Confused Newbie

captainmorgan · 04-22-2016, 07:19 PM

Hello everyone! I am glad that I found this forum. My wife and I are looking to buy a Kodiak 291RESL, and are currently talking to some dealers. I don't trust anything a dealer tells me anymore, so I would like to ask some questions on here.

Why do some of the campers have a different front on them? I have looked and looked and not found an answer to this. Some of the fronts are flat with only clearance lights, and some have a little more shape to them with two LED light strips.

What should I look out for to tell what packages it has on it? I looked on the website and it did not seem very clear to me. I have been told by some dealers that there is a luxury package which is not even on the website... I have noticed little differences between some of the same model and year, and just dont know what to look for.

Do all of the 291RESLs have the counter that lights up?

I would like to thank everyone in advance and I hope to be able to contribute to this community as much as I get out of it.

masterblaster · 04-22-2016, 09:54 PM

Hi , and welcome. The front on travel trailers are just cosmetic some "look" more aerodynamic but when hauling it down the road you will be lucky to get 10-11 MPG, with a tail wind!! It is like putting a 4 X 8 piece of plywood sail on the back of your truck! Some dealers will tell you anything to sell you. I did have a salesman ask me and the wife what we were going to use our trailer for. I said to go see the great outdoors!! His response was then why do you need Lazy boy chairs and a fake fireplace? We thought about it and said he was right! We are glad we listened to him because after a few trips we now know from experience that we spend very little time in the trailer. We were dead set on getting a new one but we got a used one for like half the cost. This is just my experience and my point of view. Just do a lot of research and ask questions most people will be happy to help you. Good luck and enjoy the hunt!!

DesertRat · 04-22-2016, 10:16 PM

Welcome
My guess is like most RV's it could be different years or just running changes in the same year. I wouldn't be concerned on what packages they say or don't say it has. Look at the RV & price sheet to see that they match. If you can find a left over 2015 you should be able to save some $$.

RVNevada · 04-23-2016, 06:07 PM

Captain, Talk with the Boss (Wife) and decide all the items, you both would like to have in your RV, and then start looking....After you find the model, you both like, then look for pricing, don't listen to the dealer to much, do your own homework, and yes, you may find a used one also for a better price?? After all that, do a good check of everything in the RV, even if it takes a little longer, if the dealer wants to make a sale, its your money, take your time and make sure everything is working, or have them repair it BEFORE you take it off the Lot, its a lot harder to bring it back for repairs...Good Luck and happy Camping

hddecker · 04-23-2016, 07:23 PM

Welcome to the forum, Captain.

What Rich, said!

For us what the exterior looks like is secondary. The important thing is a floor plan the suits our needs and wants.

When we were shopping campers we had a list of must haves. Take that must have list and then look at the offerings on the manufacturers web site to find the models that meet your must have list.

captainmorgan · 04-23-2016, 09:59 PM

Thank you for all of your replies. We do have a list of options and many days looking at the manufacturer websites. I guess my question really was about ways to tell from look what option package a camper has. Some of the rockwoods I can look at and tell immediately what optional package it has. This help when comparing campers for price.

**wahoonc** · 04-23-2016, 11:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by captainmorgan

Thank you for all of your replies. We do have a list of options and many days looking at the manufacturer websites. I guess my question really was about ways to tell from look what option package a camper has. Some of the rockwoods I can look at and tell immediately what optional package it has. This help when comparing campers for price.

♫Sail away with Captain Morgan and never leave dry land...♪♪

You can look at the brochures and websites all you want. However I have found what they have in the brochure and what they have on the lots seldom match up. The brochures (and websites) quite often lag well behind what they are actually sending out there. In addition the manufacturer will make running changes when they run out of something, or find something they think is better (aka cheaper?). Your best bet is to find the unit you want then ask for the build sheet to see what was actually put on it. Some dealers order bare bones so they can low ball the prices, others option them out fairly well and yet others you would think they used a dart board or roll dice to choose the options.

Aaron

Adair1965 · 04-25-2016, 05:40 PM

I've got a 2014 291 RESL. They've made a few small changes in 2015 and 2016. 2015 the changed the bedroom door to open out into the hallway and changed the trim over the windows. In 2016 it looks like they prepped the bedroom for a/c and added the LED lights on the counter, but took away the LED lights over the sink and up the trailer to 50 amps.

Changes to say look, I've got a 2016 model. We love ours, i'm sure you'll love yours.

You may also like: