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Alright Fiends... I think we've narrowed our search down to a Coachmen (Freedom Express) and a Jayco (White Hawk).  The units have very similar floorplans and they both have pros and cons.  Where are at now, is price.  The Jayco is $2k more.  So my question is, is it worth it?

 

Let me provide you all with full disclosure.  I will be 44 years old this summer and this will be the first time that I have purchase something that is brand new.  I've never had a new car, our house isn't new and it's not uncommon for me to buy clothes at a thrift store or garage sale (if it's in the mall...it is clearance, clearance cheap).  I did splurge on my last birthday and buy a Dooney & Burke bag (great sale, but still a $100).  Have to say, for this not-so girly-girl... it is pretty :)  We save up and pay cash for vacations and I've never taken taken out a loan for this large (our truck I purchased with 141k miles on it, because I could pay cash).  So this purchase, for us, is a really big deal.  It will be (I pray) something that will allow us to make some really wonderful memories with our beautiful miracles over the next 10 years.  So...as I said, it's a big deal.

 

My husband and I can both get our hands dirty, but neither of us is overly mechanically inclined. I am probably more so than my husband (although with 3 back surgeries, kind-of hard to blame him for not wanting to really dig into things).  The 2 year warranty on Jayco is very attractive.  As is, what I understand to be, quality of workmanship.  Looking at the Coachmen, it appears to be a solid build... but we, of course, may not be looking at the right things.  I don't know. 

 

So... my Fiends  friends... what do you think?  Spend the extra money for the Jayco or save it and go with the Coachmen.  Again, we're looking at something for the long haul so we want quality.

 

4/1/15:    Update on new post... page 3.

 

4/27/15:  Update...

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I'd go for closet space and you can always build or purchase a ladder.

That was our thought on that too... soon, she will be able to get herself in/out and it's just the bed so it's only at night.

You have to remember that RV dealers are not like auto dealers. You can end up at the bottom of the service list, they put their customers first. Some dealers have even been known to refuse warranty

JAYCO gets my vote. Since you are taking out a loan there probably is not much difference in the payment, and like I said in an earlier post, I was surprised at the trade-in value of my previous JAYCO. Which means you are less likely to be "upside down" on the loan, meaning you would owe more than the trailer is worth. The two year warranty speaks volumes to me in the fact that JAYCO is willing to stand behind their product twice as long as the other folks. 

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Our first camper was a 1998 Coachman and we were very happy with the quality. Unfortunately we upgraded to a used 34' 2004 Keystone Laredo and have had all kinds of issues with that beast!..I would definitely buy another Coachman again given the chance...In fact when we bought ours they were the "sponsor camper" or something like that for Fort Wilderness and we received 2 free weeks of camping at the Fort...For several years They had a display trailer right across from Pioneer Hall and I believe the deck for the camper is still there...

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Trailer Life magazine used to publish a yearly buyer's guide.  Don't know if they still do.  But it is/was a great resource.  You could find out anything from subfloor materials to the R value on insulation.

 

Don't be fooled by what you see.  Sometimes flashy interiors hide poor quality materials.  Just do your homework, and you will be fine.

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I agree with Brady regarding the Jayco residual value.  Even if you have no issues with the Coachman, I believe you will get that $2000 back on the Jayco when you go to sell it someday.  And while I have nothing against Coachmans, I've heard enough about Jayco build quality over the years that it would get my vote....things like screwed cabinetry vs glued/stapled, etc.  Again, this is all based on what I've heard, as I have no personal experience with either brand (not including the 1977 Coachman Cadet we had on my very first trip to the Fort as a 9 year old kid).  

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Tough choice both good units, as said you can add a second year warranty on the Coachman. Both companies run rallies in Goshen would be good to attend, I know first hand at the FROG rally which is Forest River who owns Coachman repairs are usually done for FREE!!!!!!!  Not sure about Jayco. What might help us help you make your decision is list both floor plans so we can really compare, just a thought

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Our first camper was a 1998 Coachman and we were very happy with the quality. Unfortunately we upgraded to a used 34' 2004 Keystone Laredo and have had all kinds of issues with that beast!..I would definitely buy another Coachman again given the chance...In fact when we bought ours they were the "sponsor camper" or something like that for Fort Wilderness and we received 2 free weeks of camping at the Fort...For several years They had a display trailer right across from Pioneer Hall and I believe the deck for the camper is still there...

