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    Camper Shopping

    I'm in the market for a new travel trailer. Looking at 25-28' class bunkhouse models, and wanted to hear the good bad and ugly from someone who isn't trying to sell me anything.

    I haven't decide on whether or not I want a slide out. There are pros and cons, and I haven't tipped the scales one way or other yet. The models I'm most interested in right now are the Jayco 264bh, and 267bhs, and Heartland Prowler250bh and 271RB.

    All I can find for reviews are either sales pitches or really unhappy folks that are venting on the internet. I find it hard to believe that they are all crap. Do any of you have opinions on either brand? Is there another brand I should consider? Open to any thoughts or recommendations.

    I'm not looking for opinions on whether or not now's a good time to buy, or that they are depreciating assets, or buy used and save. I'm capable of deciding how to waste money. Just want to hear real world experiences on slide vs. no slide, brands that suck or wind up in service for months.

    Thanks GS!

    #2
    In the same position, I chose no slide. I regret it every time we use the trailer. It's just so dang small feeling inside. They are not all crap, but they are almost all made of similar components shoddily assembled. Don't let that deter you, just know what you're getting into. Don't plan on paying for service imho, be ready to fix it yourself. I got one warranty repair at the dealer I purchased from. I called other dealers and got told 6-12 months to get a warranty appointment. Buy close to home if you can.

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      #3
      I bought a new 37' Forest River Cherokee last year that has one slide out and everything has been great so far (as it should be brand new). The only advice that I will offer is that any trailer in Texas should have 2 AC systems, specially anything over 20'. I think a slide out is definitely worth it as it adds a lot of space. Also, an outdoor kitchen with a convenient beer fridge is another way to keep the trailer clean without having to go in and out for a cold one!!



      Good luck with your search, if you have any questions feel free to reach out.
      Last edited by tfrye; 06-28-2021, 12:56 PM.

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        #4
        They are all cheaply made and will have problems. Make sure you get one from a dealer with a good service department is all I can tell you. You will need them, and they don't care to get in a hurry if you didn't buy from them. I have not heard anything positive about Jayco in the last 2 years. We have a blast using our camper and got lucky we have had minor issues, and have a great service department from our dealer.

        We have a Primetime Tracer Breeze 25RBS. No bunk, with a slide. Slide makes a huge difference but require a little maintenance. Lubing and seal protection.
        Last edited by captainsling; 06-28-2021, 01:16 PM.

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          #5
          Grand Design are great. Jayco are great. I loved my Forest River pop up, and never had an issue with it. I actually really miss that camper, wish I never sold it.

          Whatever you buy, go into the sale with reasonable expectations. Pretend the camper is a boat, and go in with the expectation that every trip you will need to fix something. If you do that, you won't be surprised when something breaks, pops, blows, fails to light, fails to cool, or any other number of issues that crop up. You are basically towing a house behind you, likely at 70 MPH, if not faster, so don't expect things to hold up like a house on a concrete foundation.

          Meet with the service department because eventually you will need to use them. And a crappy service department is brutal to deal with. I am dealing with one now. I have 20 items on this years punchlist, all of which would take me about 2 days to work through. But I have a warranty, and I am not about to pay for 4 days of my time, not to mention a fixture, new trim pieces, and a new television.

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            #6
            I'd like to join this topic. I'm in the market for one also. I know nothing about them as far as brands, trouble spots, do's and don'ts. From what I've learned they are all prone to have a leak, or some type of issue.

            Comment


              #7
              We have a primetime avenger 26ft BH that is prob very similar to the jayco 264bh. For us it’s worked pretty well. One kid and a dog it’s been enough room. I do wish we had a slide though. That extra room in the living would be nice. If I was buying now with the boy in college and basically gone. I’d prob get a smaller 22-24ft with a slide something super easy to pull for just the wife and I.
              As far as upkeep like others have said. We have replaced the awning, the electric Jack replaced with manual Jack. I’ve got to take it in to get some corner molding worked on.
              Thinking of it like a boat is a good example like someone said.


              Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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                #8
                There’s a channel on the tube called Big Truck Big RV and he has gone into a lot of detail on this topic. For the most part he says always buy a truck bigger than you think you need, RVs are hand built and thus will have problems regardless of how much you pay for one, if you are handy with fixing things then fix the problems that arise yourself, and always double check everything before moving the RV an inch.


                My wife, 6 year old daughter, and myself may be buying an RV soon to live in. Once lumber prices come down then get a house built.

