Looking for some opinions

[KM]

First time poster, but long time reader.....



I am looking for some insight from more experienced

RVers. </span>DH and I have been interested in

getting a Crossroad Cruiser for a few years now.

</span>Our plan has been to buy this year or next and are hoping to find a “leftover�. </span>Today we learned of an RV dealer in the next

state over that had two 2012s Cruisers (both CF335SS – Patriot edition), so we

took a ride out to look at them. </span>We were

a bit surprisedby what we saw.



<?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" />



When we looked at the first one:



<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" ="disc">

<li style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;" ="Msonormal">You could

see and feel the small nails used on the side paneling of the kitchen

island. </span>In some cases, you could

see them sticking out through the wood.

</span>In other places, they were just very obvious bumps

<li style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;" ="Msonormal">The edge

of the bathroom door was very rough and the wood seemed to be “peeling or

scraped�

<li style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;" ="Msonormal">The railing

around the top of the bedroom slide (not the slide itself, but framing on

the wall above the slide) appeared to be a laminated type of “fake wood�

that was scraped and peeling all across the top, almost as if someone had

taken a paint scraper to it�.

<li style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;" ="Msonormal">None

of the doors in the bedroom area seemed to close well. </span>They closed�..but it was obvious they

weren’t hung evenly or level.

<li style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;" ="Msonormal">The wall

between the kitchen and bathroom had a number of small hard bumps

underneath, almost like sand or pebbles were under the wallpaper.

[/list]







On the second one we looked at:



<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" ="disc">

<li style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;" ="Msonormal">The

kitchen island had the same issue along the side panel with nails sticking

out.

<li style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;" ="Msonormal">Outside,

on the bedroom slide – one of the rubber pads that the rollers go over was

bunched up and appeared ripped�.leaving a gaping hole to the inside. </span>It clearly was caught on the roller and

out of place. </span>

<li style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;" ="Msonormal">On the

corner of the sidewall, where the slide goes in, there appeared to have

been some work done. </span>I only say

this, as it had a square black piece stuck on the edging – something the

other Cruisers didn’t have. </span>On one

corner, the black piece appeared “sealed on� and flat. </span>On the other corner, the black piece was

bent up away from the sidewall. </span>I

realize I am not describing this very well – suffice to say it looked very

different from the other Cruiser bedroom slides.

<li style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;" ="Msonormal">On the

inside, over the dining table, the thin strip of wallpaper used to cover

seams was bubbled and pulling away in two different places. </span>There was also a bubble on the wall

(only noticeable if you looked for it).

</span>When we looked closer at the ceiling of the slide, where it met the

edging, you could see where it was separated. </span>My husband felt it was water damage and

when he asked the salesperson, he stated he was not aware of it until my

husband pointed it out – but that it likely was water damage and they

would fix it.

[/list]







I should note the dealer is reputable and well-spoken of. </span>I am not sure the Crossroads were theirs

originally, as he did not have the invoice on one of them and has to call the

salesrep to track it down. </span>But I am

concerned that one appears to possibly have had (or still has) slide/water

issues and the other appears to have been poorly put together all around on the

inside.







So – my questions are – is this kind of stuff “to be

expected� and if we make an offer, we make it contingent on the dealer fixing

everything we see? </span>Or should we run away

as fast as we can?







Our first reaction was “if this is what we can see�.imagine

what we can’t�. </span>But on the way home, we

were discussing that if we ordered a new one – it could come in with the exact

same issues and we would expect them fixed.

</span>So – then we started to wonder if we were overreacting? Or maybe we aren't, we just happened to find two leftovers that were left over for a reason....and there are better ones out there.</span>







I told him I would post this out here and get people’s

input, as we are still pretty new at all this.

</span>Thanks!

 

[asquared]

This is not what I would expect from crossroads. They almost sound like used units to me. I would definitely steer clear of the one with water damage. I would not accept any trailer if it wasn't completely repaired. The one with water damage I would expect to pay significantly less (think used trailer prices).

 

[Stan-XRD]

CR used to have a pretty good reputation as to quality. Lately however, I have seen a lot of posts on issues like what you have seen (plus other issues) on the newer units. Which ever way you go, (off the lot or order), your PDI walk-through is critical and MUST be thorough. I would make the dealer fix all issues prior to taking it off the lot.

