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Old 12-04-2018, 09:30 PM   #41
cookinwitdiesel
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My personal experience researching everything to death and going inside a lot of TT models at 3 different dealerships and one show back in September:

High-end lines: Sprinter, Outback, Laredo

Mid-range: Hideout, Cougar

Low-end: Springdale

I did not go inside EVERY model line but it was pretty clear what the "rankings" were.

I actually found the Hideout to be kind of an interesting value. It IS low priced but is somewhat nicely appointed I thought. We found an awesome deal on our 28RKS ($19k new) which made it an excellent starting out trailer for my family (first RV). The under mounted metal sink went a long way with me and my perception of quality. Porcelain toilet is also nice. The new hideouts include a power tongue jack and moryde steps too which I am jealous of! I did end up upgrading my manual jack to a power jack.

Some things to consider that it is easy to overlook when shopping:
-Quality of cabinet construction
-Flex in flooring due to construction
-Framing and sidewall materials

We bought our Hideout at the end of fall and actually have yet to camp in it but I expect to use it for a couple years before the urge to upgrade overcomes me I anticipate is ending up in either an Outback (there is a 330RL at our local CW that I have sat in a few times, it is slick) or a GD Reflections - they are a well regarded brand. The Laredo is also a good option with a lot more floor plans than the Sprinter line. Two things I really like on the Laredo is they have awesome outdoor kitchens and those nice big showers.

It is important to identify what floor plan will make the most sense for your needs and then identify what brands have a similar floor plan. If you look around enough online you will start to see there are really only like 5 floor plans that get recycled shamelessly by the RV companies.

Something else to take into account, there are a lot of small upgrades you can do that will greatly improve the appearance and perceived luxury of your trailer. A couple such upgrades I did in mine included metal (looking but still plastic) fixtures for the bathroom sink and shower along with a new shower hose and head. I did also add an igniter to my stove because spending nearly $20k to light a stove with a match just grated me. The mattress was embarrassing and had to be replaced.

Hope that helps some!
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Old 12-05-2018, 02:12 PM   #42
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After reading over the previous posts there was some good information, but I feel it is a bit misleading. Within some of the model lines there are super lite models, mid profile models, full profile models, and trim levels. I have no solutions as to ranking them.

The first two things a perspective buyer need to define is; do you need a unit rated for full time and under what climate conditions. After that your budget and personal preferences will take over. If you are new to this there are four season, sub zero, rated units out there with 3" walls, most are under 2 inches.
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Old 12-08-2018, 06:54 AM   #43
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Originally Posted by Gegrad View Post
Oh, I know.. my comment was just more toward the "eyes rolling" nature of how much less they are in real life than the "starting MSRP" listed on the website.
I received an email from Camping World this morning, announcing their "end of year inventory clearance sale"... Essentially what it said was, "Select travel trailers up to 35% off MSRP and select fifth wheel trailers up to 40% off MSRP, Class C RV's up to 45% off MSRP and select Class A motorhomes up to 43% off MSRP.

So, Camping World is having a "Clearance Sale" on last year's models and probably some "mistakes they ordered and can't sell" for up to almost half off the MSRP. You can bet your bottom dollar, that not one of them will be sold at a loss !!!!!

As a note, even the high end clothing stores and Bass Pro have similar sales with similar pricing. Gives me a "warm fuzzy" about the "price gouge" between wholesale and retail pricing..... YMMV
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Old 11-14-2019, 08:32 AM   #44
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You can essentially use the MSRP and length to determine the "price per foot" of each brand and each model. You can't use "only the MSRP" because a trailer line starting at 16,000 and a trailer line starting at 23,000 may not reflect the cheapest built (yes, I used "cheapest" to describe it purposely) trailer may not be the 16,000 one if that line starts at 16' and the 23,000 line starts at 30'. Calculating the two, the "cheapest" trailer would be the 23,000 line at 766 per foot vs the 16,000 line at 1,000 per foot.....

Put on your "Sherlock spectacles" and do your homework.....

Start here: https://www.keystonerv.com/showroom/
Sorry to drag up an old thread but was just looking for this information. I used John's suggestion and created a spreadsheet based on current model offerings and MSRP. They are in order from most to least expensive. If that is an indicator of the order of quality then here it is.
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Old 11-14-2019, 09:09 AM   #45
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Originally Posted by jsb5717 View Post
Sorry to drag up an old thread but was just looking for this information. I used John's suggestion and created a spreadsheet based on current model offerings and MSRP. They are in order from most to least expensive. If that is an indicator of the order of quality then here it is.
That's a good "first step" at determining cost per foot. Remember that when comparing fifth wheels to travel trailers, you've got to consider the extra costs associated with fifth wheels (more complex frame structure, etc).

Additionally, remember that "value", "cost", "quality" and "investment" are all different ways to calculate "quality"....

Keep in mind that as trailers get longer, the components in them must also get stronger (thicker frame, wider chassis rails, etc), so the bigger a trailer, the more it costs the manufacturer to buy the raw materials used to build it.

As an example, a 34' Montana might be built on an 8" frame, a 37' Montana might be built on a 10" frame and a 43' Montana might be built on a 12" DROP frame.... That would dramatically change the "frame costs" on trailers in the same line with very similar options on interior "what you see" construction.

So, consider the "whole trailer" not just the "price per foot".....

I've seen some "very expensive junk" and some "inexpensive, quality trailers"...
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Old 11-14-2019, 09:56 AM   #46
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Yep, I think it's a challenging exercise to provide any accurate gauge of quality. Part of the equation has to be the hands that put it together. As we've already seen, you can put 3 identical trailers side by side and on one end have zero issues and high customer satisfaction. On the other side you can have multiple trips back to the dealer to solve all kinds of dysfunction. The "quality" of the trailers are identical in spec, but different in time spent, or attention given, to assemble them well. Higher end materials poorly assembled still creates havoc for the owner, driving down satisfaction, increasing online complaining, etc. The end result is still a lower quality product.

A lot of the cost of a rig can also be solely cosmetic. The bones and assembly can be sound but there are a lot of finishes that can add a lot of cost without necessarily impacting quality of build.

Customer satisfaction might be one of the better gauges of quality. If I knowingly purchase a rig with fewer cosmetic enhancements because I decide that I don't need to spend the extra dollars on those things in order to enjoy my trailer, but I am happy with the function and performance of my purchase, then I might say that my rig is good quality since, to me, it is a good value.

As John said, there are different ways to measure satisfaction that might translate into "quality". To me, if the rig performs as promised, that is quality.
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Old 11-16-2019, 10:02 AM   #47
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I guess that's a good starting point t. My Keystone Hideout TT is a 39 foot model. Base was around $32,000. We're set up in a member owned campground. Never moves. We stay from April 1st to first week of December. Works well for the two of us and our 50 Lb. Goldendoodle!
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Old 11-16-2019, 01:33 PM   #48
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This site does give a rating as well

https://www.keystonerv.com/fifth-wheels/
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