Hi ! A Sunline Wanna Be

[bugbite]

A few of you may recognize my Moniker.

We would like to find a new Sunline Solaris 1950 that will be pulled by a 1/2 Ton Tundra. Needs to be in the South.

Waving to our RV board buddies. Appreciate yall sending us this way and for approving us.

BB, Another Biped, and 2 Quadpeds
The Dunlap Clan

[PTHutch]

Hi Bugbit,

Welcome to the forum.

You may want to try Sunline RV site. This site may be of some help in you finding a T-1950 close to your locations.

Hope it helps. Don't hesitate to ask any quetions, great bunch of people here and always willing and ready to help.

Good luck.
Hutch

[kanyonkitty]

Welcome Bugbite,

I have to admit, you probably have spent more hours on research than what a total of 2 dozen folks would do. I'm hoping all that effort has helped you. Now, you are with us, and we are hoping that you'll soon be the proud owner of a Sunline. You won't find a better "COACH", yes coach, as Sunlines are so outstanding, we don't refer to them as travel trailers. We have a rare breed, VERY RARE. Our Coaches came from a company of very devoted employees, in fact a few are members on here.
I agree with PTHutch, use the Sunline website to locate dealers to see if any have a 1950. I'd gladly search around here for you, but that would mean you'd have to travel quite a ways north to get a 1950. Hum, might make a nice "Road-Trip".

Keep us posted on your progress and decision,

Kitty

[Poppy & Nana]

Welcome bugbite! Glad to see ya made it over here!

I'll be sending your the pertinent pages of the brochure later tonight....still scanning pages.

You may want to check with Sunline Fan - he may have some info re; weights etc of the T195SR

[Sunline Fan]

Kathy,

Unfortunatly, I don't have anything on the 195SR. It was so new at the time of production that I didn't know about it until Sunline closed.

Bugbite, Welcome! As I said above, I don't have anything on the 195SR, but check with "Ray and Lynn from PA" or "purplesuebug"- they are both 195SR owners on here. They will have some sort of weight info in their owners' manuals. I think it might be a little much for your Tundra though, but don't quote me on that. It may work out fine for a little while until you upgrade TV's.

Jon

[purplesuebug]

Bugbite,
Hopefully I'm not lying to you, but as I remember, I was told the empty weight of my 195SR is either 4200 or 4800 pounds. The tongue weight is supposed to be aroung 480 pounds. As far as an owner's manual, there isn't one for the trailer itself. I got all the goodies from the appliances and all, but nothing from Sunline except the generic safty and winterization manuals. Even the sticker on the side of the trailer is confusing as it lists the GVWR as 3175 and I KNOW that's not right since it is 3 feet longer than the 1950 and has a slide. So I don't know, I need to do a little more studying and looking...............Sorry M&S

[Sunline Fan]

Marshall,

You don't have a sheet in the owner's manual that has the floorplan all over it and lists the locations of roof vents, etc., along with the dry (axle) weight and tongue weight? I'm surprised if you don't. As I said before, the model was just so new when Sunline closed. It was probably one of those things they overlooked and they just wanted to get the finished units out the door before the door closed.

Jon

[purplesuebug]

Jon,
I don't have ANYTHING on the 195SR itself. I have all the info on the roof rubber down to the axles, but these are from the individual manufacturers. As far as Sunline info, I have the final checklist, the list of serial #'s and generalized information. Nothing about the floorplan or the 195SR itself. I just ran outside to recheck th GVWR and it does read 3175 Kg and the GAWR reads 1588 Kg per axle.

Note: I misread the stupid sticker last night. I read the Kg info. It really is 7000 lb GWVR, 3500 per axle. Sorry M&S

[/img]

[Sunline Fan]

Bugbite,

I just thought of something. I know you are concerned that the factory is closed, but just look at membership on this site. Many of the members own a coach from Sunline's last days, and I have yet to hear of one major problem with any of these. So, if I were an outsider considering a Sunline and was worried about the new units left on the lots being produced in the companys' last days, I would be very impressed that these last units still carry the well known Sunline quality. Try to find that with a Fleetwood, Thor, or Forest River product, even if they are not shutting down. Take for example Emam, who bought a brand new 2499 close to the end, has not had a single major problem after 6 months straight on the road. I am not a member of RV.net, but I do watch it daily and see how many people complain about major problems with other-brand units. I recall someone who had a roof problem with a Fleetwood TT and had to have the roof replaced, only to discover the factory repair was worse than the original roof! In general, the only major problems with Sunline's occur once they have been used a lot and not properly maintained. Just look at a dealer's used inventory. I occasionally do this and find some of the oldest units in the inventory are Sunline's, and they still hold a decent value!

