Sunline Ownership and Demographics

[chuck & lori]

I don't know if our experience is typical, but our first TT was a Sunline. Lori and I spent a day at the Harrisburg RV show in 2001. Only looked at TT's small enough to fit in our driveway (about 25 ft) and light enough to be towed with our 1997 F-150 with the 4.6L V8. We liked the T-1950 and a Layton (don't remember the model) with the exact same layout as the Sunline. Went with the Sunline because there was a dealer about an hour north of us. The Layton dealer was 6 hours away in Delaware.
When we got tired of the buried in the corner bed, we went back to the show (in Hersey in 2006). Fell in love with the 2075. It fit in the same driveway, could be pulled by the same truck, but we liked the layout better than the 1950. We could walk around the bed and the bathroom was bigger. Got a great deal from Lee at Stoltzfus along with a rep from the factory. Got to meet one of the Company owners too! This would be just a few months before they closed
We usually don't have kids along. Lori's kids aren't kids anymore, nor is my son. My daughter is not really interested-she is a teenager!
Lori had spent some time in RV's before as her dad and step mother had a PU, then a TT, and now a 5er. I had done some tent camping years ago, but knew nothing about RV's before we bought the 1950.

[2beagles]

My wife and I did backwoods camping for years before we decided to quit sleeping on the ground. (Our backs are very grateful for that.)
We bought a Fleetwood Laramie Pop Up in 2006, camped 5 or six times, and really liked RV camping.
Last year, we went out a few times in the pop up, but on a parts trip to our dealer, we ran across the T2370.
We fell in love with the trailer, and had heard nothing but good things about Sunlines. We'd looked at literally hundreds of campers over a few years, and the 2370 was perfect for us. As it turned out, we sold the pop up for exactly what we paid for the Sunline.
It's just the two of us and the two dogs, so we have no need for bunks, and the size and weight fit our driveway and TV just right.
We tend to camp a lot, and we'll be doing even more this year. We've got six trips scheduled, with a few more in the works.
We intend to stay with Sunlines, maybe going to a newer 2370 in a few years, and after we retire possibly one with a slide.
There don't seem to be too many 2370's around for sale, so they're either not that popular or their owners like them too much to sell them. We'd have a tough time selling ours.
As an aside, we were talking with Ed, the fellow who sold us both campers, and he said that not only do they miss selling the high quality Sunlines, they also miss dealing with the Sunline Company. He said they were actually fun to deal with. They treated their dealers and customers right and went out of their way to make everyone happy. His Sunline rep was actually working the Boston show for an accessory company, but he wasn't there when we were. Too bad!

[HappyCampers]

My wife an I are 27 years old and on our 3rd Sunline. We did have 2 other units. I camped a lot with my grandparents in their 1985 Sunline T-2250 and my family did a lot of tent camping. We always had boats so we used tents when we would go to the lake. My wife never camped. I bought a 1969 Winnebago D-24 right out of high school. I didn't have anything to pull a camper, so we pulled my VW with the camper. We sold that when we bought a jeep and bought the 1996 T-2053. We camped in that for 2 seasons and found it was a little cramped for the two of us and 2 dogs. So we bought the 31' Airstream. I had bought a diesel Ram by then. I made a huge mistake buying the darn thing. A lot of work and a lot of $$$ later I got fed up after one season and we sold it to buy the T-295 SR. This was a great trailer with a great floor plan. Well after about 2 seasons we happend to come across the F-304 on the internet. We liked the idea of the Fifth wheel and I was certain that I wanted to stay in a Sunline so we took the plunge. I can assure you that it was a hasty decision, but I knew how rare the sunny fivers are. We drove about 1500 miles to trade off the 295 and pick up the 304. We absolutely love the new trailer, and don't regret the decision at all. The only thing that bothers me is that I found out after we bought the trailer and towed it home that I was over my GVWR of the truck. So I had to buy a one ton truck, man I still miss my old truck.
We don't have any children, but we travel mostly with another couple and their children(our godsons). We like a lot of space so the bigger units with the slides are my chioce.
We go out at least every other week-end in the Spring, Summer and Fall, and use it at least 2 full weeks during the season. We've been through the New England states, and as far down as Virginia, and we usually go to the Jersey Shore (Sea Isle City) for a week in the Summer.
I'm sure that I won't buy another coach for at least 10 years, maybe longer because I love my Sunlines that much.

[JohnB]

Originally Posted by donreitz

Snip..
However, when reading the signatures of folks on the forum here, it turns out that the 2499 is very popular. This raises the question of what Sunline model is the most popular and why. This, in turn, raises another question: What are the characteristics of an average Sunline owner (at least ones that participate in forums like this)? Do average owners travel with kids or are they single or couples? Is a Sunline their first RV purchase or is it the latest in a series of RV purchases? Do they travel a few weeks out of the year or do they spend lots of time in their units? And so on.

