Isn’t that illegal...?
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Wait, what do you mean by "dewinterizing"???? For my, that's just flushing out the anti-freeze. That stuff is drinkable, and completely fine to put down the storm drain.
ha, trying to convince my biologist wife to allow it go to the stormwater drains is not gonna happen
Do you guys bleach the tank on the initial fill up?
maybe i'll take a shot to prove it.. saves me going to a dump station
or stop asking your wifes opinion.
Wife and I are about to pull the trigger on our first camping trailer. Looking to get a new tandem axle, bunk house in the ~23-25' range <5000lbs dry. Going to be towing with my 18' F150 3.5EB and I'm no stranger to towing as I've been hauling my race car trailer around for years. A few questions I hope the experienced Beyonders could answer for me:
- It seems downright impossible to find some sort of subjective quality ranking of the different RV brands, we've narrowed ours down to; Crossroads Sunset Trail, Forest River Salem Midwest, Forest River Salem Cruise Lite Northwest and Cruiser RV Shadow Cruiser as they seem to have the features, size and price point we're looking for, any of those better/worse than the others?
- Are any trailers still built with wood construction or are they all aluminum? I can't seem to find the information on the construction type on the ones we're looking at.
- Most dealerships we've talked to try to sell you on some $400-500 "ready to camp package" within that they say are the accessories (hoses & regulators) you need coupled with a 1hr overview of how to use your trailer. Worth it?
- It seems as though the standard warranty is 90 days for seals/leaks, 2-3yr structural, 5yr floor and 12yr roof any of those worth increasing via an extended warranty?
- What's a reasonable amount to expect to negotiate? Most we're looking at are 2020's but one is a 2019.
- Regarding maintenance, I'm fairly handy and have a large assortment of tools, I take it winterizing the thing is something I should easily be able to do? Is there any maintenance that's actually worth taking it to the dealer to?
Thanks in advance!
"quality" is iffy on every brand. Expect repairs your first season, and every year.
I strongly suggest buying a used trailer. Shopping is a bit more of a pain, but you save thousands.
Winterizing is easy, you can do it.
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Don't buy an extended warranty. Don't use the dealership for repairs at all. Use the independent shops that treat you like a valued customer.
Last summer I wanted some warranty work and woodys was booking EIGHT WEEKS out. Fuck them.
I like Hobo, because they are close to me. They've always been very fair with me, and even helped me do some repairs myself. There's probably other good ones. I'd trust any independent place over any dealership. But I hate dealerships.
Hey, it's your money. To me, the warranty and "refreshed" look isn't worth $1, let alone thousands.
I will say comparison shopping new is easier than used.
Traveland RV in Airdrie were a bunch of nice folks. They had both a Jayco and an open range that were pretty good before I went with my grand design from Woody's.
I was only buying new because insurance was paying.
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Most trailers, and particularly cheaper ones, are wood built. Some are aluminum frames. My grand design is aluminum.
I meant inside, for some reason the interiors of the stuff we're looking at (at our price point) even just a few years ago all look a lot older than they are.
The other problem, as you've mentioned is selection, we're looking for something fairly specific (Murphy bed, bunk house, ~23-25' etc.) there is very limited selection on the used market.
Totally agree. Selection is far better and easier for brand new. Buying used is a grind if you are picky. Plus you probably have to pay cash, which not everyone wants to do.
I may be selling a lightly used 2018 grand design 2400BH in about eight weeks.
No slide means lighter less to break and faster to set up. If you only sleep in your unit or stay 1-2 nights most places, I can see the appeal of a unit without a slide. I've had 2 trailers without slides and they were fine. Also had a scare one morning where I couldn't get the slide to retract, and I was a long way from anything.
^ This
Every person I've talked to that's had trailers with a slide has had issues (leaks, motors, getting stuck etc.) as this will be our first trailer I want to keep it simple.