A Women's RV Forum run by Women RVer's!

Alright ladies,

My partner Kay and I just purchased a 2011Coleman Niagara pop up camper Oct. 30th. We used it one time taking it on a trip to Oklahoma on Thanksgiving weekend. Make a long story short, on the way back home to Chattanooga,Tn the wheel on the driver's side came completely off the hub while we were driving down I-40E near Jackson, Tn. Got the camper off the interstate, called a towing company. Thank goodness for AAA-RV! Checked lugs before we left tn on our trip and on the way back home. Towing company sent pictures to Coleman,they said we are responsible. Now trying to settle with insurance company. They are trying to decide whether to total camper or fix it. There waiting on pictures from the company who is has it. They say the frame is bulking inward over the wheels inside the camper. You can see it bulge through the walls if you open the camper up. I am going on here say. Hopefully, this matter will be resolved soon. Once we settle, whether they fix it or not, kay is scared of travel trailers now and wants to look at Class C Motorhomes. Can you all recommend some Class Cs we should look at when we start shopping? Don't know exactly when that wiil be yet, but soon I hope. Either way we will sell the Coleman.

Happy Holidays,

Lynn

No matter who you'll ask, you'll get different opinions. I love my Gulfstream - others say they are cheap pieces of #%*$. And that's true of almost all the makes/models. Gulfstream is actually one of the middle of the road manufacturers - who also has some more expensive ones. Mine is 11 years old - dang, next year will be 12 and I'm hoping to keep her a few more years yet. Or longer. Love my little home.

You'll get the same difference of opionions on slides. I love mine - others won't consider having one. I suggest you find a floorplan and size you agree on - then just keep looking to find one that is "right for you". The floorplan meant a lot to me - as I have to live in here.

Same difference on what size you need. I was told I couldn't live in a 22' Class C. It's been 5 1/2 years now - and I still live in it and am fine. Others go for as big as they can get. Again - it's an individual choice.

One thing to look for - I don't have any of the "arctic" packages and would look for those next time. I'm fine without them - but would make my life easier with the cold weather I'm known to be in sometimes.

So sorry about your trailer! What a mess.

Wow, Lynn, what a scary experience! And what a "jump" (cost-wise) from a pop-up to a Class C!

There are sooo many rigs out there it would be hard to recommend one. I think the best advice is to simply visit as many dealers and RV shows as you can and see which one fits your needs the best. There are several gals here who've got Class Cs and they'll probably chime in and share their feelings about their rigs.

I hope Coleman does right by you. I'm glad nobody was hurt and that you still want to get out and camp.

Laura -- and Jed

First let me say how grateful I am that neither of you were hurt, nor anyone else. How frightening for you!

I own a small motorhome, similar to Beths, but without a slideout, and my bed is the sofa. I am not a fulltimer, so for me and my little dog it's fine, but add another person and it gets crowded fast, and then I would opt for a separate bed area. Also there isn't allot of extra storage space in my model which doesn't have the extra bunk over the cab that I could use for added storage.

I second with Laura said. Start visiting RV dealerships, go to RV shows when possible and then decide what's suits you best. I don't think there's an RV manufacturer out there that hasn't produced lemons at one time or another. Good luck on your looking and keep us updated on what all you've been looking at and ask question. That's how we learn.

So sorry to hear about the tire accident! that must have been scary indeed. For my two cents, the internet is an invaluable tool when learning/comparing/shopping for rigs. Especially if you are far from dealers. Also, I think there is a BIG RV show coming up soon in Tampa. Even if you aren't shopping for new, they give one a good point of comparison. Good luck with the insurance company!

I, like Beth, love my 2001 Gulfstream. She's 30' and has a queen bed in the rear. I don't have a slide but would get one in the living room area in my next rig. My particular Gulfstream Ultra Supreme has a LOT of outside storage which is much more than most Class C's. I do have the arctic package (which heats the storage tank areas if your heat is on) and if you camp in really cold areas, would be important. If the rig is over 24 ft I think you would need to tow a vehicle - mine is a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt. I would think with two of you a separate bed area would be better. If you don't travel a lot you could probably manage with the sofa. Check out different rigs on line: PPL (www.pplmotorhomes.com) and www.kennedalecampersales.com. Also, Ebay has RV sales (personally I wouldn't buy from them). Have fun searching.

Yep, all good ideas...... things to consider
- slide or no slide
- length you want to drive down the highway..... and where you can park it comfortably
- floor plan, size of kitchen area, size of bathroom (and can you actually sit down comfortably ), type and siz of sleeping area/options. (Memory foam can fix a lot of tings but not everything )
- size for engine...350 or 450...or diesel?
- Artic package, dual pane windows ?
- carpeting...no carpeting?
- If it has slides can you use all the important areass ans things with the slide IN There will be times that you need to....
- Size of tanks. I sometimes think the size of tanks are determined by what space the company had left over For many the size of tanks is not that important but if you are planning to boondock it will effect how you plan....
- Lazy Daze and Born Free are both known for the consistent quality of their manufacturing process but they aren't what everybody needs or wants...... I have a Gulfstream 22ft and am fully aware of it's weaknesses but it fit my bank account and my needs at this time....
- Be mindful of the CCC or carrying capacity of any of the rigs that you look at. The size of the gas engine for many of the RVs is 450 regardless of whether that rig is 24 ft and no slide or 31 feet with a side.....which do you think will be over weight the quickest?
- Don't trust what the sales person tells you about a unit or a brand unless you have researched the information independently. Some are ignorant about the product they are selling and others are just wrong but don't care if they think it will influence you to buy
- And prices initially asked a most lots can come down 25% or more when you make an offer

HAve fun. Look at everything you can. Open closets. sit on chairs, close bathroom doors, stand in showers. Don't be afraid of looking a gently used units. There are issues to look for with used units and potential units should be looked at by your RV tech of choice but many nice deals can be had....

