Springdale Questions-Moving on up?

[Santa_Fe]

I think the time has come to make the almost inevitable switch from HTT to TT. When I bought the hybrid 3 years ago, it was only three of us...within the past year, that number has expanded to six of us (12 years old and up). Needless to say, we're finding things to be a little tight in the HTT when we're all out together. The Starcraft's been listed on the interwebs for a few days now...just waiting to see if it drums up any interest.

In the mean time, I've been doing a little research and looking around and few possible replacements. The frontrunner right now is the Springdale line of travel trailers...specifically the Springdale 260LE Limited Edition and Summerland Series 2702BH. I was sold on the Jay Flight SLX models until we actually looked at the Springdales...build quality and materials seem very comparable, but you seem to get a little more "bang for your buck" with the Springdales.

Both obviously have their pluses and minuses for our family...260LE has one more bed and more headroom while being lighter and less expensive, but it doesn't have nearly as much open floor space or cupboard storage when compared to the 2702. The 2702 is missing that extra sleeping space, but makes up for it with the slideout and loads of storage space.

One thing that I find interesting about the 2702 is the listed tongue weight...830 pounds seems slightly excessive for a model that is only 30' long and has only one (small) slide. I know you want to have a heavier tongue to avoid sway when towing, but is that too much to have a comfortable tow?

I know this question is really irrelevant because every manufacturer makes good and bad units, but if you have any real world experience with the Springdale brand, feel free to share. The dealership I'm working with is small and family owned and appears to have a good service department and working relationship with the manufacturer...I realize that's really half the battle when it comes to dealing with any issues that arise.

This one will last us quite awhile (at least until the kids are grown and no longer have interest in going), so I want to do my best to make sure we get the model that will work best for us.

[Sillybugs2]

Santa Fe wrote:

Sillybugs2 wrote:
We looked at Springdale and Hideout and went with the latter. Extra features and 2K cheaper and better finishes. Love my central vac.

I have friends and family who both have Hideouts...looked at them too, but it was really the opposite for me. Springdale was the less expensive option, but in my opinion, were equal in the fit and finish department.

Interesting how different things are in places. Here they were more.

[K-9_HANDLER]

Congrats hope it gives u years of trouble free service

[Santa_Fe]

Springdale 260LE is coming home with me next Thursday! I'm really excited to pick it up!!

[Santa_Fe]

Sillybugs2 wrote:
We looked at Springdale and Hideout and went with the latter. Extra features and 2K cheaper and better finishes. Love my central vac.

I have friends and family who both have Hideouts...looked at them too, but it was really the opposite for me. Springdale was the less expensive option, but in my opinion, were equal in the fit and finish department.

[webrx]

2 year old 23ft springdale SRT - we love it.

no complaints, no issues, tows nicely with our Titan

D

[Sillybugs2]

We looked at Springdale and Hideout and went with the latter. Extra features and 2K cheaper and better finishes. Love my central vac.

[Santa_Fe]

Well, my little Starcraft went bobbing down the road tonight behind someone else's truck. Going tomorrow to deal on the Springdales...wish me luck.

[Slate_CM]

Mine is 2 years old. No issues at all so far.

Redwood bar

[jaycocreek]

I bought a new Springdale in 2010. Abused it regularly for 5 years without a single problem.

Same story here but I still have the 2010 Springdale and am still abusing it on nothing but off pavement mountain camping without one problem yet.

I have been going to sell it because I bought a small class C but I just can't bring myself to do it.

[_DJ_1]

I bought a new Springdale in 2010. Abused it regularly for 5 years without a single problem. Then we made the mistake of trading it for a new Nash thinking it was an upgrade. What a "pile'!! Nothing but problems after problems, mostly electrical and slide-out. In fact it is sitting out back right now with a broken slide (3rd time) waiting for an August 11th shop date. By the time they order parts and actually fix it half the summer is gone.

[Army11Bravo]

We have thoroughly enjoyed our Springdale. Purchased brand new 2 years ago, this is our third season in it with approximately 30 days per year camping. We have only had a few minor issues that were resolved quickly. A fuse blew for the slide, the inline fuse to the hot water heater also blew.

The thing to remember with Springdale is they are entry-level lightweight trailers. They have great layouts and good features, but they won't be as robust in construction as many other lines.

With that said, we would certainly recommend Springdale and would buy another one.

[RavensFan24]

I loved my Springdale for 7 years until we upgraded to a newer Keystone model. I felt the Keystone products had a better looking fit and finish than the Jayco's. The quality overall is probably similar, but I just liked the look better. The tongue weight can get to 1000lbs easy if it's 830 dry. Your truck can handle that as long as there isn't a bunch of stuff/people in the truck. Layout can affect the tongue weight, as can storage of course. Just pack it up properly and you should be ok. You may want to upgrade trucks eventually, but the trailer itself is a decent size to keep for many years.

I went to a 30' trailer with dual slides because of 3 dogs and wanting more floor space. Plus this new trailer has a lot of fun features we'll enjoy for a long time. I had a 26' previously with 1 slide and it was a decent size, but we appreciate having less of a hallway and more "living space" with the dual slides and a couple extra feet. Plus with the current layout, we can access the bedroom, bathroom, fridge, and pantry without deploying any slides, which is a huge advantage when traveling.

[Santa_Fe]

I'm in Western PA and will be looking to buy from Brunk's RV in Salem, OH.

[3940wez12]

We have a 2011 Springdale 26RL, bought used in 2012. Other than the radio coming on when it wasn't supposed to (Keystone sent a brand new radio) we've had no problems and have enjoyed our unit. Keystones was stingy with cabinet storage, but we've used some ideas from this forum to make it work for the two of us. Accommodating the "stuff" for what is essentially 6 adults may pose some problems. Good luck in your search.