 

Thanks.  From what I understand, Coachmen is a good company... but they (the quality) use to be a lot better.  When the company was bought out, the quality of the line decreased some (I guess to cut corners).

 

For the Coachmen, contact them directly. You can very likely upgrade to a 2-year factory warranty for $150. I've heard good things about both brands.

 

Tried that... no go :(

 

 

Can you bring your Coachman price to Jayco to negotiate?

 

Possibly...it's worth a try at least :)

 

 

 

Don't be fooled by what you see.  Sometimes flashy interiors hide poor quality materials.  Just do your homework, and you will be fine.

 

That's our thought.  I prefer the interior of the Coachmen but it's what we've heard on Jayco's quality that put Jayco in the running.

 

 

I agree with Brady regarding the Jayco residual value.  Even if you have no issues with the Coachman, I believe you will get that $2000 back on the Jayco when you go to sell it someday.  And while I have nothing against Coachmans, I've heard enough about Jayco build quality over the years that it would get my vote....things like screwed cabinetry vs glued/stapled, etc.  Again, this is all based on what I've heard, as I have no personal experience with either brand (not including the 1977 Coachman Cadet we had on my very first trip to the Fort as a 9 year old kid).  

 

Yep... that's where we're at.  We keep reading (and hearing from dealers who don't even sell Jayco), that Jayco is quality built.

 

 

Tough choice both good units, as said you can add a second year warranty on the Coachman. Both companies run rallies in Goshen would be good to attend, I know first hand at the FROG rally which is Forest River who owns Coachman repairs are usually done for FREE!!!!!!!  Not sure about Jayco. What might help us help you make your decision is list both floor plans so we can really compare, just a thought

 

Funny thing is... the floor plans are pretty much spot on identical.  Both have two LARGE bunks and a door in the bathroom (along with a door for the living area).  Both have banquette seating in the dining vs the u-shape.  Both have doors on the m. bedroom with a tv that flips from the living to bedroom.  Both even have a little fridge on the outside.  Very, very similar.  Coachmen's cabinetry is a little lighter, so it has a brighter feel (which I prefer).  I like the exterior of the Jayco better than the Coachmen.  Jayco does not have a ladder for the higher bunk (so for the next year or two we'll need to help our daughter in/out at night) however... the trade off is more closet space in the Jayco.   See our dilemma? :)

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Glad you've finally gotten down to 2. Is the 2 grand the msrp or the negotiated price? Remember 70 percent of msrp is the starting point, and if you are buying new, I'd look within a couple hundred mile radius for the exact model number you're looking for. One may be sitting on a lot for 6 months and they are itching to unload it! With a factory warranty, I'd have no loyalty to a local dealer, and would pit 2 dealers with the unit I want against each other. He who talks last loses when making a deal.

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Glad you've finally gotten down to 2. Is the 2 grand the msrp or the negotiated price? Remember 70 percent of msrp is the starting point, and if you are buying new, I'd look within a couple hundred mile radius for the exact model number you're looking for. One may be sitting on a lot for 6 months and they are itching to unload it! With a factory warranty, I'd have no loyalty to a local dealer, and would pit 2 dealers with the unit I want against each other. He who talks last loses when making a deal.

 

70% huh?  Hmmm... we'll need to keep that in mind.

 

We're looking local and 200 miles out.  Definitely trying to find that diamond, that a dealer just wants to get rid of.

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70% huh?  Hmmm... we'll need to keep that in mind.

 

We're looking local and 200 miles out.  Definitely trying to find that diamond, that a dealer just wants to get rid of.

 

On prices....research, research, research.  While some new models might command a bit more than 70% off MSRP, most models you can get that or close to it.  And if you find a leftover model from the last year, you can often go well below that.  

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You have to remember that RV dealers are not like auto dealers. You can end up at the bottom of the service list, they put their customers first. Some dealers have even been known to refuse warranty service if they didn't sell the unit.

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You have to remember that RV dealers are not like auto dealers. You can end up at the bottom of the service list, they put their customers first. Some dealers have even been known to refuse warranty service if they didn't sell the unit.

 

Hmmm.... so if we buy from a dealership that is far away, sounds like repairs might be (even more of) a pain...

