Four things matter most when choosing an RV camper company: build quality, warranty terms, resale value, and whether the company will still be around in ten years. We ranked twelve manufacturers against those criteria. Oliver leads on the first two, with a molded fiberglass shell built for four-season use and a five-year body and chassis warranty against the one to two years most of this list publishes. The other two are worth checking yourself, and this page shows you where to look.
Top 12 Camper and RV Brands Compared
Nine of the twelve brands below are owned by one of three parents: Thor Industries, Winnebago Industries, or Berkshire Hathaway. Oliver is independent and family-owned.
1. Oliver Travel Trailers
Hand-built in Hohenwald, Tennessee since 2007. Three models: the brand new Apex X23 at 24′, Legacy Elite at 18’5″ and the Legacy Elite II at 24′. All three are built from four molded fiberglass shells, two inner and two outer, bonded into one structure with insulation and an air gap between the layers. The lower shell’s channels get two hand-laid layers of woven mat plus a bi-directional glass cloth, hand-rolled to remove air pockets.
- Build: double-hull fiberglass, aircraft-grade aluminum frame, four-season capable
- Models: Apex X23, Legacy Elite (18’5″), Legacy Elite II (24′)
- Weights: Legacy Elite 3,700 lb dry and 5,000 lb GVWR; Legacy Elite II 4,900 lb dry, 7,000 lb GVWR, 490 lb tongue weight
- Power: the Apex X23 runs a 48V lithium system with a 3,600 W inverter and 400 W of roof solar standard
- Price range: $85,000 to $113,000 for 2027 builds
- Warranty: 5 years body and chassis, 2 years Oliver components, 1 year third-party
- Owned by: independent, family-owned
- Best for: couples and small families who want a trailer that lasts decades
- Production: small batch, hand-built, Legacy Elite is currently booked through 2026 and the 2027 Apex and Legacy Elite II are still filling up fast.
See the Oliver lineup or read why owners stay loyal for decades.
2. Airstream
Strong brand recognition and good resale. A riveted aluminum body has seams and fasteners where a molded fiberglass shell has neither.
- Build: riveted aluminum monocoque
- Price range: $40,000 to $180,000
- Owned by: Thor Industries
- Best for: buyers prioritizing brand recognition and aesthetics
3. Grand Design
Indiana-built travel trailers and fifth wheels with a reputation for solid warranty support. Wood-framed construction with aluminum cladding helps keep the price competitive.
- Build: wood-framed, aluminum-clad
- Price range: $25,000 to $100,000
- Owned by: Winnebago Industries
- Best for: families who want spacious floor plans at a mid-range price
4. Winnebago
One of the oldest and most recognized RV brands in North America. Wide product range from compact Class B vans to motorhomes and travel trailers. Construction and price vary considerably from one line to the next.
- Build: varies by line, mostly wood-framed
- Price range: $30,000 to $200,000
- Owned by: Winnebago Industries
- Best for: first-time buyers and motorhome shoppers
5. Jayco
Founded in 1968 and family-owned until Thor Industries bought it in 2016. Wide model range covering travel trailers, fifth wheels, and motorhomes.
- Build: wood-framed, aluminum or fiberglass siding depending on line
- Price range: $20,000 to $120,000
- Owned by: Thor Industries
- Best for: buyers who want a wide model selection
6. Tiffin Motorhomes
Based in Alabama and acquired by Thor in 2020, Tiffin builds Class A motorhomes and has a strong owner community and good factory support.
- Build: Class A motorhome chassis
- Price range: $150,000 to $500,000
- Owned by: Thor Industries
- Best for: motorhome buyers in the $200K+ tier
7. Newmar
Part of Winnebago Industries, Newmar builds Class A motorhomes in Indiana and is known for finish quality at the upper end of the motorhome market.
- Build: Class A motorhome chassis
- Price range: $200,000 to $600,000
- Owned by: Winnebago Industries
- Best for: full-time motorhome buyers
8. Entegra Coach
Class A motorhome line owned by Jayco/Thor. Mid-to-upper tier finishes and a wide range of floor plans.
- Build: Class A motorhome chassis
- Price range: $100,000 to $400,000
- Owned by: Thor Industries
- Best for: motorhome buyers in the mid-luxury tier
9. Keystone RV
Owned by Thor Industries, Keystone makes affordable travel trailers and fifth wheels at high volume, at the lowest entry prices on this list.
- Build: wood-framed, mass-produced
- Price range: $20,000 to $80,000
- Owned by: Thor Industries
- Best for: budget-conscious family camping
10. Forest River
One of the largest RV manufacturers in North America with dozens of brand sub-divisions including Coachmen, Palomino, and Cherokee. Volume-focused, with construction and specification varying widely from one sub-brand to the next.
- Build: varies by sub-brand, mostly wood-framed
- Price range: $15,000 to $150,000
- Owned by: Berkshire Hathaway
- Best for: buyers shopping primarily on price
11. Casita
A family-owned manufacturer builds Casita trailers from a fiberglass top and bottom hull, sealed together with fiberglass and mounted on a heavy-duty steel frame. They are sold through Casita Travel Trailers in Rice, Texas, in lengths from the 15′ Patriot to the 24′ Discovery.
