Gone from tent, to pop-up, to travel trailer. Now want a 5th wheel. Is there major difference in the quality of 5th Wheel manufacturers? If so, what is the worst, what is middle line, and what is the best?
It is all personal preference. It all depends on what you as a buyer like, the brand that I like you may hate! Yea ,its kinda like shoes?Usually speaking , the better the brand,the higher the cost. Good luck in the pursuit of the perfect 5er. ( I just went thru that same thing!)
Quality is a subjective assessment for all but those who are employed in the practice of metric analysis measured against set quality meters.
That said, you need to refine your defintion of quality. Does it need perfect fit and finish? The ability to be towed over a plowed field without dumping the contents of the cabinets on the floor? Does it need to be durable enough to last 20 years?
All of the above is not reasonable. However, getting value for your money is.
Is there a weight concern? Does it have to be pulled by a particular vehicle?
For the most part, you get what you pay for. My personal list based on nothing more than my observations:
Pric does determine a lot of the quality but then "like Shoes" soem of them can be over priced. Find one you think you like, pick it apart, find a forum on the internet and follow along with the owners and see what they say.
Darrell
PEACEFUL PATTON
"In His Grip" A true friend is someone who reaches for your hand,
and touches your heart.
"FULL-TIMING & LOVING IT"
When deciding to buy my 5er, I narrowed it down to 3,Montego Bay by KZ, Camio by Carriage and Lakoda by Mckenzi.I went to every RV show within 250 miles, I serched the internet,went to many dealers.I spoke to all the different Factory Reps. I do believe that I did not leave any stone un-turned. I finaly dicided on the KZ for many reasons,price, quality, "bang for the buck" and eye appeil.
When deciding to buy my 5er, I narrowed it down to 3,Montego Bay by KZ, Camio by Carriage and Lakoda by Mckenzi.I went to every RV show within 250 miles, I serched the internet,went to many dealers.I spoke to all the different Factory Reps. I do believe that I did not leave any stone un-turned. I finaly dicided on the KZ for many reasons,price, quality, "bang for the buck" and eye appeil.
I agree with the 1414 fellow, be sure to look at Sunnybrook. They won't be at all the shows so they are easy to miss but they are the best value. You can spend a lot more money but unless you are a full timer in cold country and want to drive a monster tow vehicle Sunnybrook is hard to beat. To confirm my statement look at buyer ratings at: rv-coach.com/rv/manufacturers/survey
The "best" to the majority of RVers simply means something that won't break the bank, offers reasonable quality and craftsmanship, looks and feels nice, will last long enough to get paid for and enjoy for a few more years!
We don't need a jacuzzi tub, mirrored ceilings, 52 inch plasma screens, granite counter tops or marble floors! We have had 7 Jayco RV's so far, dating back to 1978. Good company, family owned for 40 years, 500,000th rv built last year, Amish and Mennonite craftsmen make up 60% of their work force, they own their own wood mill and make their cabinets from real wood, with real oak drawers and cabinet door, make their own mattresses and furniture, and have opened another factory to help meet the demand for new Jayco's when other companies are closing, laying off, or going to Mexico! And customer loyalty is the best measure of any product in the market place...More Jayco owners return to buy another Jayco when buying a next rv than any other brand.
Thats why we keep buying Jayco's! Works well for us!
Offline
