Trilogy or DRV or Something Else? - RV-Dreams Community Forum

DieselJunki · RV-Dreams Community Member

Trilogy or DRV or Something Else?

GENECOP · RV-Dreams Family Member

For four season use check out Arctic Fox.....

-- Edited by GENECOP on Sunday 13th of January 2013 05:36:31 AM

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

Katelyn,

For a start, a while back I had the opportunity to check out the Dynamax Trilogy models. I hate to say it, but it is a poor choice, especially in comparison with a DRV Suites. I wrote a review of what I found with the Trilogy models. You can check that out at the following link:

Personal Observations on Dynamax Trilogy Fifth Wheels

Now, with regards to DRV Suites, Jo and I own a Mobile Suites 38-footer and are living in it full time in the Oklahoma City area. Yes, with the DRV Suites models, the Select Suites, the Mobile Suites, and the Elite Suites, the walls are 3 1/4" thick with nice insulation. The newer Tradition model may not have walls that are as thick, so if you were thinking that way, check that out for sure.

In the year and a half that we've been in our Mobile Suites in temperatures ranging from 14 degrees up to 114 degrees. While some extra precautions need to be taken during the cold weather, we've found the trailer to be very comfortable. Our Suites has the Canadian Package, which includes 2 furnaces instead of only one. In the heat of the summer, we have two 15K airconditioners that are also heat pumps. In addition to those, we also use two oscillating fans to circulate the air.

We heat the trailer with the fireplace and two Lasko ceramic tower heaters when we are home from work. The taller Lasko is in the living room with the fireplace. The shorter one is in the bedroom on the dresser across from the bed. When I go to bed, I turn off the fireplace and the living room Lasko so that the furnace for the living room area will heat that area as well as the underbelly, thus keeping it warm under their for the water system and holding tanks.

When looking at sources for buying a DRV, check out Rolling Retreats in Elk City, Oklahoma. They are a mom and pop dealership that pretty much specializes with DRV's. They have only been DRV dealers for about one year, but are already in the top 10 in sales of new DRV's. They occasionally get used ones, and right at the moment are expecting a 2009 in the not too far future. If you are buying new, check with several dealers to see which one gives you the best prices.

Terry

R12 · RV-Dreams Family Member

DRV Suites, New Horizons and Excel were what we looked at when deciding on a full time camper.

DRV and Excel will allow semi customizing meaning a lot of items can be changed to what you want but not everything. For your boy friends deisires, I saw a rear entertainment model of the DRV Suites being built at the factory that was having a HUGE television installed, something like a 70 or 80 inch flat screen. It pretty much covered the entire back wall!

New Horizons and a couple others will build a fully customized unit to your specs and are the highest priced units.

I was not as impressed with the Excel from the factory tour I took and I decided to order the DRV Mobile Suites which is currently being built.

-- Edited by R12 on Sunday 13th of January 2013 07:46:00 AM

-- Edited by R12 on Sunday 13th of January 2013 07:46:18 AM

-- Edited by R12 on Sunday 13th of January 2013 07:47:31 AM

Cindy T · RV-Dreams Family Member

We own a DRV - Mobile Suites. We're in the Denver area, & right now the temperature is minus 1. The Mobile Suites is nice & warm. During the day, we often use the fireplace to heat the main living area, & have a small electric cube heater in the bedroom. At night, we just use the furnace.

We have a washer & dryer sitting side by side in the laundry area. I really like being able to do laundry whenever I want, without going to a laundromat.

We brought our king size Select Comfort matress from home & it fits perfectly.

We don't have a residential fridge, but we do have the large 4-door RV fridge.

We've been fulltime for a little over a year & the Mobile Suites has been comfy in all seasons.

DieselJunki · RV-Dreams Community Member

Terry and Jo I actually read your review page and did a bit more research last night about the Trilogy. I can say I am glad I joined this forum as I believe we would have purchased the Trilogy and not really known all the things we would have been missing in build quality. I've looked into the DRVs quite a bit more as I hear all sorts of good things about them and I do like them a lot. I could see myself living in them. I especially like the Mobile Estate. So I will be looking into those a bit more. I looked up Rolling Retreats as well. Now this may seem like a silly question to some of you who know a bit about the RV world but, if I wanted to order the Mobile Estate I would like to order it factory so I can pick and choose different options (If there are any, I looked on the DRV website and it wasn't really clear to me which options were for the Mobile Estates vs the other models.). Would I speak to the DRV people or still go threw a dealer such as Rolling Retreats?

Cindy that is just what I wanted to hear! I figured we might have to supplement the heat with some sort of heater like the oil filled radiators in really cold places but wanted to make sure it wasn't going to be hard to keep the temperature warm.

I checked out the Arctic Fox and unfortunetely they just don't seem big enough for us.

R12 I'm sure he would love that huge TV! Haha. I will have to let him know about that and see if it's possible on the model we have been looking at.

kb0zke · RV-Dreams Family Member

DieselJunki, I think you are barking up the right tree. For your intended use, I'd strongly recommend the DRV. The added insulation will help keep you warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Along with double pane windows it should also keep it somewhat quieter. Yes, you will need at least an F450, maybe an F550. You are looking at some pretty heavy trailers.

Some companies sell directly from the factory. Others don't. Since DRV is a semi-custom builder, I would think that you could tweak a standard coach somewhat. When we toured the factory a couple of years ago they told us that people often would buy a coach in one line and add or delete things to make it look more like another line. The granite counter tops of the Elites, for example, and quite a bit heavier than the Corian counter tops of the Mobiles. Weight-conscious buyers of Elites would sometimes specify the Corian counter tops. That saved some weight and money.

I've seen that Rolling Retreats actually does their own hauling from the DRV factory, so they can do a PDI there first. Since the factory is in Indiana, and they are in Oklahoma, you will have to figure out what is more cost effective for you. No matter how you do it, hauling a large 5'er around isn't cheap, and the buyer is the one who will pay for it one way or the other.

