Advice needed: Que or T1950

[slogan]

Hello All,
I have been lurking on this list for quite sometime now and have been contemplating a purchase of a travel trailer for the past 6 months or so. This will be the first TT for me and my wife so a learning experience will be forthcoming. Since it will be only me an my wife using it, space will not be the primary consideration. My TV is a 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee with the factory tow package and a Hemi 5.7l V8. It is also a 4X4 model. I feel 99.9% confident that the TV will accomodate either of the TT's that I am looking at. My concern is the space in which I store it when not in use as well as the MPG that it will require to tow the T1950 compared to the Que. I have found a Que RE and SE as well as a T1950 that have my attention. Do you guys (the wealth of knowledge on this list) have any suggestions or opinions regarding the two TT's? If you were put into the position of buying a Que or a T1950 which would you typically lean toward? (I know that is a personal and probably loaded question but thought I would solicit opinions either way). Also, if you were looking at the either of these size TT's how would you feel with using the TV that I have? I know it has a short wheel base and it is rated to tow up to 7200lbs.

I have researched TT's for a while now and the more I read the more I find the more indecisive I become. I feel really good about my decision of going with Sunline, even though I had considered TT's like Keystone and Starcraft and others. I really like the craftsmanship of the Sunline as well as the long standing reputation. I am trying to make the experience as pleasant and enjoyable for my wife as possible so that she will want to continue the activity (you know the ole saying, "if momma ain't happy, nobody's happy).

Is there that much of an improvement from fiberglass over aluminum siding as far as maintenance and overall insulating value? I have heard many state that they are much easier to keep clean.

The TT's that I have found range in prices from $7k for the T1950 (2005) to $11k for the Que RE. There are other Que's that I have found (all 2007) but the prices are all over the place. Anywhere from $13k to $20k. If you were getting into it for the first time which do you think would be the better choice? I pretty much feel that for the first couple of years or so it will be primarily used for short trips and trips to the mountains (Blue Ridge Pkwy and Smokey Mountain Pkwy area). Probably the duration of the trips would be no more than a week at most and more like long extended weekends.

I really like the floor plan of the T1950 and I really like the look and size of the Que. So back to the original question, what would alot of you long time campers lean toward if you were in this situation? I am leaning a bit toward the T1950 due to the floor plan and of course the price difference. That amount of money would allow for alot of trips. But I don't want this to be all about the money, I want it to be a decision that we can live with and use for years to come. I don't want to be shopping for another camper two years from now because I saved a few thousand dollars on this purchase.

I appreciate any and all opinions on this and ask for your patience since I am a Rookie!

Thanks,,
Scott

[264SRinPA]

I would pick the T-1950. The Que is lighter and looks nicer, but the T-1950 will be more comfortable. You shouldn't have any problems towing either one.

[Sunline Fan]

Hi Scott,

I would choose the 1950 as well. If you were to get the Que, I see an upgrade in your future. As have been the common 'complaints' of the Que, making/taking down the bed every day gets old very quick. The 1950 gives you a full bed as well as a nice sitting area up front. Since you have the vehicle you do and the ability to move up to a coach of this size, I would consider it.

By the way, the Que was only made in 2007, so the prices will reflect such. The T-1950, in this configuration, was made from 1994.5 through 2007, so you will be able to find many in a variety of price ranges and a variety of conditions.

Jon

[slogan]

Thanks guys for the quick response and for responding on New Years Day! By the way, Happy New Year!

I believe the responses has reaffirmed my thought process in regards to the T1950. I was also concerned about the bed issue with the Que as well as the sink/stove combination. I was also a bit concerned about the interior ceiling height of the Que being 6'4" while the T1950 I believe is 6'6". I am 6'3" so it may be an issue with my head becoming well acqainted with the AC unit of the Que.

So from your responses I believe that there should be no issue with me towing the T1950 through mountaineous areas with my current TV (obviously using a bit of common sense while doing this)?

Thanks again guys and I look forward to getting into this RVing way of life soon.

Scott

[kanyonkitty]

slogan,

First, welcome to the group and Happy New Year.

