Forest River Travel Trailers

Last year we went through the process of upgrading our RV and thought it might be helpful to share our decision-making and user experience with Forest River travel trailers.

To add some background, our family has been camping since Darlene and I were married 26 years ago. The first 9 years we tented, until the girls started arriving. It was time, we thought, to get up off the ground and so purchased a 15 year old 1975 17' Triple E travel trailer. This unit kept us warm and dry and gave us several photo albums of memories over a 15 year period.

As the girls reached their teens inevitably the Triple E got a little cramped. We carried the tent along just to get some sleeping room. And since we often camp in bear country I found myself sleeping with one ear open more often than not.

Since one of the main objectives of holidays is to get some sleep, I decided it was time to upgrade. The result was the purchase of a 2005 Forest River Flagstaff 25LB SuperLite.


Decision Making Process

Choice of layout and amenities is one. A separate but equally important issue is how to tow it. Did we want to pull a 5th wheel, travel trailer or pop-up? Or drive a motorhome? Was new or pre-owned the best option? What were the advantages and disadvantages of each type of unit, as far as we were concerned?

Firstly, we needed to decide on the essentials, those things we knew were priorities. Our new unit had to sleep a minimum of four comfortably, without having to convert kitchen tables and sofas for sleeping (a pet peeve with our old trailer). A queen bed and two solid bunks would do nicely.

Cost was definitely a consideration. This would be an item used only 6 to 12 times per year. And since we had already ruled out the motorhome option (explained later), towing was the next major issue. The vehicle used for towing needed to serve us primarily for non-towing purposes and still be adequate for the few times a year of trailering.

We drive two vehicles, one for fuel economy and one for people/stuff hauling. For our requirements the people hauler always needs room for 7 passengers minimum and so this ruled out pick-up trucks, which in turn ruled out a fifth wheel. Cost then ruled out a motorhome. This left travel trailers and pop-ups as available choices.

One aspect that separates bigger RVs from pop-ups is the level of comfort, convenience and amenities. Our family camps mostly in Alberta, so nights can often be cool. We wanted the extra level of insulation and convenience of a hard-sided unit. RV Education 101






Our Flagstaff 25LB

Main features: queen bed w/heated mattress, twin bunks, cd, microwave, fantastic fan ventilation, bathroom with shower and half-bath, outside shower, built-in barbecue.

What we like: The queen bed is very comfortable. The fantastic fans keep things surprisingly cool and are very quiet. For our moderate climate we don't miss the noise and extra weight of a/c one bit. The barbecue slides into tracks along the side, with the propane outlet conveniently beside the door.

There is a smaller exit door at the back (driver's side). With the bottom rear bunk folded up we can store bikes or anything else in this space while traveling. This unit also has a really long awning which provides a lot of dry space during inclement weather. Great feature.

Things we'd change: The top rear bunk has no accessible window. Not a big deal, but our youngest daughter Kari finds it a bit claustrophobic. I've slept up there and thought it quite nice however.

Darlene says she'd like more closet/storage space. This deficiency is probably inherent for this size trailer, 7 1/2 feet X 25 feet, 98" high. An 8 1/2 foot wide, perhaps with a slideout, would have more closet space.

Another of my pet peeves, (with reference to most manufacturers, not just FR) is the lack of strength in the rear bumper. A normal bike rack with more than one bike mounted on it will cause the bumper to fail at some point. I happened to spot this on one trip, fortunately before we had an accident. There needs to be a custom weld done for added strength on any bumper/bike rack application.


Summary

Appliances, electrical and mechanical have functioned well. Cabinetry and furniture the same. There have been no leaks. We've traveled some rough roads and there's no apparent twisting of the frame or major structures. Plumbing as well, happily, has worked fine. How to Tow Travel Trailers Quiet RV Generators