R12 · RV-Dreams Family Member

Talk to a dealer in TN for a price for a camper delivered to them. RVs for Less is a dealer located in Knoxville, TN that has a pretty good reputation.

http://www.rvsforless.net/

Edit by moderator: Activated link. Terry

-- Edited by Terry and Jo on Monday 14th of January 2013 08:08:20 AM

DieselJunki · RV-Dreams Community Member

Good to know. We right now don't have the truck able to tow that kind of trailer. We were actually kind of hoping to somehow get it down to Tennessee (where we think we are going for the next job) without having our own truck to tow it at the moment. I guess we could go threw a private hauling service. It just makes me nervous as I've heard horror stories about such things you know. I say we aren't trying to rush into buying anything but I guess we kind of are because we want to get one for our next job, if not at the start, at the max the middle. I know it's a little bit backwards getting the trailer before the truck. But I don't think the bank will allow us to take out 90k for a trailer (I have no idea how much it would actually be just throwing numbers out there) and then another 70k for a truck at the same time. We just planned on paying the minimum on the trailer (if the bank qualifies us without having to do much to our credit) and save up to get a large down payment on the truck while we are there. Once we get the truck getting them both paid off quickly will be the goal. Which I know you guys must think is crazy and risky but with the money we will be making and 100 hour weeks we put in it is possible. Although the new tax bracket crap is taking an extra $200 out of my paycheck

If we could even get the trailer to a drop off point somewhere in Tennessee we could use someone else's truck on the job to pick it up and get it to the camp site. The reason for this is once we start working getting a day off is near impossible. I am hoping if we do it this way the max we would need off would be 1 day.

Now looking at the Ford site at the 2013 F450s they say they have a towing capacity of 24,500lbs and it's payload is 5,880lbs
I'm not 100% sure of the weight on the Estates but looking at a few other trailers they seem to be in the 18,000lb range (minus luggage and such). Should I be paying attention to the payload on the truck as much as I am the towing capacity?

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

Katelyn,

I happen to have electronic copies of the build sheets/price lists for the Mobile Suites and Elite Suites and the Tradition. These documents actually list the MSRP. Keep that in mind as one can usually get a trailer for quite a bit less than MSRP. If you would like to have a copy of one or the other models, let me know via private message here at RV Dreams and provide me with your e-mail address so I can send them to you.

Yes, one can choose what options they want and even ask for things not listed on their build sheets. For instance, when we ordered our 2010 MS 38TKSB3, we ordered an inverter with two extra batteries. At the time, that option was not listed on the build sheet, but the factory did pretty much as we wished. Some others have even had custom modifications such as changes in the kitchen island from what was the basic floor plan.

Actually, you are better off to choose the trailer first instead of the truck first. By choosing the trailer first, you go into your truck purchase with the knowledge of what size of truck you would need to handle the weight of the trailer. So, that isn't really an issue. In our case, it helped us afford the trailer when we found a used 2008 Ford F450 with relatively low mileage and at about half price or less of a brand new one. You may also want to consider a good used one yourselves.

With regards to Rolling Retreats, I happen to know that they have been known to deliver a trailer. I remember once that Slade picked up an Elite Suites at the factory in Indiana and dropped the trailer off to the new owners in Iowa. On another occasion, they delivered one to a customer in Houston. Now, in all honesty, it might have been that they were wanting to go to Houston for another reason and chose to deliver that one. I really don't know all the details, but it never hurts for a customer to ask.

If you go onto DRV Suite's website, click on the links on the home page that lists the Elite Suites, Mobile Suites, the Estates, and the Tradition. In each case, there are different "tabs," one of which is "Standards and Options" for each model. (Each link above takes you to the correct area, but you have to find the "tab" saying "Standards and Options" or similar.) Under the Estates link, click on the link entitled, "Estates - Mobile Suites Product Highlights" and that will take you to where you can find the tabs.

Now, to touch on one other point you mentioned, that being that you would like to have one by the time you went to your next job. I don't know how it is now, but when we ordered our 2010, it took 12 weeks from the time we ordered until it was delivered. So, that would need to be considered.

Terry

jayc · RV-Dreams Family Member

For another unit to check on while you're on the RV's for Less site, try the Heartland Landmark. We have been living in one for over a year and love it. Most Landmarks will not require a 450 truck to safely pull, and they are rated and warranted for full time use.

dewwood · RV-Dreams Family Member

I would also suggest checking out RVsforless in Knoxville, TN. They handle a couple of brands that are suitable for full time use. Most manufactures will not allow customer pickup at the factory so it is necessary to work through a dealer anyway. The dealer will quote a price for the unit picked up on their lot but many would deliver it and set it up for you at your location for little or no charge. Good luck with your search.

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

Keep in mind that Katelyn is looking for something that will be suitable in cold weather locations. As pipeline workers, I guarantee that they are likely to be in such places. Many brands that would be good for the average RV'er might not be good for them.

For example, a comparison between DRV Suites and the Heartland Landmark shows the following:

Roof: Landmark - R23 DRV - R25

Walls: Landmark - R9 DRV - R16

Floor: Landmark - R35 DRV - R27

While the roof and floor look good on the Landmark, anyplace that is cold and windy (think Wyoming) will really make an R9 wall unsuitable.

Terry

NWescapee · RV-Dreams Family Member

We had considered the Heartland Landmark until we looked at a 4 year old pre-owned model. Comparing that to 4-6 year old pre-owned DRVs helped convince us to go with a pre-owned DRV. The quality and durability of the DRV just seemed much better to us.

Regarding RV Tranport companies, there are several out there that I found on Google. We actually considered that to get our DRV home from Rolling Retreats to Seattle, but the cost would have been $3350, plus DH wanted to spend a couple nights in the coach at the dealership going through all the sytems, making sure he knows how everything works before starting the drive back to Seattle. So, we've ordered our F450, which will be delivered to a dealership in OKC, he'll fly in, pick up the truck and then the trailer.

