goconov98@mywdo.com
MISSOURI
New Member
Joined: 09/30/2008
View Profile
 Offline
|
My husband and I have determined that upon retirement we are interested in purchasing a 5th wheel. We have done some homework and feel the 5th wheel would fit our needs best. We have seen several books listed on the internet about what you need to know to purchase a travel trailer the do's and dont's and also some DVD's. Since we have no idea what we are doing and do not want to be taken to the cleaners when we start shopping I was wondering if someone has the time to point us in the right direction. Recommend books or videos, ect. Thanks
|
windriderjr
Massachusetts
Senior Member
Joined: 03/20/2007
View Profile
Offline
|
You're certainly shopping at the right time  Most dealers are suffering from high gas prices and a bad economy in general.
DW and I in our Gulfstream Amerilite 21MB
Chevy Silverado 2500 HD - Duramax Diesel 6.6L - Allison Tranny
"We can categorically state that we have not released man-eating badgers into the area." - Major Mike Shearer - British Army - Basra, Iraq
|
fordsooperdootydieselsmoker
OrangeCountyCalifornia
Senior Member
Joined: 08/13/2004
View Profile
Offline
|
Welcome to the Osbourne's! And Welcome to the RV.Net forum!
Forget the "books and videos"! You can get the same info right here, so the best thing you can do is ask a lot of questions. Shop around without making any buying decisions yet. Look at all the brands you can find, and find a floor plan you can live in. The length that you feel comfortable, and the options that you just can't live without. A shorter 5er with more slideouts will have as much living space as a larger trailer with one slide. Do you want washer/dryer. Can you live without things like a fake electric fireplace? Booth Dinette or table and chairs. Queen bed, king or even seperate twin beds. 4 season with better insulation and thermal windows?
And what price range, only you can answer that one! High end 5th wheel for $$$$, or midrange for less.
Go here for RVIA RV SHOWS near you, and start shopping! Have fun and don't yield to "you gotta buy it today to get this price!" B.S! Take your time and you'll have fun!
You have chosen a 5th wheel for all the right reasons, I'm sure! Easy to tow, safe handling, roomy and lots of storage, the built in "TOAD" you'll have after unhitching and setting up! Make sure to check out the Jayco's. 40 years owned by the same family, 2 year warranty, no warranty restrictions on fulltiming, great craftsmanship and features.
The Designer series is the top of line 4 seasons 5er. But the Eagle is very nice to. We will be getting a Designer for our retirement treat...after already having had 7 Jayco's! Best of luck!
|
BruceStarkey
Ontario, Canada
Senior Member
Joined: 05/02/2004
View Profile
|
Consider a site like rvnetlinx.com and scroll on down to the "Manufactures' section then hit the makers of your choice and peruse "floorplans" and "specifications" areas very carefully and with a JAUNDICED eye. Some of the weights quoted are not to be believed in light of the fact they were established when the folks were building aluminum siding trailers they no longer make and Gelcoat adds weight etc..
While at the planning stage, you have not already made that common error so many of us made of comitting to a truck THEN finding out the trailer we desire cannot be towed safely by that truck. Due diligence is critical at this point and will pay beg dividends later.
Today is just the tomorrow you worried about yesterday!
'04' International 4400 LoPro 310Hp/950FtLbs 10Spd Harley/RV Toter
'05' Mobile Suites 38RL3
'01' Harley Ultra in the bike barn.
|
mpfireman
Cook County Il
Senior Member
Joined: 12/26/2003
View Profile
Offline
|
Depends upon when you are retiring. If within a year, not much will change in the fiver market, BUT if you are a few years away from pulling the plug, shop around, and take notes. Read reviews on trailer makes, and options. The big thing will be your tow vehicle. Your intended trailer size has a direct effect on your TV capacity. If looking at units over the 32' to 35' range you should consider a 3500 series TV, as it provides you with more options in your fivers selection.