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                  #9
                  I just sold a 2018 Cherokee 26DBH and it was a POS. My next door neighbor just bought a Jayco (28ish feet I think) and the quality is far superior to the Forest River Cherokee I had. Definitely get one with 2 A/C’s for anything over 24’ and absolutely get at least one slide out. Our new camper is a Sunset Trail 331BH with a full bunk room and 3 slides. The quality is definitely better than the Cherokee, but not as good as a Jayco. My wife’s floor plan requirements were the only thing keeping us from going with Jayco.


                  Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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                    #10
                    I’ve been really unimpressed with recent Jayco products. I’m a fan of Keystone RV for median price point products, and currently own a Keystone Hideout 28BHS.

                    DEFINITELY GET THE SLIDE! Resale value is reason enough, but it the slide is a must for me, and my next one will have 2-3.

                    My trailer only has 1 AC, and if it’s over 100 degrees outside, and the trailer is in full sun, it will not cool down until dark. Once cooled down overnight, it does fine the following day, and 50% shade helps a ton. I did black out some windows, and dark tinted all the others. It’s ok now, because I know what to expect and how to plan for it, but it’s on the verge of not being good enough. I’m going to treat the grey roof with a white UV reflective sealer very soon.

                    If we decide to keep the trailer for 3-4 more years, I’ll probably add a small ac.


                    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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                      #11
                      Originally posted by captainsling View Post
                      .

                      We have a Primetime Tracer Breeze 25RBS. No bunk, with a slide. Slide makes a huge difference but require a little maintenance. Lubing and seal protection.
                      We have the bunk house model of this. It's the 4th camper I've used. Third with a slide. First trailer had a single motor and 2 supports for the slide. New stuff is 4 supports and some dual motors. We have not had an issue with slides since the 1st one (Cherokee). I do have supports for mine when camping

                      There is simply NO WAY I'd go without a slide.



                      Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

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                        #12
                        **deleted comment about now not being the time to buy**



                        Slideouts make a huge difference in the "spaciousness" of a unit(especially bunkhouse models). That said, they can be problematic. Look for gear driven, not cable. The cables can bind/tangle up, causing the whole thing to have to be taken apart to fix($$$$ or major pita for DIY). They also add a considerable amount of weight. Depending on what tow vehicle you have, it can make a lot of difference. I tow new units for a living, and I can tell you that even a relatively short 28 ft unit with bunkhouse slides in the back, can make for a miserable time towing. I've bounced my noggin off the headliner of my truck more times than I care to count because of bucking induced by a tail-heavy trailer. It will probably take some work to get your hitch setup dialed in to make it right good.

                        Generally speaking, structurally they are ALL(even the expensive ones) made as light and cheaply as possible. I had to sit at a dealership once for several hours while they documented everything that had fallen apart inside a brand new unit I delivered.

                        That said, Jayco and heartland are both going to be about on par with each other as far as quality.

                        Look at the components used(jacks, axles/suspension, WH, fridge, a/c, etc) between the ones you like, and then look up the reputations of those brands. Those are going to be the big pain points down the road.

                        Beyond that, buy the one you like, bruddah. And to hell with what people on the internet have to say about it.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          go to every lot and start going inside each one.. you will start getting an idea of what is a quality trailer. I really like Puma line up.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            I just sold my camper, it did not have a slide out. I am purchasing one with a slide for ease of access around seating areas and cooking areas. My goal is to purchase a camper with the recliner chairs, simply because they are more comfortable in my opinion. The second area of concern is the bathroom. My camper that I just sold had a rear bathroom with a wall in front of the toilet. Sometimes a guy needs space to stretch out. Lol. Also the shower has to have a glass door. No curtain. The shower curtain sticking to me while in the confined space irritated me. Biggest waste of space on my last camper was the outdoor kitchen. I used it one time... it was useless and a gimmick in my opinion.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Originally posted by Dale Moser View Post
                              I’ve been really unimpressed with recent Jayco products. I’m a fan of Keystone RV for median price point products, and currently own a Keystone Hideout 28BHS.

                              DEFINITELY GET THE SLIDE! Resale value is reason enough, but it the slide is a must for me, and my next one will have 2-3.

                              My trailer only has 1 AC, and if it’s over 100 degrees outside, and the trailer is in full sun, it will not cool down until dark. Once cooled down overnight, it does fine the following day, and 50% shade helps a ton. I did black out some windows, and dark tinted all the others. It’s ok now, because I know what to expect and how to plan for it, but it’s on the verge of not being good enough. I’m going to treat the grey roof with a white UV reflective sealer very soon.

                              If we decide to keep the trailer for 3-4 more years, I’ll probably add a small ac.


                              Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

                              They make AC units that go into the roof skylight/vent. They help a ton!

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