I have to side with the others, get the 1950. The corner bed can be a bit of a challenge to make up, but you learn how to overcome that. You have a nice place to sit in the evening WITHOUT having to move cushions around, larger shower, more kitchen area. I have done the goucho turned into bed thing, and well, don't want to go there again.

Just get a good weight distribution hitch with integrated sway control, such as Reese dual cam HP, or Equalizer.

And maybe join us at the Sunline Rally in June ,

Kitty

[Gene]

I almost bought a T1950 ... untill I found my current T2363. I used to pull with a Jeep GC 4x4 but it had a smaller engine that yours, I had the 4.8 with factory tow options rated to tow 6500# (my TT GVWR is 5500#) . I had no problems with the hills in New Hampshire. Solo I would get 18 to 20 mpg and the same trip towing about 10 to 11 mpg. Some people think the wheelbase is too short but the Jeep also has a short overhang from the rear axle to the ball so with the Reese Dual Cam the rig was quite stable. I think you are quite correct in thinking your Jeep can handle either the Que or the T1950 ... IMHO.

I also think you would end up being happier in the T1950 but I am not familiar with the Que. I think having to make up the bed every night would be a pain. Good luck, whichever one you choose.

Gene

[Poppy & Nana]

When we had our 1950 we loved it.....BUT we wanted more room (grandson(s) (one at a time) decided to camp with us on many occasion) so we upgraded to the 2499......now since you are looking between the 1950 and the Que - I'd go with the 1950.......I don't think you'll regret it.

HOWEVER I'm not the expert on tow vehicles.....so you will need to check that out!

[Steve Collins]

I have to support the T-1950 as well.

The forward 2/3's of the 1950 is pretty much identical to the front end of our T-2453 which we have had for ten years now. The galley is a bit short on counter space, but if you use the stove cover wisely, it all works pretty well. The layout of the couch, swing-up table, and swivel chair is one of the major points we liked about it. We call it an "empty-nester's" floor plan. When you find yourself spending the day or evening in the trailer because of inclement weather, the couch and swivel rocker are just the best.

I am 6'2" and never had a problem in the T-2453. Can't speak for a Que, but if there is less headroom, I would be in trouble.

All of the appliances and fittings in the T-1950 are RV industry standards which means you can get replacements and/or repairs from any decent RV shop.

I was surprised when I looked up the tow ratings for your Jeep. I didn't expect them to be as good as they are. The only negative for you is the short wheelbase but that can be completely overcome with a Reese Dual Cam Weight Distributing hitch system or equivalent. (The only caution I would offer is to stay away from friction sway controls.) The DC or Hensley are far better choices. Add in a good brake controller like the Prodigy or P3 and you are good to go.

[slogan]

Thanks Steve for the response and information. The friction sway controls that you mention, would that be something like the Equa-liz-er built in sway control is that a completely different sway control all together. Pardon the ignorance here, just a bit green when it comes to the different types of sway control.

Thanks again,
Scott

[264SRinPA]

Scott,

Don't compare an Equal-i-zer hitch with common add on friction sway control devices. They are completely different. The Equal-i-zer hitch is an excellent sway control and weight distribution hitch.

[Steve Collins]

Originally Posted by slogan

Thanks Steve for the response and information. The friction sway controls that you mention, would that be something like the Equa-liz-er built in sway control is that a completely different sway control all together. Pardon the ignorance here, just a bit green when it comes to the different types of sway control.

Thanks again,
Scott

This is a friction sway control. It bolts to the A-frame of the trailer and connects to a very small hitch ball on your ball platform. Basically, it is an adjustable brake system to deal with sway. Friction sway control is generally considered to be very useful for trailers that are 2,000# or less.


The Equalizer and Reese Dual Cam have some similar properties in that they use the tongue weight of the trailer to control sway.

http://www.reeseprod.com for lots more info on the DC system.

http://www.equalizerhitch.com/ for more on the Equal-i-zer system.

Both are good choices. I lean to the Reese only because I am familiar with the rest of their product line and would prefer to stay with the same manufacturer for all of my hitch needs. Also, it seems that there are a lot more places to buy Reese components over the counter, at least here in upstate NY.

[slogan]

Thanks Mike and Steve, I was thinking it may be something like that but I never like to assume anything. So as long as I stay with the Equalizer product or the Reese Dual Cam I should be good to go.

