Crusader build quality???

[wicked1]

Originally Posted by chunker21

Question is when did PT down grade the quality of the Crusader line? We recently bought a PT Crusader 355BHQ 2012 and plan to use mainly as our "cabin" on the NWFL bay lot. I'm thinking of selling the motorhome and rgoing back to a fifth wheel for our travels. This past week went to a dealer in NWFL and looked at a couple of Crusader models. Frankly I was very underwhelmed. Build quality and amenities were much lower quality than the 2012 we have. Kitchen counters were a poor attempt to mimic granite or marble, bedroom dresser tops a vinyl or paper wrap attempting to look like the kitchen. Lots of paper wrap over "wood products" in the kitchen, probably all cabinets. Little real wood in the framing of the cabinets. Plastic kitchen faucet. Very disappointing experience.



So the question is when did PT decide to dumb down a Crusader in favor of a quality build. If this is what a recent build is like, the PT line is off the list. Sanibel is heavier than I want to go and longer too. Want to keep my traveling 5th wheel at around 35+-.

I think mid 2015, we had a 2013 Crusader 295 built much better then a 315 in 2016, not sure why they seem to have done that but seems they made the Crusader line like the cheaper Crusader Lite line for some reason. We looked at a 2018 341 and it was less then some other brands of equal value.

[chunker21]

For obvious reasons of quality and seemingly total lack of QA at current factories, I decided to avoid a new trailer. After research I felt that Grand Design would be a better choice for us and the Solitude is listed as "extended living" and a wide body. An acquaintance has a 2015 325 and for the money I was very impressed. Yes it has a fair amount of wrapped "wood" trim but the framing is wood and the cabinet fronts and doors are real stained wood. Porcelain fixture, stainless sink, and nicely built. They have a 35' model, various arrangements, and his is the RE which I didn't care for, had the TV at the back, not side. I don't watch much TV but when I do I want it in front of me. not bending my ancient neck to the side.

GD Solitudes current 35' is a 310 series and in 15 had a 320 series. UVW 11.5K+- GVW 15K. The top limit for weight for me but I don't travel with extra kitchen sinks anyway. I located and looked at a couple of 2015 320X and bought one a couple weeks ago from a private individual. Great shape and some nice adds such as the second air, slide toppers, 4 point leveling, and REAL tempurpedic (SP) queen bed.

Buying used has it's dangers. You could get someone else's lemon or a great buy. Someone else took the huge financial depreciation hit, and in this case, got a barely used, stored under cover, virtually new trailer for less than half a new cost.

Been transferring stuff from the motorhome, cleaning up the "beast" for sale, and looking towards our summer trip to the Great Lakes.

[esmoglo]

I have personal experience working on my friend's Reflection & have seen what's its made of & it's not of any higher quality than our Crusader each has pros & cons it's just that simple, PT has good value for $$$ not the best by any stretch but is any RV really "the best"? That would be like finding a unicorn no such thing.

[chunker21]

Basically with RVs it's acceptable risk. Haven't seen any unicorns nor any top quality Rvs in anywhere near my price range. I figure you're right that a reflection comparable to the Crusader. I would guess the Sanibel is comparable to the Solitude. For my consideration the Sanibel was too long.

[tomkatb]

One must work hard while shopping.

Took the wife and I a year to learn about quality and cost. It is not so,easy. Units we looked at ranged from $25,000 to $120,000.

My fifth wheel has better tires, wheels, suspension and other frame improvements. Z frame.

Rear cap, wood and no wraps. Corian tops. 4 6 volt batteries. A good mattress. Dual good exhaust fans. Two a/c units. 13 cu. ft. Rv fridge. Bigger water heater. Built in vacuum. Hydraulic leveling and slides. Bigger range. 30" microwave/convection oven. Ceiling fan. Better window brand. Better tv's and radio. Rear camera. More insulation. Solar prep. Better structure. No luan. Real floor. Better shower. Better valves. Slide toppers. Better furniture. Better dinette chairs. Better entrance door. Better stairs. Better awning.

All upgrades to the base unit. You have to know the difference.

Whatever you want is out there. Companies change philosophies on construction often.

When we found our Cedar Creek we were really tired of looking. But, it is 99% what we wanted. Wife hates Lazy Boy furniture.

[Paul and Debbie]

Originally Posted by wicked1

I think mid 2015, we had a 2013 Crusader 295 built much better then a 315 in 2016, not sure why they seem to have done that but seems they made the Crusader line like the cheaper Crusader Lite line for some reason. We looked at a 2018 341 and it was less then some other brands of equal value.

