My wife and I are about three years from retirement at which time we are going to sell our house and become full time RV's. We presently own a travel trailer that we want to upgrade to a fifth wheel next year. Here's our problem we want to go with a lite weight fifth wheel but we are not sure that a a lite weight fifth wheel can hold up to the constant earth quake that a full time RV'er puts them through. Please, if you know that one manufacture/type is better than another I'd like to hear your opinion. As you fifth wheel owners will tell me the truth and not a sales pitch. Thank-You and Fair winds and Following Seas.

I've only ever "looked" at "lite" units, but I suspect you are correct that none are up to full-timing. I don't recall ever seeing a "lite" that was rated higher then "vacation" use (week-end, vacation, snow-bird, full-time)There are lots of ol sailor types around here.

Good evening Shipmate,,, If you plan on full timing it I would recommend spending a little more money and get a fiver that will keep you and the wife comfortable with better hardware and creature comforts. The heavy rv's do keep out sounds at campgrounds when you are trying to sleep. The interiors are a little nicer on some of the Mid to Upper level fivers. Not sure what you plan to tow the new fiver with, but you will want something comfortable as well. There are a lot of light fivers, but you may not be able to get some options like automatic leveling or washer/dryer hookups. You are smart asking questions now. It will be too late once you buy your new unit. Welcome to the forum and if you have any other questions, just ask the Chief...

As for a tow vehicle we are lucky our son is the Sales Manager for a large group of dealerships. So we will be able to get whatever we will need at a good price. I just want to make sure that whatever 5th wheel we get it last us for a good long time.

etcssw wrote:As for a tow vehicle we are lucky our son is the Sales Manager for a large group of dealerships. So we will be able to get whatever we will need at a good price. I just want to make sure that whatever 5th wheel we get it last us for a good long time.If your planning on using full time get a high quality FW. You don't want to be messing around with cheap materials in your "home". Not getting cheap materials means a heavy FW in your case.My family spends a lot of time on the road showing horses and we have a mid-level FW. Works very well for us but I wouldn't want to deal with it as a full time rig.

ETCSSW Welcome To RV.NET There are many options available to you, but alot depends on your wants and needs and budget.Where you plan to spend the bulk of your time will make a big difference in the onboard amenities and the audio and thermal insulating values of your fifthwheel that will make your fulltime living comfortable.Where you plan to spend the bulk of your time also will dictate the maximum size of fifthwheel that you will want to purchase. If state park are your type you will want ot limit your size to 32-34 ft maximum.If you plan to go off the grid quite a bit boondocking you will want weight capacity for a generator and solar panelsWhat brand of trailer do you now own and how often do you currently use? With lite weight units all components are not biult for constant day after day of use. Cutlery drawers in low-end lite vacation units with plastic runners and plastic brackets are opened and closed 15-25 times per day which for a vacation unit which equals 600-1000 times per year assuming 10 weekends and 2 weeks use during the summer time.Fulltime use would result in you opening and closed a drawer full of all your fulltime cutlery needs 5000-9200 times per year. How well do you think a lite weight unit with plastic hardware will stand up to this quantity of use.Make sure you purchase the correct unit once and not waste your money on the wrong unit and become very disillusioned.What do you plan to use for a tow vehicle? The size of TV will determine the weight of trailer that you can safely stop and control while towing.I strongly suggest a used (3-5 year old) mid to high-end unit and a TV capable of the weight.Keep asking questions as that is the only way to learn and avoid costly mistakes.

buying a 5th wheel trailers | Good Sam Community

hmknightnc
Explorer
Jun 23, 2013
etcssw wrote:
As for a tow vehicle we are lucky our son is the Sales Manager for a large group of dealerships. So we will be able to get whatever we will need at a good price. I just want to make sure that whatever 5th wheel we get it last us for a good long time.

If your planning on using full time get a high quality FW. You don't want to be messing around with cheap materials in your "home". Not getting cheap materials means a heavy FW in your case.

My family spends a lot of time on the road showing horses and we have a mid-level FW. Works very well for us but I wouldn't want to deal with it as a full time rig.
etcssw
Explorer
Jun 23, 2013
As for a tow vehicle we are lucky our son is the Sales Manager for a large group of dealerships. So we will be able to get whatever we will need at a good price. I just want to make sure that whatever 5th wheel we get it last us for a good long time.
YnotTurbo
Explorer
Jun 23, 2013
Good evening Shipmate,,, If you plan on full timing it I would recommend spending a little more money and get a fiver that will keep you and the wife comfortable with better hardware and creature comforts. The heavy rv's do keep out sounds at campgrounds when you are trying to sleep. The interiors are a little nicer on some of the Mid to Upper level fivers. Not sure what you plan to tow the new fiver with, but you will want something comfortable as well.
There are a lot of light fivers, but you may not be able to get some options like automatic leveling or washer/dryer hookups. You are smart asking questions now. It will be too late once you buy your new unit. Welcome to the forum and if you have any other questions, just ask the Chief...
n7bsn
Explorer
Jun 23, 2013
I've only ever "looked" at "lite" units, but I suspect you are correct that none are up to full-timing. I don't recall ever seeing a "lite" that was rated higher then "vacation" use (week-end, vacation, snow-bird, full-time)

There are lots of ol sailor types around here.

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