Comparing Half Ton 5th Wheels

Fineline1 wrote:
I have not been researching it long but we are looking for a good quality 1/2 ton 5th wheel (to be pulled by 2500) with a minimum 3 bunks (but prefer 4)
We are looking at light because I want a physically smaller unit.
Based on what we have looked at so far for floorplans, the following grab our fancy:
Jayco 29 bhok
Jayco 29 fbds
Chaparral 29 bhs
Sportsmen 301 bhk
Volante vl310bh (I believe this may also be the Rezerve rfz-31bh
How would you rank these units in order of quality of build?
Thank you

I see you've looked at the KZ Sportsmen, but did you check out the Durango 1500's? Their biggest one, at a GVW of 11,500 should work OK with a late-model 2500; next one down is 10,500, easily handled by any 2500.

KZ is #1 on my short list and Jayco #2. Both have 2-year warranties.

Lyle

Historically, Jayco owners seem to be a hair happier than owners of other large brands. Now that they are owned by Thor it's anyone's guess if that trend will continue.

Also, don't get too caught up in brand shopping. Any and every manufacturer churns out good and terrible units. With a few keystrokes you can find absolute horror stories with all of them.

The best advice from the seasoned folks on RV boards is to find the floor plan that suits you best and do a very thorough PDI (pre-delivery inspection). Also, expect that some things will come up and be ready to take the RV back to your dealer a time or two.... or three or four.

Really I would think all of those you would need a 3/4 ton

jarata1 wrote:
Really I would think all of those you would need a 3/4 ton

Per the op, it's to be pulled by a 2500.

mtofell1 wrote:
Historically, Jayco owners seem to be a hair happier than owners of other large brands. Now that they are owned by Thor it's anyone's guess if that trend will continue.

Also, don't get too caught up in brand shopping. Any and every manufacturer churns out good and terrible units. With a few keystrokes you can find absolute horror stories with all of them.

The best advice from the seasoned folks on RV boards is to find the floor plan that suits you best and do a very thorough PDI (pre-delivery inspection). Also, expect that some things will come up and be ready to take the RV back to your dealer a time or two.... or three or four.

Very well put. X2. The only thing I would add is, if you can find lightly used, 2-4 years old, it may save you trips back to the dealer. All the build-issues should be solved by now. Not to mention the price being easier to swallow.

mtofell1 wrote:
Historically, Jayco owners seem to be a hair happier than owners of other large brands. Now that they are owned by Thor it's anyone's guess if that trend will continue.

Also, don't get too caught up in brand shopping. Any and every manufacturer churns out good and terrible units. With a few keystrokes you can find absolute horror stories with all of them.

The best advice from the seasoned folks on RV boards is to find the floor plan that suits you best and do a very thorough PDI (pre-delivery inspection). Also, expect that some things will come up and be ready to take the RV back to your dealer a time or two.... or three or four.

X3. Agreed. Pick the one you like and cross your fingers. It's all about floor plan, décor, tank size and wet weight.

Having owned a Coleman, Forest River, Keystone and KZ I'm partial to KZ but that wouldn't stop me from buying another brand if they offered what I'm wanting at the time and it didn't look/feel like cheap junk. Some you walk into just feel and look cheap with cheap materials and poor fit and finish.

Hello Laknox.
I did look at some of the Durango models. They have a nice looking bunk house with a half bath for the parents. I was only wanting one bathroom to conserve weight and to keep it simpler (more fittings equal more leak opportunities!
They are a good looking unit.
Like you, the 2 year warranty is a selling point. It seems they have some confidence in their product.

Hello Allimax.
We are looking at a Cougar 328 QBS (2012). It is a regular model instead of a half ton but has only two slides and is not too heavy. I like the 16" wheels on it too.

I've had 2 KZ's and am very satisfied with their product. Went to their factory back in 2004 when we had bought our first TT and they had it going on.

-Bryan

We ended up finding a used 2014 320QBS Cougar that is the same floorplan as the 29BHS Chapparal. We only took a two night trip with it before we had to put it away for the winter. It seems like a good unit but I did like the lower profile of the Chapparal. We will give the Cougar a proper test in the spring!