 

[Kagex]

This is not what to expect in purchasing "left overs" or new. Totally unacceptable for any trailer manufacture. Furthurmore the dealer should be having all that stuff fixed prior to anyone seeing the units if they are in need of warranty work.
I would not buy those units and I would recommend going to another dealership and seeing what Crossroads really has to offer by going through other models , Sunset, Zinger, Slingshot &Cruisers. This will help give you a better understanding for Crossroads and not to "judge" based on 2 left over models in poor condition. IMHO

 

[KM]

I appreciate the replies. We have been "walking around" for years, looking at makes and models for about 5 years and fell in love with the Crossroads. But this was the first time we went and looked at any fifth wheel with a serious eye towards buying. I have been trying to prepare ourselves for needing to deal with "some issues". I am realistic and know nothing will be perfect. I guess I started to second-guess our initial reaction, because Ithought we had a good chance of coming home as new owners....we had found 2 units thatmet all our needs (not an easy task where we live). But it sounds like these were "leftover" for a reason.....

For the record - there was one other 2012 there, but it was already sold. It didnt have any of the issues, except for the nails showing on the side of the kitchen island.

Kagex - your comment about "the dealer should be having all that stuff fixed prior to anyone seeing the units" is exactly what I thought. As I said, they are well-spoken of, so it made me scratch my head that they appeared to be completely unaware of the issues (or so the man said.....). I know some dealerships will move units around if they arent selling.....but seems to me they should know what is ontheir lot. This is not a high-volume dealer (or at least the two locationsthat I know of aren't, they have five locations across the country).

Guess we will keep looking. If nothing else. this makes me lean a lot more towards wanting to "buy off the lot" versus ordering anything.

 

[KM]

This does lead me to another question. Can anyone tell me the difference between the Sahara and the Patriot Cruisers? I thought the Cruiser Patriot had the Patriot package with a lot of stuff that we want. I thought the Sahara was a basic Cruiser and would need to have all the stuff we wanted "added on".
But the brochure we picked up suggests the Sahara has most of what the Patriot has - excluding the 50amp service and the electric jacks (and the washer-dryer prep, which we dont care about).

There are more Saharas around our area,we just neverconsidered them. Are they essentially the same except for the exterior? The Crossroads website isn't very clear.

 

[Hunter11]

The Sahara is themid level Cruiser and the Patriot is a more optioned up version. The Sahara has the Filon exterior sides where the Patriot has gel coat sides. You will pay extra for some options on the Sahara that the Patriot comes standard with.

 

[dalemac]

I would look strongly at units that have or offer 50 amp service. With all the appliances and gadgets, plus maybe needing a second a/c, this is quickly becoming a requirement.

 

[mbinohio]

the reason alot of the things you saw that weren't fixed is because if it's fixed before the unit i sold it's paid for by the pre delivery charge, that is baically what the mnufacture pays for the dealer to go over the unit, and it's usually just a few bucks if the unit is sold and it comes back then it's warranty work and it' worth alot more money to the dealer..the lass they do before the unit is sold is makes the unit worth alot more after it's sold...

 

[KM]

Not that is an interesting twist..... Can't imagine a dealer would think those units would sell looking like that - but I suppose every dealer is different.

We actually have a dealer about an hour away who just became a CR dealer this year -but he only had 1 on his lot 2 weeks ago (not what we wanted)....andthe salesman was not sure if they would get any more in. Anyway. we decided to stop by again yesterday just to compare the quality of thatcruiser with what we saw at the other dealer - and they had gotten in 3 new CRs. The quality of those were definitely better, all I saw were very minor issues. DH is still antsy now about Crossroads, but we have time to keep researching.

Of course, now I have another question.....

Is the Patriot package and the Provincial package the exact same thing? These 3 new CRs had a Patriot label, but the invoice doc stated they were Provincials. And the MSRP for the Provincial package was about $4K more than what I have seenon the MSRP fora Patriot package. I assume these were headed for Canada (where the MSRP would be higher?) and redirected to the US? If so, I also think I should take the extra $4K off the MSRP before calculating any offer. Am I right about the Patriot vs Provincial? Same package - same features.....just intended for different countries?

