Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Which Travel Trailer - Coleman or Jayco?

Look at 10 year old rvs and see what they look like. My arctic fox is 18 years old and still solid as they come even after being drug through hell. I broke 3 wheels last year alone.

How the used models hold up is where you should look.

They all are built cheap and lose value at an alarming rate.
I'd buy a nice used unit. Usually some good deals on 2-4 year old units that have only been out a few times.

A good buddy bought one from a local dealer. He has sued them I think three times. 😂

I have a 2008 Jayco. It has had a few issues, but so far all small things I've handled.

We went with a used but as new Lance, a smaller 1575, and are pleased. Clearly a better build than some of the other we looked at.

That "fiberglass" outter skin is called Filon, they all use exactly the same schit so they can be easily repaired by any shop when you bump, bang and wreck them.

You buy it by the foot, comes in eight and a half foot widths.
I keep it stock piled, ever since I started repairing these things everyone I know brings me theirs to fix when they f_uck them up.

In 30 years I've yet to see much difference in how different brands are built. They all use exactly the same materials. They're like mobile homes but held together with glue instead of nails.

Of the two you show, I like the layout of the Jayco better. We bought a new K-Z Spree in 2018 and I'll tell you, at any gathering of RV owners, the main topics of conversation are: All of the crap wrong with their trailers and all the trouble they've had getting their dealer to fix it. We've put some miles on ours and it took two sets of bent axles before I was able to convince them to upgrade.
Other issues, all related to build quality, I have been able to address successfully. You will want to mouse-proof your trailer before they move in! For your tow vehicle, avoid the Andersen Hitch; it's a POS. Anything else is better.
We own a campground; there are three Jayco trailers and their owners are just as happy as anyone else. One of them puts some miles on his and he has no complaints. He has been using the same trailer for 12 years now. GD

Silicone is terrible. For 1 thing, once you've used it, you can't use anything else as it leaves a film that nothing else will stick to. I was a roofer for quite a few years. We used polyurethane. It's a better leak fixer than silicone and it impervious to UV. It's harder to find but worth the effort.

Another vote for the Outdoors RV, don't currently have one but a hunting buddy does and he has had good luck with it.

Lance isn't what it used to be. I know 2 guys with Lance pickup campers and both have had problems. Once has had leaks and the other electrical.

I've had good luck with Jayco, but I have not bought anything in years.

I had a 2015 Jayco White Hawk 24 RGB model, with the center kitchen sink console. Great unit, no major problems whatsoever. Tows really well. I would recommend the Jayco line from past experience.

Industry wide, QC is so abhorrent that brand discussion isn't worth much. They all turn out crap on a regular basis. Factory and dealer support is generally lacking as well. It's not too easy as a consumer to spot problems on the dealer lot. It's a roll of the dice. If any industry suffers worse QC across the board, I am not aware of it. RV industry QC makes Ruger QC look like a gold standard.

One last little thing.
If you end up going with the Jayco see if you can negotiate in having them install small window awnings for the two large windows on the slide out. It'd cost them around 350 to 400 bucks.

They're nice to have, without them if you were to leave either of those two windows open (which can be very desirable) and it were to rain, everything by those windows will get soaked.

We ended up going with a Heartland North Trail 29BH....Taking delivery in two weeks as it’s coming in from the factory...

https://heartlandrvs.com/rv-model/north-trail-29bhp/

Looks like a good floorplan. I dig the pantry, too.

Lance has a great reputation; probably on the of best out there. Arctic seems to make a pretty solid unit as well. My son traded his 29 Forest River for a 19 Jayco with bunks. Just the two of them and don’t travel more than 4 hours away.

They are all garbage. Camping in a trailer is code for fixing your trailer every trip.
Be handy, or go VRBO.

We looked at an aspen trail 2810bh or something in 2019 for $19,600 new. The same one this summer is $33,000. We've never had one before and aren't sure if we will like it so we keep dragging our feet.

I'm not sure if it's worth it to travel with one. Get terrible mileage and then pay to park it 5 feet away from some random strangers in a campground. Seems like it might be easier to just keep renting hotel rooms with a real shower and a pool.

The more I think about it the more I think I'd prefer a smaller one that I can just take up to the woods and park it without hookups. Probably would enjoy one more just for local camping trips than for traveling.

I just poured a 17' by 76' RV pad next to the garage this week and I have a 50 Amp electrical hookup on it. Now my friends with camp trailers can come visit and park it there while they go to Yellowstone and Jackson and stuff.

If prices come back down I think I'll start looking for about a 23' model with bunks in the back. My mom worked for Dutchman for several years and could have got me one at employee pricing which was around half of MSRP. I had no interest in one at the time because I was a more minimalist type camper before I had kids. I probably should have bought a few and flipped them.


Bb

Buy/build a cabin. Appreciating assets always Trump depreciating assets.

Scamp

Cabins are more maintenance than fun, and always parked in the same place.

That said, if I could buy/build a cabin for under 15g, I most definitely would!
Til then, being handy has allowed us to camp in the desert and mountains and everywhere in between.

Then sell the camper for same money as paid several years later.

YMMV.