new to pup--need advice

[mshar3]

Hi, Everyone,
We're totally new to pup's and have just begun shopping.  We will be towing with a chevy silverado and a toyota sienna.  we are a family of 5--us + 3kids(8-5-2).  We really like the Fleetwoods, but we're having a hard time finding used to meet our needs (toliet/shoewer-slide-out-a/c).  we have found a 2000 palomino mustang w/ all of our "wants".the dealer is asking 6500. I'm assuming there is a lot of room for negotiating, I checked the nada #'s.  problem is I don't hear or see a lot of info on palaminos. Any advice?  Thanks!

[fritz_monroe]

All brands have their good and bad points.  Now take this strictly as my opinion, because that's what it is.  We didn't particullarly like the Palominos.  The didn't feel as solid as the Fleetwoods.  However, Palominos tend to be much lighter than a comparable Fleetwood.

Before you go jumping into a particular model, make sure it's what you want.  We started looking at nothing but models with a shower.  After more looking at what we would do with it, we decided that we didn't really need an inside shower.  Everywhere we camp has a bath house.

Good luck with your shopping, and don't rush into the decision.  Figure out what you really want and keep looking for it.  There should be many Fleetwood models around.  Just shop around a little and you will find exactly what you want.

[GrizzlyTaco]

Fritz is right, there are alot of different brands also, shop around, dont just buy something and be sorry later. We opted to go without a shower and potty also, we like the extra room. We however got an outside shower that works really well to hose off our 2 little ones ( 3 and 5). I wish we hadn't gotten the fridge, i dont ever use it, we keep everything in coolers. I do like the hot water heater, heater and especially the AC since we live here in the dessert. Happy hunting, i hope you find the one that suits your familys needs..........Ed     :sombraro:

[zagles]

I first looked at Fleetwoods, but the price was a little more than I wanted for 30-50 nights a year I go camping.  I felt for a pup I could go with a little less money.  Now when I move up the TT next couple of years away I wont think that way so much.  I did not go with a shower in the pup, because like someone said we allways camp with showers available. And it looks like a nightmare they are about the size of my shoe, with no hard walls to hang on to when I have had one too many.  The toilet issue is something I should have thought through a little more, they have cassette toilets I could have got, but no, I decided the porta potty from tent camping was fine, it also makes a good step to the bunks, but not much too look at.   Some things I needed were heater, a/c, fridge.  A cooler is nice, but in a down pour which I think we bring with us, it is nice to get things out of there.  Also at night when the DD's want something I dont have to go outside.  Hope that helped a little

[HersheyGirl]

Well, I have a Palomino and I love it.  I bought it pre-owned, and I have not had any issues with it.  I think that the quality is great, everything works, it is easy to tow, and I have been very happy with it.  Don't think that one brand is superior to another, as it is all really a matter of opinion.  I favor Jayco and Palomino and not so much the other very popular brand.  It is all a matter of opinion.  Choose a floor plan that will work for your family and if you go new, a dealer that you can trust.  I have bought used both times, and have not been sorry one bit.  I take my trailer to a Forest River dealer for service, as it is close by and I get great service from them.  Good luck.  Did I say that I love my Pal?

[fritz_monroe]

I do like the hot water heater, heater and especially the AC

My favorite thing in my pup is the water heater.  It's so nice not the heat up water to do the dishes.

Hey HersheyGirl, hope I didn't offend.  As I said, it was strictly my opinion of the Pals.  I've talked to other Pal owners that just love them.  And do you tow with that BMW?

That's great advice on the dealer you can trust.  We have a Fleetwood dealer that is only about 10 minutes away.  I didn't buy from them because I didn't like the "vibe" I got when I was ready to buy.  It just felt like they wanted to get my check and get me the heck out of there.  Where I bought from, was very welcoming and felt like they really valued my business.

I think you will find that the deciding factor will be something fairly minor.  When we bought the Bayside, we had it narrowed down to the Fleetwood, a Jayco and a Rockwood.  We ruled out the Rockwood because the dealer was not close enough for us to take it in for any issues, they were about an hour away vs. 40 minutes for the others.  We ruled the Jayco out because the sink was too shallow.  That left the Fleetwood.

