Been kicking around the idea of a travel trailer purchase in the next ~year or so. We love to camp, but tent camping is getting old. And, the "comfortable" tent season in TX is pretty narrow. I've been doing considerable research across all the big players and frankly I'm disappointed in the build quality I'm finding. The layouts are clever, but the workmanship seems shoddy and poor. Also seems like they cut corners wherever possible to save cost.

Anyone have any brands they've been particularly pleased with? And, on the flip side, anybody have any horror stories of brands they'd avoid.

For reference, the layout I'd most likely end up with is a TT in the 28 to 32' range, double beds in rear, one slide. Thanks all.

That huge RV place west of Katy on I10 rents trailers.

I planned on buying on this spring and did a fair amount of looking and research. Seems the Grand Design is the best built but comes at a price. Even then that doesn’t mean you won’t have issues it just limits your risk. There are all kinds of stuff to look for...we had decided on a Heartland Torque T32 but had not found one in our price range.

Renting at $150 to $300 a night sure beats buying one in my book.

I have a forest river Wildwood. We like it a lot but yeah, they are built cheap and all pretty much made by the same couple of manufacturers.

If you are looking for quality then get a Airsteam but you'll pay for it and loose some space that the cheaper ones have.

I bought a new Keystone economy type trailer in 2006 when kids were little and we got tired of tent camping. Had it for 7 years, loved it. My parents were long time RV'rs, bought nothing new, and my Dad spent a lot of time wrenching on their last motor home.

What I would say is this. Short of an Airstream pretty much all cracker box style trailers have about a 10 year life expectancy. Nicer trailers are nicer, but they are basically just polished turds.....Circuit boards on fridges go out, roofs are rubber, frames and subfloor etc are not the most sturdy, etc. Couple that with the fact they generally get parked outside and bounced down the highway a lot things start to rot, detiorate and come loose. Few years into mine I had the fridge warrantied. Also got in the habit of taking a screw driver every so often to tighten screws inside and outside that were coming loose. Not a stranger to pulling trailers or rv's and it seems like pretty regularly I would knock a roof vent loose getting under a tree, fixing loose, broken pipes inside and out, etc.

My advice is this. Buy an entry level model new with warranty - something like this maybe based on your criteria mentioned above bunkhouse. Leave some room to grow. Ours was fine, then we had another kid and things got cramped.

Don't think there is a lot of difference in the brands. Pick one your wife likes and use it.

We had an Airstream 31' Classic, which we used for about 45 nights a year for three years. The only repairs needed were replacing an exterior faucet that was leaking and a light fixture which came loose after time on the road. The materials used in construction were excellent quality.

A general comment about any RV, they depreciate very fast. Many people buy one, use it a few times, then put it in storage for a few years until they decide to sell it. Watch ebay and the RV sales forums for one that is at least 3 - 4 years old, but lightly used and kept under cover. They are out there and the sellers can be highly motivated to sell. List price on ours was over $90,000, but I paid $33,000 for it. There were a few stains on the carpet and it was a bit musty from being in storage, but otherwise it was like new. With a little sweat, elbow grease, and letting it air out in the sun, it sparkled and was only 1/3 the price of new. Change the tires on an unit that has been sitting in storage.

After using it for three years, we sold it for $3,000 less than we paid for it.

So, looking for a lightly used one is worth the effort. The key is to look at a lot of them to figure out what you really want. Sit in it for an hour or two and consider closet and storage space for kitchen items, pantry, storage of items of daily life like cleaning materials, paper towels, toilet paper, suitcases, clothes, blankets, and the other odds and ends of daily life.

Bottom line - we loved our Airstream and definitely will have another when we have more time in the future.

As far as rent vs buy. Probably cheaper to rent unless you have a place to park it and use it a lot. Kind of the reason we didn't replace ours when it got totaled(aside from fact my wife used insurance money to put new hardwood in the house) is we looked at it and decided we'd come out ahead just VRBO'ing cabins or houses on trips and not have the headache or payment of an RV.

I tent camp now again mostly when hunting and fishing. Not a big deal, but there are weekends I miss that trailer....may get another one before too long.

If you are wanting something built with quality and durability then check out New Horizons. Also check out the Escapees forum. For quality you want to go with what people full-time in.

Your typical RV places are going to have inventory for the weekenders.


Many recreational users also do not take care of their RVs.

Be handy with tools and your hands. Quality control is terrible on all of them.

I tent camp now after a stint with an RV and popup. The cost per night on an RV is too high if you have to pay storage. I just camp in TX from October to May and stay in a hotel or cabin with AC during the summer. I had a Jayco and even though I could fix the issues they do need maintenance.

