Opinions on a manufacturer is kind of the same as what's the best car brand?
I have owned 4 different trailers from 3 manufacturers. I was the first rally master for Crossroads RV (maker of my current 5th wheel) and have toured a number of factories in Indiana (CrossRoads obviously, Forest River next door to the Crossroads plant in Topeka, IN, Keystone outside of Shipshewana) My personal opinion (take it for what it's worth) are that nearly all name brand (the ones you've heard of) manufacturers produce a decent product. The price range determines the overall quality of the product, including the overall workmanship regardless of the manufacturer. If an RV seems to have a lot more upgraded or "standard" features than a competitor in the same price range, there are probably unseen things where money is saved. Wood wall construction instead of aluminum for example. All of the larger manufacturers sell RVs in a variety of price ranges and each line in that price range could be much better than another from the same manufacturer. Crossroads when I was associated with them didn't sell an entry level line. They started selling higher end 5th wheels (Crossroads)and added in a mid-level (Cruiser). I bought a Cruiser because it had many of the higher end things, but closer to a Forest River Wildcat price range. (enclosed and heated holding tanks, huge holding tanks, upgraded insulation as standard, all aluminum construction. The Wildcat at the time (2003) didn't have any of these things, but had an identical MSRP for the same bunk house floor plan) By the time I dropped away from Crossroads, they had added an entry level "stick and tin" (their words) line (Zinger). Overall, it was a decent entry level line and was priced competitively with other manufacturers entry level lines, but the Zingers didn't seem to benefit from the upper lines the way the original Cruisers did.
The best advice I got from RV.net was to climb in, under and around any trailer you are considering. Pull the drawers out and look at the tracks, get under and look at how the frame is welded or the suspension attached. What do the bathroom fixtures feel like. After doing this to many trailers, you start to see some of the subtle ways they shift money to things they think are important (or they think the customer will notice).
Pick a price range you are comfortable in (remember, on a straight deal- no trade in- expect 20% off of MSRP as a starting point and shoot for as close to 30% off as you can) After that, decide what features you have to have (large holding tanks, gel coat, insulated windows, "Winter package", dual A/C, light weight). Then find a floor plan that fits your need. By then, you'll probably be down to 2 or 3 manufacturers. Do the climb around and decide which one seems the "best".
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