RV Shopping

RobWNY wrote:
I would suggest you and your wife go to several dealers and see which models you like that are in your price range.

X2. Opinions vary, the ultimate decision will be up to you. Start looking and use it as a learning experience.

What will you be using to pull the 5th wheel? That can make a difference in which RV you buy.

Glad to see you are apparently buying or selecting the 5er first and then matching a truck to it.

I would suggest you and your wife go to several dealers and see which models you like that are in your price range. Relying on other peoples ideas of what you should consider isn't a good idea. No one knows what you will like. Everyone only knows what they like. To save time, go to the manufacturers and dealer websites and look at the floor plans and what dealers have in stock. Narrow it down to a reasonable number of RV's to look at and make a day of it and go see them in person. It will be a fun day! If what you really want isn't in stock, you can order one.

We also spend about 6 months each year on the road.

Coming from 25 years of weekend cruising boating we had a bit of a head start in what to look for in a RV. The decision to get a 5er was made long before we were ready to look after having rented a class C.

First priority was a good sized workable galley with lots of counter space. For this it had to be either an island or a "J" shaped galley. We have a "j" which has more counter space & under counter storage.

Next priority was freshwater capacity. Our boat has 115gal FW & it is nice not to have to worry about every drop of water used. An 80gal FW or larger was an absolute requirement. This requirement eliminated lots of builders right off the bat.

Next was the fridge. Did not have to be needing to run out to a store every few days if we were miles from anywhere. We did wind up with a large 4 door RV 2 way power fridge.

When on the road eating at restaurants is rare so pantry storage is important. Ours has the washer/dryer cabinet right next to the galley so that was immediately used as a whopping sized pantry.

For your budget you should easily find a lightly used better quality 5er that meets those specs. Mobile Suites, Carriage & Alpenlite all have 100gal FW tanks.

Getting the right one is worth a drive to pick it up. We went at it with a mission that our first RV was going to be our last RV. Here we are, 13 years later, no regrets. Research narrowed us down to 4 models then it was a case of waiting for one of them to pop up online for sale.

I just need enough room to function, not looking for a phone booth or huge bathroom. Just something usable.

IMHO the bathroom is the least important area of any RV except, of course, if you bang your head on the ceiling. All of the other areas are used much more.
Just my $.03 adjusted for inflation.