Pinnacle 36FBTS or North Point 381DLQS

[Travelin4Fun]

Hello! We are downsizing from a HUGE toy hauler to a 5th wheel since the kids don't travel with us anymore. Our tow vehicle is a beefy Ford F450, so pretty much anything will work. We spend about 3 months a year in our RV, the longest stretch being about 6 weeks in Northern MI. Does anyone have experience with either of these models? Is a Pinnacle better than a North Point?

Must Have's:
- King Bed
- Large Shower
- Comfortable couch
- Comfortable TV viewing

Nice to Have:
- Built-in Vac
- TV that retracts (Love this!)
- Washer Dryer
- 2 A/C units
- Convection Micro
- Reasonable Fridge

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you!

[Tim&paula]

We have a 36fbts and it has everything you mentioned except vac. It did come with a dyson that we actually like better. Plenty of room. We are living in ours right now.

[Travelin4Fun]

Thanks for the reply. How long have you had your 36FBTS? Have you had any issues with it? Do you have a washer and dryer?

[Tim&paula]

Yes it has the washer and dryer. Use it everyday. The only thing wrong so far is the ice maker. We have owned it for about a year.

[Fishermanbb]

The new Pinnacles have the central vac. You also get a larger (36" wide) shower in the Pinnacle. King Bed is Standard in most Pinnacles and optional on the NP's. In short, the Pinnacle has everything on your list (2nd AC still an option and retractable TV depends on the model) and the NP offers most (But not all) as options. Washer Dryer is a dealer installed accessory on both but both have the hook up.

Which is better? That is relative, but the Pinnacle is the higher model line. Nicer would be a better description as it has upgraded "Everything" relative to the NP. It DOEs have a "Better" suspension in the LRE 4000 (More-Ryde).

Having said that, we looked at both extensively and both are very nice trailers. Some of the "Differences" are not that noticeable. Roughly 7 - 10K difference between the two. However, we felt the Pinnacle was the nicer unit and that is what we have on order (38 REFS).

[bethcb]

We have the Pinnacle 36FBTS 2015. Love it. The Dyson Vacuum is great and super easy to use. Can't imagine a central vac to be better. The washer/dryer we had installed at factory, so its under 2 year warranty. 2nd AC was an option and glad we got it. Wish we had gotten 2nd awning and dual windows.
We upgraded to queen bed so we had more room and bigger nightstands.
We added solar and converted to 4-6V batteries to run refrigerator longer. Jayco did this for us too.
Upgrade tires if its an option.
We chose theater seating, which is great.
Only real issue we had was w the invertor not being strong enough for the Samsung refrigerator. Eventually Jayco changed it for the 1800 watt.
Other items were all repaired under warranty. Had to replace bedroom AC after 1st trip and also the convection/microwave. Not sure if these were issues w Jayco or the manufacturer of those items, but suspect the latter.
The unit seems to be built well, no squeaks, leaks, etc.
Good luck to you...

[bethcb]

Just another thought...
The second bathroom is fantastic especially for the occasional guests. Absolutely LOVE having the closet and washer/dryer in front bath. When getting dressed after a shower, all the clothes is there. Washer and dryer are not in bedroom.
Wish the pantry was a bit larger but we manage. Not a lot of big storage space in kitchen, but we have figured that out too.

[Wampuscat]

Hi Trvelin4Fun, We have on order the Pinnacle 36KPTS. We originally decided on the FBTS for the second bath and the large master bath. At the last moment we changed our minds to the KPTS due to kitchen storage and didn't really need the second bath. Also not having to deal with two black tanks is a plus also. DW and I will be the only ones in most of the time with the exception of the occasional visit from our daughter or friends. We also went with the queen size bed because use CPAP's and needed the night stands to put them on and the recliner chairs instead of the theater seat because we both like to rock sometimes. The KPTS was a better choice for us mainly for the kitchen storage because we love to cook. Whatever you decide I'm sure you will be happy with. Enjoy and Happy Camping.