what do you think about Crusier brand trailers?

[pimikem]

hello all, we are looking to buy a trailer. we put a deposit on a shadow cruiser. it is made by cruiser which is one of the companies under the Thor industries umbrella, as is some pretty large names in the travel trailer world, like airstream, jay co and Dutchman. reading reviews on this trailer this morning brought about some very concerned feelings. seems to be a ton of bad reviews concerning a multitude of issues such as leaks, poor workmanship on the box, etc. plus very bad warranty service. any info that anyone has would be very helpful. also the shadow cruiser 193mbs, (22 foot from hitch to bumper) is listed at 20,995. what can a buyer expect considering quality at this price range?

 

[Kevin D Pem]

I don't know about shadow cruiser. Is it the same line as fun finders. when did they merge with thor? My brother has a fun finder made by Chaser and would not consider another of the same brand. Even If they merged with thor after he bought it, bad taste, so to speak.

 

[pimikem]

cruiser does make the fun finder. i have no idea of the history of the company, they say that they have been making trailers since 1988. did they change their name from chaser to cruiser or did cruiser buy out chaser, i sure dont know. i have just read so many bad reviews., however a buddy told me that RV's are always going to have issues out the gate, and that you will always be fixing stuff. this really gets me down to think that you spend top money on something and then have to work out the bugs. what year is your brothers? did he have a bunch of issues?

 

[Kevin D Pem]

off the top of my head I would say 05'. He plans on replacing it next year (Just a note, He is handing it down in the family because he feels it is not something he would sell ) and asked me what brand I would recommend. The same brand I recommend here, Airstream. I know still thor, but makers have different levels of quality. Just look at the cabinets and cushions and it is evident. I personally would not buy new. If I did I would still look at older models and find depreciation on them and compare that way. It is hard to afford a used Airstream because they are built to a higher standard. kind of like buying a Rolls. Like I told my brother, resale price will make the expense worth it. Keep it clean on the outside and even the finicky parks will let you in never mind the 15 year rule.

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

As @Kevin D Pem notes, some RV brands are built to a higher standard regardless of what company owns the brand. This is usually because of the quality standard was established before the brand was acquired by the holding company. Airstream, for example has long had a great reputation and that has been maintained by Thor. To do otherwise would be foolish on their part.

Sadly, Thor does not have a very good reputation for its own brand and some of the lower level brands they have either created or acquired. This includes their reputation for after-purchase customer service.

In general, in the RV market (as is the case in many other markets), "you get what you pay for" In both product quality and customer service. IMO, shopping for an RV by price is not a good practice. Decide on the layout (floor plan) that meets your needs and then look at the higher quality units (and, they will most always be the higher priced as well).

Good luck in your search.

TJ