You guys have truly been a great help with/thru this process and hopefully I'll be in the RV lifestyle soon. I'll probably be asking more questions like what treatments should I be considering and general maintenance of the TT when that time comes.

Me and my financial adviser (commonly known as the wife ) have made the decision to go after the T1950 and as of now are scheduled to go and look/buy one in two weeks. I am so looking forward to this and really can't wait to see it. Wish me luck and I'll keep you guys posted.

By the way, since I will be possibly buying this from an individual what are some good tips for me to utilize when I look over the TT? I think I saw a PDI list somewhere and I'll try to dig it back up, I guess that would apply to an individual purchase as well and not specific to a dealer purchase, right? If these are dumb questions please bear with me.

Thanks again,
Scott

[JohnB]

Originally Posted by slogan

I was thinking it may be something like that but I never like to assume anything. So as long as I stay with the Equalizer product or the Reese Dual Cam I should be good to go.

Scott

Hi Slogan,

I'll throw an opinion your way, I am a Reese fan and do believe the DC and Reese hitch has certain advantages over the Equal-I-zer made by Progress Mfg, however both are good tools and each have there unique setups.

The 1950 is a low small TT. If the ball height, meaning ground to inside of the ball coupler when the TT is level, is less then 17 1/2 inches, I would recommend you go Equal-I-lizer rather then Reese DC. A ball height of 18” or higher works when the ball coupler is on top of the A frame. And Sunline on most of the newer TT always has the ball coupler on top which can in some cases create hitch issues pending certain combinations.

There is a clearance drag issue with the DC when you get into the 17” tall area or lower with the ball coupler on top.

If anyone knows the ball height and what year for a Sunline T1950, please post.

We are also glad to help you set up your hitch. They are not complex once understood and many dealers do not take the time to show you and even then the TT is empty when you pick it up and it needs to be readjusted when you load it.

Good luck and hope this helps

John

[slogan]

Thanks John, I'll gladly take all the help that I can get to make the process more enjoyable and to learn the proper way of setting up the TT to pull as well as to camp in. Every bit of information that I can obtain is a great help.

The TT that I am going to look at is coming with a WD hitch but not sure as to what kind. I am waiting on a response from the owner to let me know what kind it is and what the weight limits are of it. As soon as I get that response then I'll know if I need to go out and purchase the Equalizer or Reese Dual Cam or not. Hopefully it will be one of the two.

I believe that I read somewhere that the ball height of the T1950 is 17" but I may be confusing that with the Que since I have been doing alot of reading about the two. I'm sure someone will chime in and provide the correct height for it.

Thanks again John,
Scott

[sunnyseagull]

Hi Scott

welcome to the site. now I am probably going to catch heck for this but I did it for 3 years I had a 1994 jeep grand cherokee with 5.2 v8 with the qaudro trac 4x4 full time and I tow my 2002 sunline 2670 with a Reese dual cam (old style ) with my self , my wife and two kids and a dog and never had any problems, now gvrw on the jeep was 6500lb the gvrw on the 2670 was 7000lb and I am sure that I was at that on some trips, but my point is you should not have any problem towing a 1950 with your Jeep good luck and happy camping and remeber only 5 more months until the MEET & GREET AT BUTTONWOOD!!

[JohnB]

Originally Posted by slogan

The TT that I am going to look at is coming with a WD hitch but not sure as to what kind. I am waiting on a response from the owner to let me know what kind it is and what the weight limits are of it. As soon as I get that response then I'll know if I need to go out and purchase the Equalizer or Reese Dual Cam or not. Hopefully it will be one of the two.

I believe that I read somewhere that the ball height of the T1950 is 17" but I may be confusing that with the Que since I have been doing alot of reading about the two

Scott

Hi Scott

If you go see the TT, take a pic of the hitch and post it here. We can tell from the pic what it is and vintage. Many folks do not know all the details of the hitch they have. They may even nick name it an equalizer hitch. And the brand may be an EAZ lift, Husky, Putnam etc but it is not the brand name Equal-I-zer by Progress Industries.