Racerguy · RV-Dreams Family Member

I normally disagree with needing a DRV or equal RV to full time in.....but in this case where you know pretty sure you will be in cold climates many times I have to agree that DRV,New Horizons or Artic Fox should be considered.Look for a good well taken care of used model and you will be in good shape.Good luck.

DieselJunki · RV-Dreams Community Member

I think everyone on this site has pretty much sold me on the DRVs... Of course I have also done my own side research and have since contacted DRV threw email and asked a few questions. Hope to hear back in a few days.

I have an issue with used home trailers and unfortunetly have the same issue with used camper trailers. I don't know how to describe it but you just don't know how it was taken care of, what messes have been in them... I've seen a few that looked nice but knew the dogs pooped and pee'd wherever the pleased. It's enough to make my skin crawl. So I will take nothing but brand spankin new biggrin

I looked around the RCforless website. Seems like a nice place. I think I will contact rolling retreats first and see what they can do as far as ordering, getting a price so we can go ahead and let the bank know, and getting it to us. If not then RCforless might be my second contact.

Terry and Jo I have thought about the build time taking awhile. I guess I got a little excited. I mean I haven't stopped researching in 4 days! More realistically would be we would have it on order and in the process of being built by the middle of our job in Tenessee. Who knows in 2 weeks we might not even be headed to Tenessee... could be Ohio! We just never know until the very last minute. Hopefully we can have it on order sooner! Crossing my fingers.

I am seriously thinking about purchasing the RV Educational Videos you offer here. Has anyone purchased these? Heard good things about them? I think they just might be worth their weight in gold from what I've read.

I think we have pretty much decided on the floor model of the Estates that we want (I emailed them and asked if they had one built they could take pictures of for me as I didn't see that exact floor plan on their website for pictures). Now we just have to think about what to add, modify, or delete. I think adding our own furniture would be great as we can really save space and I think open the livingroom up more but can't get him to agree. Oh well. I know a few things up front I'd like to change, those cabinates in the bathroom just look ugly, they look dirty, like they haven't been washed in a very long time. I definitely don't want that color. I don't know if it's suppose to be a pure white from the pictures with like silver around the edges or what but it does not look good to me. I'm still unsure about the garbage disposal option.

In the campgrounds we visit we would never stay at one that didn't have sewer, water, and electric hookup. As we would stay at these places 5 months to a year at a time. And without all those commodities it would just be aweful.

Another challenge is internet... I am a computer nerd. I love my internet and download lots of things. An internet with a cap on how much I could use just would not work for me. Is it possible to get your own cable internet hookedup at a camp ground? Of course that is if they had it in the area. I really don't want to go with sattilite, it sucks, and I don't believe they have any that don't have a cap.

-- Edited by DieselJunki on Monday 14th of January 2013 09:07:01 PM

-- Edited by DieselJunki on Monday 14th of January 2013 09:09:14 PM

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

OK. It's been 2 years since we had any thoughts about custom changes to an RV, so I don't know if the DRV factory can make such changes to the cabinetry. So, ask at both Rolling Retreats and RV's for Less to see if they know of anything else that can be done. One thing to mention is that my understanding is that the Estates come equipped with 23 cu. ft residential refrigerators. Those are big enough (wide) that they take up some of the space of the cabinets to the side of the refrigerator. One person commented that it caused their silverware drawer (or at least where they wanted it to be) to be too narrow to put in one of those plastic divider trays.

In our case, we didn't need quite so big of a fridge, just being the two of us, so 18 cu. ft. was plenty big. Check with your dealerships if you would be able to get something with a wee bit smaller fridge. I don't know what can be done, but you can always ask.

As for internet, I'm not sure that there is anything that is unlimited in its data plans. We were looking at going with Millenicom, but for our area, the unlimited wasn't available. It might be that where your jobs take you, you might not have the service that you might have started out with. However, check with others with regards to this issue as I am not technical minded enough to give you all the answers. Make sure that whoever answers your questions that you will likely be moving every so many months or so and that locations will be unknown.

Good luck.

Terry

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

travlingman wrote:
Terry and Jo wrote:
Keep in mind that Katelyn is looking for something that will be suitable in cold weather locations. As pipeline workers, I guarantee that they are likely to be in such places. Many brands that would be good for the average RV'er might not be good for them.
For example, a comparison between DRV Suites and the Heartland Landmark shows the following:
Roof: Landmark - R23       DRV - R25
Walls: Landmark - R9       DRV - R16
Floor: Landmark - R35      DRV - R27
While the roof and floor look good on the Landmark, anyplace that is cold and windy (think Wyoming) will really make an R9 wall unsuitable.
Terry
Don't know where you got your information for the Landmark ratings, but they are incorrect. Per their brochures:
FLoor - R40
Walls - R11
Roof - R38
Slide room floor - R38
Caps - R38
If you are ordering a new 2014, some other changes are the residential fridge which we like, but DRV doesn't install an inverter with this fridge. You will need to order that option as DRV's logic is you will only be on the road 6 hours or so and the fridge will not cool down. They have also started using a knock off of the MCD shade and not from the original maker. Haven't saw one to see if the same quality. Also now going to a 2 color wood interior verses all the same. Have not been impressed with the colors we saw, again not our taste, you may like. We were pretty much set on buying a DRV unit, but don't know now. After looking at other manufactures and comparing what you get for your buck, we have about changed our minds.

Well, the information I found is right on their website. Follow the link below and go down on the left column to "Total Insulation Values."

Heartland Landmark Standards and Options

Now, if you have one set of figures from their brochure that differ from another set of figures on their website, what numbers do you want to believe? Personally, I really hate inconsistencies, so I suggest that any interested buyer be sure and try to follow up to find the true R-ratings. But, if Heartland is inconsistent, what can one believe?

