XLT vs standard Sundance

sJv

Active Member
I am shopping for a smaller 5th wheel for light duty camping, and the Sundance is high on our list. I have read the Construction pdf and am impressed with the how the Sundance is built. However, I am looking at a 245RL and am wondering how much of that build quality carries over to the XLT line. I haven't seen this explicitly mentioned anywhere. Is there a similar Construction booklet for the XLT, or a document describing the differences?

Thanks in advance!

-steve
 
Steve

I might be able to help you out a little. First, is there a dealer close by to go look at them yourself?
I purchased a Sundance 285BH XLT about 2 months ago, the unfortunate thing is the weather has been unseasonably cool here this year and the snow is just finally starting to melt, so with that said, I have not used the trailer yet, so I am limited to what I saw comparing the XLT and Regular models on the lot.

The biggest differences I noticed is there seems to be a few less features in the XLT, not many but a few. No ceiling fan, the underbelly is enclosed, but not heated and the gray and black drain valves are outside of the underbelly and not protected. (This one almost made me go for the Regular Line, but I don't plan on using the trailer that much when it is that cold, however I think they should have enclosed the pipes and valves). I still feel like the trailer is a great value, and I have pulled it twice over short distances of about 20 miles and it pulls great.

Ultimately, it came down to length and weight (I have a 16 boat I want to pull behind it on occasions and some 4 wheelers that I will put back there as well from time to time.) I wanted a bunk house for my kids and the 2997 and 2998 are 3 feet longer and weight nearly 3000 pounds more than the XLT. The places I like to camp are not designed for 35-40 foot trailers and I am not planning on living in it, just using it for extended weekend trips in the summer.

Shane

If you have more questions, ask and I will try to help you out.
 

sJv

Active Member
Thanks, Shane. I did spend some time looking over the two types and noticed this as well. I know the XLT is 6 sided aluminum frame instead of wood rafters and floor joists, and that the chassis looks to be using 8" i-beams rather than 10". I noticed a few other things from visual inspection, but what I don't know is how it's constructed and tested. I actually would have loved to see the 2500RLS and 2700RLS models updated with the 2009 features. I like the bigger Sundance line, but I worry about the size. We plan to do more camping at state parks and such, and the 2800RLS may be too big for places like Yosemite, for instance. I'll pose this size question in another forum rather than hijack this thread!

-steve
 
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