My wife and I are in our late 20s and have been very intigued by the full-time lifestyle!! We have made our plans for an escape into the lifestyle and we also took our first rv camping trip in a rented 20 foot travel trailer which gave us great ideas for what we are looking for. I have purchased a 3/4 ton chevy truck (2000 model) for pulling and am in the process of doing all the preventative maintenance to bring it up to date.The trailer we are interested in is a 2003 Sunny Brook 5th wheel 25' with a super slide. It is a lite model built with an aluminum substructure. We have negotiated the price with the owner at 7000. The previous owner seems to have done a good job of maintaining the camper which he bought in 2010. The trailer has a dry weight of 6300 lbs. It has a new roof put on in 2012 which is the RV ARMOR spray on type. I have inspected it and it is a high quality job. It has new (2011) tires, new wheel bearings, a new 16k BTU a/c, new roof vents with wireless remotes, and it is still winterized from his storage over the winter.What concerns me slightly is some light damage to the front where the trailer came unhitched and slammed on his bed rails. It seems to only be cosmetic but the 2 strips that hold the seams together under the front tongue area on each have come slightly loose which is sort of visible in the pics. The owner assures me it can be easily fixed.One of the things that appeal to me is this trailer has no foul smells like others we have looked at and seems to have been maintained well. Being an older model, I wanted to check with yall before purchasing as I have the cash in hand ready to go. Being NEWBIES to the rv world we are a little uneasy since it has taken a long time for us to save this $.Sorry for the long post and THANKS!!!!

SunnyBrook were well made, but at that age maintenance is more important. If the rig has no water damage, it might work out.That appears to be the 24CKS, which we DIDN'T buy when we were looking for a rig that size, largely because the Northwoods 24-5N (Nash or Arctic Fox) had more storage, for a rig that size, then the Sunny.That is the biggest down side to that model, not much storage and almost no cloths closet. Which is why the DW insisted we go with the Northwoods. More closet space. Make your wife look at the closet space and figure out where she is going to put her cloths.

That is a very small unit to full time in. Looks like a lack of storage and not very comfortable seating. My guess is you would be looking for something larger after a few months.

The problem is you bought a 3/4 ton truck and then started looking at fifth wheels. You need to take the truck to a scale, and see what it's weight is. Find the GVWR on the drivers door, and subtract the empty weight. You will get a cargo rating. Take away the 150 pounds for the hitch, what your driver and passenger weight is, and anything else you might carry in the truck.You might have a 8,000 pound truck and a 9,200 GVWR. That is no good for towing a fifth wheel, as you can only carry 1,200 pounds, barely enough for a travel trailer. Fifth wheels have a heavy hitch pin weight in addition to the hitch that is around 150 - 200 pounds of steel! So a 10,000 pound fifth wheel typically has a 2,000 pound pin weight. While a travel trailer the same length might have a 10,000 GVWR and 1,200 pound hitch weight. The hitch weight distribution system might add another 75 pounds too that weight.So check the weight of the truck. If it is under 7,500 pounds, you might have a great truck to tow a small and light fifth wheel. 8,000 pounds and you have to be careful packing the truck to avoid overloading it while towing a travel trailer.Good luck,Fred.

PS, as I recall it originally came with a recliner (it's been over a decade, so I could be wrong).But I know couples that do extended (multi-month) trips in a 24-5N, but it has about 10x the closet space and more basement storage.We only moved on as the DW was having increasing troubles with no being able to stand up in the bedroom

Looks like a well maintained fiver, apart from the nose damage. Likely just cosmetic, that aluminum is thin but the frame should handle being dropped. It's a fairly easy repair. Pull off the rubber strip on the trim to expose the screws, undo them and cut any caulking away. Slide the old piece out and reverse the process with new. Check for any possible frame damage while you're at it since you won't be able to see it before purchase.Check all areas for water damage and mold, especially corners and the storage compartments. Why was the roof replaced? If it meets all your needs, checks out mechanically and you think you could full-time in it comfortably without getting divorced, go for it. Who are we to say what would make you, or more importantly the wife, happy. Just make sure your truck has the capacity to handle it too.

Wannabe Fulltimers!! How does this 5th wheel look to buy?

kyle86
Explorer
Aug 07, 2015
Old-Biscuit wrote:
Most times a 5th wheel is 'DROPPED' onto bed of truck........truck bed/sidewalls take a lot of damage and 5vr overhang just has cosmetic damage to front/sides.
Actual damage to pin box/overhang frame area is unusual from being dropped.

Pin box/frame damage does occur but that is typically due to poor mfg. methods/lousy welds/incompetent welders.

Overhang panel (under neath area) would have to be removed to inspect for any pin box/frame damage.....but chances are good just cosmetic to aluminum/trim

Just curious......
Workcamping is OK for getting a free camp site but do you have an income to cover monthly bills/needs? We didn't work camp cause we didn't want to just park and live in an RV....we traveled.

We FTd for 7 yrs. GREAT Adventure/Wonderful Lifestyle BUT does take a monthly income/source PLUS that 'special fund' >>>>>>> JUST IN CASE FUND

Good luck!!

Thank you! That puts my mind to ease a bit. On an aluminum subframe trailer, is the area around the kingpin aluminum too or is that normally steel? Even if the aluminum frame is bent slightly I doubt it could cause any problems unless broken welds like you say.

