Narrowed my search down to these two trailers.

Have you considered spending the same money on a slightly used but much more higher quality builder?

New is nice but do you really want to deal with all of the new rig issues never mind the huge depreciation hit as you take it off the lot?

Lots of year or two old lightly used upper end units out there with all the bugs worked out & the big depreciation hit taken.

I think it's a big mistake to buy your first RV brand new.
It happens all the time; You won't keep it long because after using it a while you'll figure what you really need and move up. Then your upside down on the loan.
I suggest you find a nice used RV that seems to suit your needs with the thought that you'll move up in few years.

I certainly don't want to discourage your purchase...I know what its like to buy a new rig! However, I also think there are some wise thoughts in what Scott says.

We bought our first RV used. Learned a lot about RVing and what we wanted in an RV. Had that rig for only three years before we moved up to a new rig. Sold it for almost what we purchased it for.

To answer your question...get the one DW likes best! I have had a Keystone product but not a Jayco. If I was in the market again for something like you are considering, I think I would try a Jayco.

I'd tend to the JayCo, but saying that I would also buy something even better.

A lot depends on your personal budget. With deep pockets, a New Horizon is certainly possible.

That being said, shallow pockets would mean a used RV. Even then a used Excel by Peterson or a rig by NuWa.

I like the Jayco. But I also am with the buy a couple of year old unit. The depreciation in terrible on new units. I read somewhere that a new RV will lose about 50% of its value in the first 5 years. Thats alot of money, to me anyway. Good luck with what ever you end up getting. Have fun making memories with those kids. After all that is what it is all about!!! :)

ScottG wrote:
I think it's a big mistake to buy your first RV brand new.
It happens all the time; You won't keep it long because after using it a while you'll figure what you really need and move up. Then your upside down on the loan.
I suggest you find a nice used RV that seems to suit your needs with the thought that you'll move up in few years.

Did you miss the fact that currently owns a nice sized TT??

Either would be a good fit, neither will challenge your TV towing power so, I would go with the best deal, keep in mind the Jayco 2 year warranty.

Thanks guys, I'm in a 2012 Keystone Outback 292bh travel trailer now and before that i had a 21' Hybrid. I'm not new to rving, the wife and I are just really interested in a fifth wheel. My only problem is with my truck. It's a 2001 F350 and I'm limited on what I can tow compared to the newer F350's. Those high end units can be HEAVY! As far as depreciation, I bought my current trailer from a wholesaler in 2012 for $19,990 and the MSRP was supposedly $34,000. NADA on my trailer now is still around $24,000. If I go with the Cougar I will probably buy from the same dealer.. But first I guess I will checkout some used higher end units and at least see what the specs are. Thanks for the feedback!!

Kevin

Haven't owned ether one, but a just in the last week I ran into two Jayco owners that were really POed. Electrical problems that almost burnt down one of their trailers. Both said they would never own another. Frankly I was really surprised. However I went over one of the owners trailers with them and have to say it was a real disapointment. Thought they built better trailers than that.

I have a BIL that owns a 2009 Jayco and have not had one problem with it. However it is 5 years old and maybe the build quality has gone downhill since then. I've always thought of Jayco as being one of the better brands. THe 2 year warranty is nothing to dismiss out of hand either. That to me is a big deal. However Forest River also offers a 2nd year warranty for a small fee. We have a 2005 Cougar that we bought used back in '07 that has been very good. However I read that the the newest Cougar's are not as well built as the older ones? As we are also on the hunt for a newer unit ourselves right now, I find the process very frustrating myself as to what manufacturer to trust to build a quality unit and stay under $40 grand.

I agree with Veebyes and Scott G.

We actually bought our first unit new after years of not owning a 5ver. We bought it to suit our truck tow capacity rather than investing the money first in a larger truck.

We discovered the TT was too small for us, due to longer vacations and hubby preferred towing a 5ver over a tt.

So, ended up getting a good deal on a diesel as GM was offering over $10,000 on rebates. Then, we tried selling our TT on our own, which became a real pain in the____.

Luckily, we found a barely used, one year-old 5ver on the dealership's lot, where we bought our TT new. We did lose thousands on the trade-in, but did not want the hassle of selling anymore. However, we gained by buying that year old RV, which would have cost at least $30,000.

Browse the for sale ads like craigslist, Ebay, Camping World, RV trader, local ads or dealership inventories online for the size and floor plan you want. You won't have to pay $40,000 for the size you want. Remember after the first year, units depreciate at least 30% or more and if you decide to sell, you'll lose thousands.

Both Jayco and Keystone make nice units. It all depends on what you want for size, floor plan and bells and whistles.

Good luck!