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baggy_pants's avatar
baggy_pants
Explorer
Feb 12, 2015

Most important 5th. Wheel features for full timers

My wife and I are recently retired and moving toward becoming fulltime RVers. We are currently in the fact finding stage of a 5th. wheel purchase. We're interested in a front lounge floor plan but more importantly we would like to get some imput from fulltimers as to what features of the 5th wheel are the most important in a full time application. Thanks for your time.

34 Replies

  • We're fulltimers and have been looking at new units for potential upgrades.

    One thing that leaps out at me is storage! Think about your hobbies and family activities. Where will we put the quilting fabric? Where does the litterbox go? Where can we put the wine rack? (Our current unit had a never-used desk that got repurposed to wine storage underneath.)

    Really good advice above to sit in any unit you're thinking about for a while. Picture watching TV - does everyone have a comfortable seat to watch from? If you like to cook is the kitchen well laid out for you? If you do a lot with electronics are the outlets convenient?
  • You can actually try several out. Seriously!

    I take it you have several you are considering.

    Go look again, but this time chase the salesmen away. Then sit in it, look around closely, spending as much time as you feel you need in each one. 45 minutes alone looking around and noticing all the little things that can make that one floor plan be the right one for you.

    Then go do it again until you've looked and pretend lived in all the models you are considering.
  • We are fulltimers and have a Front Living 5th Wheel.
    We love the layout and living space, but a Front Living by design has less basement storage space than a traditional rear living 5th Wheel.
    We have good inside storage space and love the layout for fulltiming.
    Again, things important to us, large refrigerator, good insulation, larger bedroom that you can move around in, large hot water heater, good size TVs and good sounding entertainment system, auto leveling and a solid durable design with heavy running gear and good tires and wheels.
    And always a correct truck to pull it with that is not overload and struggles to pull and handle a large 5th Wheel.
  • Bed and bath functionality for me, my wife wants more high storage so she does not have to bend down so often. She is fine with my tools being down low but wants all her stuff above the knees.

    I guess the list could be endless if you get down to automatic leveling, tv tuning, awning deployment, hot water heater ignition, etc. I want big wheels, shocks, upgraded axles with disc brakes, and a gooseneck hitch, with a back up camera and heavy duty rear receiver hitch. I think I could go on all night but I am sure others will cover the rest of the items.

    Oh yes and a truck with enough power and carrying capacity to get me through the mountains pulling doubles at 80mph.