Feedback on Holiday Rambler

[lmstewart]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to this forum but have camped all of my life! It's in my blood I guess and we are considering going tomorrow and trading our 1997 Dutchman Signature 5th wheel (with two slides) for a brand spanking new 2005 HR Alumascape. Check out the floor plan if you would like.....it's the 35FLQ. Living quarters are at the top of this one with two couches that slide out. This trailer is awesome with 5 slides on it altogether. We saw it a couple of weeks ago at an RV show. We've been wanting to trade ours for awhile now and this one just sparkled when I saw it. Please help us make the right decision. My husband, Steve and two boys Logan and Jordan love to camp as well as we do. It's a family affair. I just think about the money for no more than we get to travel if it would be worth having it. Tomorrow is our anniversary (19 yrs) so maybe that's a sign to go for it. What do you guys think? Please help us. Thanks to all and keep those wheels a rollin.

 

[rlmurraysr59]

Feedback on Holiday Rambler

I owned a 1997 Holiday Rambler Alumascape 32' with one slide. The quality is very poor. I blew out ten tires in three years. Was told that I had it overloaded but pulled it onto some truck scales and had it professionally weighed and was underweight. I think they put to much trailer on to small of tires. The brakes burned out on our first trip home from the dealer. They blamed that on me to but it turned out that the Dexter had put out some bad shoes and I got stuck with them.

Holiday Rambler was owned by Harley Davidson Corp for a few years and almost went bankrupt. Then Monaco coach bought it. If you were Monaco, that builds upscale rv's already, would you put a lot into your entry level product. I found out the hard way that they do not. The drain system was all enclosed and the handle for the kitchen grey water tank came off in my hand. When I went to fix the valve, which I had to do myself because it was presumably my fault, I had to drop the belly pan under the trailer. When I got it down it was full of water and dirt. Seems they just happen to run out of double sided sticky tape when they put mine together so they just ran the screws in and left the gaps. Everytime I pulled the trailer in a rainstorm it filled the "basement" with dirt and water.

If you buy the Holiday Rambler you better check it over very closely. There are a lot of better quality units out there for about the same money. I bought a Holiday Rambler because a friend of mine had owned one in 1978. It was built like a tank and easy to pull. Time has eroded the quality in the rv industry. I think they fired all their well paid experienced workers and hired low paid high school kids to slap them together.

Just my opinion.

I did own a 1992 Starcraft that was pulled thousands of miles with out any problems. I broke a spring one time hitting a pot hole but it was simple to fix. Sort of wish I had it back.

 

[janicenlarry]

Feedback on Holiday Rambler

Ron's experience seems to be all too common since Monaco took over at HR. Take a look at Winnebago for quality and workmanship and good dealer net. They also back up their warranty FULLY unlike many other mfgrs. :blackeye:

 

[C Nash]

Feedback on Holiday Rambler

Have owned several Holiday rambler products and have had excellent experinces with all of them. All rvs require maintanance and upkeep. presently have a HR vacationer MH and have not had any major problems in the 18000 miles I have put on it and 11000 of those were to Alaska and back without any problems. As for the money, how can you put a price on famly togatherness? Spend what you can afford and enjoy it :approve: Good luck

 

[lmstewart]

Feedback on Holiday Rambler

I just wanted those who responded to know we did trade yesterday for the HR. Got it home safely and so far everyone who has seen it, has loved it. I sure hated to read about Ron's experience and certainly hope they have improved them so that doesn't happen to us. The floor plan is what made me love it so much. It's completely different from what I've had in the past. Can't wait to try it out. We have been on the internet for the past 3 weeks looking and calling other places and they wanted as much if not more than what we gave for the HR for brands I haven't even heard of. You can order certain ones from RVDirect.com but not in the floorplan I wanted. You had to go to Indiana and pick it up too. I just like to see it before I buy. Thanks to all of you for your opinions and suggestions. I hope we enjoy it. Happy RVing to all of you!