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Old 06-02-2018, 07:03 AM   #1
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Coachmen catalina legacy 283RKS wanted I think

Good day to all,
I have amended my search from a JAYCO Jayflight 29RKS to a Coachman Catalina legacy 283RKS . I have owned numerous RV's and boats and my better half likes the RK.

All the sales men I spoke with said without question; the Catalina is far better than the Jayflight. I know all TT's are poorly built in like 15 minutes but do you feel this is an accurate statement?

My followup question is where I should look for a mildly used Coachman Catalina legacy 283RKS. The female requires me to get the rear kitchen and a "rounded" shower. Other than that, the rest is optional. The reason for the late model used search is that I am hoping to avoid that initial massive depreciation hit. If I can't find a good used unit, I will then seek a new one.

Thank You in advance for reading and possibly responding to my questions. I am older than I ever imagined being and I know the value of experiencial wisdom. Hence the reason I am here. Jim
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Old 06-08-2018, 11:13 PM   #2
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Exclamation

Don’t do it. I bought a 2016 Catalina 333RETS and the quality of work is terrible. Still to this day finding new issues. They do look nice but not worth it. Here’s what under the shower looks like. Had a leak for who knows how long and it drained right into the sealed belly of the trailer. My bathroom door that has a sliding door to the bedroom is curved so bad I could use it for a long bow. In the first 8 months my ac and front fireplace had to be replaced. Once I figure out how to post pics I will The third pic is the remainder of paneling they didn’t finish cutting out which caused my refrigerator to take a crap due to lack of ventilation and overheating.
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Old 06-08-2018, 11:19 PM   #3
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Not sure why it flipped the pics ��
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Old 06-09-2018, 04:51 PM   #4
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Thank you for the picts. This certainly does raise some serious quality questions. I have been also looking at the jayco jayflight 29RK and based on your picts and assessment I think that is the direction I will head. THANK YOU VERY MUCH for taking the time to enlighten me......You saved me a lot of grief!!!!
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Old 06-09-2018, 05:07 PM   #5
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Thank you for the picts. This certainly does raise some serious quality questions. I have been also looking at the jayco jayflight 29RK and based on your picts and assessment I think that is the direction I will head. THANK YOU VERY MUCH for taking the time to enlighten me......You saved me a lot of grief!!!!
No problem at all. I wish I would have known before I purchased it myself. Least I can do is help someone else out with the issues I’ve come across. Best of luck
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Old 06-09-2018, 10:11 PM   #6
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Do not be swayed by 1 persons post. I'm sure there are many satisfied Coachmen Catalina owners. Jayco has their share of problems too.
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Old 06-09-2018, 10:48 PM   #7
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Do not be swayed by 1 persons post. I'm sure there are many satisfied Coachmen Catalina owners. Jayco has their share of problems too.

There’s a lot more than 1 person. I wish I had someone letting me know before I purchased mine. There’s multiple websites about Coachmens quality and craftsmanship. I posted a link below so you can read others

https://coachmen-rv.pissedconsumer.com/review.html
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Old 06-10-2018, 11:10 AM   #8
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Originally Posted by Jwelsh1214 View Post
There’s a lot more than 1 person. I wish I had someone letting me know before I purchased mine. There’s multiple websites about Coachmens quality and craftsmanship. I posted a link below so you can read others

https://coachmen-rv.pissedconsumer.com/review.html
Not trying to get in a pissing match with you, but here's one (using your web-site) for Jayco. Looks like they have a lot more negative reviews than Coachmen.

https://jayco.pissedconsumer.com/review.html

I'm not implying Coachmen is perfect by any stretch, but you will find many more just by looking at the different sub-forums on this board. Was my Apex perfect, no. But both Coachmen and my dealer (which is awesome, BTW), stepped up and got my problems corrected in a timely manner. I'd wager there is a lot more happy Coachmen customers than unhappy ones..
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Old 06-10-2018, 03:02 PM   #9
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Not trying to get in a pissing match with you, but here's one (using your web-site) for Jayco. Looks like they have a lot more negative reviews than Coachmen.

https://jayco.pissedconsumer.com/review.html

I'm not implying Coachmen is perfect by any stretch, but you will find many more just by looking at the different sub-forums on this board. Was my Apex perfect, no. But both Coachmen and my dealer (which is awesome, BTW), stepped up and got my problems corrected in a timely manner. I'd wager there is a lot more happy Coachmen customers than unhappy ones..
I’m not either. I just gave my opinion on the one I own and stating the issues. Yes not all are perfect but some have a lot more flaws than necessary. I definitely won’t buy a Coachmen again and also know what to look for next go around
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Old 06-10-2018, 05:01 PM   #10
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When we had our Coachman Freedom Express 248RBS, the only real problem we had with it was some nails backing out on the roof. Coachman and our dealer stepped up to fix it, after the warrantee was just over. The only reason we got rid of it was it was a TT not a MH.


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Old 06-11-2018, 07:01 AM   #11
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Thanks

Great discussion and great information from both sides, I read both the Jayco and Coachman "pissed" comments from both web sites and ironically, you can simply switch the brands and have the exact same comments. What I learned from this; and please correct me if I am wrong; THERE ARE NO clear winners in the travel trailer industry quality area. I read up on airstream prior to looking at these and they have somewhat less structural problems but when they do experience an issue, it's major!
Thank you for the insight and I have concluded that my search for either a Jayco or Coachman 28-29 RK will certainly require some prior maintenance before using it and placement of those 9.00 water detectors from Harbor freight.
THANKS
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Old 06-12-2018, 07:34 AM   #12
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I have a 2017 Coachmen Catalina 281DDS few small problems ( loose fittings under sink not checked at dealership) This is our first trailer and we love it.
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Old 06-13-2018, 05:36 PM   #13
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Catalina Legacy 263RLS

The wife and I bought a 2017 263RLS at the beginning of the 2017 camping season, and were Loving It! Sure we had some minor problems, like the AM radio is all noise when hooked to shore power. The refrigerator door locks needed adjusting, and there was a kink in the fill tube to the fresh water tank.