And maybe what they have can be upgraded or not. There are as many brands/types of hitches out there. It is like going into the store and buying toothpaste. Which one??? They all claim to be the best.

Here is a pic of my DC on my 2004 T2499. This is a 7,000# GVWR TT. It has a 18 ½ inch ball height. The DC clearance is 6” to the ground. That is about the limit. Notice the ball coupler is on top of the A frame.


Here is an Equal-I-zer brand hitch on a A frame with the ball on top. It does not hang down as far.


I have run into this clearance issue with the DC before on low TT’s several times. Last fall I helped a fellow SOC member at a M & G with his 2005 T2363 and a Reese DC. That TT is also a 5,500# GVWR like the T1950. It had a 4” wide A frame which in this case helped the cause. However he had the Reese round bar setup in stead of the trunnion bar and the combo limited his hitch head tilt. We got the TT leveled out and the truck WD set right, but he only had about 4 ½” ground clearance maybe pushing 5”.

Can it work, yes, however if you are buying a new one, you now have a choice.
If you are in the 17” or lower range on ball height the Equal-I-zer does not have this low issue. It is a better tool in this application, but need to buy the right size one.

Good luck and we are here to help when you need us.

John

[Diane]

Our Sunline T-1950 has the Equalizer hitch and it has worked very well for us towing on the flat as well as through ME and NH mountains.

We really like the 1950 with the sofa and chair. We travel with two standard poodles and somehow all of us fit in the TT. LOL

Welcome to the SOC and hope to meet you in June at Buttonwood!!

[luvrque]

Hi Scott

Well I guess I am the first to say the QUE.
We bought our Que RE new & LOVE IT !!
As far as the oversized King bed: it takes about 3-4 mins.to setup or takedown the way we do it.
I am sure you saw a Que in person so you know all the +'s Like the full bath, large counter space, Fiberglass not alum. sidding,oversized King bed, WINDOWS unlike the 1950, Etc.Etc.
We will never trade it in for a LARGER trailer. (had that before)
With it's small size we keep it in a large garage.
It tows GREAT hardly know it's behind you. Very easy to maneuver. and we don't use a sway control or eqalizer bars.
We do 3,000+ mile trips and live in it 4-5 weeks at a time, no problem at all.
It is a upscale trailer List was over 25k so,if you can get one for App.11k it's a good deal. IMO
Ofcourse you could get a much older 1995-2004 T1950 for less than half that, if money is the main concern.
If you have ANY questions about the Que just ask, I will be glad to answer them.

[slogan]

Hello luvrque, I was beginning to wonder if anyone was going to speak up on behalf of their Que. I really like the functionality of the Que but was sort of concerned about the actual space. Can you refresh my memory and confirm the ceiling height inside the Que? Especially from the floor to the bottom of the AC unit (which I believe is the lowest point). I am 6'3" tall and don't want to make it a habit of turning on the AC with my forehead.

Also, no complaints of the stove/sink combination from your perspective? The faucet given you any issues? Since yours is the RE did it come with the rear awning? Did it take you long to gauge how frequently you need to empty the smaller holding tanks? (I suppose that too would be a personal thing depending on how you use the bathroom/shower arrangement).

Thanks again for chiming in here.
Scott

[dennisb]

Hi,

We have a Que SE that we bought new. Living on the West Coast (Washington State) our travels have been to the Atlantic and back and to Alaska and back as well as shorter trips. For a couple and a dog, the Que works perfectly. I am also 6' 3", and I just brush the air conditioner, so I don't loiter around it, but have no problem with the ceiling! We tow with a 2008 Toyota Tacoma 4x4 and do not use any kind of WD or sway control. Never have had any issues relating to control. Based on our travels and the 25,000 miles and up to 6 weeks at a time in the trailer we love it. We've had a few issues, some initial problems and some developing from rough roads (Alaska). None of the problems have been major but rather annoyances. We have pulled our Que on the Blue Ridge Parkway in the fog and freezing weather with no issues. A beautify drive, by the way. We have stayed in the trailer down to 20 degrees in Oregon and New Mexico with only minor problems. The furnace easily keeps the trailer warm in the cold. Did need to use a hair dryer to unfreeze the dump valve!

Good luck with your decision.