lot of options available. We have been doing a LOT of research on brands, styles, etc. We have a few Forest River dealerships close along with a Jayco and Lance dealer close. All an hour away from home. We have narrowed the length down to no more than 27 feet. I have to admit that my brain is getting fried by all the different styles and brands. Many more than in the TC realm. I know we liked our Lance TC, but we want to start out with a less expensive TT, so are looking at FR and JAY. We are really focusing in on the floor plans first. I just can't figure out what are the budget/beginner TT and how they climb the later from the bottom up as far as Styles go. For example, is Salem entry level, and Surveyor higher up the list?

We have looked at the Ultra lights and like both the Rockwood and Flagstaff, I assume they are Ultra lights anyway. We like the floorpan in some Surveyors and Wildwood X-lite also, but by price Wildwood must be an entry level also. That doesn't make it a deal breaker, floor plan is the most important to us. We are just going to be weekenders and the occasional long vacation until we retire in a few years. I also wondered if the shorter the TT, the easier it is to tow, or would my truck have problems with balance towing an Ultra light 21 footer. I know the dealer is a big key to the whole purchase.

Are the Flagstaff and Rockwoods made with Aluminum framing? What about the Surveyor? I figure the Wildwood is made with wood framing. The one we like the floor plan in has aluminum siding instead of fiberglass. I am liking the Forest River lines, but just really don't know the difference in them. Many have the same floorplans in different lines. We are looking at the 23-27 range in length. Probably with bunks, but not for sure. We like the thought of a Murphy bed also, but once again not a deal breaker. We would like a slide out dinette for a little more room. Thank you so much in advance, I LOVE the forum here. It makes a world of difference just having a place to go and read and ask questions.
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Old 06-16-2016, 10:21 PM   #2
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Surveyors have aluminum frame. I'm sure others will have answers to your other questions.
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Old 06-16-2016, 10:50 PM   #3
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Rockwoods and Flagstaff are aluminum.

Go to Forest River's website and look at the different brand catalogues. I believe they have a PDF for each brand.
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Old 06-16-2016, 11:11 PM   #4
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Rockwoods have all six sides in aluminum frames.
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Old 06-17-2016, 12:58 PM   #5
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My is a 21ft flaggstaff mircolite fbrs and I like it. If I traded if in I would want a bigger bathroom that mean a little bigger camper
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Old 06-17-2016, 01:19 PM   #6
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Lots of choices out there, we have a 2015 Surveyor 220RBS and really like it, but these things are very personable choices. Lots of storage, we just got off a month long trip and packed a lot. The only issues have been small things and most covered under warranty. I like the fiberglass siding myself for a number of reasons, including looks. Don't know if this helps you or not....Good luck
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Old 06-17-2016, 01:20 PM   #7
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We bought a 2503S Rockwood Mini Lite
We love it. We like the Murphy bed which folds up quickly saving a lot of floor space. The big bathroom with its own exterior door us super. The kitchen slide has been nice and very roomy in a TT this size. We tow with a big Chev Van and the combo works well. My only worry is having a slide. Whenever we open up I have my fingers crossed... so far so good. I guess reading all of the slide room troubles online have me uncertainin slides in general.
We added a few options:
Slide topper
Rear ladder
Larger AC
Wood look flooring
Aluminium wheels

I like the black tank flush. I also like the storage doors that open up for cross the floor, under the sofa, storage. So far we really like this TT.
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Old 06-17-2016, 01:40 PM   #8
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We have a Grey Wolf 23bd. It is only 27' from tip of frame to the bumper (unless you have the carrier down). We pull it with a 1500 Chevy Silverado 4x4 with no problems. We looked at TT that have the Murphy Bed (what a bad idea). We travel with our large dog and have not felt cramped yet. In fact we feel more crowded in our home kitchen. I think it may be more at the top of line in dollars, but we bought a 2015 in 2015 and it was really knocked down in price. So far we have been happy with the quality.
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Old 06-17-2016, 01:41 PM   #9
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Suggest you hit as many RV shows as you can. You will quickly figure out what floor plans you like and which you don't. You'll also figure out which manufacturers you like and which you don't.

Locate an RV Show | Go RVing
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Old 06-17-2016, 01:46 PM   #10
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First post seemed to disappear, so I did it again; of course, it then showed up!!


I'd suggest you hit as many RV shows as you can. You'll see lots of different TT's and quickly figure out which floor plans you like and which ones you don't; same for the manufacturers.

You don't say when you intend to purchase, but the RV shows are basically done for the season. They are usually held in late fall into early spring.

Here's an RV show location website for when we get closer:

Locate an RV Show | Go RVing

Here's another; it shows some in Aug/Sept.:

http://www.rvia.org/?ESID=calendar
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Old 06-17-2016, 03:45 PM   #11
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We really like the Murphy bed. It's easy to use and saves a ton of space. If you have a "normal" bed you are pulling around a lot of bedroom space that you really only need at night. I must add that we are a traveling couple with only an old cat, our dog just died. When we had a dog with us he had plenty of room to curl up even when the bed was in the down position. If you have a few children the 2503S would be too small. Just a thought.
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Old 06-17-2016, 04:40 PM   #12
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Mine's 35' and is the first and only TT I've ever owned so I just wanted everyone to know that I have nothing of value to add to this discussion. Please proceed.


