So many choices!

[paramehdic]

Looking to purchase first Travel Trailer and there is a seemingly endless number of options to choose from many of which are very similar / same trailer but with a different brand name listed

I have not yet found a good comparison as to why to choose one brand over another but have narrowed our wish list to:

2 entrances (1 of which directly into the bathroom area)
Bunks + queen
Outdoor kitchen (ideal but could manage without)
Max length 35ft

With that in mind have found the below trailers (apologies for wall of text) hoping someone can give me a rundown or reference as to best to worst etc.

Puma 28DBFQ
Puma 294DBHS
Alpha Wolf 26DBH-L
Cherokee 274BRB
Cherokee 284DBH
Grey Wolf 26BRB
Grey Wolf 26DBH
Evo T2700
Evo T2850
Hemisphere Hyper-Lyte 26BHHL
Salem 26DBUD
Cruise Lite 263BHXL
Surveyor Legend 276BHLE
Vibe 26BH
Wildwood 26DBUD
X-Lite 263BHXL
Freedom Express Liberty Edition 310BHDSLE
Freedom Express Select 31SE
Spirit/Northern Spirit 2963BH
Apex Ultra-Lite 290BHS
Jay Feather 27BHB
Jay Flight SLX 8 287BHS
Jay Flight 28BHBE
Connect C291BHK
Sportsmen SE 261BHKSE

[OkieGene]

Set aside for a moment the thoughts of the trailer.

Pick your dealer carefully!

The sales department will be all smiles and glad handing you.

The after sales service department is far more important than you realize.

Don't buy from a scummy dealership, check for referrals and internet and BBB ratings and reviews. Ignore those that are only talking about how great their buying experience was. That's a one time only impression.

If other folks RV's are in the service department for 3,4,5 months or longer "waiting for parts", go on down the road.

If other peoples comment that their RV was trashed, damaged, stolen from, etc, go on down the road.

The brand, of course, is important, but you have to have after purchase support and some dealers just are horrible.
.

[Grit_dog]

OP, in this market, I'd say the ONE you find, that checks most of the boxes on your wish list, and not abhorrently overpriced, regardless of brand, is the one to get.
ALL RV's new or used, unless they are used and come from someone who is OCD about fixing every little thing WILL need some work.
Components are fairly standard between mfgs (fridge, AC, water systems, etc). I'd call it luck of the draw.

On our 3rd "RV" now and the first 2 were what I'd consider quite reliable with only a few issues (they were truck campers) and the newest one needs a couple things, but at 4 years old and basically never used, the minor issues thus far are either with the mechanical components (same or similar across brands) or simply age related (needs some caulking, new batteries, etc).

On CCC and durability. I'll say, in general, the units with larger CCC are built on a better chassis.
You're looking at trailers with about a 7-9k gvw I'd imagine. Maybe 10klbs on the big end.
I wouldn't even consider (well, in the Covid camper computer chip shortage market, I might....) anything that's 30' long sitting on 14" wheels. Means you'll have 3500lb axles and corresponding suspension, which WILL be running at a high % or max rating. I have a 32' long 7klb gvw enclosed snomachine trailer sitting on 3500lb axles and 14s. Basically an empty travel trailer. It tows great, handles great, 16 years old, no real issues. BUT, it's about 3500lbs empty and I'm never putting more than about 3klbs of cargo in it, usually less. And when I have 5 machines in it, it feels "full."

Any of the trailers with 15" wheels will have 5klb axles and presumably heavier frame with more headroom for weight carrying capability. Which adds up fast. 3 kids, bikes, wife buys a bunch of outdoor "accessories", you toss some 6V batteries up front, cram a few pieces of firewood in the storage, water tank full. Got enough food and drinks to live for 2 weeks for a 5 day trip, etc...

Good luck in your search, just my 2c to help your decision or hopefully not further the conundrum!

[coolbreeze01]

GDS-3950BH wrote:
We are in Pittsburgh for a long weekend visiting family. We went to the RV show yesterday usually held in January. The build quality of what was displayed looked like all were assembled by kindergarten students after they each ate a party size bag of M&Ms. It was across the board garbage and brand did not matter. The pricing was out of sight and no dealer I talked with will commit to any timeframe if you were to order.

No need to candy coat it.....

[Lantley]

paramehdic wrote:

Lantley wrote:
Forget what available, consider what you want . What type of camping will you do.
Tank Capacities, CCC or cargo carrying capacity, GVW, sides of beds, what sides beds, separate bunk room vs. curtain or partition, OEM tire size and capacity.
Once you set your own parameters the trailers will begin to distinguish themselves

Thanks, is there any relationship between the cargo capacity and the quality of the trailer? From my list there is quite a range 1300-3700 and certainly one aspect that I think is important although admittedly I have no context for how much you will typically be adding.

I would say indirectly there is a relationship. A lager CCC does not equate to better quality however it generally equates to more robust materials.
In order to carry more the trailer is generally made with heavier stronger material. That means plywood floors vs. foam floors.
Heavier axles and springs. A larger I-beam and so on.
However the higher CCC does not guarantee these more robust components will be assembled together any better than the other units.
Proper fit and finish is not a criteria determined by cargo capacity.

