Fisrt time 5th wheel buyer. This is an open ended question.
We're looking for a 28ft to 30ft 5th wheel to purchase, new or used. We just took ownership of a new 2008 Dodge 2500 shortbed diesel.
My question is what brand is a good medium product line manufacture of fifth wheels. Do not want lowend nor does it need to be the highend product line. I have just retired & don't want to spend the farm on this unit but we want comfort & relieability. We will use the unit to travel but not for full time living, as we will keep our townhouse as a home base.
Also, what would/should be the most important thing we should look at in a 5th wheel.
We researched for 3 yrs. before buying, and ended up with a Forest River 35' Cherokee. We took it over 3,000 miles last fall ( Smkey mts.) and 3,000 this Summer ( Yellowstone ). No problems except last fall we had one blow out..and bought all new tires. It does not matter what everyone eles thinks as long as you do your research and feel good about what you buy. Our neighbors are on there 3rd 5er in 5 yrs. They stayed with a Forest River product, just changed the interior style. Have fun looking.
Jakessweetthing is right about research. It's not enough to read websites (although this is the best) or download brochures. Go to dealers and take your time there. Tell the salesperson to leave you in rig alone. Come back the next day and do it again. Try to imagine living in the space it gives you. We wound up with our signature 5ver after months of research with about the same criteria you have. Not too expensive, quality enough, and not too big. But floorplan and features are important too. These days a big, well established manufacturer is a must--see how many are going out of business. You don't want to be left with a rig and no company to go to for any problem that might come up. But the hunt is part of the fun!
John and Nina
2005 F-350, 4x4, V-10, Crew Cab
2008 Cougar 276 RL
We have had good luck with our Jayco, if I had it do over again I would stay away from a rear kitchen, with the water tank in the rear. Keep in mind the pin weight to GVWR of your truck, as you load your fiver that pin weight will increase
John Jane and "Little Dude"
2007 Chevy Silverado Classic 2500HD 4X4
EC\SB 6.0/ 4:10
2007 Jayco Jay Flight FW RKS 27.5
In addition to finding the right floor plan for your needs, which is probably the most important thing to look for, I would also recommend checking out some of the owners clubs web sites. Most can be found by doing a google search for specific brand model owners. IE: Our organization is www.heartlandowners.org.
Some clubs are more active than others, but you'll generally get valuable feedback on both the good and bad of any brand you may be considering. Pretty much everyone thinks the one they own is the best, and it probably is for them. Try to sit down and list the things you like after you look at a few different brands. For us a rear living room and a side bath were things we were drawn to. We liked a rubber floor on the outside compartments vs carpet. Real wood frames on the cabinets were important to us. After looking at a few, you'll start to develop your own list. In our search, after looking at literally hundreds of 5'ers we knew almost immediately when we found our perfect fit. It will be the one you keep coming back to.
You should start shopping RV lots and RV Shows in your area first. Get on different Manufacturers websites and look at models and floorplans, print out Brochures. Make a list of RV's you like, and compare features...don't worry so much about price at this point!
Picking what's right for you-Spend some time in various brands and models, preferably without a salesman tailing you! Sit on the toilet in the bathroom, close the door and stand in the shower...does it fit you?
Room?-If you have children, don't you want a bunkhouse? A slide out or two opens the floorplan up a lot! 2 air conditioners or one? (go with two!) What are options and what does the rv come standard with?
Quality control issues-Poke around, open and shut cabinets, drawers, doors, windows, etc. Do they work, do they stay closed? Are they crooked? Look at assembly details, is there construction debris like sawdust, loose screws, missing parts, wires that run thru jagged holes without grommets, pipes or hoses not fastened down, or under sofa's, beds, under cabinets. Are the cabinets made of particle board stapled together? Fake oak, flimsy?
Is the stitching on the curtains, sofa, chairs, bedspreads sloppy, uneven or unraveling? Do the slideouts cause greasy marks on the floor or carpets?
Are the exterior hatches easy to open and close, are they straight...is there excessive goops of glue sealing the windows, lights and doors, loose screws, missing parts? Is the underbelly covered and heated, or the sewer connections hanging down low enough to scrape on the ground?
Counter space in the kitchen adequate? Enough drawers and cupboards, pots and pan storage. Big enough refrigerator, a pantry. Is the faucet high enough to put a coffee pot or pot under.
When you get closer to choosing some finalists, are the tires name brand or "made up name" junk cheapo tires. See if you can view the roof, check out the covering and the job that the workers did when sealing the roof vents and moldings. Are the inside appliances a known brand or "I've never heard of that one before, but it does have a 30 day warranty on parts only" brand!
And make sure to check out the Dealer as well, is he getting a good score with the BBB? You can check out the County Courthouse to see if there are any court actions against them. Check with some of the owners dropping off their RV's for service, look at the service bays and shops, too. Call the Manufacturers customer service phone number and see if you get a live person or a recording.
Best of luck, take your time, then negotiate like crazy, I'm hearing some pretty good deals right now!
P.S.-Shameless plug follows! I would be remiss if I didn't mention the fact that we've had 7 Jayco's in the past 30 years...and I'm a big fan of theirs! Most if not all of the above items are what I look for even when we are upgrading to a new RV, all kinds of brands. But we always gratefully return to Jayco. They truly are a different kind of company, 40 years in business, same family owned type of service to us customers, great quality, their own wood mill turns out real wood cabinets with real oak doors and drawers screwed together (by mostly Amish workforce, some who have worked there 30 years or more!). They build their own chairs and sofa's, beds and mattresses, sew their own comforters...and their workers are provided free use of Jayco's RV's to evaluate on their own families campouts! I've actually been invited to several focus groups Jayco has to help fine tune their RV's to better fit us RVers better! And in conclusion...Jayco has opened a new Facility in Idaho to keep up with demand, while other companies are laying off, closing or moving south of the border! And Jayco still has the full 2 year warranty when some Brands cut back to one. So best of luck in your search! Slate
We have loved both of our Crossroads Cruisers.....two-year warranty...www.crossroadsrv.com....also would recommend Jayco...also have two-year warranty...most others only offer one-year...in my opinion, for mid-level 5'ers, these two are the best bang for the buck....we love our rear-kitchen....no problems in two years.
DUANE, JENNIFER, PUGZ & SMOKEY(In Spirit)
BUFORD, GA
'07 CROSSROADS CRUISER 29RK
SO MANY PLACES, SO LITTLE TIME
I agree with the idea of looking at RV shoes 1st. that will give you the differences between ALL the models and manufacturers.We did that and researched for over 3 months before deciding not only on the coach we wanted but on the dealer we thought would be best for us.
Are you a long-haul or short hauler? If you are a long hauler (like me) where you to trips of 2k-3K miles or more then you should seriously consider a higher quality rig.
If you are serious about research (like me) then narrow down to the manufacturer(s) that you like and then take factory tour. Newmar does factory tours ever day and if you are serious about purchasing a rig, the factory rep should take you on a private tour (they did for me). They take you places that they don't take the normal public tour people.
You should also consider upgrading the tires and axles immediately from the factory. I went from two 7K axles and G rated tires to 2 8K axles and H rated tires. Higher load ratings and tire pressures give you less problems and less rolling resistance. Not sure if that helps on fuel economy because you have heavier weights that may offset fuel savings - if there is such a thing
It all comes down to the almighty $. You get what you pay for and if you plan to use it frequently the higher the quality the less long-term problems you will have.
If you would like any details on the structural problems and what it is like to leave home with a Forest River and come back with a Newmar on the same trip, please send me a PM.
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