travel trailer help

[Carrie Ellis]

We really could use some veteran advice on purchasing a travel trailer!!

This week is the decision week! My husband has a coworker who is saling his travel trailer. We have looked at it, looked up it's value on NADA and now we are thinking it over.

It is a 1993 Terry Fleetwood. The inside looks great w/ just a little wear. The outside needs paint. It has newer tires-he put 2 new ones on last year. He put a new 23 foot awning on it, new roof (what ever that coating is) and it has been tuned up on a regular basis.

He is asking $5000 for it. Low retail is around $5400.

He is a coworker and I don't want to offend him so we are taking it slow. He called tonight and he said that someone else will buy it if we don't want it. He told us to let him know by next week.

He is getting a copy of the title because their house burned down last year. I really want him to have that in his hands before we make an agreement.

What do you think of the price??? Is it too old?

I will feel better w/ the Dis advice!

 

[parmtoo]

It sounds like a good deal price wise, nata is pretty accurate.
Does have everything your family needs? What is the weight? Is it safe for your tow vehichel? If your comfortable with towing, and happy with the price, then go for it!

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

Make sure the tires and brakes are in good operating condition. All of the systems should be checked as well including, heat, air conditioning, water heater, LP system and electrical.
It may be inyour best interest to have an RV technician give you an opinion on the mechanicals. Some of the repairs that may seem minor at first can add up to a lot of $$$$
find out an accurate weight for the unit and make certain that your vehicle can handle it, many RVers feel that anything over 80% of the vehicles rating is too much.
If you have any specific questions fell free to post them.

Good Luck

 

[Carrie Ellis]

Oh!!! such good info!

What do you think about the "retail value"? Since we are not buying it from a dealer, how much under retail should a person pay. I really don't feel like we should pay "retail" even the low end. I will tell my husband about the 80% deal.

We stopped today and looked at some new ones so that we have a comparison. One we looked at weighed 7000 lbs and our truck tows up to 7500 lbs. That is a good point.

At the dealer lot the sales man said that aluminum/wood travel trailers will not hold up w/ lots of travel. Is that true? He said the insulation fall down in the walls from all the moving.

He said the fiberglass trailers are made were that will not happen and we did notice the price of the used fiberglass ones are about the same price as the new aluminum ones.

Do dealers come down of their price? They had sticker price of MSRP 24K and their price of 16,900.

Thank you so much.

 

[ftwildernessguy]

Personally I would avoid a used TT. You are taking a big risk when it comes to some of the systems which can be very expensive to repair/replace. That is just my opinion. I also don't like to buy used items from friends/family members. It tends to strain relationships.

I have gotten some very good deals on TT at dealerships by buying last year's models. They are new, under full warranty, and generally many thousands less than new mainly because the dealer wants to get them off the lot. I have yet to find a dealer that didn't have at least one on the lot at any given time of the year. I now have a 2001 Jayco Kiwi 21c which I bought in 2002 for several thousand under the original price. It has been fantastic. The only catch - I was going to buy a 17 foot but had to buy the 21 since that was the model he had left over. However, I actually paid much less for the 21 foot than I would have for the 17 foot model.

Weight is VERY IMPORTANT. Really look into things like towing capacity of your vehicle and how it was determined. This weight usually includes the weight of passengers and luggage. Also, the wet weight of your trailer is the trailer plus dealer installed options plus full tanks but does not include all the junk we have a tendancy to pack them with. Things add up fast. I think the 80% guideline is a good place to start. The best advice - Shop Around!

Good Luck!

 

[Carrie Ellis]

Thanks! Keep it coming! We are very new at this!

I would like to find us something in the middle ground as far as top of the line vs $$$. My husband does not want other people's problems and he is leaning toward a new one. He was deployed last year (reservist) so we have to not get in over our heads because there is always a chance that he could get called up again. It is not too likely but.....

Anyway, what is a well built trailer that you would recommend? We have 4 kids so I want a queen/full and a bunk at least. The coworker trailer we looked at has everything we need but it is a 1993.

I have heard the Terry Fleetwoods are good and I found a moderate priced one called Jayco 27BH online...we need to look at those since you like yours so much. Aluminum vs fiberglass?

Thank you again again and again!

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

The trailer is worth whatever someone will pay for it. The best way to check the value is to look around for comparable units and see what they are going for. While pricing guidelines are helpful they sometimes dont take into account regional economic conditions etc.
Personally I have a truck rated to pull an 8000# trailer. Our rig weighed 5000# new, after the add ons and equipment we are at 6000# leaving on vacation. I would not consider towing anything heavier with this truck. Just because it can, doesnt mean you should. Another thing to consider is the length of the trailer, a short wheelbase truck (Tahoe etc) will not handle as well as a Suburban or a crew cab because of the length of the vehicle. The longer tow vehicle will be more stable.
If you are considering a new unit the idea about purchasing a "last years model" is an excellent way to save money and still get the warranty. Do your homework on the dealer also, they are not all equal. Ask around and see what others in your area say.
While a warranty is nice a crummy dealer can make the process more difficult.
I personally have an aluminum Fleetwood trailer, all things being equal I would take the fiberglass. My experience was that they were more $$$. If you can get one for the same price I say go for the fiberglass.

Hope that helps.

