Gulfstream quality opinions

[boiledowl]

Hello, I am looking for opinions on the quality of the BT Cruiser's. If you type in RV brands to avoid Gulf Stream comes up a lot. I have read mainly they used to be good but newer ones are prone to leaks and overall shoddy build. I know all brands have problems so I don't expect perfection but these bad reviews make me wary..Thanks

[elGatoGordo]

I bought a new BT Cruiser BT 5245 this spring and can confirm shoddy workmanship.

The doorframe to the bathroom is so warped that the door will not latch, sometimes by 2 inches. The service guy removed the striker plate to that door and the hole underneath was not only oversized, but looked as though it had been dug out with a dull screwdriver. The bedroom side wall panel is not fastened to the studs. Apparently the nail gun ran out of nails and the worker kept right on going. Small holes where there should be nails.

Cabinet doors are not aligned. Numerous small issues. No hold-open catches for top hinged outside bins. Very little storage, inside or out.

And why do they make mattresses so darn hard? This, of course, is not limited to Gulfstream. But the silly split mattress cannot be replaced by a softer one. Sigh.....

That said, I still like the darn thing, and the Ford E-350 chassis hauls the horse trailer just fine. I don't know of any other small RV that meets our travel and hauling needs so well.

[Dinobee]

Originally Posted by boiledowl

Hello, I am looking for opinions on the quality of the BT Cruiser's. If you type in RV brands to avoid Gulf Stream comes up a lot. I have read mainly they used to be good but newer ones are prone to leaks and overall shoddy build. I know all brands have problems so I don't expect perfection but these bad reviews make me wary..Thanks

We bought a new 2021 BTouring Cruiser 5210 in June of 2021 in Florence, OR. We have driven it about 10,000 miles since then and camped in it for several days in a row and find it to be quite comfortable. We've had no issues with leaking although it has been stored outside without a cover for the past two winters in the Oregon Coastal rain and cold. We are very pleased with this RV, although we're now considering trading up to a longer fifth-wheel trailer. The BTouring Cruiser is a bit small for our comfort.

[RY469]

I hear these things a lot being in the RV industry. The main issue is quality Vs weight Vs cost. Gulf Stream is a lower cost company. So as a result, quality suffers. Things like mattress issues are a product of weight reduction. Companies (like Gulf Stream) figure they can keep costs down, sell more and people like you and me will fix the little issues. After all, we saved money buying it. Companies like InTeck do better with quality, but you can buy three Gulf Stream trailers for the cost of one similar InTeck trailer. I own a Gulf Stream for these reasons.

[elGatoGordo]

Valid observations, RY469. Still, as a construction electrician of 45 years experience, I expect people to do a job properly. It costs the manufacturer less to have it done right the first time, than to come back to fix sloppy work for an old grouch like me.

As far as hard mattresses, everyone uses them. But wouldn't softer foam be lighter weight?

Cheers!

[Dora's explorers]

Maybe the older ones were built better but we love this little 21' home away from home! We've had very few problems...the worst was an awning collapse which was our own fault and totally preventable. The fridge got replaced in 2015 on the way across country and then to Alaska. No...the jackknife sofa is not very comfortable but extra padding makes it quite serviceable.

My advice: whatever you buy, be very diligent about maintainence...prevent the big stuff by caring for the little things. All rvs have issues as do homes or cars.

Happy travels!

[BobClearyJr]

We bought our 2011, 32-foot Class-C, Yellowstone in 2013. Our first big repair was the slide with the couch and stove. It was dragging on the floor when extending or retracting. Because the dealer rented it the manufacturer warranty was void. We bought an extended warranty that "covered the slide" but not for a manufacturer defect. It was determined that the slide floor bracket had a design flaw. This was the year after we bought it.

The other slide floor also failed (master bedroom and bunkbeds). The moisture barrier under the floor looked like a dollar store black garbage bag. One of the rollers cut through and the plywood rotted and the roller punched through.

The first was a $4,000 repair the second was a $13,000 repair.

The headscratcher was a very intermittent water leak. Having worked in technical support for 45 years an intermittent problem tends to not be there when you look. If you don't see it you don't know what to fix. After a few years, while doing laundry in my basement at home, I heard a faint ticking noise. I recognized that to be the hot water pipe expanding. So next trip in the RV (we have nowhere to keep it at home, so it lives in an RV Park 90 miles from home) I pulled the bed apart to get to the plumbing, turned on the hot water heater and ran the hot water. As things heated up a drip started from the plastic hot water bypass valve. The fittings were only finger tight. Two years later the leak came back. This time the bypass valve cracked. I replaced the $90 plastic one with a $35 brass one from Home Depot.

[Tpreston]

We bought a 2021 Conquest 6245 in August of 2020. I had a few little nagging issues with it for the first year. Bathroom faucet was leaking. I had to remove some trim to get to the plumbing. The connections weren’t tight. The trim piece I had to remove had 3 screws in it and all of them had a different head!
We don’t have much storage and never use the fresh water tank mounted under the bed so I decided to remove it and put sliding doors in to access the area. When I removed the bed frame I found the water tank had never been strapped down. The strap was just hanging loose.
The worst situation was the slide out. After 2 seasons one of the motors gave out. It’s a Schwintek slide and I don’t think it is strong enough to handle the weight of my full body slide. Fortunately my extended warranty covered the repair but I’m very worried about it happening again.
With these issues I have to say I am happy with my unit. They get beat up on the road so you need to be prepared to do maintenance and make repairs for things not done right the first time.

[Tribewinds]

"And why do they make mattresses so darn hard? This, of course, is not limited to Gulfstream. But the silly split mattress cannot be replaced by a softer one. Sigh....."

I hate the split mattress. I bought a tri-fold 3" topper on Amazon and it helps tremendously and fits the space when the slideout is closed.

Agree with the rest of the complaints. I have a BT Cruiser 5245.

[lipmsp]

I have a 2022 5210 and found the usual problems that plague most RV's build today. None of them to complain about. It just makes me a better RV'r now knowing all the ins and outs of the coach

[ezdriver]

I'd like to comment on the "hard mattress". I tried laying on a memory foam mattress in a store, and I hated the thing. I felt like it swallowed me up, I couldn't even roll over. They are very popular now, so it must be personal preference. That said, it was time to replace the mattress in our BT Cruiser and I found a standard innerspring to our liking at "The Original Mattress Factory". There is a store near me, which allowed me sample their various offerings and choose the firmness I needed.
I have no connection to this company other than I like their products, so I will share this information. First of all, everything they sell is made to order. You order it, they build it and in a few days it will be shipped to your home. They can build any combination you can imagine, so you can order a soft mattress that will fold wherever you want it to, just give them the measurements.
My 2005 BT Cruiser 5270 has a queen bed, and part of it lifts up for access to water pump, drain valves, etc. They said they would "hinge" it in the middle, which they did. They were also familiar with a "short queen", which is common in RVs. To make getting around the end of the bed easier, I asked them to make it one inch shorter, which they did, no problem. Of course if you need the length, you won't want to do that.
Lastly, there are no returns, so be sure you specify exactly what you need, and if you need it to fold at a certain location, be sure to tell them you need it to fold way over (assuming 180 degrees?), not simply bend to lift it. They make a good product, in the USA, which is refreshing these days. Website is originalmattress dot com.
One final note, although they are a custom builder, they do not cost any more than other brands.
If anyone buys from this store, I'd like to hear their comments and how it worked out for them, and if they could get a "split" mattress.

[Just two]

We love our 2021 21’+ 5210. Needs some help fixing things up the way we want them. But after the rebuild work it should be a super camper.

Lots of power but bad gas mileage.