5th Wheel Reliability

If looking at new, please carefully consider the dealer as well. You will need their support in the inevitable warranty issues you will have with whatever unit you decide to go with. I imagine you can get the good, bad & ugly lowdown by asking about the dealer you are considering by asking on here.

Are you looking at used? My 98, 2000 and 2008 Sunnybrooks have been bulletproof and tougher than Chinese arithmetic. I'd be leary of about 2010 and later tho. Craig

You are comparing an industry where a single model run is typically on the order of 20-80,000 units per year to an industry where a single model may put out a few hundred units per year. You can't expect the same level of statistical relaibility numbers to be available.

It's also not practical for the manufacturers to apply the same level of quality control without costs spiraling out of control.

Reality is the vast majority of manufacturers use the exact same hardware, frames, axels, appliances etc... There are likely some differences in the reliability of the actual assembly but after that they are all very similar.

Of course the high end manufacturers put out even smaller numbers than the low/mid range so it's even harder to create mass production efficencies and quality. Thier saving grace is they can afford to have people back check work and just cover warranty issues without a fight.

Don't expect there to ever be a reliability guide like you will find with cars.

Can only speak for our 2007 Montana 5er as I have no experience with the others.
Bought new in July '07. Have been really amazed at how few problems we have had with it. And the few problems have been things not directly associated with the trailer itself. Propane regulator valve failed at about 3 yrs, microwave/convection failed after about 3 yrs, no-name surround sound/DVD system failed at about 4 yrs. Black tank flush valve failed at 6 yrs. Those are about the only problems we have had. Montana has been the leading seller for 11 years straight and I guess that speaks for itself.
I also frequent the very active Montana Owners Club (MOC) forum. And by and large most Montana owners are very happy with their purchases and buy new Montanas when they get ready to trade. Not to say they are entirely trouble free as some have reported more than what would be considered normal problems. But with MOC backing Keystone has generally resolved those problems to the buyers satisfaction. MOC holds multiple regional rallys each year and a large yearly rally in Elkhart with Montana representatives attending to hear complaints/suggestions and to give tech tip siminars.

I've had my '01 Cardinal (Forest River) for 11 years and purchased it when it was 2 years old. Based upon the age of this unit I'm not advocating for Forest River products for longevity, but I do like the quality they've built into several of their lines.

What I have been doing though is looking to replace my Cardinal with a well-made, slightly used 5th wheel. Since I've had such good fortune with my Cardinal I've been looking for another Cardinal (or another FR product like the Cedar Creek series) that's anywhere from 3-6 years old. I've also looked on-line at other quality made 5th wheels, but I'm having trouble finding the right floor plans or ones that aren't too large (trying to stay under 33 total length). There seems to be a lot of Cougars on the market so I'm wondering what is the reason for that? Are former owners not pleased with the product or is that they just sold a lot of them in the past 6-7 years, thus putting more on the used RV market? Other models seem to be more difficult to find than Cougars.

The lower and mid-range FR products seem to be out there though, but I think I've been spoiled with my Cardinal. In regard to the OP's search I think the Montana's, Crusader's, and Sabre's appear to be more appealing in my mind. In fact, I'm planning to take a look at a 2010 Montana Mountaineer this week. I've also seen an '08 Big Country at the same dealership that looks good on-line along with an '08 Jayco Eagle. I'll likely have to trade my '01 Cardinal since I don't want to have 2 5th wheels at once. It's a darn good unit, I wish I could find another with a similar floorplan, but about 4-5 foot longer that's almost new.

You definitely get what you pay for. Even things (like the stove) that look alike are different in better units. We had a TT (Kodiak) that was nothing but trouble. This year we bought a Bighorn (Heartland). It's like night and day. Everything is first rate. There are some fit and finish issues. No trailer is exempt from those. However, Heartland customer service is excellent. There is a very active owners association and it holds rallies across the country.

We are very happy with our purchase and expect the problems all to be fixed when we bring it in next month. I have to say that it was well worth the added cost to buy a luxury unit.

Another that I recommend in Grand Design RV. A new company that is sure getting a lot of good reviews. I've got a 39' solitude and totally pleased with it. We've put about 7000 miles on it since last year

sharker6 wrote:
You get what you pay for. Expensive ones are almost always better quality than the less expensive. The one's your looking at are mid-range and the quality is about the same.

What he said

If quality is the most important, buy a New Horizon. Of course it will cost you on the order of $100,000.

Just a bit down from that (in price and reliability) is Excel by Peterson, DRV and NuWa (although the last gets a small question mark, they are no longer "building their own", but have contracted out to an un-named firm)

Used to be that Sunnybrook was right close there too, but I've heard unsettling things about their quality since Winnie bought them and I couldn't say if they are, or are not, as good as they used to be.

One thing to remember is the "sub-systems" (refer, oven, water-heater, etc) tend to be the same makers from the top end RV to the low end RV.

Traditionally I believe that Northwoods (Arctic Fox, Nash, Fox Mountain, etc) gives of the best value for the dollar spent.

We just purchased a 2015 Cougar and love it. No issues so far. When we were looking, we really liked the Forest River Surveyors but they didn't have a large enough floor plan. We walked through some Arctic Foxes and were unimpressed, especially for the money.

As noted, you are looking at mid-range on 5th wheels for price a overall quality. If you want better, look at 2 to 4 year old higher end 5ers. Of course, with a higher end unit it will be heavier and probably require more truck to haul it.

Ken