campntn
Well-known member
I'm putting this in the general area because of the newness of the coach. I thought more might read it here than if it get's lost in the subforums for the North Trail. It being so new, I NEED TO SPREAD THE WORD! Mark
Well, we towed the new baby home yesterday. WOW...
Before I say a whole lot, I have to say how great it towed. I even got better MPG with a heavier 31 footer than with the 1000 pounds lighter and 9 foot shorter Outback. Aveaged 12.4 mpg coming home and 10.5 or 11 with the Outback towing there. Also, I noted the fluctuations in the MPG on the dashboard readout. I was used to occasionally glancing down, maybe a man thing, to see the instant MPG. I was looking for changes good or bad, with the North Trail. But, one thing that unexpectedly caught my attention was the lack of fluctuations in the MPG readout. The Outback would go 8-11.3 or so, quickly and bouncy. The Outback has a slightly sloped flat front. The North Trail on the same stretch of road, would stay at 12.4 for miles and miles. When it did change, it was a gradual change, not bouncy. Now, I'm not an engineer, but it would appear that the steadiness of the tow was reflected in the steadiness of that readout. Both were unloaded. I have a diesel 2500 4D 4wd heavy duty, so it is a towing monster for sure. But it was amazing pulling it home. Of course, inside you've got that lil camper angel singing as you proudly tow home your new unit. But, even over the angel's voice the towability of this unit was astounding. You read it all the time, but I hardly "knew it was back there". The design of the front sloping front cap HAS to have something to do with it. I used a Husky weight distribution hitch and a sway bar. With my tow vehicle, neither were probably "necessary" but I felt better with them on there.
Our initial impression was overwhelming. The visual difference of the aluminum wheels make 75% difference in the appearance of the unit. It's like icing on the cake. It makes it look very sporty and gives it a cleaner sleeker appearance. That lil piece of shiny trim made it look like a whole different camper.
The second great surprise was the color scheme. The breeze color, blues, tans, browns gives the inside of the coach a much more "homey" feel. We had only saw that in pictures. I know that sounds stupid, but the gold cloth that was in the model we looked at was wayyy too retro and actually looked too sophisticated to be in a camper. It is sort of shiny. It's nice, and some like it I'm sure. The breeze fabric appeared thicker and more durable as well. But we were relieved to see ours in blue. It fits our family. We're glad they have more choices.
Another thing we noted was the bottom bunk had thicker wood and had a nice piece of black rubber trim around it.
Our best friends went with us and they could not believe the amount of storage. The commented on how comfortable the couch and dinette are. They compared that to a much more expensive fifth wheel they have been in. They said it was not even close to being as comfortable as this less expensive coach.
I'm stickler for the details and this unit doesn't leave you disappointed. I haven't found one edge that isn't true and mitred or cut correctly. The cabinets are all solid and sound. The drawers are the same. The under sink storage for the pots and pans is WELL supported. One thing I haven't seen or read anywhere is the sink plumbing venting. It's vented to the inside, under the sink. That makes much more sense than putting another hole in the roof. The bath sink is vented thru the roof. I like the fridge being up a little more than I had it in our Outback. I could go thru all of the 25 reasons you should buy a North Trail but those are already on the website, I'm confirming all of them. I was even impressed by the little lite over the license plate. It's in the details that you see how a unit is built.
So, we are in the process of moving in. I was out there late last nite and had to laugh once; it looked like moving into a home. Boxes labelled everywhere. I still haven't found a good place for a decent size garbage can and a place to prop the broom. LOL. The video on the website, which is the best I've ever seen on a product, says you can put a garbage can between the slide and the pantry. Well, we're not sure about that, but I'm sure we'll make something work.
Wanted to give a hat's off to Kerry West RV in Dexter, Mo. again. Took us in, took my truck, had things tweaked and ready to get back on the road soon. They installed my power jack, weight distribution and the sway bar setup that I brought with me. They had already pre-installed the aeroflo vent covers. They had marked a stud for me to install a flat panel inside the door. The walk thru went great. Very nice people there; Mark, Dacon, Sharon, Kerry's father and of course, Kerry. Sorry if I missed anyone, eveyrone was nice and very helpful..and happy! Nice to do business with happy people. Our friends will be talking with them about a North Trail fifth wheel when it comes out.
We had spent so much time and travelled this great country in that Outback, we had second thoughts so many times about trading it for sentimental reasons. This summer, our family of four lived in it for the whole month of June across country 6,487.3 miles. It endured that without a problem.
But as our kids grew and I needed more leg room in the bed, we had to size up and couldn't find the right coach until now. The North Trail fit our requirements nicely. At this point, we have no reason to suspect it not to hold up as well as our Outback. Who knows, maybe even better.
If I could make anything happen on this unit by a wish, it would be two things:
-Add scare lights. The porch lite is nice, but having lites that illuminate the both sides brightly is a very very nice addon. Last nite hooking up in my yard, I couldn't find some things and it was pitch dark and I had no lites on the curb side of the coach.
-Put a drawer in those gaping holes beside the bed in the nightstands. I mean, to be honest, it looks like something was left off. It's just a hole. It's a great opportunity to put a drawer to hold jewelry, knives, change, pens pencils. Stuff like you have beside your bed at home. And it doesn't leave a big square hole. I have a workaround planned.
Those aren't pivotal details, just lil picky things. Nothing is perfect...or I'd have hair.
We're moving in this weekend and hope to take it out soon. But, I'm sure we'll enjoy some time in it in the front yard.
