So my wife and I are going to be getting an A frame in the next month or two!! Yay!!!. Since we live in a more rural area our choices are not that great when it comes to which manufacturer we have available. Our choices are Jayco, Flagstaff, and Rockwood. The Jayco one is in our home town, so we wouldn't have to travel at all to get it, plus it does come with a 2 year warranty. The other two are about 90-100 miles away and we are going to look at them next weekend but from the pictures I have seen online it doesn't look like there is much difference between them all. So my question: Is there any differences between the three brands with regards to quality, durability, and service? Thanks.
Unfortunately in today's market, each has their levels of quality control challenges. It almost comes down to the DEALER - who has a better service deparment/manager who will be your liaison for factory-authorized repairs during the warranty period. Personally, I would go with the Jayco because 1) I've had good experience owning a Jayco (but it was used the original owner had the dealership fix all of the problems before I got it) and 2) they're local. It's easier to walk in the door and be a face they have to deal with than some place that is miles away and a phone call that can be ignored.
i just purchased the Jayco 12HMD. The dealer I purchased through sold both Jayco and Rockwood, so it was nice to compare the two. For sure the 2 year warranty was a factor but ultimately it came down to the Jayco having, in my opinion, a better build quality. Although the similar floorplan from rockwood had some features the Jayco did not, ie full bubble window, flat glass top stove and competitive price point, i went with the Jayco. If i was considering a high wall A frame, i think i would of went with the rockwood. they were just too long for my garage. the other thing i liked about the Jayco was the wrapped subfloor underneath. rockwoods subfloor is exposed chipboard. other than that, they are very very similar. i would heed the advice of the previous post and strongly consider the local dealer if all things are considered equal.
I agree with the others advice of going with the local dealer, especially with the 2 year warranty. If/when something does need to be addressed, you don't want to be driving 100 miles to the dealer for every repair.
Pick the one you like, and heed the advice about dealers. Many popular brands are owned by Warren Buffets' company Berkshire Hathaway, and in fact the majority of RVs and campers in production today are made by Buffets' Forest River... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest_River_(company) Cardinal Cedar Creek Cherokee Cherokee logo forestriver.png Coachmen Columbus Day Dreamer Flagstaff Palomino r-pod Rainier Rockwood Salem Sandpiper Sandpiper logo forestriver.png Shamrock Sierra Surveyor V-Cross VCross logo forestriver.png Vibe Wildcat Wildwood XLR Toy Haulers
If we were in the market for an A-Frame, we would put an Aliner Expedition with dormers and a the biggest Chalet with a dormer(s) at the top of our list.
The Flagstaff and Rockwood are identical - same production line. I have the large Flagstaff and it is perfect for my needs. It tows well, plenty of room, comfortable bed, etc, etc. They are all similar in quality anymore.
