By Cheri Sicard
Duane, a certified RV inspector from the RV Inspection and Care YouTube channel, has become one of my favorite vloggers. Yes, his presentation could use a little spicing up, but his information is always rock solid. In the video below he answers a frequently asked question about his personal favorite best RV brands and models when it comes to travel trailers.
Duane begins the video by discussing the benefits of travel trailers and why they are the most popular RV. Chances are you already know this if you are shopping for a trailer.
With an overwhelming variety of travel trailer brands and models to choose from, getting an expert’s view on brands and why he likes them is valuable. Even if you don’t stick with the brands Duane recommends, the reasons why he likes them can provide items to consider when evaluating any RV.
Quality is important when buying an RV. However, Duane rightly points out that quality in the RV industry does not necessarily stay stable. There are some brands that make good quality rigs in some years, then make other models that are not so great. Therefore, it’s important to evaluate who is making the best quality now.
The video below is about two years old, so while things may change, these travel trailers are still quality models. Plus, with RV dealers currently desperate to get rid of unused “older” models, now might be an excellent time to snag a killer deal on one of these.
Duane says these recommendations are the best RV brands he has seen in the last three years. What is he basing his recommendations on? Three things:
- Build quality: You want to know you are buying a quality product.
- Customer service: You need to know you will have support after the sale.
- Resale value: You want to be able to sell the trailer later on and get a reasonable amount back out of it.
Duane’s top three best RV brands and models for travel trailers
#1 Grand Design: This company, which has only been around for about 10 years, is known for its high quality and exceptional customer service. Duane recommends the Grand Design Transcend, which will allow you to buy at the lower end of the market, or the Imagine, which is a good mid-range offering. Or for those who want a larger, higher-end luxury travel trailer, consider the Reflection. If you look for models on RV Trader, Duane says to expect models priced from the low-30s to the high-90s, depending on model, age, and features.
#2 Northwoods RV: This company is known for making true four-season RVs. In order to accomplish this, they must be made with quality. This is a smaller brand, so you might have to search longer and harder to find one, but when you do, Duane says the quality is readily apparent. That’s the reason this brand has legions of local vocal fans. Duane recommends the larger Arctic Fox, what the company is most known for, and the smaller Nash. Prices will range from the mid-30s to the mid-80s.
#3 Lance: One of the fastest growing companies in the RV industry, according to Duane, Lance makes exceptional quality travel trailers compared to their competition. Lance does not give their trailers names, but rather model numbers. They are all quality RVs. Prices for Lance travel trailers on RV Trader will range from the mid-50s to the mid-90s.
No RV brand is perfect!
Duane puts in the disclaimer that in your search for the best RV brands, no brand is perfect, including the three he recommended. A large part of any RV you buy is still made by hand, so there can be problems from unit to unit on the quality level. Duane says it is possible to get a lemon with any brand. However, quality brands like these will put the odds firmly in your favor.
The video closes with a discussion of the importance of hiring a certified RV inspector before buying any new or used RV. Yes, Duane is himself such an inspector. But the advice isn’t wrong. Especially with the amount of money you will be investing in your RV.
The inspector will give you a list of all the RV’s problems and potential problems. Duane says never take delivery of a new RV until all the problems on that list are fixed.
What are your favorite RV brands?
Of course, there are other quality brands, but Duane had to choose his top three. What do you think? What is your top pick? Have you owned any of these trailers? Share your opinions and experiences in the comments below.
##RVDT2497
I own an Arctic Fox that I bought new in 2017. There were zero issues or problems with it from day one. Not one repair or fix had to be performed. I do routine maintenance and check the roof and recaulk as needed, but the quality of Northwood products is exceptional! I owned another Northwood product, an Outdoors RV toy hauler for a short time and the quality of it was on par with the Arctic Fox. They really do produce a superior product.
owned an arctic fox 5er 2019….for the most part it was good but as I worked on it I started to find hidden bad work done….from speed work….I put a 950 watt solar in with victron system and battle born batts…fun project but found bad workmanship behind the walls….very heavy….sold it and went with a 2024 Brinkley 2900Z….put a 800 watt solar in using victron again….very well built….like it way better than the fox…my two cents info..
We have seriously considered a fiver as a replacement for our Ventana DP and have been pretty impressed by the 2900Z Brinkley. So far it’s our first choice when we sell the DP.
I understand how no brand is perfect, but how can the number 1 pick be Grand Design with the cracking frame issues. And worse yet the company’s refusal to help it’s customers. When I saw that the article lost credibility with me.