Even though you may pay more initially for a Sunline, you won't regret your decision. The quality of Sunline RV's is so much higher than many other manufacturers, so warranty or no warranty, you shouldn't have a problem. Just look at the cabinets- they're screwed, not stapled. My dad has a toyhauler (not Sunline), and the cabinets are very cheap. They are basically stapled together and made of pressed particle board. Upon bringing home from the dealer for the first time, I found a cabinet door that was loose. I went to tighten it, only to discover the screw was stripped out. In every one of my Sunline's, I go through and tighten all the cabinet hinge screws, and they all tighten, after ten years (or more) of use! I can't say much about the newer Sunline cabinet doors, because they were manufacturered outside of the plant, but I'm sure they were good quality since Sunline used them.

As Kitty said, our coaches come from a company with a good solid history (not so good recently though) and dedicated employees. It is hard to find any company that is this dedicated to their product and what they do. I only knew a handful of these wonderful Sunline employees, but from who I knew, I could only imagine all the others were just as good. The employees built Sunline Coaches to last a long time, not to just make money and run like many of the competitors in today's market build. For this very reason is most likely why the company failed- their customers didn't have a need (or really want) to buy a new one!

I've always admired Sunline Coaches for their quality and ability to last a long time. After restoring three Sunline's, the only problems I've had are related to lack of maintenance or an issue with a component, which was manufacturered by another company. Sunline has always been known to use elite manufactures of such products, like Dometic, Atwood, etc. For example, Sunline has continued to use Atwood water heaters, unlike much of their competition who have gone to cheaper Suburban water heaters.

I don't think you can go wrong with any Sunline Coach, especially the 195SR, if your TV can handle it. Just look at it this way, you'll have to upgrade your TV before you'll have to upgrade TT's again. Most likely, your family's family's family will outgrow a Sunline before it will wear out! The 1950 would be a little smaller, but would be just as good as any other Sunline. So far, I haven't really seen an impact on used Sunline values, so I wouldn't worry about resale. It will still hold a good value, even ten years down the road.

Remember, the Golden Rule for buying a new Sunline is all components still carry their original warranties. So, if you have a refer quit cooling or a heating element go out on a WH, it will still be covered under the Dometic or Atwood warranty, respectively, assuming it's in the time period still. If you find a good dealer that appreciates the Sunline product, they will most likely include an extended tongue-to-bumper warranty with the unit, because they won't have to worry about seeing it again.

Good luck on your 1950/195SR search and let us know if you have any questions. I think our little network here is better than any dealer and you could probably get a more truthful answer here about any Sunline than from a dealer.

Jon

[bugbite]

As to the 195 yall are lucky. I speculate those will be collector's items since there were so few made and the very last year of Sunline. So those of you lucky folks sure hang onto them.

[bugbite]

How much does a ladder weigh

Looks like they had one as an option.

[purplesuebug]

I agree with Jon, We bought a little before we wanted to just because there was a Sunline available. Sue camped in a Sunline with her Grandparents back in the early eighties. We love our Sunline. The quality, the workmanship, the overall experience of just walking through that door still catches my breath. Sue looks for excuses to go out to the driveway and sit on the couch (witch she swears is more comfy than our living room furniture). We love it....................that's all I can say.