So, this was a lengthy review, but I thought anyone possibly buying this unit might benefit from this read.
Mark
Well, we towed the new baby home yesterday. WOW...
Before I say a whole lot, I have to say how great it towed. I even got better MPG with a heavier 31 footer than with the 1000 pounds lighter and 9 foot shorter Outback. Aveaged 12.4 mpg coming home and 10.5 or 11 with the Outback towing there. Also, I noted the fluctuations in the MPG on the dashboard readout. I was used to occasionally glancing down, maybe a man thing, to see the instant MPG. I was looking for changes good or bad, with the North Trail. But, one thing that unexpectedly caught my attention was the lack of fluctuations in the MPG readout. The Outback would go 8-11.3 or so, quickly and bouncy. The Outback has a slightly sloped flat front. The North Trail on the same stretch of road, would stay at 12.4 for miles and miles. When it did change, it was a gradual change, not bouncy. Now, I'm not an engineer, but it would appear that the steadiness of the tow was reflected in the steadiness of that readout. Both were unloaded. I have a diesel 2500 4D 4wd heavy duty, so it is a towing monster for sure. But it was amazing pulling it home. Of course, inside you've got that lil camper angel singing as you proudly tow home your new unit. But, even over the angel's voice the towability of this unit was astounding. You read it all the time, but I hardly "knew it was back there". The design of the front sloping front cap HAS to have something to do with it. I used a Husky weight distribution hitch and a sway bar. With my tow vehicle, neither were probably "necessary" but I felt better with them on there.
Our initial impression was overwhelming. The visual difference of the aluminum wheels make 75% difference in the appearance of the unit. It's like icing on the cake. It makes it look very sporty and gives it a cleaner sleeker appearance. That lil piece of shiny trim made it look like a whole different camper.
The second great surprise was the color scheme. The breeze color, blues, tans, browns gives the inside of the coach a much more "homey" feel. We had only saw that in pictures. I know that sounds stupid, but the gold cloth that was in the model we looked at was wayyy too retro and actually looked too sophisticated to be in a camper. It is sort of shiny. It's nice, and some like it I'm sure. The breeze fabric appeared thicker and more durable as well. But we were relieved to see ours in blue. It fits our family. We're glad they have more choices.
Another thing we noted was the bottom bunk had thicker wood and had a nice piece of black rubber trim around it.
Our best friends went with us and they could not believe the amount of storage. The commented on how comfortable the couch and dinette are. They compared that to a much more expensive fifth wheel they have been in. They said it was not even close to being as comfortable as this less expensive coach.
I'm stickler for the details and this unit doesn't leave you disappointed. I haven't found one edge that isn't true and mitred or cut correctly. The cabinets are all solid and sound. The drawers are the same. The under sink storage for the pots and pans is WELL supported. One thing I haven't seen or read anywhere is the sink plumbing venting. It's vented to the inside, under the sink. That makes much more sense than putting another hole in the roof. The bath sink is vented thru the roof. I like the fridge being up a little more than I had it in our Outback. I could go thru all of the 25 reasons you should buy a North Trail but those are already on the website, I'm confirming all of them. I was even impressed by the little lite over the license plate. It's in the details that you see how a unit is built.
So, we are in the process of moving in. I was out there late last nite and had to laugh once; it looked like moving into a home. Boxes labelled everywhere. I still haven't found a good place for a decent size garbage can and a place to prop the broom. LOL. The video on the website, which is the best I've ever seen on a product, says you can put a garbage can between the slide and the pantry. Well, we're not sure about that, but I'm sure we'll make something work.
Wanted to give a hat's off to Kerry West RV in Dexter, Mo. again. Took us in, took my truck, had things tweaked and ready to get back on the road soon. They installed my power jack, weight distribution and the sway bar setup that I brought with me. They had already pre-installed the aeroflo vent covers. They had marked a stud for me to install a flat panel inside the door. The walk thru went great. Very nice people there; Mark, Dacon, Sharon, Kerry's father and of course, Kerry. Sorry if I missed anyone, eveyrone was nice and very helpful..and happy! Nice to do business with happy people. Our friends will be talking with them about a North Trail fifth wheel when it comes out.
We had spent so much time and travelled this great country in that Outback, we had second thoughts so many times about trading it for sentimental reasons. This summer, our family of four lived in it for the whole month of June across country 6,487.3 miles. It endured that without a problem.
But as our kids grew and I needed more leg room in the bed, we had to size up and couldn't find the right coach until now. The North Trail fit our requirements nicely. At this point, we have no reason to suspect it not to hold up as well as our Outback. Who knows, maybe even better.
If I could make anything happen on this unit by a wish, it would be two things:
-Add scare lights. The porch lite is nice, but having lites that illuminate the both sides brightly is a very very nice addon. Last nite hooking up in my yard, I couldn't find some things and it was pitch dark and I had no lites on the curb side of the coach.
-Put a drawer in those gaping holes beside the bed in the nightstands. I mean, to be honest, it looks like something was left off. It's just a hole. It's a great opportunity to put a drawer to hold jewelry, knives, change, pens pencils. Stuff like you have beside your bed at home. And it doesn't leave a big square hole. I have a workaround planned.
Those aren't pivotal details, just lil picky things. Nothing is perfect...or I'd have hair.
We're moving in this weekend and hope to take it out soon. But, I'm sure we'll enjoy some time in it in the front yard.
So, this was a lengthy review, but I thought anyone possibly buying this unit might benefit from this read.
Mark