 

[Hunter11]

Yes if I remember correctly the Provincial units were Canada bound and the Patriot were units for the US. The package is the same I believe.

 

[ewbldavis-XRD]

If our 10-cents is worth anything...

We have a 2012 CR Zinger "SE", which is a low budget entry level unit ($11K brand new @ show). We had a couple of small issues, and (oddly) onewas staples showing thru on back of dinette bench. We chose not to havebench replaced (not terribly noticable).

We had our hearts set on a Jayco 26BH, but after wearing out show carpet for 2 hours comparing units, we bought the Zinger. We accepted delivery of a transition unit (one of the first "SE" models) that was missing many "features" that are included on "standard" Zinger models like the one we looked at. That being said, we do NOT regret our purchase. This unit is used every single weekend from Mayto Oct.and we have had no issues. The cabinetry, while entry level "laminated" wood, is top notch construction for an RV. Bedsare super comfy, and while they try, our 10 and 8 year old boys haven't broken anything yet. We LOVE the trailer and feel that, for 11K, we certainly got bang for the buck.

We would not hesitate to purchase another CR product!

 

[KM]

OK - after two more weeks of looking and reading and researching we decided to go back to the second dealer, walk through our fifth wheel of choice with a very critical eye - and if westill liked it - see if we could make a deal we were comfortable with. All we could find was one place where the wallpaper connector strip had not been cut off at the top (by the ceiling). Had I had an exacto blade, I could have fixed that problem. DH crawled over, under, and in it. He was pretty nervous after our previous trip - but was very pleased with this one. Anyway, we made an offer and came home proud owners of a 2013 Patriot 315RE!

We are going into this with eyes wide open in terms of every manufacturer can put out lemons....but we wanted to try to stay local....anduntil recently I have heard nothing but praisefor Crossroads. They had been our #1 choice until we made that fateful trip.....so I appreciate everyone's comments, feedbacks and PMs.

So anyone want to start suggesting the bare minimum things we need to buy when we go pick her up a week from Saturday? What were the first 5-6 things you bought for your new Crossroad?

 

[Lloyd S]

Hey, congratulations!!!

Welcome aboard, I wish you the best with your rig. I'm sure it will bring you many many happy memories
As far as what to get for your new rig---------go slow---you don't need it all at once, and you might just have a few items laying around the house you could donate to the cause just to get started.

 

[w&cferb]

Congrats on the Patriot. We ha e had ours,for three years and wouldn't give it up.
C

 

[tator447]

Congratulations! You spent as much time looking as my DW and I did. We looked at them all, every single brand out there, and you could find something wrong in every single unit if you looked for it. But, having said that, I had a few issues, and when I went to the rally this year I had them taken care of with smiling and happy faces. Randy and Andi were very good to us and my thoughts now lean to having them do the annual roof inspection and caulking if need be for what they charge. I definitely could do it but I would be afraid I'd miss something they would not. So, having said all that, whatever goes wrong, it will be fixed. Now, when you get your unit update your profile with a picture of your unit and your location too.

Congrats again,
Jim

 

[Ruck-XRD]

Congratulations!! And I could 'echo' Jim, above. I truly believe the Service Dept at CR is what 'keeps' customers. 'Randy'at CRis synonymous with customer service! Would be a sad day indeed if he or Andiwere to leave!
Travel Safe ...

 

[wincrasher]

It's good not to be totally blinded by low price. Reputation is important, but RV's are individually constructed, so you have to go over them with a fine tooth comb. Get everything fixed before delivery, as after the sale is alot more inconvenient. I'd definately pay a bit more to support a good local dealer so that you get good support after the sale. Enjoy your new RV!

 

[Sirsea]

Congratulations on your new RV...hope you have many fun-filled camping trips. As for what you need, all depends on how many creature comforts you like. We took a lot of stuff (dishes, pots/pans, flatware, coffee pot,linens, etc) from home and then DW got to buy new stuff for the house. We like to grill often so a compact propane grill from Lowe's fit the bill. Also need sewer hose (we like the Rhino), water hose, pressure regulator, hose support, leveling blocks for the wheels and an assortment of hand tools for minor repairs. Next trip you will probably think of something else, but there is always a Wal Mart nearby....

 

[KM]

Ain't she beautiful