Edit: After some thought, I should add another comment. A lot of times with the RV world, the R-values seem to be subjective in nature and are determined by the "value" of each layer of an RV's roof, sides, or flooring. Unfortunately, I have no idea of the actual R-value of many of those elements or layers. With that said, I would have a tendency to put a bit more "faith" in seeing that the thickness of a wall, ceiling, and floor would be more accurate at to its actual rating. Thus, I personally have put more credence to the insulation values of DRV's Elite, Mobile, and Select Suite models because of their 3 1/4" walls.

Terry

-- Edited by Terry and Jo on Tuesday 15th of January 2013 02:40:00 PM

R12 · RV-Dreams Family Member

DieselJunki wrote:
Another challenge is internet... I am a computer nerd. I love my internet and download lots of things. An internet with a cap on how much I could use just would not work for me. Is it possible to get your own cable internet hookedup at a camp ground? Of course that is if they had it in the area. I really don't want to go with sattilite, it sucks, and I don't believe they have any that don't have a cap.
-- Edited by DieselJunki on Monday 14th of January 2013 09:09:14 PM

If the campground has cable tv at the site you should be able to have the internet connected. I'm currently in TX for the winter and had the internet service connected thru the cable hookup. It was also available when I wintered in Florida. Otherwise I use my phone as a hot spot and most of the time have 4G service.

travlingman · RV-Dreams Family Member

Terry and Jo wrote:
Keep in mind that Katelyn is looking for something that will be suitable in cold weather locations. As pipeline workers, I guarantee that they are likely to be in such places. Many brands that would be good for the average RV'er might not be good for them.
For example, a comparison between DRV Suites and the Heartland Landmark shows the following:
Roof: Landmark - R23       DRV - R25
Walls: Landmark - R9       DRV - R16
Floor: Landmark - R35      DRV - R27
While the roof and floor look good on the Landmark, anyplace that is cold and windy (think Wyoming) will really make an R9 wall unsuitable.
Terry
Don't know where you got your information for the Landmark ratings, but they are incorrect. Per their brochures:
FLoor - R40
Walls - R11
Roof - R38
Slide room floor - R38
Caps - R38

If you are ordering a new 2014, some other changes are the residential fridge which we like, but DRV doesn't install an inverter with this fridge. You will need to order that option as DRV's logic is you will only be on the road 6 hours or so and the fridge will not cool down. They have also started using a knock off of the MCD shade and not from the original maker. Haven't saw one to see if the same quality. Also now going to a 2 color wood interior verses all the same. Have not been impressed with the colors we saw, again not our taste, you may like. We were pretty much set on buying a DRV unit, but don't know now. After looking at other manufactures and comparing what you get for your buck, we have about changed our minds.

Bobby Q · RV-Dreams Community Member

Anyone have any advice concerning the NuWa units? They seem so nice. We are from Vegas and are going to the Quartzsite RV Show and will make our final decision. We are looking for a modern designed unit. One not so traditional. Is there such a thing as full side slide outs? We saw them on some german rigs...super nice, but super expensive. We plan to be full timers by March! thanks in advance!!

Bobby and Melissa

-- Edited by Bobby Q on Wednesday 16th of January 2013 03:57:03 AM

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

First of all, welcome to the RV Dreams forums. You are now at one of the friendliest and most helpful places around. Some of the participants here have knowledge of all kinds of different RV's.

If I remember correctly, NuWa has gone out of business. If that is true, used units may be what is mostly available, unless the factory has some finished products that never got shipped to dealers. While a lot of the things that make up the RV in the form of appliances, pumps, a/c, furnaces, etc would still have options of repair or replacement. The coach itself might be a problem if anything there needed repair. The first thing there that comes to mind to me would be the "skirting" and other things around the wheels that might get damaged due to a blowout.

Otherwise, NuWa has had a good reputaion. I know a number of folks with the Hitchhiker series that would have nothing else.

Terry

travlingman · RV-Dreams Family Member

Terry and Jo wrote:
travlingman wrote:
Terry and Jo wrote:
Keep in mind that Katelyn is looking for something that will be suitable in cold weather locations. As pipeline workers, I guarantee that they are likely to be in such places. Many brands that would be good for the average RV'er might not be good for them.
For example, a comparison between DRV Suites and the Heartland Landmark shows the following:
Roof: Landmark - R23       DRV - R25
Walls: Landmark - R9       DRV - R16
Floor: Landmark - R35      DRV - R27
While the roof and floor look good on the Landmark, anyplace that is cold and windy (think Wyoming) will really make an R9 wall unsuitable.
Terry
Don't know where you got your information for the Landmark ratings, but they are incorrect. Per their brochures:
FLoor - R40
Walls - R11
Roof - R38
Slide room floor - R38
Caps - R38
If you are ordering a new 2014, some other changes are the residential fridge which we like, but DRV doesn't install an inverter with this fridge. You will need to order that option as DRV's logic is you will only be on the road 6 hours or so and the fridge will not cool down. They have also started using a knock off of the MCD shade and not from the original maker. Haven't saw one to see if the same quality. Also now going to a 2 color wood interior verses all the same. Have not been impressed with the colors we saw, again not our taste, you may like. We were pretty much set on buying a DRV unit, but don't know now. After looking at other manufactures and comparing what you get for your buck, we have about changed our minds.

Well, the information I found is right on their website. Follow the link below and go down on the left column to "Total Insulation Values."
Heartland Landmark Standards and Options
Now, if you have one set of figures from their brochure that differ from another set of figures on their website, what numbers do you want to believe? Personally, I really hate inconsistencies, so I suggest that any interested buyer be sure and try to follow up to find the true R-ratings. But, if Heartland is inconsistent, what can one believe?
Edit: After some thought, I should add another comment. A lot of times with the RV world, the R-values seem to be subjective in nature and are determined by the "value" of each layer of an RV's roof, sides, or flooring. Unfortunately, I have no idea of the actual R-value of many of those elements or layers. With that said, I would have a tendency to put a bit more "faith" in seeing that the thickness of a wall, ceiling, and floor would be more accurate at to its actual rating. Thus, I personally have put more credence to the insulation values of DRV's Elite, Mobile, and Select Suite models because of their 3 1/4" walls.
Terry

-- Edited by Terry and Jo on Tuesday 15th of January 2013 02:40:00 PM

So your reasoning against Heartland is their website is not updated to their brochures, so what can one believe. Well, looking at the DRV site, I notice their brochures only list to 2012, but they are making 2014 units. What am I to believe? I am seeing standards on their rigs now, on the dealers lot, that are not even on their own website. What am I to believe? So, since you really hate inconsistencies, how do you feel about DRV since there is so many?