I had more problems than that with my 50K F250 when I bought it! The rig is the right size for the two of us, and backing up to a lake or river with that picture window gives us a great view. We put a Select Comfort bed in it, to make it more comfortable, and named her "Pricilla"! If you want perfection I heard Rolls Royce is coming out with a camper next year. Know what you want, do your research, and enjoy Life! We tent camped for 35 years before we bought our Catalina. Where do you think were going this weekend? Out in the camper, or in the tent?
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Old 06-13-2018, 06:28 PM   #14
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Check this Out...!

This is one of the places I went to do research... take a look at the gallery of photos.

Catalina Legacy Edition 283RKS Travel Trailers by Coachmen RV

You'll be glad you did!
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Old 06-14-2018, 11:00 AM   #15
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Thanks

I love the floor plan of the RK and the new rounded shower. We spend about 6 months a year in this so it need be large enough to be livable but not too large.

Thanks for your input. Its a shame there is not a single brand that stand out for quality. After painfully looking at 100's of them, these two brands Jayco and Coachman stand out as the best of the worst quality.
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Old 06-14-2018, 04:09 PM   #16
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Originally Posted by jsj248 View Post
I love the floor plan of the RK and the new rounded shower. We spend about 6 months a year in this so it need be large enough to be livable but not too large.

Thanks for your input. Its a shame there is not a single brand that stand out for quality. After painfully looking at 100's of them, these two brands Jayco and Coachman stand out as the best of the worst quality.
Hey we all want "Quality"..... Who doesn't? Airstream has a good reputation for quality, but you will pay mucho deniro ($$$$) for it.
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Old 06-14-2018, 07:38 PM   #17
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Agreed

I agree with some of that however, the interior of the older airstreams were built very similar to every other RV. No disrespect to any air stream owner but their interior components fail at the same rate as every other RV. A close friend owns a late model airstream and he is constantly complaining of a screw coming loose, a dripping water connection, or a pilot light start issue with the same water heaters used in every other RV. Not having direct personal experience, I can only repeat what I have heard maybe fifth hand. The other downside I heard is when a rivet pops, the panel must be drilled out and resealed before being riveted together. That becomes a bit costly.

The bottom line is I can't/won't afford a silver bullet, so I was attempting to find a RV line that had a superb quality history. I failed greatly and my initial hypothesis was downgraded to an "across" the board disappointment in quality control......

Again, I am far from an expert and just voicing my humble opinion of the minor experience I have had so far and what I have picked up from numerous forums.. Thanks for your input...
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Old 07-21-2018, 09:23 PM   #18
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I know this thread is over a month old. My wife and I are going to be upgrading our TT. We now have a Keystone Hideout 177LHS and today we looked at a 2019 Catalina 283RKS. I asked the dealer about Jayco and the salesman said we no longer sell Jayco. We had too many warranty issues that Jayco refused to pay for.
We have only had two TT's a Dutchman about 20 years ago and this small hideout. Is there any problem with having a rear kitchen? We really like what we have seen so far in the Catalina, we have only started looking and plan on looking at some more.
Thanks,
Willie
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Old 07-22-2018, 07:42 AM   #19
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29rks

This reply may be deleted so I hope I can be honest without being too abrupt.

There is nothing I found wrong with a rear kitchen IF you take a little time and understand how trailers roll and how to load them. It has been said; rear kitchens tend to make the TT sway. Actually, any TT will sway if you put too much weight in the rear. The pass through storage compartment in the front, if loaded with your larger items will take care of this totally. I have towed mine over 1000 miles empty, up to 80 mph, WITHOUT a weight stabilization or weight distribution hitch with no problem. Most of all, like you, I love the floor plan.

Now for the reality smack in the head! I am financially fortunate. I skimped a lot of years and I was determined to find the BEST brand TT with my floorplan and buy it. After 5 years of shows, research, and reading forums until I passed out "There is no great brand that stands out" . Allow me to echo what has been said 1000 times over; all TT's are in demand so they punch them out at a very very low quality level. I have never purchased anything with such low quality in "construction". I have owned mine for over a month and I have barely stepped into it. I have been re-constructing the outside like removing extra screws from the rain track, protecting wires layed across the slide gears, tightening screws that were missed, replacing zinc screws with aluminum rivets, using more silicone than I thought possible, re-sealing areas around my skylight, fan, and refridge opening, actually cutting the roof material in the fridge vent so I have good ventilation. The list goes on and on. When finished, I may write an article about "Bullet proofing your RV before even the first day".

So to summarize ( I was a college prof. sorry) - The rear kitchen is great. I find that having the room and open floor plan gives you the feel of a much larger unit. More importantly, you can prepare meals in the kitchen without interfering with those watching TV or socializing in the living area.

Good luck but please-please-please- plan on spending some serious time bringing all the flaws up to spec before using it. I am even going as far as spraying all the extended, exposed floor arms with undercoating to prevent rust and failure as I have read on some forums. Best of luck...Jim
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Old 07-23-2018, 07:38 PM   #20
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So what did you end up getting? I have a Coachman 283 RKS, will be two years old in November. No major issues or warranty claims, no trips back to dealer. Just a few minor things I took care of.myself, added a tube of Dicor to the roof, tightened frame bolts, fixed kinked water line, A C ducts needed some TLC. The wife loves the floor plan so all is good.
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