Going Soft - RV Advice Needed

[MTGreenhorn]

Thanks for all the feedback so far fellas! We spent some time today researching and discussing the pros and cons of the different options. We are starting to lean more towards a travel trailer. Do we have any Forest River "Mini Lite" owners on here? They seemed to be A) priced right B) weighted right and C) nice floor plans for a family of 3. Just curious if anyone has experience with them. Thanks!

Oh and @mtmiller that van is priced what I payed for my house!! hahah. Sweet setup though... if your into that sorta thing

From what I’ve seen of my old rockwood and friends with Forest River and their sub-brands, in my opinion they are pretty well built.
That being said, everyone makes a lemon too, so check each camper out with the same scrutiny.
My .02, on anything used, look closely at the roof/seams. Popped seams will let water in and cause rot/mold.

 

[Dan O]

One other thing the generator I use is 2 Honda 2000's hooked together gives me 30 amps that will run the A/C when needed. I intend to get some solar panels mounted as it is already wired for them. Plus I ordered the rear camera so I can monitor a atv trailer when I'm traveling down the road and work's great when backing into a camp spot. It also has audio that is a plus. If your going to go off road much I think a TT would be better.

 

[WapitiBob]

You couldn't give me a forest river trailer.
Go look at a Lance realizing they're about the best you can buy, then go down from there; Nash, arctic fox, etc. Once you look at the best and how solid they are, you can decide how cheap you're willing to go. The difference will be easy to see and feel as you go thru different makes pulling and tugging on dinettes and such.

 

[jlong17]

You couldn't give me a forest river trailer.
Go look at a Lance realizing they're about the best you can buy, then go down from there; Nash, arctic fox, etc. Once you look at the best and how solid they are, you can decide how cheap you're willing to go. The difference will be easy to see and feel as you go thru different makes pulling and tugging on dinettes and such.

gosh darn... I am liking what I am seeing from the Northwoods trailers. Do you (or anyone else) have any experience with the Nash travel trailers?

 

[Paul from Colorado]

The bunkhouse type set ups for travel trailers are a huge win with kids and your hunting friends! They have the floor space for bad weather, small enough you can keep them warm and if you have a slide for the dinette you can sit and read in comfort. I'm still a tent guy but the wife is losing her sense of humor about doing her business in the woods.
I got to watch my parents and grand parents go through the whole evolution from tents to popups to hard side to motor homes to fifth wheels and back again. And I got to use each of these without having to make the payment so it was nice to see what fits and works and what is a pain. Everyone agreed that the motor homes were far more trouble then they were worth. And don't sweat the fuel mileage, it will be terrible no matter what you are driving or dragging! Another thing to keep and eye out for on motor homes is the taxes an insurance, these can be rough to digest if you are not prepared for them.
Enjoy the journey.

 

[WapitiBob]

gosh darn... I am liking what I am seeing from the Northwoods trailers. Do you (or anyone else) have any experience with the Nash travel trailers?

17K
I’d do a different bed configuration next time.

 

[WapitiBob]

The old nash 17c is an awesome little trailer; 17', dual axle, big dual propane, but they sell in minutes for $8000 ish.

 

[jlong17]

What do you guys think of this setup?

ORV | timber ridge 23DBS

Outdoors RV Manufacturing is located in a picturesque mountain valley of Eastern Oregon. The focus of Outdoors RV is to design RVs for the Four Seasons Climate and Rugged Terrain which encompasses the Outdoor landscape of the Western United States and Western Canada. Our goal is not to be the...

outdoorsrvmfg.com

 

[JLS]

The old nash 17c is an awesome little trailer; 17', dual axle, big dual propane, but they sell in minutes for $8000 ish.

I’ve watched a couple of 19B trailers go pretty quickly.

 

[JLS]

What do you guys think of this setup?