I want to clarify that when I posted my comment about the difference between my 2013 Crusader 325RES Touring version compared to Crusaders in the RV shows for 2018 I always feel greatful of how much I love mine more. My deal isn’t really about quality as much as it is about floor plan, decor, my awesome kitchen, etc. I bought my 5er 2 years used and got what I considered an excellent deal at General RV in Draper, UT. We are now in our 4th season and the excitement is still there - and when visitors step inside they think we spent in the $60k plus and yet we were south of $35k. And I have never been in another brand new 5er of any brand including Prime Time Crusader that I would trade for my 2013 Crusader.
So I’m not criticizing quality - even though this forum offer enormous evidence of a serious downfall of quality in the RV industry - I’m just saying it’s odd that I don’t envy 5ers that are 5 years newer than mine - like I do trucks, boats & motorcycles- electronics etc.

[GeoArm]

We have a 2013 Crusader 295RST touring Edition. I maintain and upgrade it myself. Been looking at other RV's since I'm on my 5 th year with it, but nothing compares to ours. Sure there may be a neat feature, but everything does look cheaper. I bought new and only had minor issues. One trip back to the dealer for a punch down list of minor issues, now it's a pretty stable coach. Getting information or parts from dealer or PT is another issue, horrible, but I'm a stubborn Irishman. ;-)

[Paul and Debbie]

We all know that there will always a little punch list of items to address on something as complex as a luxury 5th wheel that travels over roads of varying quality and is swarmed by my 6 kids & their friends, and my 7 grand kids . We also hitch a boat on the bumper of our Crusader. Even with all that wear and tear and always a punch list - I agree with you I wouldn’t trade my 2013 Crusader with another of any brand at 2 or 3 times the price..

2013 325RES 5th wheel towed by 2005 Ford F-250 Lariat Crew Cab Long bed 6.0 Turbo Diesel with a 15’ Boston Whaler Ski and fishing boat in tow behind the Crusader. Thank you Utah for allowing double tow and such an incredible state catering to outside adventure and doing everything possible to cater to RV users.

[Paulie1138]

Paul and Debbie, Paul and Sandy here. We also have a '13 Crusader, but a 290 RLT. Also tow with a F250, but a 7.3. Really like the Crusader. Had some issues with the slide undersides and alignments originally. Has done us very well. Wish it had the auto level feature, but.... When you added your tow feature, how did you extend the frame, or was yours already set up for that?

We just returned from a 6 week trip, 3 of which was in your state by Dinosaur National Monument/Vernal/Flaming Gorge. Great trip!

[rrickett]

We have 2014 PT Crusader 295RST. It's our third RV and definitely the worst one yet! We bought it from the first owner in 2014 so was still new but no warranty. I'm an engineer so fix pretty much everything myself.
Here is short list of just the most significant problems we've experienced with it.
1) Early on the front hood paint started fading and is now terrible. This was warranty issue had we bought it new from dealer.
2)On a trip to Gatlinburg the roll pin holding the right front leg pinion gear sheared and the leg fell off, fortunately while retracting it and connected to the truck. If it had fallen off at 70 mph it could have killed some folks!
3)Cheap plastic sheeting under both large slides wore through after about 20 operations. Water then ran down sides and onto the bare particle board causing it to swell up and start coming apart. You'd think they'd at least use weatherproof particle board, but no, they probably saved at least 50 cents per RV using the cheaper board. The water also soaked up into the wood/ plastic sides causing the plastic to delaminate and swell. They have fix for this so apparently was common issue. Add plastic angles along edge of slide for slides to contact with.
4) Small bedroom slide is made differently and uses one roller in center so is not supposed to have previous issue, however water leaked in from somewhere and now 90% of board covering bottom is nothing but mush. Have attempted to seal all possible potential leaks and have installed awning but too late. Will have to replace bottom.
5) On trip to Kentucky, had 3 year old tire blow out and it blew hole through floor up into entertainment center. Fender well had same cheap plastic sheathing and one thickness of thin paneling with styrofoam backing. Used a piece of sheet metal, screws, RTV and
Can of flex seal to repair. Better than original.
Replaced all four tires with heavier duty ones. Blowout also cleaned fenderskirt off and bent anchor pad.
6) Bracket holding power, Tv, and gas lines from main trailer to slideout broke off causing hoses to drop down.
7) Latest issue is, cheap faux leather is peeling off in 6 different places on couch and recliners. These both are made by Lane Manufacturing Co. and originally looked very good but are coming to pieces.
8) Refrigerator has always had issues of not cooling adequately and condenser fan is very loud.
9) Air conditioner also has problems keeping the unit cool. RV is prewired for second bedroom AC but RV should come from factory capable of cooling properly.
You can say PT is just trying to reduce weight but cheap is cheap regardless of the spin put on it. Being a RV owner since 1977 I expect to have a few minor issues with RV's but based on my experience, I would advise anyone to stay away from Prime Time RV's, and do a thorough inspection before you buy any brand!