The frame problem seems to be isolated to the 5th wheels, or at least that’s the ones most affected. I too would be concerned with their towables though. The problems on the five’rs are with poor welds and lack of reinforcements. Who’s to say the TT’s don’t have the same problem?
Agree. Would not get a GD of any kind. Furthermore, a couple years ago (the vintage of the info in the article) my wife and I were considering going back to towable. We looked at many new GDs while shopping and they all had trim coming off already or other visible defects or poor workmanship. No way GD is #1.
Watch for the pattern: new startup has great designs and quality; it becomes popular, with a good reputation; it is bought by a big manufacturer because they want to piggyback on the reputation; quality stays good for a couple of years; quality slides down to the level of everything else from that manufacturer. Happens everywhere, in every industry.
Keep in mind, this video is over two yeas old, and so is the info on Grand Design.
My own experience with GD has been very good. After over 8 years in a Keystone Cougar and two major slide issues we got a GD AIM model w/o a slide in May. First trip was over 2 weeks and around 1800 miles, without any kind of issue. After 40 some nights the deadbolt lock wasn’t working with the key, and it was quickly replaced without an appt. In contrast, we had the Cougar back to the dealer 3 times in the first few months for multiple issues each time.
My choices in 2024 would be Northwood, Outdoors RV (ORV–from the same family that started Northwood and both companies located near each other in Oregon, not Indiana!)), and Lance (originally located in California). I trust very few manufacturers located in Indiana because they are allowed by law to be able to hire untrained Amish boys at 15 . . . . and they do!
I own an Outdoors RV trailer and can attest they are well built and designed to be used…hard if needed…unlike the many cheap cracker boxes that are lucky to make it off the dealers lot.
Grand Design? Correct me if Im wrong, but isn’t that the manufacturer whose RVs have cracking frame issues, as highlighted in several RV magazines lately?
Anyone have any thoughts on Brinkley? Seen a few on the road and at our Seasonal campground; look like nice rigs, but looks can be deceiving.
I feel sorry for any shucker owning a grand design product…fool me once…fool me twice. Been there…done that.
One of the hazards of making recommendations like this is co.’s change mgmt, the economy changes, materials change and on and on. Then there is the age problem – like this video is not new and perhaps, the commenter should state an “as of date” – so you have a date comparison. Might be good for the preowned sales market vs new sales! We know of the GD frame problems of today – when the video was made… we don’t know and obviously this problem didn’t exist when Duane made the video.
We have an 2020 Outdoors RV 24RKS travel trailer and love it! We can boondock for two weeks with 80 gal fresh water tank, thermopane windows, heated tanks, etc. Quality build, great customer service (shout out to Apache Camping Center dealer in Portland, Oregon). Outdoors is owned by Northwood so we think NW carried over their excellent manufacturing to Outdoors. Both are made in LaGrande, Oregon.
Thank you, Cheri! No, never owned any of these, or a towable at all. Gravitated toward driveables at the outset of my data gathering ahead of our first purchase. Have a great week and safe travels!
I thought Grand Design was having quality issues lately? Or some other problems? I remember reading about it in a fairly recent issue of the RV Travel newsletter…
There should be a review of “budget priced” currently made towables. My wife and I want to get a new Sun Lite 19RB LTD next spring. We looked at one at a local dealership and it has every feature we want in a layout we like, all for well under $20K brand-new. It’s a small manufacturer in Indiana (Sunset Park RVs) that has been around for about 20 years. We joined a Facebook group for people who own campers by this manufacturer and most owners seem to be fairly satisfied with them.
JAYCO used to be a very good RV ….that is until Thor bought them out in late 2016 or early 2017. We have an early 2017 JAYCO Pinnacle 5er purchased new with very few & minor issues at delivery. All were fixed within the first 2 weeks of ownership. A couple of friends purchased a Pinnacle based on us raving about ours. Both of their rigs were purchased new within the past 5 years, and both have had numerous problems with JAYCO and their dealer.
Seems like no manufacturer cares anymore ….just the net profit.
Like many RV’ers, we went through several iterations of towables. We are happy with our 2019 Jayco 27RL that stays permanently on our RV lot. We enjoy our 2023 RPod 196 for short trips to music festivals. To each his/her own.
We’ve had our 13′ Scamp for 11 years. No quality issues from day 1. Lots miles criss-crossing the country from Alaska to Florida.
My favorite brand RV is Nu-Camp. Can’t beat the quality of the Amish!