New member - Vintage Cruiser questions

[fos]

Hi everyone -


I just joined because we are thinking of buying a Vintage Cruiser, and these kinds of forums are the best for advice on just about anything. We have never owned a travel trailer before.



There are a few questions about the VC that I can't answer from the web so far, and was hoping some here might know the answer.


Is the ground clearance on the VC's decent? Can they handle some rougher access roads into campgrounds, where it's washboard dirt and potholes instead of pavement? I'm not talking about off-roading, just less-than-perfect dirt roads into rustic campgrounds.


Do they have any insulation in the walls? The product info just says a fiberglass shell with some kind of composite backing, I don't know what that means. We would like to use this in winter. (I do have some experience with building tiny houses on wheels for winter use, and the different heating options, plus protecting tanks and plumbing from freezing - just wondering how insulated the walls, floor and ceiling are).


Lastly, outdoor storage - we do not have a place to store a trailer indoors, is there anything special to do to maintain the outside of the trailer to prevent excessive weathering? We do want to continue to use it in winter, so shrink-wrapping is not an option.


Thank you! If these questions belong in a different spot, please let me know.


fos

[cal258]

Hi
we have a 23rss vintage cruiser dual axle. Ground clearance is ok. Have taken it to a couple of rough camping sites and had no problems as long as we took our time. Winter..... no way... unless you mean winter in the south. It gets chilly in the cruiser, had it out in the fall 40-45 degrees and the walls were pretty cold. water lines and not protected underneath the camper and would freeze. Otherwise its a great rv, tracks real well behind my Chevrolet 1500 Silverado. I put a cover on it for the winter which takes about 10 minutes to install or remove.
good luck
rich callahan
baboursville,va

[Uofu4u2]

First and immediately, replace the roof vents. Second trip out the forward vent shredded, luckily I was able to get to a Camping World and buy replacements before the rain later that night. Have had no problem with ground clearance, but make sure everything is buttoned up tight or you will find it across the floor upon arrival. (This includes the light globes and speaker covers). Look at the wiring for the breakaway brakes. There was a sewer hose tube mounted on the tongue that crushed and cut a wire, rendering the brake useless. Other than that, just the normal issues that have to be dealt with. Have fun out there.

[canyan]

Hi I had dealer install vent covers to protect the vent from the elements and I can leave open when travelling and when parked don’t have to worry about rain coming in or forget to close when travelling I leave open when parked in storage let air in to keep from getting stail.

[Nelsonnomads]

We have a 2017 19ERD. It had a 4 inch drop axel that we swapped for a straight axel for more clearance. I believe they all have the drop axel for the lower profile vintage look. We changed it mainly for our driveway but also for dirt roads. I think the vista cruisers are available with an RT option for rough terrain (higher clearance) that you might get on a Vintage. The vista cruiser comes in the 19ERD also.

[fos]

Thank you all for the replies, that was really helpful. Much appreciated!

fos

[fos]

NelsonNomads, we went to look at a VC single axle, and saw the drop axle height which is pretty low. How costly was it to switch the axles for more clearance?



Thanks,
fos

[Bstewrt]

I don't think you should have big problems getting to the rustic campgrounds. Clearance is fairly tall 18" on my FBS 23. I've owned my vc for 8 months 2 months on the road. It's cute but I've had enough warranty crap. Pump noise and leaking. Furnace going down at 29f. Wood work falling apart. Doors warping. Most things were taken care of. Be careful of black iron pipe under the rig instead of galvanized. Little things like that can un make a day.

[fos]

Thank you, Bstwrt, all comments are welcome and helpful. Helps us to form a "picture" before buying.