ORV | timber ridge 23DBS

Outdoors RV Manufacturing is located in a picturesque mountain valley of Eastern Oregon. The focus of Outdoors RV is to design RVs for the Four Seasons Climate and Rugged Terrain which encompasses the Outdoor landscape of the Western United States and Western Canada. Our goal is not to be the...

outdoorsrvmfg.com

I’m not an expert and I’d defer to Wapiti Bob, but from my research they’re a well made trailer.

 

[WapitiBob]

Outdoors is aluminum vs nash wood. They’re a pretty good unit. Not sure of the difference between them and Arctic fox which are also aluminum. Nash/north wood makes all three.

 

[JLS]

There’s a 23DBS on Craigslist in the PNW for 27k.

 

[grizzly_]

You couldn't give me a forest river trailer.
Go look at a Lance realizing they're about the best you can buy, then go down from there; Nash, arctic fox, etc. Once you look at the best and how solid they are, you can decide how cheap you're willing to go. The difference will be easy to see and feel as you go thru different makes pulling and tugging on dinettes and such.

I'm in the market so I jumped on the websites you recommended. The price for what I'm looking for jumped from $35k with Forest River to $90k with Arctic Fox. Haha

I guess I'm stuck with Forest River, though I'm sure you're right and the other brands are much nicer.

Thanks for the info though, it was fun to see what some of the other companies were offering.

 

[midwesthunter]

I wouldn't buy a camper that was built in 2020 or 2021, trust me you will thank me.

 

[Addicting]

Outdoors is aluminum vs nash wood. They’re a pretty good unit. Not sure of the difference between them and Arctic fox which are also aluminum. Nash/north wood makes all three.

I am looking too and wonder what is going to hold up better. Wood has some give to it and would be better when the camper needs to flex a little.

Aluminum will never rot but can crack and break welds when flexed.

If it were just to go down a road to the local campground aluminum is a easy choice. When considering off grid BLM type camping a rutted two track puts considerably more stress on the frame. Wood wouldn’t be a bad option. Shopping for perfect campers is information overload for me.

 

[jlong17]

There’s a 23DBS on Craigslist in the PNW for 27k.

That’s exactly what I’m looking for... got a hold of the seller and he said the sale was pending. The search continues

 

[JLS]

That’s exactly what I’m looking for... got a hold of the seller and he said the sale was pending. The search continues

Was that the one in Ellensburg? Bummer.

 

[jlong17]

Was that the one in Ellensburg? Bummer.

This one was in Spokane Valley. I didn’t see one in Ellensburg?

 

[JLS]

Sorry, I had it mixed up with another. This is an 18.

2019 Outdoors RV 18RBS - rvs - by owner - vehicle automotive sale

This is an extremely well-cared-for "Mountain Series" travel trailer. Stored indoors during winter. Never any smoking or pets. Designed for camping in all climates and terrain. Compact design for...

yakima.craigslist.org

 

[wolfpup]

I'm in the market so I jumped on the websites you recommended. The price for what I'm looking for jumped from $35k with Forest River to $90k with Arctic Fox. Haha

I guess I'm stuck with Forest River, though I'm sure you're right and the other brands are much nicer.

Thanks for the info though, it was fun to see what some of the other companies were offering.

Exactly my issue 3 years ago. I bought a Palomino Puma Fifth Wheel ( a division of Forest River) and the price point is what sold me. I understand that its not the best or the most well built but structure can be supported. They are built with weight in mind. I wanted aluminum sided due to hail and other issues with the outside issue with longevity of other materials used. I found this camper and was able to buy new for $23K. Most used (wanted fairly new) in good condition were close to $20k so I bought. So far I put on a receiver hitch to handle the boat / ATV ( bumpers are not stout enough in my opinion... at least not on newer models), reinforced the rear wall as it separated / broke the screws holding the wall together, added suspension lift to accommodate my pickup, added battery shutoff, rear camera, second battery, and had to put a new plug on. It's going to take a little work and maintenance so if that's not what your looking for I would suggest motels. The way I looked at it, I could buy at least 2 of my campers over the next 20 years and still be money ahead as if I bough 1 high end camper and still would want to trade after 10 years or so.