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

travlingman wrote:
Terry and Jo wrote:
travlingman wrote:
Terry and Jo wrote:
Keep in mind that Katelyn is looking for something that will be suitable in cold weather locations. As pipeline workers, I guarantee that they are likely to be in such places. Many brands that would be good for the average RV'er might not be good for them.
For example, a comparison between DRV Suites and the Heartland Landmark shows the following:
Roof: Landmark - R23       DRV - R25
Walls: Landmark - R9       DRV - R16
Floor: Landmark - R35      DRV - R27
While the roof and floor look good on the Landmark, anyplace that is cold and windy (think Wyoming) will really make an R9 wall unsuitable.
Terry
Don't know where you got your information for the Landmark ratings, but they are incorrect. Per their brochures:
FLoor - R40
Walls - R11
Roof - R38
Slide room floor - R38
Caps - R38
If you are ordering a new 2014, some other changes are the residential fridge which we like, but DRV doesn't install an inverter with this fridge. You will need to order that option as DRV's logic is you will only be on the road 6 hours or so and the fridge will not cool down. They have also started using a knock off of the MCD shade and not from the original maker. Haven't saw one to see if the same quality. Also now going to a 2 color wood interior verses all the same. Have not been impressed with the colors we saw, again not our taste, you may like. We were pretty much set on buying a DRV unit, but don't know now. After looking at other manufactures and comparing what you get for your buck, we have about changed our minds.

Well, the information I found is right on their website. Follow the link below and go down on the left column to "Total Insulation Values."
Heartland Landmark Standards and Options
Now, if you have one set of figures from their brochure that differ from another set of figures on their website, what numbers do you want to believe? Personally, I really hate inconsistencies, so I suggest that any interested buyer be sure and try to follow up to find the true R-ratings. But, if Heartland is inconsistent, what can one believe?
Edit: After some thought, I should add another comment. A lot of times with the RV world, the R-values seem to be subjective in nature and are determined by the "value" of each layer of an RV's roof, sides, or flooring. Unfortunately, I have no idea of the actual R-value of many of those elements or layers. With that said, I would have a tendency to put a bit more "faith" in seeing that the thickness of a wall, ceiling, and floor would be more accurate at to its actual rating. Thus, I personally have put more credence to the insulation values of DRV's Elite, Mobile, and Select Suite models because of their 3 1/4" walls.
Terry

-- Edited by Terry and Jo on Tuesday 15th of January 2013 02:40:00 PM

So your reasoning against Heartland is their website is not updated to their brochures, so what can one believe. Well, looking at the DRV site, I notice their brochures only list to 2012, but they are making 2014 units. What am I to believe? I am seeing standards on their rigs now, on the dealers lot, that are not even on their own website. What am I to believe? So, since you really hate inconsistencies, how do you feel about DRV since there is so many?

Well, there is a difference between being behind on producing brochures and being inconsistent between a company's brochure and their website. Back in 2010, DRV was also behind in producing their brochure, and on that occasion, it was because they discovered misprints in them. So, they held off until corrections were made and a new "run" of brochures came from the printer.

However, if one is purchasing an RV and finds that there are differences in standards between the website and the brochures, is one going to purchase that brand/model without knowing what the correct specifications are, especially if one is considering a cold weather unit. That's why I gave a link to Landmark's website showing where I found the information about their R-ratings after you asked about where I found my numbers.

Going back to the idea of R-values being subjective, as I mentioned in an earlier post, it is interesting that the Landmark brochure says that the slide floors are R-38, which is the same as the roof. If that is true, why wouldn't they just make the walls from the same material as the slide floors and have R-38 and above all the way around? Are Landmark's slide floors that much thicker than all the other brands? I ask that question because I've not ever actually looked at a Landmark.

As for inconsistencies with DRV's website and "standards on their rigs now, on the dealer's lot, that are not even on their own website," I've obviously not seen what you have seen, nor do I know how many that there are since you didn't really spell out what those are. I'm sure that everyone that is even considering a DRV would like to know what specifications you found that were inconsistent. Since we might someday consider purchasing again, I'd like to know as well.

While I am far from perfect, I try to be as accurate as I can, especially considering that a number of folks on the forums may be considering the purchase of a product that is being discussed. That is why the differences between the Landmark's website and brochures concerns me.

Terry

jayc · RV-Dreams Family Member

DRV makes a good product but so does Heartland. There are people living in their units in below zero weather but I choose not to go to areas with these types of inclement weather. I no longer have a job that assigns me to a cold weather state and I don't snow ski. My home has wheels and I have chosen to head south in the winter and north in the summer.

My point is, the Landmark dies a fine job and costs thousands less than the DRV. If you compare feature by feature, there are very few differences but $10-20,000 differences in price. This is comparing new units, not used.

travlingman · RV-Dreams Family Member

http://www.americachoicerv.com/productdetails.aspx?sid=TRAD06576 2014 Tradition

The Tradition has a residential fridge, dishwasher standard. This is the 390RESS floorplan. Show me on DRV's website this floorplan and where they say the fridge and dishwasher are standard.

This dealer also has a Mobile Suites with the same standards that I can't find on DRV's site.

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

travlingman wrote:
http://www.americachoicerv.com/productdetails.aspx?sid=TRAD06576 2014 Tradition

The Tradition has a residential fridge, dishwasher standard. This is the 390RESS floorplan. Show me on DRV's website this floorplan and where they say the fridge and dishwasher are standard.

This dealer also has a Mobile Suites with the same standards that I can't find on DRV's site.

