2016 purchase advice by owners

[Dean]

Hi All,
We were impressed with the concept of an all aluminum trailer when we saw a 2015, going to the dealers we saw the 2017 models that had many changes. We are leaning toward buying used and I have read the forum for many hours reading about the issues people have experienced. I know not that many happy owners go to a forum to make great comments about their experiences and want to keep an open mind.

If you would can some that have owned trailer during the crossroads era give me your opinions about what you like or dislike about your trailers?
Specifically the time of still aluminum floors and roof, but had wood faced cabinets. Did they use a standard luan paneling to make all the interior surfaces other than the sidewalls?  Stuff like the storage box under the bed looked like luan in a picture I saw. I know any trailer bumping down the highway can leak no matter what wall and roof it has and like the idea that no wood meant you only have  a leak to repair and not a complete remodel to do when the wood gets wet and falls apart.

Was there a build era that was superior?

[Steve Sanders]

Are you interested in Camp Lite, Quicksilver or both?

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[DavidM]

Here is my take on the differences between a CL built in the pre Thor era vs one built today:

Roof- Aluminum is lighter than rubber, but both will last a long while
Floor- I actually like the new composite floor- not much difference in weight and sure has better insulation than the old aluminum one.
Cabinets- If you like wood facings then it is fine. The wood will never get wet in any case. The old Azdel/aluminum cabinets definitely gave the camper an industrial look.
Sides- Aluminum is lighter than fiberglass panels in the sides.
Tandem axles vs single in the 16TBs- Less load carrying capacity with the single, more vulnerable in the case of a  flat and it pushed more weight to the tongue. Not a good move. But lots of competitors in that size use singles.

Almost all of these changes added weight- about 10% from 2013 to today. I don't think any of them made the CL more vulnerable to water rot. But many of them reduced the trailer's functionality.

David

[Steve Sanders]

When we bought our 6.0 in June of 2009, we picked it up at the factory and camped in it for two nights, right down the road in Bremen. I don't recall how cold it got those nights, but we quickly found out how cold those aluminum floors get. There are plenty of options for covering it, but it definitely needs something.

We also restored one that was about as water damaged as it could be without being submerged. It's as good as new now.

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[Merlin]

When my wife and I buy things, we are strongly biased toward longevity and often pay a premium for that. We bought Camplite because of the aluminum roof, structure, frame, floor and the Azdel paneling throughout. If I were buying again today, I would look at used Camplite from the all-aluminum era. I know that quality control in RV manufacturing is an oxymoron, but most of the initial problems with build quality are caught during the first year of warranty coverage. After that, it becomes a care and use issue for buying used. Our '15 had LOTS of QA/QC issues, but those have been resolved and we are in it for the long haul (I'm not capable of puns, so ignore that one) and expect our camper to last as long as we are able to go camping.

And, Welcome Dean, to the ACF!

[mojospeople]

I'm not sure how many others here have had an original all aluminum design and a newer design but we have. I was drawn to the aluminum camper for all the reasons everyone mentions starting with lightweight since we were hauling with a crossover suv and/or a minivan (tow capacity ~3500lbs).

We bought a used 2012 13RDB in 2014 and camped in it for 2 seasons. Loved it and decided to move up to a 16TBS and ended up with the 2017. This means we moved from an aluminum floor and roof to composite and rubber as well as the wood faced cabinets. So far we have been happy with the newer camper although as mentioned, it gained weight compared to its all aluminum predecessor (we have a better TV now though). The composite floor is great but either way we used throw rugs. I'm not a huge fan of the wood cabinets but mostly just on aesthetics. I kind of liked the industrial look of the aluminum cabinets. I don't really have an opinion on the roof yet. We haven't had problems with either type.

Quality issues - the 2012 was in great shape when we bought it and we didn't have any quality problems with it. However, the smooth aluminum azdel has a tendency to scratch easily. The newer textured stuff holds up better cosmetically I think. The 2017 had to go back for one warranty issue right away - the shower pan was leaking and found that the drain was loose. But hey, we have an aluminum trailer so no worries, right? In both campers I haven't found any luan. The storage areas under the beds/couches have all been azdel over aluminum.

Find a used one you like and buy it. You'll be happy with it!

[FastEddieB]

Cabinets- If you like wood facings then it is fine. The wood will never get wet in any case.

As a single data point, we noticed a slow drip in a heavy rain from the cabinet alongside the bed in our 21BHS. So wet wood facings are not completely out of the realm of possibility.

If we ever needed to replace "Campy", we would look for an earlier model or another brand. Not that the newer ones are bad, but more on general principle.

[Chappy133]

Good chance that is your clearance light leaking in.  Silicone applied at the light may solve this leak.

[FastEddieB]

Good chance that is your clearance light leaking in.  Silicone applied at the light may solve this leak.

Will definitely check that out - thanks!

[Lhunter]

I know this is a

[Lhunter]

I know this is an old post but I'll throw in my 2 cents. We originally looked an the LL's in 2014 but the "ambulance" interior was a no go for my wife. When we were looking again in 2016 the cabinet changes were enough to get her OK. Ours is an early 2017 so it has the membrane roof but the aluminum/ tile floor. The only issue we have had is a bad propane detector, replaced under warranty.