I work at a motor home dealership. We recently took on new bumper pulls and the are not very well built. Most 5th are the same since they are all made by the same companies.. The expensive 5th wheels are a little better but you will loose 50% of the purchase price the first year or two. We have a bumper pull with bunks we are taking our last trip in this weekend. We didn't have major problems but changing where we hunt and how we travel.

If you get one just expect things are going to pop up you have to take care of. In Texas try your best to find one with 50 amp service and two AC units. It is no fun to be hot all day.

If looking for nice used RVs....watch the coastal areas around Rockport. After Harvey destroyed their homes many people bought new RVs and parked them on property while they rebuilt. After moving back in their homes many people want the RVs gone and let em go CHEAP esp those in subdivisions that have tight restrictions that were waved till rebuild was complete. I bought a 32ft that was only 7mo old that is immaculate and loaded for 15K...it sold new for 32K. If one chooses to go that route....have cash on hand. My seller wanted 18K but settled for 15 CASH

This is why I go "cabining" and not tent or RV camping anymore. The quality and depreciation for the dollars spent doesn't make financial sense.

On another note I put mine at my lake property.....it doesn’t move and is under a carport.

I always figured I could stay in a nice hotel or use VRBO for much less money and hassle.
To each his own.

Yea, me too. I've owned 4 Travel Trailers and seems like something was always broke or going out. Plus you have to remember the cost of insurance, I'll just rent a cabin or stay at a motel.

It’s an apartment on wheels made of materials that were never meant to be towed down the road at 70mph. They are all over priced junk. My in-laws just bought a Grand Design. It’s fancy, but still an over priced box on wheels. My guess would be a 5,000-15,000 Mile life span on most of them.

My uncle had a custom built triple axle, it’s 23,000 pounds and solid as a rock. He also paid near $90k for it and the inside is nothing special. Put your money into the build and not the fancy stuff

If I wanted to go the travel trailer route, I would buy an enclosed trailer or a horse trailer with a living section. At least the trailer and shell would be well built.

Get a Wells Cargo enclosed box trailer, add an AC unit and build the inside to suit your lifestyle. It is NOT pretty, but functional and well built. Just don't over build the inside, it will be used as a getaway from reality, it is not a second home, if you need all of the comforts of home you might as well stay home. Camping is not crawling in a trailer, turning on the AC and TV.

We had a 26’ 1966 Airstream Overlander for over 20 years (about 1985 to 2010). It was amazing. Took some time and effort, but it lasted and lasted. I sold it for $1000 more than I paid for it. I just had run out of energy to fix what needed fixing on a 44 year old travel trailer. Now we have a Grand Design 2150RB, and have used it for about a year. Maybe 4000 miles on it so far. I had to take it in for a bad fridge and for a recall on the electric tongue jack, but that’s it so far. I only have good things to say about it. Maybe in a few years I’ll have a different story. We’ll see. Will the GD last 44 years like the Airstream did? I sincerely doubt it.

Would I buy another Airstream? Well, I like that it would have lower wind resistance. Towing the old Airstream was effortless. The Grand Design sits higher and catches the wind more, but that hasn’t been a problem so far. Recently, when coming back from the Panhandle, the cross wind was howling at 30 mph or so, but it didn’t cause any white knuckling. What I like about the GD is the slide out and floor plan. More spacious than the Airstream. What would the wife say? She’d say she loves the GD, but misses the bathtub that was in the Airstream. Women love a bathtub.

Just the word trailer is your clue. Commercialized assembly line junk.

We had a Starcraft Antigua, hybrid trailer that was an 05 and sold last year. Good camper for a small family but they all have their own issues. I was constantly doing maintenance & preventative maintenance but we enjoyed it and would consider it a good quality camper.
Doesn’t matter what you buy, you’ll end up having your own set of issues.. Keep in mind that he sun and the hwy will cause a lot of wear and tear. I was excited the day we got it and the day we sold it. Lots of great memories too.

I've toyed with idea with converting a livestock or cargo trailer. Kind of depends on what you are looking for. Heavy duty, weatherproof place to sleep and tote stuff I think it is a good idea. Haven't costed it out but seems like the time and money you would invest making it wife, kid friendly with facilities and plenty of room you are better off with a travel trailer.

Camping is what you want it to be. I enjoy roughing it but can't say I don't enjoy State Parking with an RV where I can stay clean and sleep under an A/C. Think I slept better in my RV than I do at the house. Turn A/C down to meat locker and crawl under a sleeping bag.

I don't know which brands are the best out there right now, but I would stay away from the "Lite" or "Ultra Lite" styles. They have a lot of the corners cut to save on weight.