Coachmen Clipper 17BH reviews

I can honestly say that this camper is the worst camper I have ever owned. We bought it brand new. As soon as we started using it, the slide leaked and caused damage to the floor and walls. The toilet leaked because the water hose on the back was cut too short. The tub leaked. The refrigerator took almost a full day to get cold. The water pump doesn't work at all and had to be replaced. The furnace did not want to kick on. Took a lot of work to get it to kick on and stay working. 1 year out the outside light completely stopped working. The camper was slapped together. To this day I am finding how shotty of work Forest River really does on their campers. I would never ever buy a Coachmen or anything made by Forest River ever again. When I get the chance I am trading this in for a camper that is worth something and is built decent because Forest River is not worth what they charge for them. Show less

Insurance bought me this new in 2014 for $11K to live in while my house was repaired. Local dealer AC Nelson was great with a repair (Not the campers fault) We use it 2-3X a year and I rent it out about 10X a year. Rent has way way way more than paid for it.... er what Insurance paid for it. Not the greatest finish craftsmanship, but good enough and you get what you pay for. Nothing glaring. Only ever had minor and expected issues over the years and has held up super well even as a rental though I do take very well care of my stuff. I had to reinforce the lower bunk as the supports gave and someone sunk at night..... Easy fix with plywood on both ends underneath and did no real damage. Never been happy with the fridge performance, but I prefer coolers anyway. Just sprung a leak in the fresh water tank somewhere near the top so only lose about a gallon so no big deal though I will fix in the spring. Fresh tank belly droops when full more than I like as it hands down so I will add a support bar. Though it's super lite, I wish it were tandem as I think it's a little much loaded for camper tires having had a few tire issues I think are load related. Not enough battery capacity to run the heater for more than a night or two max when it gets below 40°. Probably the ideal camper to rent out, and gets great rental reviews. The back door to bunk is super helpful for loading. Seriously, all bunk houses should have that. Great also for larger storage items. Lots of storage inside compared to other campers it's size. Super easy to tow even for smaller trucks. A couple other things I wish it had, but not really fair to give the camper hits for that, just pointing out. Like Queen bed, taller shower, better craftsmanship, space for 2 batteries. Still worth $10.1K 6yrs later according to my insurance hail claim. I found this model is in demand and hard to get, so still worth a lot. If you are keeping score. Camper was free to me, I made probably $18K renting it over the years, have been able to use a low maint. camper over the years, got $10,100 for it from insurance 6 years later for minor hail damage. (Though I bought it back so pocketed $5,800 and still has a clear title.) I plan to continue renting it to bring in more money. This camper has been a major win. Show less

Since day one has been falling apart. Toilet installed wrong leaking everywhere. Awning installed wrong and will not roll up properly. Doorstop on front door plastic ball and slight breeze causes it to become unlatched. Windows open when traveling down the road. Microwave frame broke. Panel beneath heater falls out. Screws fell out of underside. Water pump went out in less than year. Front jacks too weak to hold trailer and collapsed (made in China, not for weight of trailer and installed with self tapping screws - should have been bolts). Take in for warranty work to not get it done as 6 month backlogs due to delays on approval of parts. Paid for warranty and fixed all myself with better parts. Trailer damage due to flex problems and incorrect installation. I bought trailer new to not have these problems . I will never buy a Coachmen again. Show less

Have had mine Clipper for a little over 2 years now. We bought in March of 2017 and got a just came out 2018 model. We go camping about every 2 months during the school year and about every 2 weeks during school break. This camper is so easy to pull with our F150. We have had as many as 3 kids and 2 adults in it and we all sleep great. Pack blankets even in the summer. The ac will freeze you out if you dont. Show less

Coachman bulits a great RV. This model is great to pull very light. Great for weekend geat aways. Works for a small family or couple. I wish it had a place to hang cloths but over all great for a small camper. Show less