I'd be interested in hearing comments and/or speculation on this.
Don

Don,

I have very much enjoyed your post. Reading the responses has been well, neat. We all come to this RV camping life style for different reasons.

What is the most popular Sunline? Good question. The T2499 is popular on Sunline club but this may be by total chance. It is real interesting to see all the layouts and the older ones too. Jon does his magic sometimes or we get linked to an older model for sale. So we go take a peak. Wow they where cool back then too?

In our case, yes we are “into” the rear living area campers. Our T2499 is a very nice unit. We recently upgraded to a T310SR which is an all grown up T2499. The layout is almost the same, just it has a slide and longer. This allows what we really miss in the T2499 which is full time table and chairs. Sunline was working on a slide model of the T2499 when the end came. That option may have had us stay with the T2499, however now that we have the T310, it just fits us so much better.

Do we travel with kids? Well, some times the grandkids come with their parents…. The grandkids stay inside with Nana and I and the parents (big kids) sleep in a tent. Your post prompted me to show off these 2 pics. Little Samantha and her mom. (little kid and big kid)



Is our Sunline our first TT? The T2499 was the first TT followed by the T310SR. We had a Coleman Mesa PU before the TT. Before the PU, I was heavy into the Boy Scouting program and a 50# pack was it for 2 weeks in the back country and was loving it. Now we haul 9,000# including the kitchen sink and still loving it…. We do get spoiled quick!

Do we travel weeks of a year or spend lots of time in the camper? We do both. We take week long trips a few times a year and we try to camp about every other weekend all year round. We slow down during Dec, Jan and Feb only due to the conditions. If it is above freezing during the day, no snow/ice, no rain, no monster winds, we are gone….

Cindy and I have found a new common interest in our marriage of 28 years. I like everything about camping, cooking, cleaning setting up camp, towing you name it. Cindy likes the outdoors, camping and just sitting under a shade tree reading her book. Plus she does not mind I do most all the cooking on the campout…. .

And so on and so on? Boy I could go on a long time but each of us here on Sunline club are attracted to the RV camping part of our lives for different reasons.

Both Cindy and just plain like camping and getting away from the hustle and bustle of work life. And we are “into” the custom tweaks of the camper. She is always cross sticking or sewing up something and I’m more into the construction side of things…. Especiallyy now that we have a new camper last fall. Have to catch up with where the T2499 left off .

We are at a stage in our lives where things with the house are fairly settled. (There is alawys something to do with a house….) “The Camper” and camping is new thrill and next stage of our relationship. I wish we would of found this some 20 years ago, but live and learn…

What drew us to Sunline was the quality of the camper at a price that was affordable for us in our stage of life. Starting out in married life, with nothing like we had, I know we could of not swung a new camper. But now knowing what we know, a good used Sunline may have been something in the cards. The Sunlines hold up better longer that is for sure.

Well all for now. Again good post.

Happy camping.

John

[MACK C-85]

John: I see a side party developing at the Meet and Greet, mdfiregal (DW) and my daughter are both into cross-stitching

[JohnB]

Originally Posted by MACK C-85

John: I see a side party developing at the Meet and Greet, mdfiregal (DW) and my daughter are both into cross-stitching

Mack.

Great! More ideas

Since we are on cross stitch, Cindy is also into sewing projects. I'll have to pull a DW mods post togehter.

See here for some of her handy patch quilt type work. She is not a mirror fan and Sunline sure was....and they are not coming off unless the door or wall comes along with it.... So this is one of her solutions.

The mirror door on the bath


Close up. This thing is really cool. I still look in wonder at all those little pieces sewn together every time I walk by it.


See ya in June.

John

[Poppy & Nana]

Oh to have talent like that!

Kathy

[sewfancy]

My dh and I fell in love with camping when we took our three kids on a week-long tent camping trip to the Ozarks 18 years ago. It wasn't long after that trip that we purchased the first of several pop-ups, which were great for camping with the kids and their friends. In 2000, we bought our first Sunline -- a new 2553, which was followed by a 2004 264SR and 2005 Jayco fifth wheel. When I found out that the Sunline factory was closing, I immediately started searching for another Sunline. I bought a nearly new 2004 2499 on eBay and sold our Jayco fifth wheel. Going from a fifth wheel with triple slides to the 2499 was certainly an adjustment, but I don't regret the decision. We love the large back window arrangement and my husband is much more comfortable with his own chair than sitting on the sofa. It's perfect for just the two of us and we have a screened tent we put over the picnic table for extra eating room if needed.

Patricia