Scott

 

[parmtoo]

In 2001 we bought a new 2000 Keystone Cougar 5th whell. We saved over $4000. We love it.
Keystone has a nice line of lite weight campers that you may want to check out. www.keystonerv.com:bounce:
Robin

 

[NHMickey]

Call your local dealer and ask for a book value on the unit. Don't go by Nada.com as it will only show retails and not wholesale. Did he put a new roof on or just coat the old roof? And why a new awning? $5000 is not a bad price but as others have said make sure everthing works on both lp and 110 that should work on those two items. A new fridge or water heater can add a lot to the cost.

 

[Carrie Ellis]

NHMickey,

Thanks, He said he put a new roof on it. Not a coating. I guess it did not have a awning.

Their house burned down last year and he does not have the title on hand. He said he was to go get a copy or a new one this last weekend. I would like the tiltle in his hands before we make a deal...if we do.

When I go on the NADA website and click on 1993, Terry, 29S it prices it w/ an awning, air, etc... and it says that it is 30ft in length. When I click on 1992 you must add awning, air, etc... and the trailer is 29ft.

Well when we asked the coworker how long it was he said 29ft. Well I am wondering if it is a 1992 and he bought it in 1993. Because he "added" a canopy and the length issue. That is why I would like the title on hand.

If it is a 1992, It is worth a little less and I do worry about something going out. He seems to take care of it.

What do you think about calling the bank and asking what the value would be? Would a dealership do that for us?

 

[NHMickey]

I am an RV dealer. I would be be a little concerned about the roof. Why was it replaced? Was it done by him or a dealer. But the big question is why and was anything else wrong.

As for a value. It would depend on shape. Any dealer should give you the true book value on it. As for its year. Well in 92 you had to order everthing you wanted. In 93 till now you got air awning and microwave as a package. But he may still have a 93 just an early model 93.

Does the unit have bunks in the back with a queen bed up front? That is a 29s model. You can check the year of a coach on the side of it by looking at the date it was made. Most models change in june and july of any given year. I now have 2005's on my lot.

As long as the roof is in good shape it sounds like a good deal. Little high but not bad.

 

[Carrie Ellis]

NHMickey, You have been a world of help. Thanks a lot. I am going definitely going to ask him about the roof.

It does have the bunks and the queen. Perfect for our family...4 kids and us. It is clean. The only thing that is not working is the stereo. That is no big deal.

Would you mind telling me what a new frig, water heater or anything else major that might go out on this age of a trailer, would cost?

I was thinking of offering him $4700 if this is a 93. I don't want to offend him. I am going call and get the value first.

Thank you!!!!

 

[sheilap]

Hi, there:

We just bought a 2003 (new) Jayco Kiwi 21C, which is a hybrid TT - the beds on the ends are like a popup, but the body is just like a regular TT. We have a queen at one end, double on the other end, and two bunk beds. We really liked the hybrid style because you don't lose a lot of space with sleeping quarters.

In any case, I did a lot of research before taking the plunge from two sites...www.hybridexplorer.com and www.trailerlife.com. Check them out...lots of good info.

Good luck!

 

[Carrie Ellis]

sheilap,

Thanks, we will definitely look at the Jayco this weekend. I like their website because you can actually get an idea on price. Was your 2003 on a rv lot? I was hoping to get a heck of a deal on a 2004 but I bet a 2003 would be better!

 

[sheilap]

Yep, it was at a dealership. The 2005 units have just started coming in, and they were ready to deal on a 2003.

I think that both of the sites I mentioned have classified ads for buying and selling - maybe you can check them out and see if there is anything near you.

I know how nerve-wracking it can be trying to decide. It's a big decision, and DH and I were constantly second guessing ourselves. We finally just decided to go with our gut feeling.

Good luck on your search - you sound like somebody who does her homework, so I'm sure that when you do make a decision it will be a well-informed one.

 

[Carrie Ellis]

Thanks Sheilap,

I have already scoped out your sites! ha! I will be so educated by the time it is said and done. We are leaning toward a Jayco Jay Flight 27BH, Jayco Jay Feather LGT 27P or Jayco Jay Flight 29FBS for a family of 6 (3 boys who will only grow!). Mainly because they seem to have a good reputation w/ out the big price. I hope I am right. It is hard to shop when you only have the weekends and 4 kids. We would like to use it for our FW trip in Sept. I would either go w/ the coworkers used or a new one. If we flip out the cash for a new at least we have a warranty. I worry about buying a used since we are newbies.

Everyone has been a ton of help!

 

[NHMickey]

Being a dealer myself and the inventory manager of the one I work for I can tell you.... If youfind a 2003 (new) you should get a great deal. We are blowing out our 2004's now so even those should be a good deal. You are in VA so the season is a little longer than here in the great white north but a 2005 is a hard sell if it is sitting next to a 2004. Dealers need to move them... Good luck.

I am not a jayco dealer but I do like the product and the company.

 

[ftwildernessguy]

I really like my Jayco. The hybrids tend to be a little on the heavy side when compared to similar size hybrids of different makes, but I am impressed by the internal finish and cabinets. We have had minimal problems with ours.

 

[JCJRSmith]

Carrie,

Check out my web site (in my signature). I have a lot of pictures of our Jayco Kiwi 23B (same as the Jay Flight 23B). It may give you an idea of what to expect in a hybrid. We just brought our Kiwi to FW last month and had a GREAT time. Like FTWILDERNESSGUY, I like the fit and finish of the Jayco products, and our dealer was great.

 

[Carrie Ellis]

Thanks so much!