Need Help picking a 5th wheel

I own a Mobile Suites. We looked at many before we bought. Didn't find anything that compares. Donna liked the interior and the laundry room. I like the 6 point leveling, disc brakes, 17 1/2 tires. We paid big bucks, a trailer that cost that much has to be built right or so we thought. This is where the story begins. Some will say it's our fault because we didn't do a good pdi. But we did. My wife even filmed it. That stuff has nothing to do with the problems we have had. What have we learned from this. I'm 70 so this is going to be my last one. We aren't ready to stop RVing yet. We spend 5/6 months in it every winter. So with the factories help we are keeping it in the excellent shape or as close as we can so hopefully the next owners will be able to enjoy it more and work on it less. So if you are looking for a 5er get one that you will be comfortable in, that doesn't weigh a ton and don't break the bank. Good luck

As someone that has owned high end units there are significant diminishing returns as you go up the price line.

We feel grand design fits the high end of the middle market sweet spot. There are others in that area as well.

kydale wrote:
Number 1 rule when it comes to buying a 5th wheel. Buy what the wife wants.
Number 2 rule refer to rule number 1.

Lol ... we went shopping for a truck camper and came home with the 5th wheel that my wife just wanted to "take a quick look at" ... :)

Number 1 rule when it comes to buying a 5th wheel. Buy what the wife wants.
Number 2 rule refer to rule number 1.

:)

kydale wrote:
Buy the cheapest unit you can find. That way you will have more money to fix it!

:) My first smile for the day. So true & so many do just that thinking they have bought themselves a deal.

Back on what to look for in a fulltime/extended travel unit. Look for one with a functioning galley. Too many floorplans emphasise the comfort of the living/entertainment area at the expense of where so much time will be spent preparing food & cleaning up after meals.

An itty bitty galley with little counter space may be fine for the weekend warrior who is likely to go out for dinner as part of the getaway but for travelling fulltime/extended it is a change of lifestyle needs rather than a brief getaway from the sticks & bricks.

For example a single sink or a double with no counter space on one side is about useless for 'flow through' doing dishes.

Buy the cheapest unit you can find. That way you will have more money to fix it!

One issue that buyers and manufacturers seem to not think of is rain. I would never EVER buy a unit that the awning does not adequately cover the door way. Many models out there now a days the awning ends with in inches of the door because of curb side slide outs. When it Raines the whole entrance way steps carpet gets washed.

I have a 2014 Dodge Crew Cab 8' bed with air springs. Our truck handles our 2017 Mobile Suites 32RS3 just fine. But, this is absolutely the largest MS you can pull without it being a dual rear wheel truck. These are very heavily built units. I wanted the next size up MS but my truck would have been overloaded. As for Mobile Suites don't let anyone tell you they are trouble free. Ours has had to many issues to list here and been in for warranty more than it has been at our house. Comes down to sloppy QC and some poor engineering. We are on our 6th coach and they are beautiful inside and out, but the expected simple liveability issues can be had for far less money. The issues we are having with our coach is absolutely unacceptable on a coach with a price tag of $137K. Thor industries needs to take a careful look at the production process. As an engineer I'm pretty picky, but our last coach an Open Range had far fewer problems for the entire 4 years we had it. Good luck and feel free to contact if you want more detailed informantion.

Can't go wrong buying best available quality. If buying new Artic Fox would be in my line up of builders however I'd be looking at specs too.

We don't fulltime but every trip we do is multi month & everything we own travels with us since we do not have a US home to be a base. That includes all kinds of spares including a spare trailer axel, a couple of brake drums with bearings mounted, tools enough to do all kinds of repairs plus all the stuff that the DW deems necessary. Not much difference between us & fulltimers.

Buying new is nice however do not discount buying used, provided it is a good quality builder & has been taken care of. Search out lightly used Mobile Suites, Horizons, Carriage, even Alpenlites. Chances are these more up market units have been taken better care of & are well worth same money over a mid market new unit.

Check the specs. Chances are things like music festivals, SP & NP dry camping are in your plans. Water capacity is king & right behind that is battery capacity. 60 or 70gal of water is going nowhere without thinking of every single drop. Look for 85 to 100gal tankage. Might not need it all the time but when you do it is great to fill er up.

Thanks for all of the replies. I agree with the replies. We have some friends that live in TX and purchased a Black Diamond, dealer was close.

I think we have a Fox in our future.