lOOKING AT A NEW VIKING Mod1906 PU

[ChickenFoot]

Hello Folks, I'm looking for any feedback ya'll may have on Viking PU. Any pros or cons  would be great. We are trying to stay on the smaller PU size at this time. The Mod we are looking at has everything we would like (ac, frig, outside showers and awning) or need. Does Viking stand behind their products? Or is their a better one on the market (more yak for your yen)(aint trying to start any fights). Just need stright foreward info. Again, many thanks.

[yooper52]

Hello Folks, I'm looking for any feedback ya'll may have on Viking PU. Any pros or cons  would be great. We are trying to stay on the smaller PU size at this time. The Mod we are looking at has everything we would like (ac, frig, outside showers and awning) or need. Does Viking stand behind their products? Or is their a better one on the market (more yak for your yen)(aint trying to start any fights). Just need stright foreward info. Again, many thanks.

BEING AN OWNER OF A P/U 12YEARS AND DOING MANY RV SHOWS I WOULD SERIOUSLY LOOK INTO A FLEETWOOD/COLEMAN CAMPER. JUST TRADED IN A 2002 FOR A NEW 2007  FLEETWOOD AND BEFORE THAT HAD A 1986 POP-UP. THEY DO STAND BY THERE PRODUCT.

[cpl215]

I like coleman/fleetwood myself.  They are a little more money, but I think they are a lot nicer, especially the interior.  Check out this website   //www.pecocamping.com.  They are in GA which is too far for you to buy from but they have a very nice inventory of Fleetwood, starcraft, and viking.  It will be very easy to compare the models from their website.  If you decide on the fleetwood highlander series it would be worth the drive because they are the cheapest I have found in the U.S.  The niagara is only 13,500.  Good luck

[mountainrev]

Although I have never purchased a brand new popup, I have owned three used ones in the past 15 years:  a Starcraft, a Coleman/Fleetwood, and my current Viking.  All have had their pluses; all have had their minuses.  

Fleetwood has a great reputation, but tend to be priced higher than competitors like Viking (when comparing similar floorplans and options).  The quantifiable advantages of Fleetwood, as far as I can tell, are beefier frames that allow for weight distributing hitches, and standard brakes on all models.  One more possible advantage to Fleetwood would be higher resale value, but if you spent way more initially, that would at least partially offset that advantage.

But in my experience, the quality of the products are similar among manufacturers.  All are built rather cheaply.  All do what they are supposed to do.  

Find a floorplan you like.  Make sure your tow vehicle is up to pulling it.  Kick tires at dealers.  But I personally wouldn't get overly-hung up on Fleetwood vs. Viking vs. etc., etc.  

As far as whether Viking stands behind their product, I bought mine almost new, but not new, so no warantee.  But I did contact Viking last week after returning from a camping trip during which I lost the outside access door to the fridge.  I was able to speak to a real, live person immediately.  Someone from the parts dept. called me back within hours.  They ordered the part I needed, and it was at a very good price.  So based on that exchange, I'd say, yeah, Viking stands behind their product.

[nuttymomof2many]

We started our popup life for 2 years with an OLD '82 rockwood.  Bought new viking last spring.  I will say my direct dealings with viking have always been wonderful.  My interaction with the dealer on the viking also has been wonderful.
Mountainrev said it best.  Only thing I would add is make sure to buy from a good dealer (no matter what brand) who goes beyond the sale to the service.  That's what counts.  

We purchase Viking over all the others because it seemed just as well made, without fancy-schmacy crap you pay extra for, the floor plan was availible in Viking, the bunkend construction seemed more thought out, it was already AC ready and the roof was higher.  (With 2 teens over 6' and still growing that was important to us.)  Others may have been turned off of their roof lift recall back in 2005, but how they handled it sold me on their service.  

With 7 of us, it fit our needs without spending all our money.  The icing on the cake was Viking was offering for that month a free add-a-room.  

Good luck on your search.
Sue

[spearmint]

I read that Fleetwood (Coleman) uses a one-piece roof and metal for the frams which is supposed to be better. Do any other brands use as one piece roof and metal for framing?