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I have not owned either units but I did look at them all prior to making my past purchases.  I did like the Jayco but the coachman was several thousand less, construction seemed to be on par as long as the compared trailers are in the same build level (ie. wood framed vs wood framed).  For me, the warranty was not that big of an issue, as it turns out for minor issues it would cost me more money to haul the rv in for repair vs fixing it on the driveway. I am on my second travel trailer in 5 years , I went from a skyline nomad Joey to a forest river greywolf and both trailers have had some minor issues, but nothing major.  All trailers use the same two or three manufacturers for appliances, electronics, plumbing, fans, lights. ect.....with basic maintenance I have had no major issues, but when looking at trailers my first concern was construction, after that everything else is pretty much interchangeable.  I use my trailers pretty hard.  I have three young boys, two dogs, and believe me kids as they age wreck things.  They will break your toy!  I guess what I am rambling about is that chances are you would not see and major wear that may cause a failure until well after the longer warranty expired, so save 2000 and camp with that money and enjoy the kids, we did and no regrets.  My thinking has always been if I kept the trailer for ten year and camped with kids, dogs and tons of gear, then kids grow up and I sell trailer it is not going to be worth all that much, come on 10 yr trailer beat up by a family of 5, so spend less now, enjoy more now and lose less later.  It works for me.   Btw...i bought both of my trailers online, sight unseen.

 

frank

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Glad you've finally gotten down to 2. Is the 2 grand the msrp or the negotiated price? Remember 70 percent of msrp is the starting point, and if you are buying new, I'd look within a couple hundred mile radius for the exact model number you're looking for. One may be sitting on a lot for 6 months and they are itching to unload it! With a factory warranty, I'd have no loyalty to a local dealer, and would pit 2 dealers with the unit I want against each other. He who talks last loses when making a deal.

 

Agree with this. The Jayco will be the better buy if you can negotiate the price down.

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Hmmm.... so if we buy from a dealership that is far away, sounds like repairs might be (even more of) a pain...

Unfortunately, that is the case in the RV industry.  If you buy the Coachmen your local dealer is Peco, but I have no idea how there service is now that they have been bought out by that "Yankee" RV dealer.  Google "rv dealer refuses warranty service" and you will find a list of folks complaining about this issue.  Apparently the RV industry dealer agreements allows dealers to refuse work and you have no recourse.  If you call the manufacturer all they will tell you to do is take it to another dealer.  Easy for them to say when the next closest dealer may be a couple of hours; and they may not be any happier doing the work.  You have to take this into consideration when price shopping dealers at a distance.

 

Now, I have the Coachmen Freedom Express (Liberty Edition) and we love it.  Compared to my popup it is a monster to tow.  I just came back from Florida two weeks ago.  I was driving alone and made it from Ft. Lauderdale to our RV barn in the mountains of NC in one day.  About 770 miles and it took me 18 hours.  Now, when I'm alone I stop a lot and on this trip I had a low tire pressure alarm go off and left the Florid Turnpike to check it out (cracked valve stem) and get it fixed.  I had sore arms as it was a windy day in Florida and even though I have the ProPride the wind was pushing the whole rig together.  Once I got near Georgia the wind died down and it was a nice ride.  I had one idiot cut me off during the trip and even with the emergency stop the ProPride kept the trailer in line with the truck, no sway at all.

 

So far I have had a few small issues which can be traced back to my stupidity or manufacturing, but I fixed them all as there was no need to go through the hassle of taking it to a dealer. 

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We've made our choice!  We're going with the Jayco White Hawk, model 28DSBH.  The really fun part, is we're having one built for us (CW didn't have the color scheme that I wanted), plus we were able to get it down in price so around $1k difference from the Coachmen.  How cool... not only new, but really REALLY new!  :)

 

If you've had a dealership order a trailer for you... I have a question.  CW wants a deposit (of course), but I'm thinking that there should be some sort of formal order form and not just emails before we do this.  What am I looking for?

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Congratulations!!

 

I would expect a Dealer Sheet could be created by CW with Model and Type of TT with EVERYTHING you have agreed to (color scheme, cabinets, layout, etc) should be very specific and have it signed by both Buyer and Seller, along with a Desposit receipt stating whether or not deposit is refundable if above options are not met.

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