As for income, we plan to rent out our home and a family member is going to handle it for us for at least the first year. We expect about $400 a month income from that. We have done a good bit of saving. I plan to have $5000 emergency fund for home set aside in case something like the AC goes out or roof needs repair while we are gone. We plan to have about $5000 to get us started on our camping adventure, and a $3000 emergency fund to carry with us cash which is to be used only under emergency situation such as break down or major repairs.

We have considered many different options as well such as workamping jobs that pay salary in addition to campsite. We have seen these listed on various websites. Also resorts, temp agencys, theme parks, maybe cruise ships, etc. We also would like to try working for amazon or the beet harvest. Basically we are willing to do what we have to to get by. Since we have no kids or pets, it is just the two of us. We will both scrub toilets, wash dishes, or whatever needed.

Since we both have various work experience and bachelor degrees, we can always rely on those to find "real jobs" if the situation calls for it. We could even have one of us workamp for the campsite while the other works a real job. In fact we would both be thrilled to find good paying jobs that we could get our careers started in. We are very open provided we are getting great life experiences. Our current lives are a tad mundane and repetitive.

edit: We really want to spend time with eachother. Hopefully whatever we end up doing we can do it together for the most part.
Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Aug 07, 2015
Most times a 5th wheel is 'DROPPED' onto bed of truck........truck bed/sidewalls take a lot of damage and 5vr overhang just has cosmetic damage to front/sides.
Actual damage to pin box/overhang frame area is unusual from being dropped.

Pin box/frame damage does occur but that is typically due to poor mfg. methods/lousy welds/incompetent welders.

Overhang panel (under neath area) would have to be removed to inspect for any pin box/frame damage.....but chances are good just cosmetic to aluminum/trim

Just curious......
Workcamping is OK for getting a free camp site but do you have an income to cover monthly bills/needs? We didn't work camp cause we didn't want to just park and live in an RV....we traveled.

We FTd for 7 yrs. GREAT Adventure/Wonderful Lifestyle BUT does take a monthly income/source PLUS that 'special fund' >>>>>>> JUST IN CASE FUND

Good luck!!
2gypsies1
Explorer III
Aug 07, 2015
I see absolutely no problem with the floorplan. It looks like a very nice unit for that price. Just have that hitch area damage checked out carefully. That would be my main concern.
kyle86
Explorer
Aug 07, 2015
I am willing to pass this one up if the unknown damage is a real concern. We could probably be willing to go to 10k for a trailer. I just don't want to pass this one up if it seems to be a really good deal. I received a pm from someone who advised me that we wouldn't be happy in this one due to the floor plan. I am starting to re-think this one. I have until the 13th to make a decision as that is when the owner gets back from his vacation trip.
kyle86
Explorer
Aug 07, 2015
mayo30 wrote:
I would be very concerned about the supposedly minor damage to the hitch area.In order for the aluminum to be bent the frame had to have moved up a considerable amount,that is also why the trim strips are detached.There is definite structural damage under there.

This was my initial thought and my biggest concern. It's a shame since the roof is so nice and rest of the camper is so nice. Would such structural damage actually make a difference in towing or safety or is it just a cosmetic blemish? How do I need to approach this? The owner is pretty firm at 7k.
mayo30
Explorer
Aug 07, 2015
I would be very concerned about the supposedly minor damage to the hitch area.In order for the aluminum to be bent the frame had to have moved up a considerable amount,that is also why the trim strips are detached.There is definite structural damage under there.
Bird_Freak
Explorer II
Aug 07, 2015
I think you are right on track for a great adventure! If you wanted another opinion on the camper I would bet if you state what part of Ga. you are in someone local would be glad to go over it with you.
Have fun!
Mote
Explorer
Aug 07, 2015
Sounds like a good adventure awaits you and your wife.
The camper looks to be in decent shape. We typically by older campers as we like to pay cash and since we don't camp a lot we won't have a lot of money sitting around in the driveway being unused.
If the roof looks good, and the walls and floor don't have any soft spots it should be okay. Other things to check are the refrigerator, stove, water heater and furnace. Also, be sure to put water in the tank, turn on the pump and check for leaks.
valhalla360
Navigator
Aug 07, 2015
Without seeing it in person, I can't speak to the damage but it looks mostly cosmetic.

We have been very happy with our sunnybrooke though it is slightly larger (but by no means a monster). Yes, check the weights but it's a fairly small unit so it's probably fine.
kyle86
Explorer
Aug 07, 2015
CA Traveler wrote:
Wow what a fantastic adventure you're own. You'll get a lot of "look at this, consider this" etc etc etc. Good advice but bite the bullet and go for it - it's not like we're giving information to a retired couple and it's not like I even remotely considered a RV in my twenties - well OK boats were the plan at that age.

Life's an adventure.

The only real long term advice I can add - are you BOTH on board? Then make a choice and LEARN just like all of us have learned!

Wow thank you for the kind words and advice!!! :D

Living on a boat would be one heck of an adventure on it's own. I have a friend who crewed on a sail boat for a couple months and said it was amazing. I had a life changing experience a year ago that made me step back and examine my life with a different perspective. When I brought up the idea to my wife, she was shocked that I had considered getting an RV and moving out of our home town. The idea grew on her immediately and she is on board 100%. I couldn't ask for a better life partner. She is my soul mate. When I brought the idea up to one of our long time friends, one said "hold on, first that idea is awesome!!! Second, I can't believe the words that are coming out of your mouth!!" Lol my family and friends are shocked but mostly have positive responses. Everyone thought we were settled down and waiting on us to have kids.

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