2nd thoughts....too late now

albertr · 03-05-2012, 08:22 AM

We have a 2011 290rl Avalanche. In hindsight I would have bought a 5th wheel with an enclosed bathroom and one that was a lot lighter like say
a Cougar 318SAB. Would take a real beating to exchange it now. Anyone else ever do that?

**JRTJH** · 03-05-2012, 09:29 AM

I think everyone has some issue with "second thoughts". Usually not as dramatic as wanting to exchange RV's, but wishing some additional feature could have been added, or deleted. Your experience says mountains about the need to carefully consider all the options before committing to purchase. One of the considerations for all of us is the bath configuration. Having an open bath floorplan doesn't fit some people's lifestyle just as having a closed bath floorplan doesn't meet the needs of some. Personally, we spend very little time in the bathroom, so it's not a part of the RV that we want to devote a lot of space to. Those square feet are better used as part of the living area, at least for us. The bedroom is also a space we spend only a few hours daily, so having a comfortable mattress is more important to us than having space to walk around in the bedroom.

A comfortable, efficient kitchen, enough space to "get out of each other's way" and to have some space where one can go on a rainy day where nobody needs to "crawl over you" to get to their space is probably the level of convenience we look for in an RV.

Having owned a number of different floorplans and RV types, we pretty much knew what we wanted when we started looking this time. Do we wish we had some other features? Sure, but not to the point of considering a trade.

One of the keys to a satisfied RV'er, I think, is a salesman who can help you be aware of the features that are available in many RV's so you and your spouse can make informed decisions. Unfortunately, many sales are completed by someone looking for commission and moving to the next customer rather than making sure you'll be satisfied when the sale is finished. It would really be nice if RV lots had "demonstrators" that we could "test drive" much like the car lots do. What better way to know if you'll be satisfied than to spend a few days in it before it's yours. Unfortunately, there are so many choices from floorplans to color to make that a possibility.

There are some "work around" projects you could do to convert your bath to an "almost private" one. That might be a better option than "losing your shorts" in a trade for another RV.

LeeMedic · 03-05-2012, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by albertr

We have a 2011 290rl Avalanche. In hindsight I would have bought a 5th wheel with an enclosed bathroom and one that was a lot lighter like say
a Cougar 318SAB. Would take a real beating to exchange it now. Anyone else ever do that?

You could try and sell it outright, then get what you really need.

SAABDOCTOR · 03-05-2012, 02:00 PM

well that all depends. would you buy from the same dealer? if you would go talk to the owner or gm first. my wife and i did something like thiswhen we trade up to a fith wheel from an 01 to 03 the dealer gave us 5k less than what we paid for it new. it was as clean as the day we bought it which helped. but it is possable good luck hope it works out for you

allentx1 · 03-05-2012, 04:55 PM

We bought a new 2010 Forest River Rockwood (can I use that name in this forum

) and had it almost a year and decided that we wanted a little more room. The problem was that initially I had a half ton truck so I could not get a fifth wheel. Once I bought a F250 we could get something bigger and purchased a 2011 Avalanche 340TG. We elected NOT to trade in the first trailer since we would have taken a beating. Instead, we put it in a rental fleet. Now we are selling to my father in law. But ultmiately, I would look at doing some modifications to your existing camper that may make this more of "your style" and could be less expensive than losing money on the trade.

f6bits · 03-05-2012, 07:10 PM

I have to admit that I was shocked to see a trailer with an open bathroom – effectively having the shower and sink in the bedroom. I just don’t see a way to work around that.

You may just have to take that beating. As I look at the two trailers, it seems the Cougar is a little less expensive. If you’ve already budgeted for the Alpine, you’ll just end up with a little less trailer for the money you spent.

**JRTJH** · 03-06-2012, 07:15 PM

There are a number of ways to enclose the shower/sink in most floorplans. It will add some weight, but if done right, not too much to be practical. Add a door in the "hallway" between the new area and the toilet room. A sliding door at each end of this new hallway and you've got a bathroom when needed and a toilet room/hallway during the day. Many motorhome floorplans have a "hallway bath" with the toilet on one side and the tub/sink on the other with doors to close off the area. It could be much the same in your application. Cost ? If you're handy with tools, probably less than $250. If you hire it out, probably less than $750-1000. Probably much less expensive than trading it in for a different model. If the rest of the RV is satisfactory for you, a modification that you could remove at tradein time might be a potential work around until you're not upside down in your equity.

You may also like: