Cruiser Fun Finder vs Coachman

Forry D · 01-23-2016, 07:25 PM

I'm looking for comments on the comparison between Cruiser Fun Finders and Coachman models. Is the Fun Finders a more quality product??

profdant139 · 01-23-2016, 08:49 PM

Unless someone has owned both, it would be hard to compare quality -- and even then the evidence would be just anecdotal. For whatever it is worth, I have been participating for eleven years on Fun Finder forums, and folks are reasonably happy with them. Some folks have gotten lemons. Some people have had trouble with warranty claims. Most folks find that the problems are minor and are easily fixed. I do not think that Fun Finders are much better or worse than the ordinary RV. I do think that they offer good value for what they cost.

In any event, make sure you buy from a reputable dealer who has good Yelp reviews when it comes to servicing the warranty claims.

And make sure that the dealer is not too far from your house. Mine is an hour away, and that can be a real pain. Most of my routine service is done by a local mechanic, but any warranty stuff has to be done by the dealer.

Forry D · 01-23-2016, 09:10 PM

That's one of my problems. This dealer is 2 1/2 hrs away. I'm a bit cautious.

Eagle · 01-23-2016, 09:25 PM

I purchased my FunFinder from a dealer about 300 miles away....after multiple emails and several phone calls so felt comfortable with them.
The pickup experience was great ~ complete walk thru with everything explained well and all questions answered.
Being a person that can fix most anything I've never had to return to the dealership but there has been no big issues ~ just little tweeks here and there and some personal alterations I chose to make for decor and appearance.
For me, the FunFinder has been a great value for the $$ invested so I'm happy!

Forry D · 01-23-2016, 09:39 PM

Thanks Eagle. The Fun Finder appears to be a solid choice and the dealership seems nice as well. Since this is our first TT, I want to make a good decision. I'm glad I joined this forum. There is a ton of information out here!

Travels with Yoly · 01-23-2016, 10:46 PM

To balance the picture a little, our experience with our 2015 Fun Finder 214WSD was enough to discourage us from continuing the RV lifestyle (after two previous failures with other brands). We had the cabin flood 5 times in the first two outings ... roof leaks, window leaks, water pump and water heater leaks. We also had an issue with one of the burners on the stove. None of these were actually monumental and probably characteristic of almost all the travel trailers made today. Our main issue was the fact that with all three brands from 3 different dealers, none of them could work on our warranty issues in a reasonably timely fashion (2 to 4 months backlog on service work typical).

So what I'm saying is that the selling dealer is probably more important in the decision than the brand of trailer. If we had had a decent dealer anywhere close to us that was willing to work on the units within 10 days to a couple weeks we would have been fine with that. Our selling dealer claimed that he had ordered a new burner valve for our stove but we called every 2 weeks for 3 months and all he ever told us was that it hadn't come in yet. They just didn't care.

Forry D · 01-24-2016, 07:39 AM

Thanks for the input Yoly. The dealer we would be working with has 20 service bays. The salesman touted the service dept but I'm sure he would say anything to sell the unit. I get a bit skeptical with salesmen. I have looked this dealership up on the Internet and they seem to have a pretty good record. My biggest issue is the fact that we are 2 1/2 hrs away from them. I realize that the warranty would be up after a year anyway unless you buy additional warranty which I don't plan on doing. So I would have to find a service center closer after the warranty is up. Lots of things to think about!

Travels with Yoly · 01-24-2016, 09:36 AM

Wish you luck .... hopefully you'l have an experience like Dan and Eagle and have nothing but positive things to say here

Forry D · 01-24-2016, 10:24 AM

Thanks Yoly. I hope so too!

APD · 01-24-2016, 11:57 AM

Forry, check in your area for an independent (mobile) RV service tech. If there's a mobile technician that works your area they can be an excellent source of information. It would depend on their personality/customer service outlook.
Won't hurt to look.....

Forry D · 01-24-2016, 10:42 PM

Thanks, that's a good idea!

John_C · 01-26-2016, 11:09 AM

Hi Forry,
We bought our 2008 FF from a sales lot about 45 minutes from home last year and have no idea where the closest deal is located.

The trailer was used and had a few issues that I figured were due to age and misuse.

Some were and some weren't...

As far as the trailer... This is my first RV purchased and feel the quality/design is low, but this may be standard in the industry; e.g., I would have thought the water hose and drain valves would be confined in a single access point with all valves on a panel and marked... no such luck and the manual doesn't have a schematic of the plumbing. I have to lift the bed mattress and support board to get to the water pump and some of the valves and drains... the hose drains are underneath the trailer on the curb side, while the fill port, HW Heater, pump, etc., are on the street side. This does not make the trailer bad, just poor design and a PITA to winterize and ready for usage. The inner walls have little support and one needs to be careful in hanging anything heavier than a picture..

