We signed last night on our new land south of here in Allende, N.L. We have lots of great ideas from buying a park model and going solar to building a small dream home with all the amenities.
My question is about buying a nice fifth wheel for full-time living (not forever but a few years) that we would use on our property and then pull out when we went on trips. I don't think we would ever hit the road forever and would always have a place to call home. We have a small 18ft TT that has been all over the Northeastern part of Mexico and has encountered some pretty rough roads including gravel and dirt roads. It is not a luxury model or a high end TT, but it has held up way beyond our expectations. We have used it over 20,000 miles in Mexico so far. I am sure too, that our current boondocking lifestyle would probably suffer a bit because of size.
Do you think a fifth wheel such as a DoubleTree Mobile Suites would do well on the roads? All that glass (shower)and heavy cabinetry come to mind.
In my opinion, the biggest culpret for RV damage in Mexico is the topes. Since you are a seasoned Mexico traveler and probably can spot one faster than the rest of us, I'd say concentrate on overall reliability and workmanship. You might want to post/search on the 5er forum for particulars on the Double Tree. The ones I've seen seem to be pretty well built but I don't own one.
As an aside, my first coach in Mexico was a 1998 Coachmen Mirada 32 ft Class A with 2 aftermarket slides. I did a lot of "off-roading" in that coach in Baja Sur (most intentional, some not) and never broke anything. But I did get surprised by a tope at 40 mph and cracked the skin at the lower corners of the main slide.
My new coach (2004 Georgetown 370 XL) has 3 slides, 1 1/2 bath, and lots of glass front cabinets. It has survived admirability with no breakage of any kind so far (not counting rocks to the windshields). And that includes a couple of trips on the Kino highway before and during the highway upgrade. Of course, this could be because I'm getting better at spotting potholes and topes.
Turtle & Toad, On the Road
37' Georgetown XL w/3 slides, 1 1/2 bath, & 275 watts of solar power
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We are thinking about doing the same thing and have looked at a Luxury by Design towable park model for placement in Mexico. If you purchase a non towable park model, how would you get it to your destination since the roads may be too narrow in places.
Can't comment on your 5th wheel choice but asking the question on this forum can be helpful. You might also try the Baja Nomad forum since the Baja Highway can be challanging.
awfulart wrote: We are thinking about doing the same thing and have looked at a Luxury by Design towable park model for placement in Mexico. If you purchase a non towable park model, how would you get it to your destination since the roads may be too narrow in places.
Can't comment on your 5th wheel choice but asking the question on this forum can be helpful. You might also try the Baja Nomad forum since the Baja Highway can be challanging.
Good luck and keep us posted.
Art,
the park models we have in mind are Hy-line, Skyline, and Franklin. Mostly for the size as we would like a two bedroom. Those are towable but I wouldn't move them very often. Getting one of those here would pose no problem, and the route to the new place is non-towable park model friendly too, but those don't interest me as much as the towables.
A nice fifth wheel is a great idea, as in the future it would become our rv and we would build. Too many choices and not enough time to get across the border to look at everything. Thanks for the reply and if you could, give me the Luxury by Design website.
Turtle-Toad wrote: In my opinion, the biggest culpret for RV damage in Mexico is the topes. Since you are a seasoned Mexico traveler and probably can spot one faster than the rest of us, I'd say concentrate on overall reliability and workmanship. You might want to post/search on the 5er forum for particulars on the Double Tree. The ones I've seen seem to be pretty well built but I don't own one.
As an aside, my first coach in Mexico was a 1998 Coachmen Mirada 32 ft Class A with 2 aftermarket slides. I did a lot of "off-roading" in that coach in Baja Sur (most intentional, some not) and never broke anything. But I did get surprised by a tope at 40 mph and cracked the skin at the lower corners of the main slide.
My new coach (2004 Georgetown 370 XL) has 3 slides, 1 1/2 bath, and lots of glass front cabinets. It has survived admirability with no breakage of any kind so far (not counting rocks to the windshields). And that includes a couple of trips on the Kino highway before and during the highway upgrade. Of course, this could be because I'm getting better at spotting potholes and topes.
I will be buying a towable, and I really like the idea of the 1.5 baths. It seems to be all the rage now in both towables and motorhomes.
On our last trip in July, I missed one tope and really took it hard. I guess you never can let your guard down. Sightseeing and driving don't always go hand in hand. Taking back roads would be hard for us to leave behind as we live for boondocking. However, most of the beach places we go are big RV friendly.
Most of the park models are really not very well built. I assume you are talking about one of those 34 to 40 ft. babies with the tip outs or slide outs. They are towable but not designed to be moved. There is a more modern type of park model that is shorter and wider. Most are built in Arizona and in order to be classified as an RV have to be less than 400 sq. ft. You see them in all the snowbird parks in Tucson and Mesa. These are better built. Some units are strictly residential: electric fridge and stove, house toilet, no holding tanks. Others can be ordered with the RV appliances. If you want to know more about high end 5 th wheels join the Esacpees forum. Hundreds of this group have those big 5th wheels.
Chris, My advise to you would be to check out an Arctic Fox. Northwood Mfg. (www.northwoodmfg.com) builds their rigs for rough travel. Our next rig will be an AF 29-5T as we like that floor plan better than any we have seen. We had a 96 Nash 24-5K (built by the same Co.) for ten years and drug it over many Nevada back roads (gravel and washboards) and it held together very well. The RV Buyers Guide that a friend had (2005 edition) rated only two brands as "trekkers", (able to handle rough roads), Arctic Fox and Excel. I don't necessarily believe RV Buyers Guide to be the Gospel as some do but that is what it said. That said, AF's largest 5er is only 32'. If you decide to get one and don't like it, feel free to flame me!
* This post was
edited 09/01/07 04:47pm by stanbnv *
Stan & Linda
Loki & Hobo
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Most of the park models are really not very well built. I assume you are talking about one of those 34 to 40 ft. babies with the tip outs or slide outs. They are towable but not designed to be moved.
Moisheh
These are one type I am looking at only because they are inexpensive and would be used for only a couple of years for the solar project. The fifth wheel would be another option as it would become our rv for travel when we decide on the building technique we will use.
If we were to buy a towable park model, it wouldn't be used for rving. The other park model you mention is a good option as you can add on a second bedroom but these are more expensive and more difficult to resell as it would have to be moved off the property. Used TTs and motorhomes are appearing all over the area and people are buying. Unfortunately, they are buying junk. So there is and will be a used market for towables here.
We still have time and I have been working on this for over two years, it's just that now the time is upon us and reality is kicking in. Too many choices.
Don't over look a Toyhauler with a garage. Keystone Raptor is made with a aluminum wall frame mounted on a steel chassis frame. We bounced our Raptor over more than 5000 miles of Mexico last winter without any failures. Toyhaulers have over-sized tanks, generator and a garage to store items. But most are tall. rocmoc in AZ.
Chris, I agree with the tope problem. At the time I had traveled six winter in Mexico and still hit a tope so hard that it broke the liner to the hot water heater (afternoon shadows and a homemade tope). Mobile Suites is a nice unit for sure. I have an intense dislike for Lippert frames like the ones found in most 5Ws including our Montana which failed.
Think that the MorRyde style running gear couple with an AirRide type 5W pin would greatly reduce tope type problems. It might pay to do a little research on some of the forums to find out who fixes frames and get them to beef up what ever unit you get. Would think about replacing the axles with heavier duty ones, too.
(Don't know if we'll get by to see you this winter as our daughter surprised us with the news of our first granddaughter to be born in Jan.)
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