Well ever since the Hershey show I have been looking for a rig with a little more room for extended living.
I currently have a toyhauler about 40ft total length, but 12ft I lose to garage area. I have been looking at a 2008
Carriage Carr-lite 36 Max 3 slide full wall. Total length 36ft 11in, 4dr refrigerator, washer, dryer, king bed,
plenty of storage, prep for generator, satelite system, microwave/conv. oven, stove, solid surface countertop,
32in tv, you get the picture nice luxury 5th wheel. I know Carraige just when belly up and Redwood bought up
the rights to the trade name. My question is, are Carraige a good reliable brand to use for FT? Has anyone owned
a Carraige product if so what was your experiences.
John & Karla
2008 Victory Lane 5th wheel (toyhauler)
1999 FL Freightliner (hauler)
Terry and Jo said
04:38 AM Oct 9, 2012
While I can't speak to the actual quality of the Carriage products from direct knowledge because of owning one, I can say that when we were researching for our RV, a few of the Carriage products were condenders for us. However, we did go with another brand because of floor plan and several other reasons.
Carriage units have been compared as good models for full-timing. If you can find a good unit in good shape, I'd say that it would certainly be something to consider. While the systems that make up the fifth wheel usually have service and parts available, there are parts of any discontinued brand that might have problems with finding some parts of the body.
Good luck with your research.
Terry
igotjam said
04:46 AM Oct 9, 2012
What Terry said. When we started looking for a fulltime 5er in 06, Carriage was high on our list. Like Terry we went another way, and eventually traded it in in 2011. Our second fulltime rv was also not Carriage but Carriage was high on the list too. Most Carriage owners we meet are happy with their choice.
TheHarveys said
02:18 PM Oct 9, 2012
We own a 2010 Carriage Carri-Lite 36MAX1. While we have had a few problems with the trailer, overall we love it and have not found anything else that we would replace it with. Any other trailer we look at that has a comparable build quality, is much more expensive. I think if you found a good used Carriage in good shape, it would be a good choice for you. If you have not already done so, you should check out the Carriage Owners Group website and read up on what others say. Here is alink you can use:
We've been very happy with our Carri-Lite!! We're well into our 3rd year fulltime and so far just a handfull of minor issues. We've probably only towed the coach around 4000 miles, as we're still working and don't get much time to travel, yet.... It tows great though!!
We do consider it very luxurious compared to most any other coach out there! We get compliments every time someone walks in. They can't believe how nice and spacious it is.
We had the owner of New Horizons here with a new coach they were showcasing earlier this year. It was very nice as you would think, but we came away believing we made the right choice with our Carriage.
Regards, Howard
Fergizmo said
04:30 PM Oct 9, 2012
At the last RV Dreams rally, there were 4 rigs by Carriage. All were Cameos. One was ours. Yes they are well made and perfect for fulltime use. We are moving up to a little larger unit as ours is a 32 foot model. We are going to a Heartland Bighorn. The Carriage Owners Group website is a great place to learn about the brand.
Big John 57 said
01:32 AM Oct 10, 2012
Hey Guys it's me and Karla thanks for all the good advice on the Carr-lite. The RV dealer from the Hershey Show called
today and made us a nice offer toward the 2013 Montana 3700LE with all the extras as in the show. We would only be paying
about $8500 more than the Carr-lite and we would have a new unit. Also I would not have to drive to Texas 1,553 miles each way.
Well ever since the Hershey show I have been looking for a rig with a little more room for extended living.
I currently have a toyhauler about 40ft total length, but 12ft I lose to garage area. I have been looking at a 2008
Carriage Carr-lite 36 Max 3 slide full wall. Total length 36ft 11in, 4dr refrigerator, washer, dryer, king bed,
plenty of storage, prep for generator, satelite system, microwave/conv. oven, stove, solid surface countertop,
32in tv, you get the picture nice luxury 5th wheel. I know Carraige just when belly up and Redwood bought up
the rights to the trade name. My question is, are Carraige a good reliable brand to use for FT? Has anyone owned
a Carraige product if so what was your experiences.
John & Karla
2008 Victory Lane 5th wheel (toyhauler)
1999 FL Freightliner (hauler)
While I can't speak to the actual quality of the Carriage products from direct knowledge because of owning one, I can say that when we were researching for our RV, a few of the Carriage products were condenders for us. However, we did go with another brand because of floor plan and several other reasons.
Carriage units have been compared as good models for full-timing. If you can find a good unit in good shape, I'd say that it would certainly be something to consider. While the systems that make up the fifth wheel usually have service and parts available, there are parts of any discontinued brand that might have problems with finding some parts of the body.
Good luck with your research.
Terry
We own a 2010 Carriage Carri-Lite 36MAX1. While we have had a few problems with the trailer, overall we love it and have not found anything else that we would replace it with. Any other trailer we look at that has a comparable build quality, is much more expensive.
I think if you found a good used Carriage in good shape, it would be a good choice for you.
If you have not already done so, you should check out the Carriage Owners Group website and read up on what others say. Here is alink you can use:
http://carriageowners.net/forum/index.php
Hey John,
We've been very happy with our Carri-Lite!! We're well into our 3rd year fulltime and so far just a handfull of minor issues. We've probably only towed the coach around 4000 miles, as we're still working and don't get much time to travel, yet.... It tows great though!!
We do consider it very luxurious compared to most any other coach out there! We get compliments every time someone walks in. They can't believe how nice and spacious it is.
We had the owner of New Horizons here with a new coach they were showcasing earlier this year. It was very nice as you would think, but we came away believing we made the right choice with our Carriage.
Regards, Howard
Hey Guys it's me and Karla thanks for all the good advice on the Carr-lite. The RV dealer from the Hershey Show called
today and made us a nice offer toward the 2013 Montana 3700LE with all the extras as in the show. We would only be paying
about $8500 more than the Carr-lite and we would have a new unit. Also I would not have to drive to Texas 1,553 miles each way.
So we are sleeping on it tonite.
John & Karla
2008 Victory Lane (toyhauler)
1999 FL60 Freghtliner (hauler)