RVs and 5th wheels

The nice thing about a motor home is that you can access the amenities while going down the road. This is fantastic, especially with kids that have to go pee every 15 minutes. You can have someone grab you a drink or a snack, and passengers can get up and move around from time to time making for a more comfortable travel experience.

The downside to a MH is that if you want a travel vehicle when you get to where you are going you will have to tow one behind you.

The nice thing about a trailer is that you have a travel vehicle wherever you go. But you and all your passengers are traveling in a truck, and if you need your amenities you have to pull over.

I have three big pieces of advice for anyone buying a used RV:

#1) Trust your nose! If you get in the RV and it smells like mildew or rot, walk away!. Water leaks are the death of RVs. And when you are smelling mold or mildew, you are almost guaranteed to have water damage somewhere, plus a leak that needs fixing. I have to take a daily allergy pill every time we use our RV because the mold in our RV sets off my allergies terribly.

#2) Check every single appliance to make sure it works. From water faucets to fridge to stove to generator. With water in the storage tank, turn on the water pump. Make sure it pressurizes the system and then shuts off. If it won't shut off, you've got a leak in your water lines! And if possible, let the appliance run for 10 minutes or so to make sure it's going to keep running. The generator on our RV ran when we checked it out, but it turned out it would shut down after about 20 minutes. That was $500 to fix. And if you find something that doesn't work, get an estimate on how much it will cost to fix. The broken cab air in our RV cost about $800 to fix.

#3) Google and learn how to interpret the date codes on tires. RV tires almost never expire due to tread wear, so you can't look at the tires and go, "Oh, the tires look good!". Tires have a life of about 5-6 years. They will age expire before the tread wears off. If the used RV you are buying has old tires, you'll need to factor in the cost of new ones. Our used RV had 10-year-old rear dual tires, 4-year-old front tires, and a 19-year-old spare. All were replaced to the tune of $1000.

Steve

I see you have listed home as London. London where? Somewhere in the US? Ontario? UK? ?Somewhere else?

If UK there are other matters which have to be taken care of before going shopping for a RV starting with where it is to be registered. Once that is done the serious shopping can begin.

Like anything else you will get what you pay for. Don't expect to get a top rated RV for an entry price. Do the research. I spent 2 years lurking on this site before buying.

Travel trailers used to be about all the same except for the length but now there are some with fancier interiors and some are called "Lite". Except for the top of the line models I think that all the interior parts are basically the same. Lately when I look at a new rv I head to the bathroom. Stand in the shower and move your arms around like you are washing. Then sit of the toilet. Than lay on the bed and check for length. Most of the rest of it is fluff.

Buying a 5th wheel without a rubber roof will be near impossible. Good luck

We had previous trailers and 5th wheels with a rubber roof. There's nothing wrong with them and they will last a long time if properly taken care of - mainly, keeping them clean. Dirt will deteriorate them fast. We've never had leaks or problems with them.

Also, you'll have to be careful about scrapping tree branches across the roof when pulling into campgrounds. They will tear.

Entry level RVs?? Sometimes that can be good, especially for first-timers. Most use their first one as a try-out. Sometimes they find they don't even like RVing but most often they find after using it for a while that they want a bigger one (or a smaller one) or more features or a different kind, etc. With an entry one you're not out of a lot of money if and when you want to change.

Consider buying a good used unit from recent years. By doing this you'll be able to better afford a unit that's not considered an entry one but still pay a new entry RV price. There are many excellent used ones out there. Good luck!

Our slide in pop up truck camper (whew!) by Hallmark has a one piece roof of fiberglas, as does the Four Wheel Camper of the same type. I believe Hallmark began in in 2006 (?) and FWC in 2011. But that's a whole other topic for TCers. We needed something like that for the rainy PNW. Good luck, happy trails.

"Rubber roofs" were an outright blessing to "RV's".
I wouldn't hesitate to buy another.

If you rule out rubber (synthetic fabric) roofs, you rule out at least 90% of what is made today. Fiberglass sheeting is used on only a few brands of motorhomes (but including some of the best selling) and metal or molded plastic shells on only the most expensive RVs of a given type and size.

The advice about "entry levels" is also bad, because among manufacturers that have "entry level" and more upscale product lines, the value models (a better name) have the same construction quality as upscale lines, they just aren't as ostentatiously fitted out. Go upscale there, you are buying more glitz.

If you are on a budget, particularly if buying new, entry (or value) model lines from major manufacturers are the most RV for your money. If you want to spend money, you don't go upscale with them, you go to a manufacturer that puts the money into building a better RV. Also, one manufacturer's entry level model (e.g. the line with the lowest prices) might be priced like someone else's line two or three levels up, but built better than anything they build at any price.

On a budget, you should be looking at volume manufacturers like Forest River, Coachmen, Thor's Dutchmen and Fourwinds lines in towables, some of the cheaper lines in Thor's Keystone brands, K-Z, Jayco, and a few others like Crossroads.

In motorized, again Forest River, Jayco, Thor (formerly branded FourWinds/Chateau/Dutchmen and Damon) and Fleetwood. But don't pass up higher quality possibilities like Winnebago, Monaco/Safari/Holiday Rambler, Newmar and Tiffen if shopping motorhomes and shopping used.

Most recreational vehicles\towables have rubber roofs.

IMO it's going to be difficult to limit the search to RVs without a rubber roof.
As stated rubber roofs last a very long time.

As noted above, RV is a generic term that refers to motorhomes (MH), travel trailers (TT), 5th wheel travel trailers (5er), pop up campers (PUP), truck campers (TC), etc.
As far as which is best for you, only you can decide based on how you intend to use it and your personal preferences.
MH - many like them because you can move around in it while traveling. But you will generally need a vehicle to tow behind it (toad as in towed) to get around after you get set up in camp. A MH will typically be more expensive than the other type RVs. Plus there is the maintenance needed for the extra engine/drive train.
TT or 5er - with a trailer you will need a capable tow vehicle, maybe 350/3500 truck (1 ton) if it is a heavier trailer. But that truck will also be your vehicle to get around after you get set up in camp. Smaller/lighter trailers can be pulled by lesser vehicles including SUVs, or even cars if the trailer is light enough.
We chose a 5th wheel trailer because of our usage. We use it 30-40 nights per year, but are typically only on the road 10 days or less per year. Did not make sense to have a motorized vehicle (motorhome) that would be driven 10 days per year and sit idle 355 days. But the 5er does still give us the floor space of a large motor home.
Rubber roofs have been around a long time. I don't see them as a particular concern.
I think you can find good entry level RVs. Sometimes the difference between entry level and mid level is the little things like fancier woodwork, nicer fixtures, larger appliances, etc. Not necessarily better quality, but nicer to look at.
Reading a lot and asking questions about particular brands/models and you can find out how satisfied/dissatisfied people are with them. Bear in mind that you will find people happy with most all of them, and people who have had problems with most all of them. Just have to weed out the best information you can.