[Paulie1138]

Rrickett, as for the AC, you could try cleaning the 2 return vents on each side of the main area. They load up with dust rather quickly, blocking the airflow. Yes, mine came pre-wired and setup for the second Ac unit as well, and wish I had the 2nd unit also. So far, my unit keeps up with the heat load. Summer camped a few nights here in the desert west. Daytime Temps over 110, in the high 80's low 90's at night. Yes, it works hard in the day, but seems to keep up. Takes a while when first setting up, but it does cool it down to our setting of 78. I store mine when at home under my solar structure, and leave the Ac set at 90.

Hope the vent cleaning helps you. Sorry that you had so many problems!

[Comanchecreek]

I have a 2017 Crusader 315. It's an OK trailer. My previous trailer was a 2000 Montana. I would have chosen a Montana except for one little detail, about 35000 bucks. The Crusaders are a low to mid level trailer. We looked at Sprinters by Keystone and some other lower end Fifth Wheels. Two things kept us from going that route. Incredibly cheap cabinetry, and low weight axles on a 31-32 foot rig. Found the step up to Crusader a better option. Some of the fit and finish items are not the best, but the trailer has been comfortable for both long term stays, and camping for a week. The old adage, "You get what you pay for" applies in this case. Prime Time builds what I would call, an average quality rig, but my opinion is, they make as good of a product as anyone else In that same price level.

[Paul and Debbie]

Sounds like a great trip to Utah. Regarding my set up for double tow of the boat, it is a very light boat 900 lbs plus 200 lb. 50 hp outboard plus minimal gear sitting on a trailer of about 5 or 600 lbs. this allowed me to use a bolt on hitch to the rear bumper. I laced my trailer light cable under the Crusader chassis up to the front where it has excess slack to plug into the 4-wire connector of the truck. No frame or chassis modifications required, just a bolt on hitch receiver which I bought on Amazon for about $60. Took 10 min. to install and I couldn’t be happier. I wish I had a rear camera to keep an eye on it. That will be a future project.

[Paulie1138]

The reverse camera was the first mod I made to mine. They all should have them! When I got my camper, the wireless ones were not reliable enough for my setup. They are now, from what I have installed on a friend's (longer trailer and full crew cab truck). Now I can see the DW when she disappears behind the rig when I back up....lol. Some people never get the idea.....if she cannot see my mirrors then......

[Comanchecreek]

Originally Posted by Paul and Debbie

Sounds like a great trip to Utah. Regarding my set up for double tow of the boat, it is a very light boat 900 lbs plus 200 lb. 50 hp outboard plus minimal gear sitting on a trailer of about 5 or 600 lbs. this allowed me to use a bolt on hitch to the rear bumper. I laced my trailer light cable under the Crusader chassis up to the front where it has excess slack to plug into the 4-wire connector of the truck. No frame or chassis modifications required, just a bolt on hitch receiver which I bought on Amazon for about $60. Took 10 min. to install and I couldn’t be happier. I wish I had a rear camera to keep an eye on it. That will be a future project.

If you just bought a hitch that goes on your box bumper, you might want to think twice about those. The bumpers are very light duty steel and can crack easily and tear at the welds. I double hitch with my trailer and bought a hitch that's frame mounted. I also got a Furrion wireless rear view camera as can't see the boat unless turning. It also helps see who's coming up on you from behind.

[eurojet]

Things ive noticed have had to cut 2 out of 3 trips short due to issues and lost the fees

-Hinges squeaking
-Some Hinges only have 1 screw instead of 2 holding them to the frames
-Air con ducts were poorly installed and taped, had to redo all of it to get proper air flow (not just Forest river , had this issue on my other TT)
- Missing heat register in Master Bedroom, they forgot to cut it out)
- the above heat register does not have its own duct , shares with bathroom and where the duct connects to the bathroom vent , it is directly under the register , so as we all no heat rises , so none of the heat will make it to the bedroom
-underside of bunk was cut with what looks to be a chain saw and rough splinter wood was left
-kitchen table the first time i went to remove it, it came away from the mounts that hold it to the supports ,all the screws fell to the floor , because they were all stripped (holes)
-kitchen drawers don't shut and are not flush with frame
-hot water tee fitting burst (2nd trip) left a a lot of water everywhere
-both black tank sensors don't work (found out the hard way)
-one of the black tank handles broke off (only the 2nd time being pulled
- why offer a Black tank flush ,but it is for only 1 of the 2 black tanks
-one of the slide supports is running into the frame (not centered in the hole it passes through
-front door is not opening or closing properly , very hard to get it to latch , seems like it is sagging (kids struggle with the latch)

not a quality issue but why have a TV that does not play video media files , it only plays music and shows pictures via the USB , Come on its 2018