Gulfbreeze 26QBS

[NickMan]

I have never owned any kind of towable, but my partner has spent much of his life towing trailers and 5th wheels. He and his family have owned other brands, but never Gulf Stream.

After searching all of the local dealer lots, we ultimately chose a 2010 26QBS, mostly because of its extremely useable floor plan. We LOVE the L-shaped kitchen and rear floor to ceiling pantry/storage cabinets. The dinette/couch slide is also in the perfect location to give the whole kitchen/dining area tons of floor space and plenty of room to negotiate a trip to the bathroom without making the chef step aside.

We didn't do tons of research beforehand, but we know Gulf Stream has been around for a long time. We're well aware the trailer is not top of the line, but I must say I'm impressed with the overall build quality of the coach. All of the cabinet doors seem very solid and all open and close with the substantiality you might expect in something much more expensive.

I'd like to read experiences some other forum members may have had or heard about with respect to this brand line of TTs.. along the lines of the 26QBS, 26BHS, 26RKS, 28RLS, etc. Are there any quirks specific to this line that we should be aware of before embarking on our late summer/early autumn shenanigans? I know even the best built 5th wheels have minor problems (let's face it, you're towing a house down the highway at 65mph).. but I know some brands are prone to more specific issues. Minor annoyances such as loose interior moldings, misalignments in cabinet doors, etc. are expected, but anything more major we should keep an eye out for? Again, I'm new to the TT world and would just like some general advice/concerns as they may pertain to Gulf Stream/Gulfbreeze in general.

Thanks in advance for any insight. Looking forward to becoming a regular on the forum and learning more about what we expect to be many adventurous years to come! :D

[kscaddo]

We bought our 26QBS last October. In short, we love it! That said, make sure to put something to tie the 2 rear cabinet doors closed! In July the right side came open and the slide hung up on it going out. No real damage. The stock Pummel Drive "entertainment system" was a pos. My dealer went belly up a few months ago and I replaced it with a Kenwood car sterio and Sony DVD player. Gulfstream reimbursed me for both.
Have fun!

One other thing, the emergency window in the bedroom. The shade fell down so I had to deal with that.

[NickMan]

Thanks ks! We can zip-tie the knobs to each other so they don't swing open. :) I actually thought that may be an issue since the rear of the trailer likely bounces around the most. I am glad you solidified my concern.

The stock entertainment unit has been working well so far (we've been testing all the systems all day for several days).. but have not used it on any extended trips yet, of course. We'll keep an eye on it and replace it if need be. All-in-one units are always glitchy anyway, so we figure it'll need replacement over time.

Good to know re shades. Perhaps we'll do a once-over on the window coverings after we return from each trip just to make sure everything looks secure. Obviously, everything can look secure and then the next minute it's sitting broken on the floor. Trials of owning a trailer! :)

Thanks for the information! Happy to see small issues and not major problems!!

I'll post some photos from our first trip out in a few weeks. We're staying fairly local over the next 6-8 months so we can test all the plumbing, electrical and gas systems (and have any necessary warranty work repaired) before taking it on a cross-country haul and several extended camping trips next summer.

[carljackson47]

Wow trailer truck, this is one perk I really want to get my hands on. I am currently looking for what is best to buy. Though a friend recommended Gulf Stream, they actually look very good. I hope their performance is good as well. Share your experiences please.