Thanks. I will be looking at this one. Oddly enough, DRV's 2014 Tradition retail price sheet doesn't even list that model number. First, all the model numbers I've seen on that, and on the website, are 6 characters long, not 7, and none begin with the numbers "390.". Perhaps with the release of the new brochures, they will show whether DRV has added a new model for the 2014 year. Or, perhaps America Choice RV's website has a misprint. Did you happen to see the actual model number on the side of the Tradition?

Secondly, while I couldn't see a listing for the residential refrigerator on their list of features in the America Choice RV ad, I do know that the dealers can order a unit with a residential refrigerator instead of the normal RV fridge. So, I'm wondering if America Choice did the same. Rolling Retreats orders a residential fridge for all of their "stock" units, even for those that have no reference to a residential as an option. Maybe America Choice RV did the same.

Looks like I'll be sending another e-mail to Alicia at Rolling Retreats.

Terry

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

I got word back from Alicia this evening. Here is what she wrote me:

"The 390RESS is a Tradition floor plan "Rear Entertainment Bed/Bath Slide out.""

A pdf file that she also sent me was a list of new changes for 2014. That file mentioned that the 390RESS is a new model. It also stated that the residential refrigerator is now standard.

Now, I need to go check all the pages on the DRV website to see if those changes are listed anywhere.

Oh, and the comment about a residential refrigerator keeping cool for some time, even without power, is true. We used to live way out in rural Oklahoma and commonly experienced week long power outages after storms. In the winter, it was no problem with keeping food good, as long as one didn't open the fridge doors too often. If we lost power in the summer, the electric company would come by occasionally and use a generator to "recharge" the refrigerator. Since most of our outages were due to ice storms and blizzards, we seldom ever needed the "recharge" because of the colder temps. Our freezers were kept in an old separate garage so no heat was really around it.

I suspect that when the new brochures are released, we'll see more changes. The file she sent me listed several for Elite, Mobile and Tradition models, and since DRV tends to incorporate new changes throughout the year, some things may appear on the trailers that aren't even listed in the brochures.

Here is a link that she sent me with pictures of that 390RESS model. DRV Suites Tradition 390RESS Photos

Terry

-- Edited by Terry and Jo on Thursday 17th of January 2013 10:11:02 PM

cherylbrv · RV-Dreams Family Member

I'm hoping when the house sells, it will be at an adequate enough price to afford a DRV. The choice was narrowed down between Heartland and DRV, but I know I would be settling for the Heartland and only due to price. So.... assuming I'm fortunate enough to reside in a DRV, a few questions:

What is the difference between the Mobile Suites and the Mobile Suites Estates?

If you want to make modifications, can you order direct from the factory or do you need to go through a dealer (your recommendation of Rolling Retreats seems very good).

If there are any problems down the road and one is far from the dealer or factory, can service be provided by any DRV dealer in the country?

WestWardHo · RV-Dreams Family Member

Rolling Retreats do not sell the Tradition model. At least that's what Slade said last year.

flyone · RV-Dreams Family Member

Check out the new Lifestyle RV line, some very impressive fiver's. They sound very nice, haven't had the oppertunity to see one of their units yet but have heard good things about them.

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

WestWardHo wrote:
Rolling Retreats do not sell the Tradition model. At least that's what Slade said last year.

Cheryl,

Yes, you can "spec out" a DRV unit from a lengthy list of options, plus ask for some special modifications of your own and it can be done through a dealer. In fact, I recommend doing it that way as the dealers can give you ideas that might not be mentioned by the factory, and a good dealer will look at the PDI of the trailer more from the buyer's eyes than what the factory might. When we ordered out 2010, our salesman at our dealership (not Rolling Retreats) mentioned that they had seen other buyers order inverters and extra batteries. I went to asking questions and found that a pure sine wave inverter was better for computers and any appliances with computerized circuits. When we ordered our unit, they had to write in the specification for a pure sine wave inverter. DRV went out and found one to put in as those weren't a normal option on their build sheets. A lot of DRV owners have ordered their trailers, some from the factory and some through dealers.

If you were interested in a Tradition, I think that Alicia and Slade at Rolling Retreats would probably order one for you. They just don't keep them in stock. Their philosophy is that most people buying DRV's are likely to be living in them, so when they order a trailer for their stock, they always order them with residential refrigerators. However, they will normally order whatever it is that the customer wants. If you are unsure, send them an e-mail or call them.

As for the differences between the normal Mobile Suites and a Mobile Suites Estates, the Estates come with the residential refrigerator as standard, as well as a dishwasher and a garbage disposal. Personally, I'm not quite sold on the garbage disposal right now. Even if the leftover food is chopped up by the disposal, that food might "hang around" in the grey tank. Also, the Estates come with floor plans that are different from the regular Mobile Suites.

One other mention, one which I think is still true, is that DRV will upgrade or downgrade a model to meet the requests of the customer. For instance, if one wants a Mobile Suites but with a feature not normally on the MS but as a standard on the Elite Suites, they will incorporate the Elite feature into a Mobile Suites. By the same token, if one wants an Elite but say, doesn't want the granite countertops, they will put the Corian countertops into the Elite instead. If one wanted to get a Tradition and incorporate features from the Mobile or Elite Suites, that one may need to be checked on. The Tradition is on a smaller frame and may be standard with lighter axles and wheels, although those can be upgraded as well. (I think.)

Service should be available at any DRV dealer. Also, if it happens that a DRV dealer is not close by, one can contact DRV directly and get authorization for work to be done by any dealer or mobile repair tech. It just needs to be authorized in advance of doing the work.

