Pop-up -> TT ?

[BoatCamp]

My wife & I are ready to upgrade from our pop-up to a travel trailer.
We have a 2003 Coleman Cheyenne that we got in 2006. It has served us well, but she can no longer sleep on the bed. And if we're going bigger, we might as well have a bathroom & bigger fridge.
When we got the Coleman, I knew the quality and expected it to last. Eighteen years old and it’s ready to go camping whenever I ask. So, moving up to a travel trailer I'd like to get something of the same or better quality. We're looking for something about 20 feet with a queen bed and a full bath.
What brands do people recommend to look at and what to avoid?

[JIMNLIN]

Brand preferences ?? Brands to avoid ??
Liked asking which truck brand is best or which brand to avoid.

I've owned a Fleetwood rv trailer....Thor rv trailer and a Skyline trailer all many said the brands to avoid back then.
I never had anymore or less issues than the more popular brands.

IMO people get hung up on what they think is a best/better brand.

We always chose a floorplan we wanted at a deal we could afford and lived happily ever after.

Rubber roofs ??
My old '97 5th wheel rv trailer (24 years old) has a 32' long roof with a rubber membrane. Like others with older trailers I've kept up my annual simple maintenance of checking sealant....checking missing/cracked roof jacks and other fixture on the roof. No issues with leaking.

Owning a rv trailer and having it last for years requires the owner either to do necessary maintenance or pay to have someone do it for them......tires/axles/inside the hubs/frame on up to the roof. Lots of old rv trailers like mine with rubber roofs still doing their jobs.
Failure to do either can result in a rotted worn out wreck.

[aftermath]

Boatcamp, This is a tough decision. There are many factors and everyone's situation/story is different. I had a 1979 Starcraft tent trailer that we used for 17 years. It was rock solid and is still in our family today. After the kids left we wanted to get something bigger with a bathroom and a real refigerator. We picked up a 21foot Starcraft hybrid. Well, the quality of the hybrid didn't measure up to our older pop up. As we neared retirement we found traveling with this was not all that easy. Lots of time was spent setting up the tent ends only to close them back the next day. And when it rained we had to deal with wet canvas.

We jumped to our Airstream and for traveling, it has been excellent. But, as we moved "up" we lost options along the way. We took the tent trailer almost anywhere. The hybrid is easy to tow and we could get it into most spots. The Airstream is a different story. I haven't pulled it yet into remote lakes via logging roads.

I have a 2017 Tundra which is basically the same as your Sequoia. Yours is a bit heavier so will have less payload but your plan to get something around 20 ft should work. Take a look at the fiberglass trailers out there. The Oliver out of Canada is very well built but pretty expensive. These things are light weight, sort of , and don't leak.

[BoatCamp]

Thanks, folks. That’s the kind of info I was looking for.
Personal recommendations from actual experience is very valuable. Looking forward to more recommendations on brand preferences.

[Kavoom]

Having moved up to a travel trailer after 14 years of a pop up, I know what you are doing. Sorry, but what you stated you wanted and 20 feet isn't happening. In terms of quality, they are all in the same ball park. Not great...unless you really want to spend some money. A quality improvement will cost you around 5-7K over what a "regular" one will.

As others noted, your tow vehicle will determine your trailer limits. Speaking from my experience moving up, we went to a 22 footer Aspen Trail old 1700BH and it was nice including a 41 inch bottom bunk and all the amenities without bells and whistles (e.g. manual hot water heater, had to add front stabilizers etc. We ended up going to a 27 foot Aspen Trail 2340. The big draw was a private bedroom, full bunks and the slideout. They make for a great deal of roominess vs regular ones.

Also remember, there are two widths out there. There are 7 foot wide and 8 foot. I prefer 8 feet because of interior room... IF, I was moving from a pop up today, I would consider an Aspen Trail 1950 BHS. You aren't used to room so not having a slideout won't bother you and it is 8 feet wide so it has a "real" dinette vs a 7 footer. And they have put a few bells and whistles on now like auto stabilizers front back I believe. It has "full" bunks AND an outdoor kitchen. It's still pretty basic, but about right. It is imho a sweet spot floorplan. Quality is not the best but about average for the majority of units out there these days... And you can get one for about 21Khttps://www.dutchmen.com/product/aspen-trail-le And you will find if you sell your pop up, it will get more than you expect... I'd recommend you sell it yourself vs trade.

