Solaris Sole ST-2580S Floorplan

[Nightlites13]

Hello All,
Haven't been on in a long while since JohnB helped me finally resolve my brake issue which has never returned and I still appreciate it every time we head out.

So our 92 T-2470 is still working but we wouldd like to get a little bigger and little newer. I just came across a unit for sale in PA with a floorplan I have never seen. It is the 2005 ST2580S and we love the layout. Unfortunately some research suggests that the Sole was a watered down Sunline that might not be up to the quality level we have gotten used to.

My questions are am I correctly informed about the Sole models? Does anyone know of this floorplan in the standard Solaris category. I have looked at many brochures and did not see it.

The full walk around front Queen and the lower double bunk for our now 14yo and his dog would be great. He needs more room and the DW is getting tired of crawling over me to get to bed.

Appreciate any feedback.
Thank you.

[Sunline Fan]

Hi Dan,

There's a little cross model confusion, which may not help in your searching. The T-2580S is a Solaris S-series trailer made in late 2005 and early 2006. The 25BH is a Sole trailer, built in 2004 and early 2005. Both have the same floorplan, both designed as entry level trailers.

The Solaris S-series was a rebranding of the Sole. The Sole was introduced as an entry level, family oriented model, but it shares the same bones and same quality as every other Sunline. I don't think it sold very well because it looked cheap compared to many other brands. Instead of fancy decals, the Sole used gold painted metal to accent with decals, which looked like a lot of FEMA trailers and base model trailers at the time. In the mid 2000s, big elaborate vinyl decals were all the rage. Now, the Sole color scheme would fit in a lot better with new trailers having gold/tan fiberglass sides. So, the Solaris S-series took the Sole idea and just painted a different picture- it has the same white siding and the same decals as a regular Solaris trailer. There were never any regular Solaris equivalent floorplans to these.

I believe the main cost savings with a Sole and S-series is in the features- it has less custom cabinets, less/smaller windows, less/smaller storage doors outside, no tank monitors, no utility porch lights on the other sides of the trailer, smaller propane bottles, probably less interior lights, thinner/cheaper interior cushions, etc. The cabinets and framework were built with the same materials, on the same line, by the same people, as a Solaris trailer, so the quality should be very similar. That said, the Sole/S-series floorplans are pretty unique and have some cool features that make them worth looking at, like the rear bike storage and the pass through TV door on the T-2380S. But, they didn't sell a lot and aren't too common.

[Nightlites13]

Thank you so much for all of that detailed info. That helps a lot.

[JohnB]

I have been in a new Sole unit back in late 2004. We toured them when we were buying our 2004 T2499.

They are as Suinline Fan said, made with less upgrades as the Solaris to help lower the cost to the first time buyer of a camper who could not afford the jump to the Solaris.

Two things Sunline Fan missed (and I did not know all the ones he listed...) was there was a plastic medicine cabinet in the bathroom verses a custom all made wood one and it had the all plastic toilet compared the the porcelain bowl. I do not recall if it had an oven in the range.

That said, the quality of build (craftsmanship) that I saw was the same as the Solaris just they used lower cost items where they could.

To us they did not have the polish of the Solaris but it was still a better camper than many other brands and we really liked the T2499 floor plan better. We were in Sunline overload that buying time. The dealer had just about 1 of every floor plan for 2004/2005 non slide models. Back and forth we went trying to figure out what we wanted and didn't want.

Hope this helps

John

[Nightlites13]

Hi JohnB Thank you. Both of you helped a lot. I appreciate your time.