Hello! First and foremost, thank heavens you are both ok. That just sounded like a nightmare. Thankfully, you were ok and were able to get the rig off the freeway. Whew!

As maybe the newest Class C owner (got mine 3 weeks ago!!), I'll chime in and say that I researched on line only for over a year. I did narrow down the field and decided it would be either a Winnebago or Itasca. I based my decision on that on the research and the fact that my folks had a small Class A for over 15 years with NO (repeat NO) problems. They just sold it and cried as it drove out of the driveway. But they are getting on agewise and decided it was best to not leave it unused month after month. But they loved it and used it alot in the first 14 years...even did the entire Can-Am run in it.

I finally went to a dealership in my area that had the vers8ion I thought I wanted. Once inside, it wasn't all I thought it was. So I looked at another and fell in love. I ended up with a Winne Aspect 30C. I started out wanting about a 24-26 footer, with a walk-around bed, and a diesel engine. Well, I ended up with the walk around bed. Diesel cost about $15-20K more, and the 24-foot Class C just wasn't big enough for me, three cats, and my plan of 6 months of travel each year after I retire. So there you go...

Each time I saw a rig I thought I liked, I'd google on owner reviews of that rig. There are a number of owner review sites, and you should compare those reviews against the write ups from the commerical reviewers (like RV magazines). I thought I'd end up with at least one slide. I got three...didn't even know you could have three slides until I saw the Aspect.

The list price on the window was $114K. But this one had nearly every possible upgrade. In the end, I paid about 25% under list and that included taxes and registration and the satelite dish installation. I actually spent two hours in person dealing after having done a lot of emails back and forth with the salesguy asking a zillion questions. It didn't hurt that my credit is good; that helped get a good loan a well. Deals are out there.

If you have any questions, please ask...I will help if I can. Education is the key along with a strong disposition for dickering with the sales and financial folks. Good luck and have fun on the search...

As Tina said make sure you can still access everything especially the important stuff with the slides in!!! Have a friend that bought a beautiful 5'er, he just loved the whole lay out of the thing. Until after he bought it and signed the paperwork and got it home that is and then he was stuck! He got home with it and went inside with the huge living/kitchen slide in and found he could not get into the kitchen or living room area at all! His 5'er had a really nice U shaped counter that came up against the dining table and other stuff when the slide was in. He was a pretty good sized man. Even his then girlfriend who was a lot smaller than he had a hard time squeezing thru the small space. If they wanted to make sandwiches to eat while traveling she found it lots easier to simply climb over the counter to get at the fridge and stuff! LOL

Looked a a TT that the daughter and I were both super interested in. Ohhhhh just loved the interior layout!! Then asked the salesman how far the slide came in and if we could still access the back bunk room and bathroom with the slide in?? He really couldn't tell us. So I told him I wanted to see what it looked like with the slide in. He was confused and reminded me that of course we would have the slide out when parked. Insisted on seeing the slide in. Always that time when ya just got to use the bathroom and ya can't make to a public restroom ya know!!! And if you over night in a WalMart lot they frown on putting slides out. So off he ran to get a battery pack thing, came back and in came the slide. Well that did that. The slide covered about 3/4's of the doorway to the bathroom and bunk room. I think he was more shocked than I was! But it sure killed any interest we had in it.

Don't know if I can offer any further help as all the previous posts really covered everything I would have said...Anyhow, I bought my Born Free through the RV website. It was gently used & sold by a private party. I could never have afforded one brand new, but buying used at a fair price was within my budget. I think I've said it before...I would do it all again in the blink of an eye. I have roll bars, not found in any other Class C...plus BF has never had a single fatality in the over 50 years it's been in business...It is a solid well built marvel. I have the rear side bed model, which for me is perfect. I do not have a slide out but really love how they look in other mfgrs. I also have the entertainment center rather than an overhead bunk & for me that works out fine as I use that area for all kinds of storage. The sofa makes into a bed if I have guests. However, as said previously, you have to look at a lot of makes & models to see what fits you AND your budget....plus how you intend to use it. Personally if it had been available for me, I would definitely opt for the artic pkge...Each of us travels just a little bit different & have different priorities & needs, so there's plenty out there to see which will fit your style. Personally, with the financial state so many businesses are int these days, I think you could probably swing one heck of a deal on whatever you choose. So I wish you good luck & like the others, am so glad you are unhurt & still wanting to RV.....

Glad that you're ok and hope all works out. My husband and I started fulltiming in a 29ft C Fleetwood Atlantis with 2 slides. Eventually removed the carpet and added vinyl-a great decision. We needed a lot of basement and this model had it. Since we were fulltiming we had a toad (Toyota Corolla). We were happy with it as others are happy with theirs. I would also recommend going to an RV show or a dealership and check them out. Floorplans are different and you and your partner need to see what might work for you. Have fun! and keep us posted. carold ps you might want to go to the "show off your rig" thread to see pictures.

Thanks for all the info ladies. Hopefully I will have a camper soon. Happy Holidays!

Lynn