[Mike Up]

The only campers I was deciding on, were between the Viking Legend 2470 ST and the Starcraft 2406.
 
I feel Jayco makes a quality camper but I don't care for their design.
 
I don't feel Forest River (Flagstaff, Rockwood, and now Palomino) or Fleetwood produce a quality camper. I owned the Rockwood and found most of my troubles were also on other models on the lot. Poor build quality and inferior structure.
 
Fleetwoods just have so many problems and then they don't back their products leaving the customer with a problem that was caused by poor design. Out of all the brands, I would never consider a Fleetwood. The ABS material and roofs, front storage trunks, and now wheel wells falling apart. Several complaints and people frustrated. I'm a member of Rv.net and was previously of PUX, just a lot of complaints. I almost became a victim before I was on these forums and new of the design flaws. I almost bought a 1996 Coleman/Fleetwood Sun Valley. It's ABS was cracked everywhere alonng with the supposedly superior Sunbrella ripping everywhere on corner seams and several pinholes. Luckily I used my common sense and felt it wasn't normal for a roof and all the side panels to be riddled with cracks. This was in 2004 that I looked at it. The camper was only 8 years old.
 
I know many are happy with them, so I'm glad their's is holding up.
 
I didn't go with the Viking because of 2 main reasons. Biggest was a poor sales team and a lazy service center that wouldn't stay open past 4:00 pm and wouldn't open at all on the weekends. I should say lack of a service center.
 
The 2nd being there was no cabinet space at all for the models I was looking at. It was great that they had a couch, but then there wasn't even a spot to put the microwave or toaster other than the kitchen table. Since I spend most of my time outside, storage and cabinet top space mean more to me. I did want a bigger seating area since there would only be one. A dinette that was U or L shaped. Viking didn't have it. In 2008, models changed to offer more cabinet top space but that's a year to late.
 
I actually feel the Starcraft is a bit better for me, but it definitely doesn't offer the features what the Viking Legend offers, and is still more expense. However the Starcraft has a beefier frame and better build quality. In fact, I feel the Starcraft offers the best build quality in the industry after inspecting all models with only a few years of difference between them.
 
However, the Viking Legend offers the big 2.5 CF fridge, the 20K BTU furnace, insulated bunkend boards, 3 burner stove, a swing over galley, separate roof fan (from AC mounting area), 1 piece door, and torsion suspension.
 
The biggest negative of the Viking Legend is the weak frame that can't handle a weight distibution hitch so if you get this, make sure you have a good suspension on your truck or SUV. Preference would be leaf springs as the softer coil springs on SUVs give a lot more for a cushy ride.
 
Enjoy what ever you choose, just siting my experiences and opinions.
 
Have a good one.

[Done Working]

I read that Fleetwood (Coleman) uses a one-piece roof and metal for the frams which is supposed to be better. Do any other brands use as one piece roof and metal for framing?

You must be reading the Fleetwood brochure. Actually most of the other brands have a one piece roof that doesn't come with the poor history of Fleetwood Colman roofs. (sagging, delamination and as recently as last year leaking)
I would never say that the other manufacturers are perfect but they certainly didn't have the problems that Fleetwood has had with their roofs.

[Used 2B PopUPTimes]

My 2007 Coachmen Clipper 2485ST is identical to the Viking 1285ST - same factory, just has different colors. Everything works the way is should, it's comfortable. My only complaint is I don't have enough time to use it more often.

[BIGDAD]

When i bought my 2005 coachmen clipper 1265st i had to call about parts for crank to left the roof. viking told me there was recall on that need to be done that the frist owner did't do. the only problem had was with the dealer when i call them and told guy in the srevice dept. he told me they were not a coachmen dealer or a viking dealer so i called back to viking and told them what the dealer said and they called the dealer, viking called me back and told me the dealer would call me in and hour to make a time for my camper to come in. to me viking stands be hind their product. i like the camper it has a slide out which gives me and my three kids more room.i do think all the RV need to take some time and look at their QC on their camper.