Terry

travlingman · RV-Dreams Family Member

Terry and Jo wrote:
As for the differences between the normal Mobile Suites and a Mobile Suites Estates, the Estates come with the residential refrigerator as standard, as well as a dishwasher and a garbage disposal.
Terry

Sorry, but this is incorrect. All DRV models, from Tradition to Elite are now standard with residential fridge, dishwasher and garbage disposal. Some of the differences between Estates and Mobile SUites is the Estates has a straight line roof, fiberglass I believe, decor, showers are different, and theater seating. Would say look at DRV's website, but as it has been discussed, their is inconsistencies between their website and what they are actually producing. You can find a few pics on their site. Here is a link to America Choice RV where you can look at pics of both the Estates and Suites to compare. http://www.americachoicerv.com/inventory.aspx?special=new&reset=no&make=DRV%20&model=clear&yearFromGrid=clear
Some other rigs you might be interested in are Redwood, the Lifestyle mentioned above have very good reviews, and Holiday Rambler is reintroducing their Presidential line again. The Presidential's will have a raised living area in the back and also have front and rear pass through storage, straight line roofs, alot of nice standard features. The Presidential's are due out very soon.

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

I stand corrected on most of that. However, in looking at the Tradition's build sheet/price list, I didn't see that the dishwasher and disposal were listed as standard. I'll have to follow up on that.

As for the Redwood, I'm not sure it is a good choice for the original poster's circumstances. They are pipeliners and will likely be in colder climates than what R-9 rated walls are rated for, especially with respect to windy locations. The only other thing with the Redwood is their frame. While I can't find data under their construction listings, in the past they listed their frame to be 12", except for the "drop frame," which was only 10".

Terry

Racerguy · RV-Dreams Family Member

Coachman used to be basically a vacation rated unit but I'm not sure if Forest River has upgraded them since they bought them out.

RickandJanice · RV-Dreams Family Member

Going back to the original questions about opinions on the Dynamax Trilogy. We have spent the last couple of weekend at local RV shows that both had a Trilogy on display. It is intriguing that they are built with features like a motorhome like curved side walls and on board frame mounted LP Tank but a few things that I noticed that I personally do not like:

1.- Frame mounted LP tank would require taking the entire unit to a LP fill station.
2.- Side walls are only 1 1/2" thick so insulation value is less than a DRV.
3.- 10" I beam frame seems light for this large of a unit and I am not a fan of the drop frame in the front.
4.- Suspension and axles seem light for the weight and size of the units.
5.- 16" "G" rated wheels and tires are definitely not heavy enough for these units - DRV has had allot of problems with the same set up.

Both Trilogy units we looked at did have a nice fit and finish inside and out and the amenities are equivalent to other high end coaches. I still like the DRV Mobile and Elite Suites better but they are also more expensive. These are just my personal observations and opinions.

Jack Mayer · RV-Dreams Family Member

IMO a garbage disposal is a lousy idea in an RV that is on tanks. If it is a "resort" model and the tanks are bypassed that is a different story.

I'm willing to be educated, though.

VanMar · RV-Dreams Family Member

Coachmen has been mentioned on other threads as well, as being a low-dollar, vacation oriented mfgr. One coach I have never seen mentioned on this forum is the Coachmen Brookstone. Does this reputation apply to this coach also? They make an uplevel version called the Brookstone Diamond Edition that looks on par with the Trilogy. I ask because there a couple of Brookstone floor plans I really like.

Vance

Phil Falls · RV-Dreams Community Member

Terry,

We just purchased a 2013 Trilogy 3800 RL. I, like severals others commenting here have been looking and comparing for over three years. we currently have a 2006 Jayco Designer 36 RLTS that we order to our specs. The set up is very similar to the 3800 RL. I have done my homework and pound for pound, the Trilogy is the best bang for the buck!

I am in manufacturing and have used 12" I-Beam 10.8 lbs on several occisions in our manfacturing process. I even talked to my engineer about what he thought and he said, This I-Beam is a little bit over kill. we also insulate our units, using using 2" Foam Block Insulation. The Trilogy uses 2 1/2" in the floor and 1 1/2" in the roof of Foam Block Insulation. So, I would say that thier floor is a R20 to R26 and the roof is and R18 or better. Just guessing!.

The roof and side walls are cinstructed using 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" Aluminum tubing with 1" x 1" solid wood inserts to help screw retention. (I don't know ANY other manufacture using this method of support.). The side walls and the roof are bowed. Again, not like anything I've seen before. The bow or arch in the roof and side walls, make them stronger then says straight walls and flat roof.

It amazes me how you seem to take a good thing that Dynamax does and make it sound bad. Dynamax commonly builts Motor coaches that are $500,000.00 plus and have a fantastic review. They are a Top Of the Line manufacture and have a great track record. What I wonder is, why are you even commenting on the Trilogy, your a Mobil Suites Owner. "Me Thinks, you protest too much". It's very obvious, that you are NOT unbiased
when it comes to the Trilogy, I have looked very closely at the Mobil Suites and they are a very nice unit but they have nothing on the Trilogy and they cost $30,000.00 more.

I will be picking up my Trilogy in two weeks and have plans to travel this spring and summer. I will be sure to report back and let everybody know "form and owners point of view" what I know to be true.

Phil "Dreams do come True" Trilogy Owner.

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

Phil,

First of all, welcome to the RV Dreams forums. This site is a source of a lot of information from a lot of people with varying experience with different RV's and the RV lifestyle. We are glad to have you as part of the "family."

As for my involvement with looking at and commenting on the Trilogy, I did so because there were a number of folks here on the forums that were looking at them and asking questions. If I remember correctly, I even got private messages from someone with regards to my thoughts. At the time, all of the information that I had was from the Trilogy website.

As for my negative comments, I thought it was pretty clear in my blog post that those were mostly based on my actual observations of two different models at a dealership in Oklahoma City. I thought that I had even commented that some things about the two models were commendable, but overall, the the two models I saw seemed to be inconsistent to what I've seen in other brands/models.

I also look at different models and brands in order to try to help others make informed decisions. If you look throughout the forums, you will find that I comment on various models and try to give a fair observation of what I discover.

As with so many others, I sincerely hope that your experiences with your Trilogy are all good ones. Each of us have different ideas of what we want in an RV, largely based on how we expect to live our RV'ing lives.