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Old 06-17-2016, 05:42 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SkipBest View Post
We really like the Murphy bed. It's easy to use and saves a ton of space. If you have a "normal" bed you are pulling around a lot of bedroom space that you really only need at night. I must add that we are a traveling couple with only an old cat, our dog just died. When we had a dog with us he had plenty of room to curl up even when the bed was in the down position. If you have a few children the 2503S would be too small. Just a thought.
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Just the 2 of us and a dog. When the girls were young 26' box was enough. Now a 35' 5er with 3 slides works best. At any time one can hit the bedroom to read or watch tv or go to bed while the other watches a different channel or just stays up longer. Actually, thinking another 6' will work even better for us.
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Old 06-17-2016, 08:05 PM   #14
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SO DH & I purchased our first TT 3 yrs ago .... the MicroLite 21FBRS and it is perfect for a long weekend up to 8 nights. Plenty of storage & easy to cook in. Currently traveling with the 2 of us, a cat & her litter box & 2 dogs & their crates and plenty of beer for impromptu bottle share events.

We needed a bed we could get into from both sides (no crawling over like the truck camper he had before we met). We love being outside (grilling out most nights) so the couch has proven best instead of the dinette option. When we started had 2 dogs so carried around cutouts of our crates, placed them on the floor & took pictures of interiors of all the similar sized trailers. We know the shower has been upgraded but we use it mostly for storage because most campgrounds have had decent facilities so the low tub some units have would have been a waste of space. We LOVE the front window & on our future unit will be looking for windows at both ends as we usually back up to the campsite (& we always try to get on the water).

We plan on 10 yrs with this one ... took our time prioritizing our options & finally revisited our top 2 before making this great choice. Good luck!
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Old 06-18-2016, 07:32 AM   #15
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I think it all depends on how often & where you might use the TT,,, 27' is still a pretty good size TT,,, I think if we were looking to go smallish TT,,, I would look @ those TT where the bed folds out of the back ??? They look pretty roomy for there size !!!
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Old 06-18-2016, 01:37 PM   #16
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I think it all depends on how often & where you might use the TT,,, 27' is still a pretty good size TT,,, I think if we were looking to go smallish TT,,, I would look @ those TT where the bed folds out of the back ??? They look pretty roomy for there size !!!
You talking about those tip out I had one and to me it was useless .Mind had another bed and we never open it
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Old 06-21-2016, 07:08 PM   #17
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Go to the RV shows, find a couple of floor plans you like. Sit in it for a while. Think about how you will "live" in it. I love my FR Wildwood 26tbss except for the bathroom. It is small. Does that matter to you? Also, I don't have any counter space, have to use a board on the sink and a stove cover for counter space. Does that matter to you? Love the U-shaped dinette more than a booth dinette since it does make into an extra bed plus I like the roominess of it. The triple bunks are good storage for a lot of extras.
Pay attention to the underneath storage. We had more of that on the Mini Lite we had before. Take your time looking. If you have a Murphy bed, and someone needs a nap, where do you sit?? Lots of questions with alternate answers. Make a pro and con list, take phone pictures of the ones you like at the RV shows and go from there. Just like buying a house, none will be perfect but you will find the one that is closest.
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Old 06-21-2016, 07:48 PM   #18
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I would focus on the floor plan, sleeping arrangements, storage and construction and not the brand. Envision your family spending 2-3 days inside due to weather and which unit works best. Make sure your TV can handle it. Do not go by max towing capacity but rather max load capacity of TV. Stick built aluminum siding units are usually less expensive than fiberglass on aluminum frames. Remember ultralite means not only light weight, but light weight fame as well. Do you own research and ask here, do not accept the dealer's info blindly. Your truck will not tow everything on the lot. When analyzing sleep capacity, take into account the number of people sleeping on most trips. Do you want the convenience of permanent beds for everyone or you OK with a jack-knife sofa or dinette conversion bed that needs to be setup and torn down every day. If you cook/eat outside much of the time, an outside kitchen is a nice option. Many of the features can be upgraded or augmented later on, but it is difficult to change the floor plan. Again I would concentrate on a floor plan you like and not worry about brand.
Take your time and have fun looking.
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Old 06-21-2016, 08:27 PM   #19
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I would focus on the floor plan, sleeping arrangements, storage and construction and not the brand. Envision your family spending 2-3 days inside due to weather and which unit works best. Make sure your TV can handle it. Do not go by max towing capacity but rather max load capacity of TV. Stick built aluminum siding units are usually less expensive than fiberglass on aluminum frames. Remember ultralite means not only light weight, but light weight fame as well. Do you own research and ask here, do not accept the dealer's info blindly. Your truck will not tow everything on the lot. When analyzing sleep capacity, take into account the number of people sleeping on most trips. Do you want the convenience of permanent beds for everyone or you OK with a jack-knife sofa or dinette conversion bed that needs to be setup and torn down every day. If you cook/eat outside much of the time, an outside kitchen is a nice option. Many of the features can be upgraded or augmented later on, but it is difficult to change the floor plan. Again I would concentrate on a floor plan you like and not worry about brand.
Take your time and have fun looking.
Best answer yet! We have owned campers, MHs, and 5ers. Current 5er is 35' and although a sleeper sofa it is designed for 2. Floor plan is #1. We have owned by builders long gone, Airstream, FR, Heartland, and Keysone. All had a floorplan that fit our needs at the time. Next will be???
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Old 06-21-2016, 08:35 PM   #20
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Get a Used Yugo or ? with the right WDH and no worries.(from what I have read)
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