This type of planning shows in much of the trailer... I could go on but, I bought used, meaning I had no input on what and how things came together.

With all said... We actually like the trailer and I deal with the small stuff.

I agree with Travels with Yoly and believe that the dealer is a key component in buyer satisfaction. I usually take my trailer to a Camping World about 45 minute drive for work I choose not to do myself and although they are a bit pricey, I have been satisfied with the work performed.

I am a member of Good Sam and subscribe to Trailer Life magazine (A good read for all trailer owners/buyers) and in an issue several months ago, they had an article on trailer manufacturers that sold directly to the buyer. I'll see if I can find the article and forward a date/issue#. I am not suggesting you buy any specific model, but if you are a picky person (as I am) and have concerns as to what your $$$ are going to buy, this is just one more avenue to look into.

Good luck ...

Forry D · 01-26-2016, 12:28 PM

John,
The following post reply is also on another post I had to you. I just copied to this post to make sure you didn't miss it.

Thank you.
_________________________________________

Thanks John.
Noreen and I just got back from the RV dealers and finally made a decision. We went with the Cruiser Fun Funder 266KIRB. It appears to have a great deal of quality and it meets our specific needs very well. I have studied for this decision for several months and I hope I made the right one. After reading several RV forums, it sounds like it's a gamble no matter what you choose. We're not getting any younger and I just decided that we needed to make a move now. Can't wait till spring!!

Eagle · 01-26-2016, 01:36 PM

Forry D ~ we decided to purchase a toy hauler camper after what we decided was our last outing in a tent. I won't go further other than been tenting it since the 60's.

Anyway, we decided to get a toy hauler/camper in the fall of 2011. I spent some time over the winter months researching RV's on the internet ~ new and used and reading various forums. Some folks had glowing reports and some not so much ~ same as any man made product it seems as it didn't make much difference if it was a $100,000 motorhome or $3,000 camper....new or used.

I used the tow capacity of my pickup to size my unit accordingly as didn't want to buy a different tow unit too as decided a self motorized unit was not for us.

With the weight allowances known, then it was the search for a unit within those weight limitations and the features/size/appearance, etc. wanted. Being new to the RV field, we opted for a new unit, not wanted to buy another persons problem issues.

We narrowed our search down to two brands/units and opted for the Fun Finder XT-276 due to our phone/internet dealership interaction and total cost for the unit ~ which we special ordered in the early spring. It took about 6 weeks for the dealership to get it in and have it dealer preped for us to pickup. We haven't been disappointed in our selection....but each persons needs/wants vary accordingly.

Best in your venture.

Forry D · 01-26-2016, 04:36 PM

Thanks Eagle. We are excited for the season to start!!

John_C · 01-26-2016, 05:45 PM

Good going Forry,
As the post above indicated and said... You can do the research, finally making a decision based on your, research, needs, and budget.

Like Eagle said in another thread... he and his wife looked at a 19 foot FF and felt a bit cramped, my wife and I looked at at 19 foot FF and loved the trailer size, layout, weight, and ability to haul my ATV. With the ATV, it is too tight to live in but, sleeping, using the toilet and kitchen are really cramped, but okay; however, once you get the ATV out, it opens up more space. As Eagle pointed out... It depends on one's needs and wants...
Good luck and we hope to see you on the road sometime...

Forry D · 01-26-2016, 08:09 PM

Thanks John. You never know, we could be in the same area sometime. Have a great time camping this year!

Bill Sorensen · 01-30-2016, 10:51 AM

Anything but Cruiser! If you do buy, buy a used one. Let somebody else go through all the headaches, issues and problems you'll have if you buy new.
I have a 2014 Funfinder, nightmare! Biggest regret of my life so far!

Forry D · 01-30-2016, 12:01 PM

Bill, I appreciate your concern but we pick up 2015 Fun Finder 266KIRB next Monday. As I was investigating several brands for the last 6 months, I went to numerous RV forums. After reading the horror stories (from small claims court to other legal actions) of virtually all brands, we decided that there are no absolutes out there. I'm hoping that we are more fortunate than most. That's why we bought new so the warranties will take care of the problems if they arise.

Eagle · 01-30-2016, 12:28 PM

As for Bills comment above, all I can say is any product can have issues. When reading the reviews on any product, some will love it and some will hate it.

If I buy a sack of potatoes with one or two bad ones, I don't throw them all in the garbage.

I trust Bill has far more pleasant results in the future.