Jon..........I'll send a picture of the GVWR sticker with the other and see if you can figure it out. It has me stumped...........M&S

[Tweety]

Our friends just got rid of their 1991 Sunline last year. It was like new. The DH (another engineer) sanded and painted the frame with Rustoleum every year. They never fried anything inside so it wouldn't get smelly. It was amazing...but small. They bought bigger Sunline. So, yes it will last you 16 years at least. I'm sure that one will be around when it's 25 or longer. I know Stoltzfus RV in Adamstown, PA has a 195SR. You could call them to ask about the correct weights. Ask for Lee or Jo in sales. They are located 5 minutes from the old Sunline factory and know pretty much everything there is to know about their "coaches." Then come on up and pull her home ! While you're here visit Lancaster county. It makes a great road trip Stoltzfus - Toll Free: 800-752-2988

[Honda03842]

Three weeks ago we bought a 1982 SunLine 15.5SB. It is in amazingly good shape. Everything works, windows all open smoothly, doors still fit perfectly. Sealed and repainted roof, painted frame, re-did chassis ground connections and replaced 100's of rusted screws with stainless steel.

I feel confident that I can take it anywhere and plan to go to Labrador via Newfoundland next spring. Now making it comfortable for two. Removed upper bunk for additional storage, converting hanging closet to pantry, (not much in the way of food stores on this trip), looking to add a small generator to the front hitch, and adding some draws under the dinette.

It tows wonderfully behind our little Honda, gets great mileage. We plan a test trip to the Gaspe this summer. Checked it out for "towability" in
http://www.whattowcar.com.

I heartily recommend these trailers.

Norm
2004 Honda CRV
1982 SunLine 15.5SB

[tinybluetj]

Welcome bugbite!

When we bought our Que, we looked at the 1950 SR, but we were told the tounge weight was 700 pounds!!!! Needless to say, we couldn't get it home so we got our Que!

[bugbite]

Originally Posted by tinybluetj

Welcome bugbite!

When we bought our Que, we looked at the 1950 SR, but we were told the tounge weight was 700 pounds!!!! Needless to say, we couldn't get it home so we got our Que!

[purplesuebug]

The following comes from the Sunline home page. It states here that the empty tongue weight is 420 pounds. but I'm sure it could go to 700 pounds fully loaded. People don't realize how heavy these trailers get when you put all your stuff in them..........M&S

The T-1950 offers spacious living for a 20' trailer. Just outside the shower and toilet room is a vanity next to the wardrobe with walk through kitchen galley and open living area. Comfort and maneuverability for campers on the go.


Specifications
Model Year: 2007
Line: Solaris
Sleeps: 4
UVW (Unloaded Vehicle Weight): 3770 lbs.
GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating): 5500 lbs.
Hitch Weight: 420 lbs.
Hitch Ball Height (approx): 17.5''
Hitch Ball Size: 2-5/16"
Exterior Length: 20' 6"
Exterior Width: 8'
Interior Height: 6' 6"
Fresh Water System (approx. gals.): 40
Gray Water System (approx. gals.): 25
Septic System (approx. gals.): 25

[tinybluetj]

We pull our Que with a Jeep Grand Cherokee We are upgrading it in a few months, so we were not concerned about the weight of the 1950. The bed on the Que is very comfy. the coushions are made of memory foam! We have a side entry, and I thought it would be a pain putting the bed in and out, but it really isnt. We have a sleeping bag with sheets zipped in that we store under the sink each day. The floor space it frees up is amazing! I like the fact that we have a small TT. We are still 'newlyweds' (one year and two weeks! ), and we like the coziness the small TT ofers ! We spend most of our time outside when we camp anyhow. If you watch e-bay the 1950s pop up every so often.

If you are looking at other brands as well, I like the Mckenzies and the Arubas. You should check out Cathey's RV in Knoxville, they carry the Aruba. He is a good guy, makes fair deals. (I would personally hold out for the Sunline, however! )

My dad is from Knoxville, we still have a lot of family there. I love that area! We come through regurally. I think we may camp this next time we go through, but we usually go in winter.

[Sunline Fan]

Originally Posted by bugbite

Question from my prof ee engineer...
All four wheels have brakes right? Are they 10" drums?

Bugbite,

To the best of my knowledge, Sunline has put electric brakes on every single wheel of every single coach for at least 30 years, if not more. I can't remember at the moment if they're 10" or not, but I think they are. The larger SR's may have used larger brakes, but most likely the smaller ones (like the 1950) used the 10".

Jon

[bugbite]

>>1997 Solaris T-2653
2002 Excursion Limited V10, 4x4, 3.73 <<

Gosh how does that do?