R-pod Owners Forum Homepage

This site is free to use.
Donations benefit a non-profit Girls Softball organization

Forum Home Forum Home > Non-pod Discussion Forums > General non-pod discussion
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed: Gulfstream Vista Cruiser 19 BFD
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Calendar   Register Register  Login Login

Topic ClosedGulfstream Vista Cruiser 19 BFD

 Post Reply Post Reply Page  12>
Author
Message
David and Danette View Drop Down
podders Helping podders - pHp
podders Helping podders - pHp
Avatar

Joined: 24 Nov 2009
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1214
Direct Link To This Post Topic: Gulfstream Vista Cruiser 19 BFD
    Posted: 27 Nov 2018 at 4:38am
   After over a year of searching we bought another camper. We found a used Vista Cruiser 19 BFD in Iowa on RV trader. Am now on way back home towing camper with a friend driving. It was only owned by previous owner for 5 months so it is in like new condition. It has more room inside and more storage space. Wanted to stay with a camper with a fiberglass roof and torsion axle but only got one out of the two, a fiberglass roof. The Vista cruiser has a spring axle hopefully I will be happy with it. The previous owner replaced the tires with new Goodyear Endurance tires so happy with that.  Hopefully the camper works out well for us. Sorry to part with our V-Cross Vibe got kind of attached to it, have some good memories with it. My wife hasn't seen camper yet so hope she likes it when we get home, she did like the pictures of it.The trip up to Iowa from Tennessee through all the snow and ice was a challenge, thankfully we have made it safely so far, we are halfway home.
2018 Vista Cruiser 19BFD (2018-              
2012 Vibe 6503 (2014-2019)
2009 r-pod 171 (2009-2014)
Middle Tn
2014 Ram 1500 Quad cab


Back to Top
furpod View Drop Down
Moderator Group - pHp
Moderator Group - pHp
Avatar

Joined: 25 Jul 2011
Location: Central KY
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6128
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Nov 2018 at 7:22am
Drive safe.. It's been a bad storm for the midwest, and it's here in Kentucky this morning.. I think we will only have a bit of snow..

Grat's on the new digs, VC has a couple great floor plans, my wife really digs the vintage vibe of many of them.
Back to Top
David and Danette View Drop Down
podders Helping podders - pHp
podders Helping podders - pHp
Avatar

Joined: 24 Nov 2009
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1214
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Nov 2018 at 5:07pm
  We made it home safe, yes the storm was bad I think there were over a hundred vehicles that slid off the road stuck in the snow. There were two eighteen wheeled trucks off the road one turned around up against a guard rail. It was my first experience driving in that kind of weather never will I do it again. We like the Vista cruiser except I am concerned about the cargo capacity it has a 4,000 lb axle and the camper weighs about 3,247 lbs. I would rather it had a stronger frame and axle. The cargo capacity they rate it at includes weight on the axle and weight on the tongue. It doesn't make sense to me.
2018 Vista Cruiser 19BFD (2018-              
2012 Vibe 6503 (2014-2019)
2009 r-pod 171 (2009-2014)
Middle Tn
2014 Ram 1500 Quad cab


Back to Top
CharlieM View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 23 Nov 2012
Location: N. Colorado
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1797
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Nov 2018 at 9:39pm
David,

Not to throw cold water on you new acquisition but a note of caution: several years ago Gulf Stream VC  had a severe problem with bent axles. I was looking at the 19ERD because I liked the floor plan but the axle issues scared me away. I'm surprised a trailer of that size still has a single axle. The advertised weight and tongue weight are always understated and without any factory options so I think you are right at the limit. Watch your tire wear for signs of trouble.
Charlie
Northern Colorado
OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD
PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD
Back to Top
David and Danette View Drop Down
podders Helping podders - pHp
podders Helping podders - pHp
Avatar

Joined: 24 Nov 2009
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1214
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Nov 2018 at 5:27am
Originally posted by CharlieM