[wanderingaimles]

As was said, higher ccc is mostly axles, but some frame difference too. Also remember water counts against the ccc, if you are going to carry 50 gallons of water thats 400 lbs.
All the stuff that three kids want to carry, plus they will want to bring friends and their stuff. 2000 lbs is likely the minimum you would want available.

[GDS-3950BH]

We are in Pittsburgh for a long weekend visiting family. We went to the RV show yesterday usually held in January. The build quality of what was displayed looked like all were assembled by kindergarten students after they each ate a party size bag of M&Ms. It was across the board garbage and brand did not matter. The pricing was out of sight and no dealer I talked with will commit to any timeframe if you were to order.

[Kavoom]

"Thanks, is there any relationship between the cargo capacity and the quality of the trailer?" That is mostly a function of the axles. There isn't much difference as almost all of them are made by Lippert.

[azdryheat]

Buy something used. Use it for a year or two and learn what you really want and need. We did that with our first 5th wheel.

[paramehdic]

Lantley wrote:
Forget what available, consider what you want . What type of camping will you do.
Tank Capacities, CCC or cargo carrying capacity, GVW, sides of beds, what sides beds, separate bunk room vs. curtain or partition, OEM tire size and capacity.
Once you set your own parameters the trailers will begin to distinguish themselves

Thanks, is there any relationship between the cargo capacity and the quality of the trailer? From my list there is quite a range 1300-3700 and certainly one aspect that I think is important although admittedly I have no context for how much you will typically be adding.

[Lantley]

Forget what available, consider what you want . What type of camping will you do.
Tank Capacities, CCC or cargo carrying capacity, GVW, sides of beds, what sides beds, separate bunk room vs. curtain or partition, OEM tire size and capacity.
Once you set your own parameters the trailers will begin to distinguish themselves

[paramehdic]

wanderingaimlessly wrote:
OK to narrow your choices, first what are you towing the trailer with? What are its limits?
The tow capacity of the truck may eliminate a few .
You mentioned bunks, kids? How many, how old, and how likely to outgrow short single bunks? That may eliminate a few more.
Now, to budget, are you looking at bargain basement entry level, mid grade or for upper end? Understand, appliances and equipment will be similar across lines, but fit, finish, and construction do vary greatly, from stick and tin, to metal framing with filon or smooth glass exteriors as well as the variances in cabinets and furnishings. Look at cabinets, particle board with a shelf paper type covering is the cheapest and will age fastest , plywood frames and dovetailed drawer joints are better, hardwood is the best. Likewise, better units SHOULD have screwed and glued wood joints, cheaper units will be stapled. Make your decision after deciding on some of these conditions and then visit an RV show if possible to look at several brands in one visit.
Happy hunting

edit add, brands will be basically a Ford vs Chevy type issue with a couple of caveats, look at warranty length, most offer one year, some offer two and even more. Also as a very general statement, owners seem to have the aforementioned brand loyalties but Grand Design, K-Z, Winnebago , and Jayco seem to have happier owners based on manufacturer backing.
OK, now i've riled some of the fan boys, have at it.

F250 7.3L so most travel trailers I don't think will be an issue.
Kids aged 6, 10, 13
Budget likely looking mid range although if moving from mid to high is within a couple thousand I would strongly consider the better / higher grade option.

[KD4UPL]

The lighter weight trailers often give up structural integrity and amenities to save on weight for people with marginal tow vehicles.
Will you be dry camping much? Some of the trailers you're looking at may have very small tanks compared to other models. I like to be able to camp anywhere I come across with or without hookups so I tend to favor models with larger fresh, gray, black, and even propane tanks. If You intend to only stay in campgrounds with water and electric hook ups it won't matter.
Same goes for batteries. If you'll always be plugged in you only need one small, cheap battery. If you will be camping without electric look for trailers that have room for 2 or more batteries and maybe a solar option.
Personally, I'd put Jayco above many of the other brands you listed. But, they changed hands a few years ago and I don't know if their new owners are living up to their past reputation.

[wanderingaimles]

OK to narrow your choices, first what are you towing the trailer with? What are its limits?
The tow capacity of the truck may eliminate a few .
You mentioned bunks, kids? How many, how old, and how likely to outgrow short single bunks? That may eliminate a few more.
Now, to budget, are you looking at bargain basement entry level, mid grade or for upper end? Understand, appliances and equipment will be similar across lines, but fit, finish, and construction do vary greatly, from stick and tin, to metal framing with filon or smooth glass exteriors as well as the variances in cabinets and furnishings. Look at cabinets, particle board with a shelf paper type covering is the cheapest and will age fastest , plywood frames and dovetailed drawer joints are better, hardwood is the best. Likewise, better units SHOULD have screwed and glued wood joints, cheaper units will be stapled. Make your decision after deciding on some of these conditions and then visit an RV show if possible to look at several brands in one visit.
Happy hunting

edit add, brands will be basically a Ford vs Chevy type issue with a couple of caveats, look at warranty length, most offer one year, some offer two and even more. Also as a very general statement, owners seem to have the aforementioned brand loyalties but Grand Design, K-Z, Winnebago , and Jayco seem to have happier owners based on manufacturer backing.
OK, now i've riled some of the fan boys, have at it.

[Lwiddis]

What type of camping do you envision? If dry/boondocking, you need to compare fresh and waste water capacities.