Have fun shopping for it.

[SpeakEasy]

A further opinion regarding dealerships: Just because you like the salespeople doesn't mean you'll like the service people. After the sale is completed, you become a customer of the service department. In our case, we LOVE the sales department, and it was they more than many other factors that lead to our purchase. However, we came to find out that the service department is terrible. They have been rude to me, they have made many mistakes in their work, and their workmanship is totally lacking. Before you make a decision based on a dealership, try to find out if customers are happy with their service department.

[tshelfer]

Hi, Everyone,
We're totally new to pup's and have just begun shopping.  We will be towing with a chevy silverado and a toyota sienna.  we are a family of 5--us + 3kids(8-5-2).  We really like the Fleetwoods, but we're having a hard time finding used to meet our needs (toliet/shoewer-slide-out-a/c).  we have found a 2000 palomino mustang w/ all of our "wants".the dealer is asking 6500. I'm assuming there is a lot of room for negotiating, I checked the nada #'s.  problem is I don't hear or see a lot of info on palaminos. Any advice?  Thanks!

Personal opinion - Colemans/Fleetwoods are still the best, but the gap has narrowed considerably. Modern Palominos are a viable brand and good at their price. Options? We stepped up to a gas refrigerator after 15 years and love it -it's great for camping in the boonies. Showers are overrated - too messy, too much water. Washing in the sink feels less satisfying, but you're just as clean. TS

[SpeakEasy]

Showers are overrated - too messy, too much water. Washing in the sink feels less satisfying, but you're just as clean. TS

OMG! Washing in the sink? Are you kidding? The sink is about the size of a breadbox. How the heck can you wash in the sink?

I'm an outside shower person myself. Anyone can give their popup an outside shower very easily. Just replace your mixer faucet with one that has a sprayer. Replace the sprayer with a long-hosed shower head. Make sure the shower head is one that can be shut off at the shower head end. On my camper there is a zipper between canvas panels right behind my sink. I unzip that zipper and pass the shower head out through the opening. You can stand outside and reach in through the unzipped panels to operate the faucets to get the right temperature. An added benefit is that the long-hosed shower head is very useful for rinsing dishes when it is not being used for showers.

[fritz_monroe]

OMG! Washing in the sink? Are you kidding? The sink is about the size of a breadbox. How the heck can you wash in the sink?

The deciding factor between my Bayside and the Jayco I was looking at was the sink.  The sink in my Bayside is much bigger than I saw in any other pup.  It also has the faucet that you can swing out of the way, so there is plenty of sink to wash up in.  Now that I think of it, my sink in the pup is much bigger than the sink in most bathrooms.

[Big_fry]

First let me say we love our Palomino Filly, but Fritz makes some good points.  Some areas of the camper are not as well designed as other brands.  Things I have noticed are items that I did not think of when we first purchased it.  Mainly the frame and slides around the bunkends.  Look under the bunk ends and compare and you will see what I mean.  I have had to create additional supports to keep damage from happening.

That said, we love the floorplan and have found few popups that we like better.  It had all the extras that we "needed" and is still is lighter than others.

Good luck in shopping and finding what you need at a good price.

Big Fry
1999 Palomino Filly

[Miller Tyme]

As a satisfied Palomino owner, I'd just like to say(IMO) that I would never consider buying any Fleetwood product.:yikes:
 
 
 
 Too many problems(ABS roof, for example), too heavy for most mini-vans(without tow packages or heavy mods) and most important...too expensive. For the price of a top of the line FW/Coleman, you can buy a nice hybrid or even a Travel trailer.
 But I digress...
 
 See if the dealer would take $5500. That's a good price for a fully equipped Mustang. Or if he refuses to budge, see if he'll sweeten the deal...some camping accessories like Lynx or BAL levelers, water hoses, battery, etc.
 
 Good luck.