We’ve had our 17BH for a year of heavy use. The folks at Beckley’s have taken good care of us. Only issues so far are a cracked shower surround and a pass through storage door out of alignment. Both issues being addressed before the warranty is up. Trailer was clean from the factory. No shavings or plumbing issues with loose connections. The roof is holding up well and it pulls nicely with our AWD Sorento. The livability is fine but cramped with a family of four but, it’s a 17’ box. What do you expect? They layout is the best use of space I’ve seen for the price, including the 1700BH Winnie. It’s got a ton of storage which is great, but you have to watch the weight because it has about 800 pounds of carrying capacity. The bunk door is nice so you can load a lot of gear in the bunk area after flipping the bottom bunk up. I have put generators, bikes, grill, and screen room in this and it fits nicely. Materials are low quality, especially the countertops. You have to watch out for water getting in the cracks and expanding the material. Again, it’s an entry level RV, so you have to expect that. The cabinets are good and the struts work well. The radio is fine, but the speakers are not much to speak of. You can stream Bluetooth, so that’s a plus. The floor is a nice vinyl so cleaning is easy with a dust pan and broom. We put a foam topper on the mattress because it is a typical RV mattress. The bunk mattresses are a decent thickness though. The fridge is two way and is small, but it works well for us. The frame and tanks are a big plus. We stay out a couple of days in state parks with electric only and we are fine and the over engineered frame is solid. The AC is overpowered for the unit and loud, but man, you can hang meat in the rv after a few minutes. No hot summer issues. Windows are fine and operate well as well as the shades. The kitchen all works fine. Hot water heater is basic and after a few minutes the water is ready for a shower. You have to take army showers though because the tank is only 6 gallons. It heats up again pretty well, but not a luxury system. The gauges are pretty accurate, but clean your black tank after a couple of dumps. I wish the dump values were higher so that they avoid getting hit and have better flow. All things considered, this camper is a great value and fit for a starter RV under 3500 lbs. Show less

Bought new in Nov of 2015 have taken about 8 trips of more than 5 days each. No boondocking yet, however continue to work toward enhancing the coach for that purpose. Pulled with a 2004 Jeep Liberty for the first year and it actually surprised us by handling the trailer well despite being a bit too underpowered for hills and more than 60 on the highway. Anywho, towing with a 2017 Toyota Tundra 5.7L now and its like there's nothing behind us. Ok, so first I will say that at around $10,000 for this coach, you can't expect highest level build quality, yet despite this it's fairly well put together. This is our first coach, so we took a year to decide what we wanted to get and this was the end result. A lot for the money when compared to other trailers in this class/price range. _______________________________________________ THE GOOD: 13,500 BTU A/C is a MONSTER. During 100+ degree days, still kept the coach at a nice 72 degrees when on full blast. Floorplan is thoughtfully designed for the space. Bottom bunk folds up for more storage. Lots of storage cabinets Lots of outlets Respectable water tank sizes / fresh, gray and black Space for mounting a swivel mount for TV on side of cabinet Space under top cabinets for DVD mounting without giving up vertical space underneath Counter space in general is limited, but for this size of trailer meets expectations Bed lifts up for interior storage access of pass-thru Pass-thru offers generous storage space Rear exterior "hobbit door" is very handy for access to under bunk storage.. a real PLUS Rear bumper supports spare tire as well as storage tray with hitch receiver nicely Like the fact that it has a full bed, a dinette that collapses to make a single, plus the two bunks. You can sleep 5 in this thing if you had to although not recommended.. this ain't no 5th wheeler, boy! Wheels and tires are nice. Rims are like those mag wheels from back in the day and tires are 15", not 13" which is nice. Hauls well. I've been in 65 MPH gusts and she stays right where she is (with WDH and SC of course) _______________________________________________ THE "MEH" Fit and finish is nothing to get excited about but for this price range top quality truly cannot be expected Windows only slide left or right which means you only get one side of the window that opens to the air outside, should have made them outward tilting to allow for more ventilation like in other coaches.. wouldn't have cost any more money.. BASICS, BRO! Floor creaks in some places Awning is manually operated; screws can fall out of brackets occasionally and are not well designed. Had to clear-caulk the shower surround at the tub joints separations to seal from potential water absorption Takes two 1800 R/W generators to run the A/C even after start up. Limited options for inverter and supplemental outlet placement without running cable across the floor and up a wall. Limited to area under bed in front and pass-thru space is diminished as a result. Bathroom vent could have been more substantial.. it's like this tiny 4" fan attached to a motor and exposed.. vent area opens to 75 degree angle so at least that, but air movement is a joke. Only fan in the coach, so. SAD! Build quality means more maintenance on small things like loose or poorly fitted screws Rubber roof requires higher maintenance with clear caulking seal requirement and regular scrubbing clean of black-residue build up that happens over time. Screw on rear jack under-carriage mounting surface broke within 2 months despite only dropping jack a handful of times prior. _________________________________________________ THE BAD: Positioning of the LP line means that you have to remove and somehow re-position in order to allow space for a second battery. I have not done this, but it looks like a real pain in the ass and poorly designed since there is clearly more room for two batteries to be kept next to each other without the LP line placed where it is. LAZY! SAD! Only room for ONE LP tank as positioning two side by side is not possible how designed. Coach was clearly not made to carry more than one based on the bracket placement and location behind the crank. At least a 30 gallon can fit in the same footprint as a 20, but still would have been nice to have the option of TWO LP tanks, but alas NOT TO BE WITHOUT WELDING/BRACKET MODIFICATION. Interior stereo speakers are crap and build quality limitations mean? You guessed it, a required upgrade and as a plus (minus) one speaker was cutting in and out the day we bought it due to as as yet unidentified short somewhere in the speaker wire.. SAD! _________________________________________________ FINAL WORD: Coach is a 8/10 for me and a 9/10 overall for bang for your buck in my opinion. I only deduct one point on my own experience due to extensive expectations, but that's just me. For a first time owner coach this is a great introduction that will serve your "small" family or just a couple well. It tows well, is light at only 2800lbs. Perfect for a quick weekend getaway and has ample storage, access and is a good deal. NEVER PAY MORE THAN $10,550 for this coach. I worked for a year to get a deal I wanted and this is the price I paid. Don't let them try and get you for any more than that. Also, don't let a dealer convince you that ANY trailer is "mini-van" towable.. it's horsesh**. You need a half-ton to tow this comfortably and although I towed with a SWB Jeep Liberty for a year, I would NOT recommend it due to the limitations of the 210HP engine which meant more transmission strain on hills and headwinds and certainly a loss of usable power to pull. I never got above 63 with the pedal all the way down on a flat straight-away. Sure if your vehicle is rated at 3,500 or even 5,000lbs. you COULD tow it, but remember just because you CAN do something doesn't mean you SHOULD. Show less

