Opinions needed

[morgan loves minnie]

Hi All - I am going to post this on an RV board too, but wanted to get some opinions here too.

We have fallen in love with the Fort (after staying in the cabins twice) and are now within a few weeks of purchasing our first travel trailer. We want to be able to bring our dogs with us and have also been checking out local campgrounds.

We will be driving from NJ and will be bringing a second car. There are 4 of us (husband, myself and two girls 4 and 6) plus the dogs so we just won't all fit in my husband's truck for the long ride.

We have narrowed our search down to two TTs and wanted to get some opinions other than the sales persons whose is selling the trailers (they are at two different dealerships, so of course each thinks theirs is the best). We will be towing with a Ford F150 V8 5.4L with the 3.73 rear.

Here are our two:

1. Starcraft Autumn Ridge 256 BHS
No TV included, no hitch work included
Quoted a price of $18,818

2. Keystone Springdale 267BHSSR
TV included, weight distribution hitch work included in price
Power package included
Quoted a price of $18,500

First of all - do you think these prices are good or should we try to negotiate more? Second, do you think either of these are good choices? Third, would you pick one over the other?

We compared stuff like construction, materials used, roofs, undercarriage, etc. but none of these things are going to tell you which camper will be the best to actually camp with as far as things like hook-ups, set up, etc. We have never owned a TT before, so we are new to all of this.

Thanks for any help.

 

[LONE-STAR]

I like the keystone better for a few reasons after looking at the pics on the net.

1. It looks like it has more out door storage compartments
2. I like that wrap around style dinette better
3. I like that the TV stand puts the TV in the middle and not the top. Our's is up high and I get tired of looking up.
4. I like that you get more counter space in the kitchen.

These are just a few things I saw based on floor plans. We are on our 2nd trailer, the first one I never liked the floor plan the 2nd one we got right. Its hard to know what you like until you use it.

 

[disney4dan]

I like the floor plan of the Keystone, features look nice. However, I've never compared or looked at a Starcraft (not many in the area). I have a Keystone Passport Ultralite and do think that the Jayco models offer much better quality - see my earlier posts and what some of us have gone through with Keystone trailers. I lucked out and got a great dealer with good service department. We used to own a Jayco and the quality is noticeably different.

If I read it correctly, the Keystone Springdale looks like total weight is in the range of just under 9000 pounds, which seems fairly heavy. I did not find the specs on the Starcraft.

With that much weight, I would double check the tow ratings on the F-150 and also check to see what kind of tires you have on the truck. You'll want something with more sidewall strength than regular passenger tires if you put that much weight behind you. Get a quality hitch that gives you sway control as well.

If you are new to towing, read up some more on places like this and Rv.net and put on the BS filter glasses to sort out the good from the bad. Lots of information, some good, some bad, but plenty to sort through. Read up on trailer sway and how to minimize the chances of it happening.

 

[disney4dan]

Also, forgot to mention earlier - check the locations of the grey/black water dump. Our connection for this is very low to the ground and is a PITA to deal with at most campgrounds. When the trailer is level, the connection for the sewer hose is close enough to the ground that we can not use our portable tank to transfer to a dump station when we have a partial hookup site.

I am trying to figure out how much work it will be to change the height of that connection.

 

[LarryJ]

I like the floor plan of the Keystone, features look nice. However, I've never compared or looked at a Starcraft (not many in the area). I have a Keystone Passport Ultralite and do think that the Jayco models offer much better quality - see my earlier posts and what some of us have gone through with Keystone trailers. I lucked out and got a great dealer with good service department. We used to own a Jayco and the quality is noticeably different.

If I read it correctly, the Keystone Springdale looks like total weight is in the range of just under 9000 pounds, which seems fairly heavy. I did not find the specs on the Starcraft.

With that much weight, I would double check the tow ratings on the F-150 and also check to see what kind of tires you have on the truck. You'll want something with more sidewall strength than regular passenger tires if you put that much weight behind you. Get a quality hitch that gives you sway control as well.

If you are new to towing, read up some more on places like this and Rv.net and put on the BS filter glasses to sort out the good from the bad. Lots of information, some good, some bad, but plenty to sort through. Read up on trailer sway and how to minimize the chances of it happening.

I agree you need to watch the weights of the TT you are considering and what the tow rating and receiver rating on you truck is along with the trucks GVWR. I can't comment until I see some ratings and wts. of the TT you are considering and I need links to those trailers so I can determine what they mean.

It's good you are at leasting asking questions before just buying and hoping for the best.

Larry

 

[morgan loves minnie]

Thanks for the input.

Yes, weight is definitely a concern. I'd have to double check with my husband, but I believe the GVWR on his truck is about 7,500 or 8,000???

I know both trailers would be too heavy fully loaded, but that is why we plan on taking a second car. We wouldn't all fit comfortably in my husband's truck for that long of a ride anyway, so most of the extra weight will be carried in my SUV (kids, dogs, and most luggage). We plan to food shop once we get where we're going, so won't be transporting too much in the trailer.

Here is a link for the Springdale specs - the model we are looking at is under the East Coast TT 267BHSSR

http://keystone-springdale.com/index.php?page=specs

Here is the link for the Starcraft specs - model 256

http://www.autumnridgerv.com/travel_trailer_specifications.html

Any other suggestions at light TT with bunks and slide outs (we need the space with two kids and four dogs)? We're still looking, so not totally sold on anything yet. We do like the dealership that carries the Keystone better - they also have a much better reputation around here and have been in business a very long time.

Thanks again.