finding the right used fifth wheel

SCMountainRN wrote:
Thank you for the helpful replies, especially JaredWPhillips- that was exactly the advice we were looking for

No problem. I've owned and maintained several brands and models of RV's, and our Jayco is by far the best quality, with our previous Keystone Outback in a close 2nd. We are very comfortable living in it full-time. I've never heard of there being issues living in one that's not "designed" for full-time, or a warranty being voided. Any manufacturer wants their customers to trust that their units are ready for use as much as the customer desires. Most of them only include a 1-2 year warranty anyway. Once you get past 2 years, you're on your own with repairs. You can make anything work if you take care of it and maintain it. Always check roof seals, slide seals; address any issues. Keep water out and it will last as long as you need it. As far as being "designed" for FT use, that's a matter of personal opinion/comfort. You can live in anything; what determines what's acceptable is your comfort. If you buy a cheaper stick-n'-tin unit with single pane windows, thin walls and plastic fixtures, you will deal with the unit being hard to cool or hard to keep warm, and things wearing out and breaking. Doesn't mean you can't do it; just means you have to work harder to stay comfortable. If you spend more and get an aluminum-framed unit, with vaccum-bonded walls, porcelein fixtures, higher-grade insulation, enclosed underbelly, dual-pane windows, ducted A/C and Furnace, etc.... you can make it work with less effort and more comfort.
Our Jayco Eagle is the latter of what I mentioned above. Everything is good-to-excellent quality. Not the level of the $60k units, but its quite comfortable for our needs. We have one A/C unit that's ducted, and it's been working hard to keep the interior cool during this past week of high-90's temperatures. If we had a bit more shade where we are currently staying, it would be easier.