[colliehauler]

theoldwizard1 wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:

spoon059 wrote:

OP, water is the enemy. Keep the water off the roof, it'll last a lot longer. If you have the room, get a Carolina Carport and store it under cover. Keeping sun, water, leaves, branches, etc off the roof will keep your trailer looking newer longer and reduce your maintenance needs.

Keep the seams sealed up and rubber roofs are expected to last 20+ years.

Maintenance is everything. Let it go for 4-5yrs expect it to be trashed. Keep up on it every year and even lower end units should last 20yrs.

I would like hear from anyone who has a "rubber" roof that he stored it uncovered, not re-coated, for more than 10 years ! If you don't have covered storage, wash the roof with mild soap at least twice a year and apply some kind of UV protection.

On my 2006 Cherokee seasonal the roof has not been replaced and does not leak. I check the sealant every year and re-seal when necessary. This trailer sits uncovered in Northern Minnesota year round. I think the farther South you go UV shortens the life of a rubber roof substantial. My 2003 5th wheel roof looks like new but it has always been in covered storage when not in use.

[StirCrazy]

BoatCamp wrote:
My wife & I are ready to upgrade from our pop-up to a travel trailer.
We have a 2003 Coleman Cheyenne that we got in 2006. It has served us well, but she can no longer sleep on the bed. And if we're going bigger, we might as well have a bathroom & bigger fridge.
When we got the Coleman, I knew the quality and expected it to last. Eighteen years old and it’s ready to go camping whenever I ask. So, moving up to a travel trailer I'd like to get something of the same or better quality. We're looking for something about 20 feet with a queen bed and a full bath.
What brands do people recommend to look at and what to avoid?

we did the same thing, went from a tent to a tent trailer to a travel trailer to a 5th wheel.

in all honesty I wish I would have skipped the travel trailer and gone straight to the 5th wheel, but it varries for everyone. take yoyur time, look around and decide what features you want. you have started with the bathroom, bigger fridge and so on but you will get thoes in any upgrade. take the time to go to a bunch of different dealership and rv shows and look at all kinds of different brands and units. start looking at the difference in construction (ie. how are the cubbord drawers and doors built.

look at other features, for instance when I bought my last rv a seperate bedroom for the kids was a requirment, as was space for them to bring friends and a large outdoor kitchen. a lot of people dismiss the outdoor kitchen but for me it gave be a large bar fridge so people arnt walking into the rv to get pop or beer amd it gave me a place outside that was always ready to cook stinky food 😉 look at the different option and make a list of what you want. also dont shohorn your self into a trailer, consider a 5th wheel also. but go with which ever has the features you decide you want.

as for quality it will become aparent after you have looked at a bunch which brands are better than others, but generaly there all built on a rushed assembly line so after purchace survice is just as important. I managed to get a extended warenty for 7 years that if I dont make a claim I get everything I paid back, 2 years to go and still no claim so it was a safe back up incase there was somthing majorly wrong.

Steve

[Durb]

As we grew older we transitioned from our Coleman tent trailer to a Bigfoot 25' rear queen (22' box). The quality is still there because it is missing many of the problem components such as slides, membrane roof, corner seams, studs, laminated siding and such. Probably one of the best built trailers out there. Their price is high and they are heavy but will fit the bill for what you are looking for. Resale is tremendous; finding one will be a problem.

[teejaywhy]

BoatCamp wrote:
My wife & I are ready to upgrade from our pop-up to a travel trailer...

We experienced the same recently. 10 great years with our Jayco Baja 10Z popup. But we realized that we were transitioning from long weekend and week-long destination camping to more long distance traveling with overnight stops which became a real hassle with the popup.

We already had the truck, so our choice was a Nash 23D travel trailer. We wanted something not too small but not too big as we tend to the national and state park style campgrounds as well as dispersed camping.

We picked the Nash because they are made for off-highway use, slightly lifted and with a sturdy in-house built frame. They do tend to be heavier than the typical. We are quite happy with our choice and would recommend.