Good luck to you, Sir.

Terry

Jo And Craig · RV-Dreams Family Member

Terry, I, for one, do appreciate you sharing your knowledge with all of us. When researching, it is information overload, so us newbies are so grateful when someone with so much experience lends a helping hand. In the end, it is what we, as individuals, decide to purchase... we all understand that.

Phil, we, too, absolutely love the Trilogy and at one time it ranked first on our list. However, many on this board asked for Terry's humble opinion... and he gave it. Everyone buys according to their likes and dislikes and, actually, what I do not like about the Trilogy is the fresh water tank is too small. Granted, we loved just about everything else about it! We have a while to go before we actually purchase and hit the road, but Terry and many others on this board have been so very helpful in helping us newcomers with our 'homework'.

We welcome you here and wish you safe travels and happy days ahead. Please keep us informed on the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to your new home... and your new life!

Racerguy · RV-Dreams Family Member

Mary.....Life is full of trade off's. I wouldn't let a smaller fresh water tank stop me from buying something if the rest of it was what I wanted.Our Cedar Creek had a 64 gallon fresh water tank and the few times we needed to use it we made it work.We looked at a lot of DRV'S and never found one with a floor plan that was worth the large sum of money difference.

MarkS · RV-Dreams Family Member

Hey Trilogy owners... It says the Trilogy comes with a "Dyson On-Board" Vacuum. Is that a central vac system?

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

Mark,

When Jo and I checked out the Trilogys here in Oklahoma City a while back, Jo saw a small hand-held Dyson. I'm not aware of Dyson even making a central vac. At one time, we had one of the Dyson canister vacs, but we've since given it away and bought a Shark. They Dyson canister just didn't do a good job on the carpet in our coach.

Terry

MarkS · RV-Dreams Family Member

So I'm putting together a table comparing several fivers to make it easy to compare attributes. The trilogy listed the Dyson as the available vacuum and I had never heard of it. We have a Dyson upright and love it. But there's no room in the fiver for it.

travlingman · RV-Dreams Family Member

MarkS wrote:
So I'm putting together a table comparing several fivers to make it easy to compare attributes. The trilogy listed the Dyson as the available vacuum and I had never heard of it. We have a Dyson upright and love it. But there's no room in the fiver for it.

It is the Dyson stick vac. It is rechargable and doesn't take up much space. These are standard on the Landmarks too, this way you don't have the hose to drag around. I think Lifestyle has gone to these to, but not positive, could be option. Use it like a regular vac, has about a 4 foot length or so.

Hinkle Hut RV · RV-Dreams Community Member

Hi-Sorry for the late reply on this topic. Just happened to notice it tonight and wanted to comment. We are actually in Knoxville, TN right now (drove 4 hrs from Lynchburg) to go to RVS FOR LESS and check out their DRV units they have available. Talk to KEN the manager and he won't steer you wrong. Super great guy, great place! All the raving reviews pretty much speak for themselves. Also, you can order directly from the factory going through them and your custom built unit will take approx. 8-12 weeks.

Give Ken a call... you won't be disappointed! RVS FOR LESS 865-521-9112

You can also check out their website and see pics of the DRVs they have currently onsite! www.rvsforless.net

Good Luck!

Chris & Nadene

Edit by moderator: Activated link. Terry

-- Edited by Terry and Jo on Wednesday 13th of February 2013 10:49:08 PM

Jack Mayer · RV-Dreams Family Member

My comments for what they are worth....they are "free" so take them for what they are. I've looked at the Trilogy carefully.

1) the Trilogy is a very nice unit at its price point. Perhaps the best I have seen at that price point, for things that *I* care about. Perhaps not what *you* care about.
2) The Trilogy does not compare well to a DRV Mobile Suite. I have looked carefully at both. The DRV is much nicer and I believe on balance better built in many areas. That does not mean the Trilogy is bad....the DRV costs significantly more.

I'll say what I have said many times. You get what you pay for in RVs, for the most part. There is no free lunch. If the price is significantly lower there is a reason....it is up to you to find out why and then carefully evaluate if that reason is important to you. Look at where the manufacturer puts their money. Frame? Glitz? Appliances? Running gear? Something has to "give" if the price is significantly lower. It might be profit margin, but I would seriously doubt it. SO be realistic in what you are looking at.

None of this is meant to disparage a Trilogy, or any other manufacturer. But as a consumer it is wise to be informed, AND realistic in what you are getting.

WestWardHo · RV-Dreams Family Member

We were in Palm Desert to visit & play golf with friends and had a great time. We also stopped briefly at the Boon Docking Rally and got hugs from Howard & Linda and admired Gina's humongus generator and saw some other friends we met at the fall rally. Gosh, we wish we were there for the whole time!

On our way home we stopped at McMohns RV in Palm Desert. The Trilogy salesperson there is the absolute best RV sales person we've ever talked to. When NuWa (did i spell that right?) was around she was their top salesperson in the country. She now feels the Trilogy is a rig she can again be proud to sell. She took us thru the 2013's and explained all the updates they had made since the 2012. They are incredibly impressive units. Of course we told her all about thie RV-dreams forum, she offered to answer any questions our family of readers wanted to ask. Shes lived in an RV for 17 years and knows tows, technology, other rigs, etc. she's still very active on the NuWa forum and well respected there.
She will also suggest things like removing the auxiliary propane tank and adding two more batteries in that compartment and she will tell you what she would change. Be sure to put "RV-Dreams Forum Question" in the subject line or it will go in the trash can. Her email address is: divjnyatsigngmail.com. (Remove the "atsign" and replace with @ of course.)

Just FYI for those who have Trilogy question or how it compares to other units on the market, new or old.

Sherry and Jesse

-- Edited by WestWardHo on Sunday 17th of February 2013 11:52:54 AM

D and M · RV-Dreams Family Member

Just picked out our Mobile Estate from RVs For Less. Karen and Butch are great. So far it's been a great experience and I would highly recommend them.

Dave