Greetings!

[ChetC]

Greetings, all!
Obviously I'm new here but have lurked for a number of years. I live full time in my camper 8-9 months out of the year and I've wanted an egg for a while but being 6'2" my choices seemed pretty limited, with the Parkliner being one of the only options. Alas, I was never in a position to see one in person and then the whole buyout happened right as I was getting ready to purchase a new camper.

Long story short, I purchased a Little Guy MAX last year (the fourth camper I've owned) and have had quite a few issues in the interim, which led to working with my dealer to trade it back in less than eight months later for a 2019 Parkliner that showed up on the lot. I should be swapping the MAX out later this month.

After a detailed inspection of the Parkliner I felt confident that I could, if need be, address any issues that may arrive down the road. The Parkliner seems to be a good definition of function over form while the MAX is the opposite, hence some of the issues I've been having.

Liberty Outdoors have been very good to work with addressing warranty work on the MAX, so I hold no ill will towards the company themselves and feel they will back this product as well. I bought the MAX, I believe, too early in the manufacturing process as they are still working out design flaws. As I travel quite a few miles, I was seeing issues that others may not see for years, if ever. Knowing the longevity of fiberglass eggs, and the history of Parkliner, I feel this camper is well designed and built. I would really like this to be the last camper I ever buy.

Please tell me if I'm making a mistake.

[Iowa Dave]

I’ve never owned a parkliner but did spend considerable time looking one over at a rally. The owner was happy with it but sold it later and got an Escape. The Parkliner seemed well designed and felt pretty sturdy from my observation.
Iowa Dave

[LyleB]

Congratulations Chet. I hope you love your new Parkliner.

I too was in the market for a new trailer, and planned to visit the Parkliner factory when news of the buy out came. Based on the prices, and the need to buy through a dealer, I took them off my list, without ever actually seeing one.

I ended up ordering a new Scamp, and it is working well for me, as did my previous Scamp.

I hope you enjoy your new trailer and that only minor issues rear their ugly heads.

[Jon in AZ]

Welcome, Chet!

Parkliner appears to be a unique, well-made trailer. However, it may be an orphan. I had heard Parkliner stopped production, and it’s unclear whether it will ever resume.

You’ll have to decide if you want to take another risk. Your choices are limited first because of the height issue and second because you are working within the Little Guy dealer network.

For the heavy use you’re describing, my personal 1st choice would be a Bigfoot 17.5. It’s got a solid track record of durable service. But it’s a larger, heavier trailer and might require a tow vehicle upgrade. The Parkliner is a strong 2nd choice. The Escape 19 might also be worth a look. It has the height and bed size you need and surprisingly, dry weight is comparable with the Little Guy Max.

[ChetC]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

Your choices are limited first because of the height issue and second because you are working within the Little Guy dealer network.

You hit the nail on the head. The dealer has been very understanding, giving me an extremely good deal on trade. Extremely. They are located about 30 miles from the factory where the MAX is built and I know my camper is going back to the factory for evaluation and repair when I trade it in. Having said that, my options to trade are limited to what they have on the lot and with the Parkliner sitting right there, I feel like it’s a golden opportunity to get into a MF trailer and away from stick built.

I had done a lot of research on Parkliners in years past and if I understand correctly this model would have been produced at the NC factory, so I feel that new design or not, it should be well made by experienced staff... perhaps with even more attention to detail as it is a new model. Or, at least that’s what I keep trying to tell myself. Regardless, I have some experience in fiberglass work/repair and have friends who own a body shop and do a lot of fiberglass work themselves, which boosts my confidence level too.

Components are components, the same regardless of which camper you buy, I just need a good, structurally sound camper that doesn’t leak every time I drive in the rain. I guess I’m just asking if anyone has heard of reoccurring issues with the Parkliners that I may have missed.

[Jon in AZ]

There were a number of issues over the years- batteries, A/C, tire rub, hinges- but none should carry over in the new design. They either fixed it or changed the design altogether, like going to a flat door and roof A/C. Whether the new design has any of its own is an open question. There have only been a couple of posts by buyers and no follow-up.

You are right about components being standard stuff. The risk of purchasing an “orphan” is not great in this case. Will Liberty cover any warranty issues related to the shell or general assembly?

Seems like a sound decision in any case.

Hope you’ll be the one to give us the skinny on the new Parkliner!