We have owned a 2016 CC 17BH since November of 2015. After 15 months we've taken 4 trips; the first was 1800 miles round trip. So far it's been a great value since we got it for $10,000 brand new including TTL. Like other owners, I can attest to the build quality leaving something to be desired. The finishing looks rushed and storage area under the main bed are not "finished out" as you might expect and in a way I can't imagine how much more time it would have taken to ensure that screws were run straight and the quality control is certainly something that could be improved. One interior speaker seems to have been hastily installed and I had to take it out and adjust the connection in order to ensure it no longer cut in and out.. We haven't experienced any major functionality issues with plumbing or electrical barring a blown fuse in the battery connection once a year ago, but the thing is for the price I have made an effort to start learning as much as I can about maintenance and repair on travel trailers.. Lots of WD-40 and careful attention to joints and seals. Wash the rubber roof every 3 months and take care of it like it's your baby.. I understand that these coaches are put together very quickly and may lack the higher level finishing of a Mini Winnie or other, more expensive coaches but we're talking about half the price of a Mini Winnie also.. give and take in many respects. My feelings are that this is an exceptional value for a first time camper for a small family (4 or less) on a budget that has decided to make the commitment of a TT purchase and have at least a 3,500 lb. towing capacity vehicle.. that particular point being said, I would NOT recommend towing with anything less than a half-ton truck for safety-sake. Short wheel base (SWB) vehicles are not as capable at maintaining positive control even with a WD hitch.. lack of adequate HP and torque will also result in very slow highway speeds and heavy load on the transmission especially in high head winds. Even with it's 2,800+ dry weight make sure if you go this route you have at least a 300HP vehicle.. Finally, let me say that in the world of TT's you'll always get more value if you take ownership of the maintenance and upkeep. The CC 17BH might be low-end, but the floor plan is well thought out and there are some nice features that are well and above the new Cadet series that Coachmen is pushing these days.. Show less

My wife and I had ours for 6 months. Great camper for the price. Pulls great. How ever, the main drains to me set to low to the ground so if your backing up to your driveway and you have a curb to run over you could scratch the drains or damage them. Being a single axle it bounces and moves easy when you run over a curb. I was very disappointed when I found out that there is no 1/4 in plywood for strength on the outside of the camper were the framing was. Just the wood frame and the black paper then the aluminum paneling. Cheaply mad. But for the size best layout and more standard options than any camper for that size and price. We had it for 6 months and now we're trading it in for a rockwood mini lite. Build quality I'd give it a 2 out of 10. Storage id give it a 10 out of 10. Best storage for a small camper anywhere. We don't have kids but too he bunks came in handy for more storage. And the extra back door was very nice. Size wise I'd give it a 4 out of 10. Well it could be worse lol. You get what you pay for. But I've owned 3 campers in 1 year for the last 4 years so I've had them all. 5th wheel truck camper big 35ft bumper pull. So over all I would rate the clipper a 5 out of 10 Show less