OK, you asked for opinions, so here's mine:
1. Buy a nice, used RV, near to what your true desires are. Use it for a couple years to see how you a) like the lifestyle of a FT RV'er and b) what you'd like different in the RV itself. Do you want a few more bells 'n whistles, do you (SHE) =require= more? Storage space/layout? Washer and dryer in-house? Residential fridge? The list goes on.
2. Whatever FW you buy, put =good= tires on it ASAP. If junk Chinese tires are on it, do that =first=. Read the dozens of tire threads here and you'll get most of your questions answered.
3. Decide on what kind of FT RVing you will be doing. Basically, are you going to be "sitters", where you drive to a spot, then sit for 2, 3, 4 (or more) months, or will you be "travelers", where you go somewhere for days or a couple weeks, then move on. You might want to do some mods to the FW if you plan on extensive miles. Wet bolt kit in the suspension. Independent suspension or air ride. Heavier axles. Disk brakes. Upgraded pin box. As regarding floorplan, if you do plan on lots of miles, the floorplan might affect what you buy, since many multi-slide models can't access the fridge or the bathroom with the slides in.
4. I agree with you on < luxury amenities (unless SHE wants them) and better build.
5. If you =do= go with a used FW as a learning experience, you might want to hold off on many of the mods, since they can be fairly expensive. Wait until you find your "keeper", then add them.
I won't comment on your truck choice since I'm a Duramax guy. :-)
Lyle