Our fiver is over 10 years old, bought new, well maintained, thus we have no real need to purchase a newer one, plus it is paid for, along with the TV.
Take factory tours, go to RV shows, take notes, That is what we did, two years prior to my retirement.
In todays market there are good deals out there, BUT companies are also going out of the RV business.
So choose wisely grasshopper.
1998.5 Dodge Ram Quad Cab Cummins
1998 Sunnybrook 27RKFS Fiver
|
|
|
Vulcaneer
Northern New England
Senior Member
Joined: 10/17/2007
View Profile
Offline
|
Do you already have the truck? If so you need to find a 5th whl that will be within the trucks cargo carrying capacity. USE GVWR instead of dry weight. You don't want the pin weight to overload the truck.
If you do not already have the truck, buy the 5th whl first, then buy the truck you need to pull it. Usually a 2500 (up to 10,000#GVWR) or better a 3500 SRW (1 Ton) is needed to tow a 5'r of 10,000 to 13,000 pounds. Diesel is good, but a large gas engine is ok in many cases. A short bed truck, usually a slider hitch is recommended. Long bed, no slider.
2006 F350 V10 4X4 SC SB SRW 4.30 22,500 GCWR
Keystone Sprinter 33'9" 12,500 GVWR
Pullrite Super Glide 18K
Super Duty, Super Cab, SuperGlide
|
UpNorthFam
Up North
Full Member
Joined: 06/14/2008
View Profile
Offline
|
I too believe that you will find all the information you need right here. There are forums for everything. I have solved all my problems with our RV by looking here first.
|
slmayor
shasta lake ca
Senior Member
Joined: 04/02/2004
View Profile
|
Here's a step by step of how we made the jump. When we made the switch from a long string of Class A's to the 5th, we started by doing a tremendous amount of just looking. Went to all our local dealers and every RV show we could find. After you look at a few hundred of them (just kidding) you start to pick out the features you like that will be a reqirement for you. For us it was a fully enclosed bathroom and a rear entertainment/ living area. Once we had picked out the features that were a must have for us, and found several floor plans with those features, we started comparing brands, construction methods, included options, build quality and prices. It's a lot of work... Narrowed it down to a couple brands in our price range and just kept looking. We knew we found our perfect RV when we kept coming back to a particular floor plan and brand. It has pretty much everything we could want and suits the way we use it. We've had excellent customer service from the dealer and the factory. After a year of traveling, we're still very happy with our choice.
Good luck and try to relax and enjoy the "shopping" process.
|
BB_TX
McKinney, Texas
Senior Member
Joined: 04/04/2005
View Profile
Offline
|
I read the posts here for quite some time. We went to the nearest large RV shows and looked and looked and asked questions. We went to all the local dealers and looked and looked and asked questions. We narrowed it down to 3 models. By now we knew what size we wanted, and as such, how much truck we needed. We bought the truck.
We found a dealer that sold all 3 models we were interested in so that we could go and look at them side by side, and ask questions.
When we finally decided on the model, we felt we were ready and confident we were getting what we wanted. Since we had the truck, we signed the papers and arranged to pick up the 5er the next week.
If you are not sure of the answers you are getting from the dealers, then ask them again here. You will get a lot of opinions, but eventually you can muddle thru them all. No one knows what will work best for you except you. So take all the suggestions with a grain of salt and make your own decisions.
Don't be afraid to price shop if you have more than one dealer with the model(s) you want. Let them know you are comparing pricing. They are more likely to lower their price to get your business from a competitor.
One thing I would suggest. If you can, find out the stability of the manufacturer you are considering. With so many having shut their doors lately, you do not want to buy something and then find out they went out of business.
|
goconov98@mywdo.com
MISSOURI
New Member
Joined: 09/30/2008
View Profile
Offline
|
Thanks to all who replied. We have decieded to take our time and look around as you suggest and get all the facts before we buy. Thanks for the idea about the RV Shows I found 3 different ones that are close enough for us to attend.
|
|
|