Random thoughts:
- Haphazard quality seems to be standard in the RV industry.
- Not familiar with the Sequoia, if that will be your tow vehicle, pay close attention to PAYLOAD, and use the trailer GVWR rather than "dry" weight for calculating your capabilities.
- Find a floorplan you like, then start comparing the offerings.
- While we were able to store the popup at home, we have to rent storage space for the TT.

Good luck and happy camping!

The old:


The new:

[valhalla360]

theoldwizard1 wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:

spoon059 wrote:

OP, water is the enemy. Keep the water off the roof, it'll last a lot longer. If you have the room, get a Carolina Carport and store it under cover. Keeping sun, water, leaves, branches, etc off the roof will keep your trailer looking newer longer and reduce your maintenance needs.

Keep the seams sealed up and rubber roofs are expected to last 20+ years.

Maintenance is everything. Let it go for 4-5yrs expect it to be trashed. Keep up on it every year and even lower end units should last 20yrs.

I would like hear from anyone who has a "rubber" roof that he stored it uncovered, not re-coated, for more than 10 years ! If you don't have covered storage, wash the roof with mild soap at least twice a year and apply some kind of UV protection.

What would you like to know? Been there done that. Keep up on the seams and you are good out until around 20yrs. At that point the white surface layer starts to break down but as implied, you can string it along by putting a coating on it.

[theoldwizard1]

valhalla360 wrote:

spoon059 wrote:

OP, water is the enemy. Keep the water off the roof, it'll last a lot longer. If you have the room, get a Carolina Carport and store it under cover. Keeping sun, water, leaves, branches, etc off the roof will keep your trailer looking newer longer and reduce your maintenance needs.

Keep the seams sealed up and rubber roofs are expected to last 20+ years.

Maintenance is everything. Let it go for 4-5yrs expect it to be trashed. Keep up on it every year and even lower end units should last 20yrs.

I would like hear from anyone who has a "rubber" roof that he stored it uncovered, not re-coated, for more than 10 years ! If you don't have covered storage, wash the roof with mild soap at least twice a year and apply some kind of UV protection.

[valhalla360]

spoon059 wrote:

theoldwizard1 wrote:
Don't expect that longevity out of most of what is on the market today.

Rubber roofs need to be complete replaced, not just recoated, after about 10 years (unless you store it out of the sun).

Agree with your first sentence, dead wrong with your 2nd sentence.

My previous trailer was a 1998 Nash that we sold in 2015 when we bought our Jayco. Original roof was 17 years old, never once covered or stored under a roof. Roof was perfectly fine and still had plenty of life left.

OP, water is the enemy. Keep the water off the roof, it'll last a lot longer. If you have the room, get a Carolina Carport and store it under cover. Keeping sun, water, leaves, branches, etc off the roof will keep your trailer looking newer longer and reduce your maintenance needs.

Keep the seams sealed up and rubber roofs are expected to last 20+ years.

Maintenance is everything. Let it go for 4-5yrs expect it to be trashed. Keep up on it every year and even lower end units should last 20yrs.

Maintenance even applies to incredibly overpriced airstreams. Just because the outer shell looks fine, doesn't mean a leak hasn't rotted out the floor or caused other problems.

And as someone else mentioned, what is the tow capability of your truck? People are often surprised at how little they can tow with sub-optimal tow vehicles.

[GDS-3950BH]

Watch this one, it's a doosie, and a long one. The overall quality of products industry wide sucked prior to this, anyone think it's getting better because of it?

Personally I would not even consider buying one of these things given the current situation.

RV Industry update May 2021

[Sagebrush]

Northwoods built something. I loved my Arctic Fox TT. But you really need a stout tow vehicle for those. But they make some nice compact models. In the older models I liked the smaller Sunnybrooks, the aluminum siding models weigh a bit less.

All the new stuff feels cheap to me, the counter tops are so thin, the walls and floors are so light and they flex easily. My current 2006 trailer is a light weight model, but its feels more solid than the wolfpacks and momentums I looked at recently!

[capacitor]

This is 3031 pounds empty.
https://www.rvt.com/Forest-River-Cherokee-Wolf-Pup-Midwest-16FQ-2021-Turlock-CA-ID9794628-UX69633