Thoughts on 2011 FF XT245? Issues with those years and model?

[drummn22]

I am considering buying a used XT245. It appears to be in good shape. What are the main issues with this model? I have been reading some very negative stuff about Cruiser RV, so just wondering if I should walk away and keep looking or if this model and year was a decent build? Minimal fading, cracking of graphics/paint, it might have even been stored inside. It does have the original tires with date code of 2010, so I know they need replaced. I am a little worried about axle problems I have read about... Does anyone have some insight or experience with this year and model? Thanks for your input.

[profdant139]

I don't know anything about that model, but I have had a lot of experience with Cruiser. This is my second Cruiser trailer -- I bought a used 2003 T139 in 2005 and then got a new 2012 X139 in late 2011. We have used both of them heavily -- 60 to 90 days of camping each year, ten thousand miles a year, lots of towing on really rough roads. They are surprisingly rugged, given how light-weight they are.

Are Cruisers the best made trailers? I doubt it. I think Airstream, Nash, and Arctic Fox are better (but heavier). Lance trailers are also very good. But in my opinion, Cruiser produces a really good trailer for the money.

Beware of listening exclusively to the "squeaky wheels" who post complaints. All manufacturers will produce lemons now and then, and it is really hard to determine whether a given company produces more than its share of citrus. The problem with the Internet is that the answer you get is often determined by the question you ask -- so that if you put in "quality control problems with Cruiser," you get complaints. I am sure the complaints are true. But there is no way to judge the frequency of complaint per thousand vehicles sold. Also, happy customers rarely post -- they are too busy having fun. Those with lemons are more highly motivated to vent, understandably.

As statisticians often say, "The plural of anecdote is not evidence." I don't know exactly what that means, but it sounds profound.

Having said all of that, beware of the opposite phenomenon. Almost all of us who are active on this forum are Cruiser users, and most of us have positive things to say. To some extent, this is a function of "confirmation bias," where one tends to believe information that validates one's pre-existing beliefs. Since I own a Cruiser, I would like to think I made a wise choice, and so I filter comments about Cruiser through that lens. I try to be aware of that bias and guard against it.

I'm not sure where this leaves you, other than to say that there are people who are satisfied with Cruisers.

Concerning this particular XT245, if you are an experienced RVer, you can probably judge whether the unit is in good shape or not. If you are not experienced, you can hire an expert to do an inspection for you. As you know, all RVs need continuing maintenance and repair. The more you use it, the more things will need fixing.

[drummn22]

Profdant139, thank you for your input. I appreciate your thoughts about the brand.
I have a Jayco Eagle Select HW12 currently, but have run out of ways to haul the toys as my family grows. I thought this TH would fit the bill. My TV is a 14 Tundra crewmax 5.7 and this TH fits the bill there too.

[Eagle]

I have an XT276 toy hauler, purchased new in the spring of 2012.

To be frank, I have had no real problems with it. When I got it home from the selling dealer about 300 miles away, I spent some time going over every bit of it...from the roof to the underside and becoming familiar with how everything functioned.

Everything has worked fine from day one. I have made a few alterations, mostly for my own preference.......different shower head & curved shower bar, cover over the stove burners, mirrors, a clock, a wall fan, 2nd fire extinguisher in garage area, etc.

I have never returned to the dealer for anything, nor been to another dealership for service....do it myself. For the money, I have zero complaints and feel it was a good investment.

[NorthPuffin]

I have an '09 XT245 which I bought (fortuitously) a month before Hurricane Irma struck. We've lived in it 8-9 months at a time since. I think the 2011 model is pretty much the same.

I've had remarkably few problems (and hope I didn't just jinx myself).
Observations first.
-If yours has the red/gray/black color scheme, it is pretty dark inside, particularly with the black ramp closed. I painted the ramp white with Lanco Ultrasiliconizer roof paint. It bonds well to the rubbery surface and seems to hold up fine.
-The cargo area needs interior lights.
-The shower is ridiculously small but thank goodness it has a curtain instead of the elbow-smashing glass enclosure.
-The standard folding table is heavy and awkward so we leave that home and use TV trays instead.
-The galley is too small to cook in comfortably. We use the TV trays as extra surface. I'll probably make a cutting board-style cover for the stove at some point.
-You will hit your head on the cabinet over the sink and particularly on the microwave cabinet.
-The transverse forward "RV" queen bed cannot be fixed but we replaced the mattress with a real 80" queen and sleep with our heads out toward the door, not back in the hole. Be warned. If one of you needs to get up to go in the middle of the night, you both get up to go.
-The HappiJac aft bunk is also big enough for a standard size queen mattress. A quality inflatable is a good choice.

Actual problems:
-The vinyl "diamondplate" wallpaper in the garage peels off the walls. Rubber cement doesn't last forever. 3M Super 77 adhesive is better although they recommend 3M Neoprene 98.
-The bathroom fan leaks in a heavy rain. I carry a flattish plastic bowl that catches the water that doesn't fall in the sink
-The refrig vents on the side let water in in a really heavy, wind driven rain.
-The user manuals are useless.
-One battery isn't enough (I mounted two under my desk in the garage for better balance)
-The HappiJac aft bunk doesn't go up quite as much as it did when we bought the trailer and is now a headbanger.
Told you the problems were minor.

Things I really like (and have customized).
-This is about the lightest, best built trailer in its class. It's the only one I've seen that I could live aboard.
-We love the huge picture window effect of having the ramp down and the screen closed.
-I built a floor extension over the beavertail to flatten the floor back to the ramp. Makes the floor space more human-friendly at the expense of getting toys in and out.
-I built in a desk below the HappiJac bed. Our battery box is under that desk, using the outside vent on that side.
-We removed the gaucho (jackknife sofa) from the right side and use two chairs instead. I built in a bookcase over the wheel well on that side. It gives us more room, more comfortable seating, and we didn't need the (short) bed anyway.

Correction:
I just read that you need more room for the toys. My "flat floor" in the garage area might not work for you.

[profdant139]

North, with reference to the bathroom leak, you probably already know this, but MaxxAir makes an after-market fan and skylight cover that works really well -- it keeps out the rain while permitting the free flow of air. Installation is not difficult.

[NorthPuffin]

Thanks.