Went out looking today.....

[mars00XJ]

.....and was surprised at how many different choices there are.  :yikes: We went and looked at the Starcraft, Flagstaff, Fleetwood, and Vikings. Now we just need to figure out what models we like best.

Definitely liked the fit and finish of the Starcraft 2414, but did not like that it did not have brakes on it. Which brings me to the first question, is a braking system on a PUP really necessary? I know it will save brakes on my TV and will make towing safer, but we really like this unit.

The Flagstaff was OK, one of the only shining spots was the mattresses in the Classic line. The other was the 2006's come with the screen rooms. The floor felt spongy and uneven and overall it seemed cheaply made.

The Fleetwoods were disappointing. The beds and seat cushions seemed to be really firm. The fit and finish seemed well below what I had expected coming from the name Fleetwood.

The Vikings came up short as well. The beds seemed small compared to others manufacturers for the size of the trailer. We liked the 1906ST, but the beds were just too small for the price.

Does anyone have any experience with the Starcraft models? Any thoughts would be appreciated. Any other models to look at? We also found a 2003 Coleman Santa Fe for around $5200. This is under consideration as well.

Thanks in advance. John  :!

[fritz_monroe]

Have fun looking.  I assume that you have figured out what you can really tow, havent' you?  If not, you should really stop looking until you find out what you can tow.  No use falling in love with something that you can't tow.

I like my Fleetwood.  Everything feels really solid.  You are lucky that you are able to take a look at that big a variety of pups.  My area doesn't have all that many different brands nearby.  I seem to recall that the Starcrafts are ready to install brakes.  Talk to the dealer to see what it would cost for them to install the brakes.  Personally, I wouldn't think of towing without brakes on the pup, even if I was towing the smallest pup out there.  The price of the brakes is a small price for keeping my family safe during the tow.

Good luck with your search.

[mars00XJ]

Thanks Fritz.
We have a 2000 Jeep Cherokee that states it can tow up to 5000lbs. For me, I want to stay under 3000lbs if possible.

I did a search for the dealers and there is 1 of just about every major maker out there in a 30 mile radius of home. It is kind of nice to see all of them first hand.

John

[boncrab]

I would agree with his assessment of fleetwood. We did our annual fleetwood, jayco viewing of the current year models and I was completely dumbfounded at the lack of quality and the cheap shortcuts that fleetwood made with the popups for the 2006 year.

The available cabinet spaces had loose wires and hoses in the spaces and there was no care to tack and tuck them out of the way.  They changed the top galley door to drop downs (may have done that last year). The quality and craftsmanship is nothing like it used to be.

I would now place Jayco and Starcraft as the top of the line from my point of view.

[esclark]

You can tow a lot with your tow vehicle.  I do agree with you about keeping the weight down though (better gas mileage, performance on hills, etc).  We also live in the Chicago area and were very impressed with the dealership that we bought our Fleetwood from (Abel RV).  If you change your mind about Fleetwoods, check them out if you haven't already.

Picking out a PUP is a very individual thing.  Have fun and pick what you think will take you a long way.