Shopping for first RV...need guidance

Phydeauxman wrote:
My wife and I are going shopping for our first RV. We are going to large camper retailers this weekend just so we can get an idea of what is available. Here is what we know:

- We are pretty sure we want a 5th wheel

- We would like to be able to get a trailer that will sleep at least 6 that is safe to tow behind our 2014 F250 - I'm not the weight police but to sleep 6 you will need at least your main bed, a sleeper sofa, and a couple of bunks. To me this means a good sized one and then you want to be sure, that when it's fully loaded that it still falls within the towing capacity of your TV, including the load you are carrying in the TV.

Questions:
- Is one construction type significantly better than the other (Wood vs Alum)? [COLOR=]A lot prefer aluminum, but most units have a combination of wood and aluminum for durability and stability yet keeping weight low.

- Are the brands that are better than others or brands we should try to stay away from? I couldn't answer this. You'll need to do your research and get feedback here. Everyone has their favorite but most will let you know units they've had bad luck or issues with.

- Will the price of a trailer change based on where you buy it? We live in the Northern Virginia are where everything is more expensive...would it be cheaper if I drove say to Louisiana and bought the trailer? More importantly, I would try to stick close to home and field your dealership, ask around for their reputation. Post sale support is vital especially for you, a new RV owner. You're going to need the hand holding of a good team in the beginning.

- I am all about ease of use when it comes to something like this. Don't want it to be too much work because then it reduces the fun and desire. Thinking of this...are there features I should be considering? As an example...auto-leveling jacks. Your desire will determine how much you want to do this. My husband and I started 17 years ago towing TTs and moved to a 5W after 4 TT's. It was all new to us but we loved the fun and adventure of it and were willing to learn. I now can back and drive our 5W and I never backed the TT's we had. It's like anything else, at first it may scare the hell out of you but that's normal. Respect in the hookup process and unhooking process is very important. Do it, if that's what you want.

I am sure there are a billion other things we are not thinking of so any useful guidance is appreciated.