# Food for thought when buying!



## pogybait (Mar 16, 2007)

People,
     Im a Newby. Got advise on how to winterize in October. Now asking for advise to un-winterize.
     Thats not what this post is about. I read a lot of posts on what to buy, how much, what is the best. 
     Here is my point. I bought my TT and wondered if it was a good deal, was it a good TT and all thoughts alike. I see a TT for sale and I check it out to see how It stacked up with my buy. I took pictures of mine inside and out for Insurance purposes. When I was checking out the TT's for sale now to see if I got taken I noticed something. It seemed like no matter the make, model, or year they sort of looked like mine-within reason. So I broke out my pictures and started comparing. I kept seeing the same Stove, Fridge, Counter Tops, Bath, Sink, Bunk Room, Commode, Vents, Lights ETC, ETC. I think you get my drift. What promped me to write this is one of the TT's I was comparing I swore was mine up for sale. It looked identical to mine. Here was the difference. It was 20,000 more than I paid. I noticed that even different brands have the same equipment. The only real difference is color of accents, cushions etc. Am I seening things or are these companies adding a 1000 dollars of bling and asking 10.000 dollars more. Even my air condtioner, heater, and hot water heater are the same in the expensive models.
What do you think?
Maybe I am missing something?
I am new at this!
Thanks
Bill


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## Texas_Camper (Mar 16, 2007)

Re: Food for thought when buying!

I think that Airstreams and Colemans are very well manufactured units.  I also think they are overpriced, but they sell well.  I think that most modern day manufacturers realize that name brand appliances hold up well and keep the customer sastisfied.  Some TT's are more solid than others.  Some have cardboard walls while others have wood paneling.  Some are very well insulated (for winter use) while others have little or no insulation.  Flooring in some is weak and flexes when walked on.  
The RV industry in the USA is very big right now and there is lot's of competition.  I think as time passes, and you begin close inspection of many trailers, you'll see some differences.
ps
The more expensive units seem to be better constructed. have more attention to detail and are not just thrown together as some of the less expensive models.  You may not notice this the first couple of years, but in time, the more expensive ones tend to hold up much better.  This is even more evident if you leave the pavement for back country camping.


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## DL Rupper (Mar 16, 2007)

Re: Food for thought when buying!

Methods and workmanship of construction and material used in the construction of a RV is what causes the difference in price.  Some RVs fall apart literally as you drive off the lot and others last years.  Our HitchHiker is 12 years old and still seems to be holding together well. :laugh:


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## rjf7g (Mar 17, 2007)

Re: Food for thought when buying!

I just got my new Innsbruck 36FRS (see my post in General RVing) and it has pretty much the same name brand appliances the 1999 Thor Citation did that I traded in on it.  I also recently bought a 1992 Fleetwood Tioga Montara Special class C and...you got it, pretty much the same brand name appliances.  So, I have come to the conclusion in my limited experience with RVs with appliances (added 13 or so years with 2 different pop-ups with only a hand water pump) that the appliances are pretty much like Q-Tips and Band-Aids...you can find some "off brands" but mostly they are what they are.  

In terms of the construction, in looking for my new and my new-used RVs, I have pushed on more wall panels, bounced on more floors and "felt the quality" of more fabrics than I want to remember.  There are huge differences here.  I even found huge differences between same-brand units on a dealer's lot (Fleetwood Wilderness series).  One unit appeared to be solid as the rock while the other felt like it might not make it out of the parking lot.  I also found sounds of "cost cutting" like curtains where I wanted a wood door or plastic sink instead of metal or ceramic.

Gulfstream does some things in their Conquest/Innsbruck line that are just stupid.  I bought an Innsbruck (did I tell you already to look at my post in General RVing - beautiful camper and great Service from the dealer) but certainly will swap out the 99 cent plastic soap dish and toothbruch holder for real metal ones.  Why they choose to make stupid choices like that is beyond me.  If I were choosing a unit based on the quality of the soap dish (which I hope no one does), I wouldn't have given them a second look.

Things like fiberglass siding vs aluminum siding and aluminum frame vs stick frame add a lot to the cost as well.  As long as you keep your unit clean and tightly sealed, there's no need for the added expense in my opinion.  The aluminum frame is lighter if you're going to pull it...


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## DL Rupper (Mar 17, 2007)

Re: Food for thought when buying!

There is a big difference between wood and aluminum frames when you are in cold weather and condensation appears.  The entire aluminum frame is outlined in heavy (dripping) condensation when it gets real cold outside and you are inside running the furnace.   Personally I would rather screw a screw, use a saw on or hammer a nail into wood than try working on or repairing an Aluminum frame.  Aluminum is used primarily to lighten the weight of the RV and reduce overall cost.  Most of the manufacturers of high value/cost 5th wheels still use wood as the preferred product when weight and cost are not an overriding or competitive factor.


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