X2 with Mikesr, they are not really that bad. Keep an eye on things, or have the dealer do it if you can't. Look after it and they will last a long time. Good luck!
There is no clear cut answer to your question. The difference in construction materials and techniques simply does not allow for apples to apples comparisons. The things you mentioned are important to some degree but certainly not all inclusive or important to other buyers. The metal vs wood construction debate is just not as simple as saying one is better than the other as is the fiberglass vs metal siding debate. Every technique has it's pros and cons. When I RV shop I look for a well constructed chassis and decent fit and finsih in my price range.
Your question is wide open to interpretation. Having just bought my 3rd RV I first find something I like and then look for quality control. By this I mean missing screws, screws sticking out, rivets that missed there mark, seal strips that were cut too short, doors/windows that don't open right. I crawl under and look for fit and finish here too. This last time around I looked at a couple TT that were absloutely perfect in every way until you started looking a little closer. I would be embarrassed to put some of the******out there you see. Don't let your eyes gloss over, LOOK CLOSE!
2008 Dodge Ram 6.7 Laramie SRW SB
2012 Keystone Passport 26BHWE
2009 Lance 830 with Tent foldout
20' North River Seahawk Boat
2005 Honda VTX1300
westend wrote: You missed one imporatnt part, the frame. IMO, stay away from any trailer that is built with a Lippert frame.
Why?
Because of the past problems folks have had with Lippert Industrries frames related to the poor construction and lack of quality control. They may have instituted different methods but faults that I've seen with these frames start somewhere towards the top of the management/design teams and can't be undone in short order.
Everyone, but me, loves slides. To me, they are either a problem now or will be. I look at a solid strong floor, as a good base. Both of my Rockwood trailers failed that test after a short time.
SidKaye wrote: ALL of those qualities can be found in an older Avion TT with the possible exception of light weight. But, no problem to tow with your current tow vehicle. Buy one if you can find it and it will be worth what you paid for it, or more, 20 years from now.
Only people who own or have owned one will understand. Those TT's are bulletproof.
Sidney
I agree. I just purchased my second (owned on previously) 34W triaxle Avion. Also currently own a 31 ft Airstream and the difference IMHO is big. Cabinetry in the Avion is superior as are the wood finishes in general. Solid wood, dove tailed drawers, etc. We plan to take a 6 week western trip in it this summer.....can't wait. Towing it with a a Suburban 2500; my last one towed like a dream with the same size TV.
Surprisingly the 34 Avion is just about the same dry weight as the 31 Aistream.
If you can find a nice one, buy it.
SidKaye wrote: ALL of those qualities can be found in an older Avion TT with the possible exception of light weight. But, no problem to tow with your current tow vehicle. Buy one if you can find it and it will be worth what you paid for it, or more, 20 years from now.
Only people who own or have owned one will understand. Those TT's are bulletproof.
Sidney
I agree. I just purchased my second (owned on previously) 34W triaxle Avion. Also currently own a 31 ft Airstream and the difference IMHO is big. Cabinetry in the Avion is superior as are the wood finishes in general. Solid wood, dove tailed drawers, etc. We plan to take a 6 week western trip in it this summer.....can't wait. Towing it with a a Suburban 2500; my last one towed like a dream with the same size TV.
Surprisingly the 34 Avion is just about the same dry weight as the 31 Aistream.
If you can find a nice one, buy it.
Yup! We fulltimed in a 1984 Avion 34' for 14 years, logging more than 200,000 miles on the trailer. NEVER had a problem with frame, axles, bearings, floor or hardly anything else structural. Spent a Winter at 8500' in Granby CO with maximum low temp of 36 degrees below zero.
We owned 3 airstreams before the Avion. I agree with you about the cabinetry. I was a bit concerned when we first bought it used. I thought for sure we would see some loosening of the cabinets. After 200,000 miles, they were all as tight as the day we bought it. I believe they were the best trave trailers ever built in this country....bulletproof.
So why did we get a 5er with slides?
I guess it was time for us to learn about ongoing maintenance.
I agree with halibutman214. We looked for a long time before we bought our Lance. We went in so many TT's where we walked in and saw so many things that didn't fit right or were made of such cheap materials that we'd just turn around and walk out. When I buy a TT I want one that will last and I'm willing to pay a little more to get that.
The only source of RV Reviews, that does not accept ads from the industry is the RV Consumer Group.
But to me, more importantly is their publication on how to inspect and RV and what to look for, in quality, for yourself. Knowledge is your friend.
For me, the best made rig there is, New Horizon (I think they stopped building travel trailers, so you would be only looking at used). But they are really expensive.
I would also recommend looking only at firms that build their own frames (or use select builders). These include, New Horizon, Excel by Peterson, Northwood (Nash, Arctic Fox, etc), NuWa and a few others.
We looked at, literally, every builder available in the west when we were looking last year. There are a number of rigs out there that look great, some of them are even built well. One of the things we decided was the "splash" feature were not important to us. So things like stained-glass door inserts were not important to us, real quality was.
The problem was, so many of the "real" quality (made) rigs, also had lots (and sometimes LOTS) of splash.
For us, the best value was Northwood's Arctic Fox
2008 F350SD V10 with an 2012 Arctic Fox 29-5E When someone tells you to buy the same rig they own, listen, they might be right. When they tell you to buy a different rig then they own, really pay attention, they probably know something you don't.
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