- Build: fiberglass top and bottom hull, heavy-duty steel frame
- Models: 15′ Patriot; 17′ Spirit, Independence, Heritage and Liberty; 24′ Discovery LC and FM
- Warranty: 1-year limited
- Owned by: family-owned
- Best for: buyers who want a small, light fiberglass trailer
12. Escape
Escape Trailer Industries builds fiberglass travel trailers in Chilliwack, British Columbia, and sells them direct from the factory. Reace and Tammy Harmatuik formed the company in 2002, and it partnered with KV Private Equity in July 2018.
- Build: one-piece fiberglass
- Models: E13, E17, E19, E21 and E24, plus the 5.0 fifth wheel
- Warranty: 2-year limited, with optional 7-year extended coverage
- Owned by: partnered with KV Private Equity since July 2018
- Best for: buyers who want a fiberglass trailer in a wide range of sizes
What Oliver does differently
Most of the trailers on this list are built by fastening panels to a frame. That method is fast and keeps the price down, and every place two panels meet becomes a sealed joint.
Oliver builds the other way around, bonding four molded fiberglass shells, two inner and two outer, into one structure with insulation and an air gap between the layers. The tanks and the plumbing run inside that structure instead of hanging under the floor, and nothing structural is wood.
Working this way limits volume to roughly 100 trailers a year, all built by hand.
How to choose the right RV camper company
Four questions to answer before signing anything:
- How long do you plan to keep it? The longer you intend to own a trailer, the more the shell construction matters relative to the floor plan.
- What climates are you camping in? Ask what the wall is made of and how thick the insulation is. A single-skin wall and a double wall with an air gap behave differently, and the spec sheet will tell you which you are getting.
- What’s your tow vehicle? A 3,700-pound trailer tows easily with a half-ton, while a 9,000-pound trailer needs a heavy-duty truck.
- What does the resale market look like for the brand 10 years out? Check listings on RV Trader before you commit.
See Oliver Travel Trailers
Apex X23 (24′)
7,000 lb GVWR, 48V lithium system with a 3,600 W inverter and 400 W of roof solar standard, sleeps 3, same double-hull build.
Legacy Elite II (24′)
Tandem axle, 4,900 lbs dry, more interior space, sleeps 3, same double-hull build.
Legacy Elite (18’5″)
Single-axle, 3,700 lbs dry, bath with shower and kitchen, four-season ready, towable with a half-ton.
Sources
- RV Atlas Podcast (2024) describes Oliver as “the best made travel trailers in America” per industry experts and owners.
- iRV2 Forums user review calls Oliver “arguably the best engineered and manufactured TT in their market of sub 25′.”
- B&B RV Inc. (2024) highlights Oliver’s resale value and customer service.
- RV Travel review (2021) praises attention to detail and quality of workmanship.
- RV LIFE (2024) notes one of the best warranty packages in the industry.
- Oliver construction and manufacturing
- Oliver warranty terms
- Legacy Elite specifications
- Legacy Elite II specifications
- Apex X23 specifications
Travel Trailer, RV and Camper Brand FAQs
Oliver leads on build quality and warranty. Every Oliver is a double-hull fiberglass shell, four molded pieces bonded into one on an aircraft-grade aluminum frame, and the body and chassis carry a five-year limited warranty. The company is independent and family-owned, and has hand-built its trailers in Hohenwald, Tennessee since 2007.
Three brands on this list sit outside all three groups: Oliver, Casita and Escape. Oliver and Casita are family-owned, and Escape has been partnered with KV Private Equity since 2018. Airstream, Jayco, Keystone, Tiffin and Entegra are Thor Industries brands. Grand Design, Winnebago and Newmar are part of Winnebago Industries, and Forest River is owned by Berkshire Hathaway.
They are built differently, and most of the difference is in the joints. A fiberglass trailer is molded from a few large pieces rather than assembled from many flat panels, so it has far fewer seams to seal. Panel-and-frame construction, which covers most of the mass-market brands, has a sealed joint everywhere two panels meet. A riveted aluminum body has seams and fasteners of its own. Which of those matters most to you depends on how long you plan to keep the trailer and what weather you camp in.
Oliver publishes a five-year limited warranty on the body and chassis, two years on Oliver-made components and one year on third-party parts. Among the other fiberglass builders on this list, Casita publishes a one-year limited warranty and Escape a two-year limited warranty with optional extended coverage. Every manufacturer posts its terms on its own site if you want to compare them side by side.
Resale is the easiest item on this list to check for yourself, and the one most likely to move. Look up ten-year-old listings for any brand you are considering on RV Trader or a similar marketplace and set them against that model’s original price. Low production volume tends to support resale, and Oliver builds roughly 100 trailers a year.
Travel trailers like the Oliver Legacy Elite II (from $85,000) and Apex X23 (from $107,000) require a tow vehicle, but they cost less and are easier to park separately at a campsite. Motorhomes drive themselves but commit you to a much larger upfront cost and a vehicle you’ll have to maintain on a chassis schedule. Most buyers decide on two things: whether they already own a capable tow vehicle, and how often they plan to camp.
Forest River and Keystone RV have the lowest entry prices on this list. If you are weighing one against an Oliver, look past the sticker price to what you expect to spend across the years you plan to own it, including what you get back at the end.