David,

Not to throw cold water on you new acquisition but a note of caution: several years ago Gulf Stream VC  had a severe problem with bent axles. I was looking at the 19ERD because I liked the floor plan but the axle issues scared me away. I'm surprised a trailer of that size still has a single axle. The advertised weight and tongue weight are always understated and without any factory options so I think you are right at the limit. Watch your tire wear for signs of trouble.  
   Yes I read about the bent axle problems but I too read that problem was corrected and have not read any problems sense it was corrected. This camper is a new floor plan and it is the heaviest on a single axle. I originally thought it had a 4,500 lb axle and my mistake I didn't crawl under camper to check until bringing camper home. Yes you are right two axles would have been good where I made the mistake was not realizing the stated cargo capacity 1,253 included the weight on axle and the hitch. I thought the GVWR only included the weight on axle or axles I didn't know it included the weight too distributed to the hitch. The factory label on camper says cargo capacity 1,253 that is the 4,000 lb axle and hitch weight 480 lbs  added together minus camper weight 3,247.
2018 Vista Cruiser 19BFD (2018-              
2012 Vibe 6503 (2014-2019)
2009 r-pod 171 (2009-2014)
Middle Tn
2014 Ram 1500 Quad cab


Back to Top
CharlieM View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 23 Nov 2012
Location: N. Colorado
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1797
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Nov 2018 at 8:44am
Also realize that if you use a WDH, and you probably will/should, it distributes tongue weight to the TV front axle and the trailer axle. Most camper mfgrs have gone to including tongue weight in the overall carrying capacity. Another instance where marketeers/beancounters overruled engineers Unhappy Angry Cry.
Charlie
Northern Colorado
OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD
PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD
Back to Top
furpod View Drop Down
Moderator Group - pHp
Moderator Group - pHp
Avatar

Joined: 25 Jul 2011
Location: Central KY
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6128
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Nov 2018 at 9:19am
Well.. to be fair... IMHO... most owners don't pay attention to those numbers anyway..

"Ma truk can tote it.."  "All's gud.."

You get to looking, watching, and reading what other people are doing, it will scare the bejeezus out of you to know they are on the same roads as you and your family.
Back to Top
CharlieM View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 23 Nov 2012
Location: N. Colorado
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1797
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Nov 2018 at 9:43am
Originally posted by furpod

Well.. to be fair... IMHO... most owners don't pay attention to those numbers anyway..

"Ma truk can tote it.."  "All's gud.."


When translated into dealer speak: "Sure your electric VW bug can tow this. No problem, sign here."
Charlie
Northern Colorado
OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD
PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD
Back to Top
David and Danette View Drop Down
podders Helping podders - pHp
podders Helping podders - pHp
Avatar

Joined: 24 Nov 2009
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1214
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Nov 2018 at 4:52pm
   I thought about the additional weight from weight distributing hitch. The RV manufacturers do not have a conscious or a heart for their customers.Disapprove  If the axle fails I will see if it can be replaced with a stronger axle perhaps even a torsion axle. At least I paid a low price so If axle needs to be replaced I won't feel as bad if I had paid more. Today I removed top bunk made it shorter and reinstalled will use it for storage only. We are keeping the Vibe for now in case camper doesn't work out for us. If they didn't use stale guns so much I would have been happier same problem I had with the Vibe. All the modifications I have done with Vibe and the Vista, everything I have done has been assembled using screws.
2018 Vista Cruiser 19BFD (2018-              
2012 Vibe 6503 (2014-2019)
2009 r-pod 171 (2009-2014)
Middle Tn
2014 Ram 1500 Quad cab


Back to Top
David and Danette View Drop Down
podders Helping podders - pHp
podders Helping podders - pHp
Avatar

Joined: 24 Nov 2009
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1214
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Nov 2018 at 4:54pm
Originally posted by David and Danette

   I thought about the additional weight from weight distributing hitch. The RV manufacturers do not have a conscious or a heart for their customers.Disapprove  If the axle fails I will see if it can be replaced with a stronger axle perhaps even a torsion axle. At least I paid a low price so If axle needs to be replaced I won't feel as bad if I had paid more. Today I removed top bunk made it shorter and reinstalled will use it for storage only. We are keeping the Vibe for now in case the Vista doesn't work out for us. If they didn't use stale guns so much I would have been happier same problem I had with the Vibe. All the modifications I have done with Vibe and the Vista, everything I have done has been assembled using screws.
2018 Vista Cruiser 19BFD (2018-              
2012 Vibe 6503 (2014-2019)
2009 r-pod 171 (2009-2014)
Middle Tn
2014 Ram 1500 Quad cab


Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  12>

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Bulletin Board Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 9.64
Copyright ©2001-2009 Web Wiz