way2roll wrote:
In shopping brands I have NO CLUE, what I am looking at in terms of brand hierarchy. I can tell you down to the nuts and bolts of every newer Class A out there but literally know nothing of FW's. Our budget is going to put us at 40-50k. No idea what brands/features or pitfalls to look for in that range. I also know some of this is clouded in personal opinion- and that's Ok. Opinions come from experience.
Manufacturer website is best for this.
Generators - do most FW's really have no generator? Seems that way in my price range. We used our Genset a lot in our MH but of course we were in it at the time.
Yes generator is extra based on what you need. Some use a small portable, some a pair in parallel, loud construction generators, some go with built in. You need to get built in if that is the convenience you expect.
Stopping and using things - on long travel days I assume you can use the FW for a snack/lunch/bathroom etc. I assume either elec or lp fridge can stay on during travel, but many floorplans don't allow access to the fridge with slides in. Do you bump them out at a rest stop? I assume AC is out of the question. If you wanted to overnight and dry camp, seems without a generator you have pretty limited power via batts right? Provided you are fairly level, can you use the FW - slides out etc - , while hooked up to the truck?
Mine is cramped but usable with the slide in. Verify this by having the salesman move the slide in before you make an offer. Don not take the salesman's word for anything. Or you pop it out and we do if needed and have space.
Maintenance - I don't want to assume, but seems like a FW is a lot less maintenance than a MH - mainly there is no engine, genset or transmission. Just regular maintenance - seals, plumbing, roof, batts etc. Am I right? I see a lot of noise about packing bearings etc, no clue what that's about.
Yes there is some suspension maintenance. A shop can do this for you.
Hooking up - again, looks intimidating. I see some come with electric, adjustable pins, sliding receivers, auto leveling to help some of this. But I wouldn't know a good FW receiver from a stick. Just how hard is hooking up? What does a decent receiver cost?
Generally hooking up or unhooking is fairly easy. Do need to step through the process safely.
Seems like FW's in my price range don't come with a lot. They may have W/D hookups, but you have to buy the appliances. You have to buy the TV's, solar prep but no panels, etc. Just seems like there is more to buy to "finish" out the camper than a MH. Maybe it's just my price range and perhaps that's why my price range exists.
Yes a lot of roll your own depending on what you want. This way you only pay for what you want and need. You can have the selling dealer add stuff and roll it into the purchase loan or get the minimum and install what you need as you go.
