5th wheeling, any regrets????

[sunblade50]

Hi All!

We are exploring our options when I retire in January. One of them, the one I am most geeked about is purchasing a fifth wheel rig. We have a park home that we can summer in in Homer Michigan. What we are thinking about doing is selling our main house and purchasing a fifth wheel rig and spend our winters traveling.
This has probably been posted before, but what I would like to know is what are the pluses and minuses about this lifestyle?
I understand that if we don't like it we will have to probably take a big hit on selling the rig.
Is there any places that will lease a rig for a year?

Thanks in advance for any help in this matter.

[Bob_Shaw]

Just my humble opinion, but if you buy a good used trailer, the depreciation, when you go to sell it, will probably be less than what it will cost to rent one for a long term rental. Even if you get less for it, you're probably not going to take a huge hit. Since you've already been RV'ing, you're mainly concerned with snowbirding over the winter. Lots of discussion on that and where to go. Personally, I like south-central Florida for more consistent warmth. What I like about snowbirding is the camaraderie you develop with the other snowbirders. I have more friends in Florida than I do at home. Another good thing is that it lets you stay active all winter. I'm not a big fan of sitting in the house to stay warm all winter. I have a lot of friends who snowbird and either have park models, on-site trailers or small houses back up north and love it.

[Parrothead_Mike]

You might check with a larger Michigan dealer like General RV to see if they might consider renting, but I'm betting that they don't. Some smaller RV dealers may consider 1 or 2 week rental during the warmer months with one of their used models. You could advertise in your local news paper or Craig's List asking about renting someone's 5th wheel, but be sure to own a good tow vehicle with an installed hitch first. Some parks in Florida actually rent out 5th wheels/TTs/park models that are on-site.

Buying used is always a good option, but for a decent size/quality 5th wheel that is 2-5 years old you'll still be looking at $20-30+K. New is always a option, but as previously mentioned, it is a depreciating item (which almost everything is except for a sticks & brick home/condo).

Don't give up on your dream. We've traveled far and wide with our two 5th wheels over the past 12 years with the past 3 winters as snowbirders. If you enjoy the traveling with your partner then by all means follow your plan. If you change your minds after a few years then so be it.

[pawatt]

I suggest buying used too as most likely in a few years your needs or wants will change and you will save a ton on depreciation. We had travel trailer, fifth wheel, park models and now a Snowbird house in the past 12 years. We still have a 5th wheel too.

[RVcrazy]

You do not indicate what you have for a tow vehicle. Pulling a fiver requires an appropriate truck equipped with a good hitch. If you do not already own a heavy duty truck, you will want one... Renting a fiver may not make sense because of the tow vehicle requirements.

We decided to go full time and sold the house. Although it has only been 10 months, we have no regrets. We bought a used Nuwa Hitchhiker 5th wheel that was refurbished by the former factory. We believe we have the best of both worlds: a quality unit at a more affordable price. We used to have a travel trailer, but didn't want to go with a long unit. For most-of-the-time living, you will likely want creature comforts that are not usually found in a vacation style travel trailer. Since this our home, we made a list of what we each wanted to find in a unit: recliners, fireplace, king bed etc. Nuwa made some changes for us in the unit we purchased. Good luck with your decision!

[valhalla360]

Plenty of areas to explore. You may have to deal with an occasional hard freeze but Georgia and most of the gulf coast are pretty nice in winter (highs in the 50's are realy nice compared to highs in the teens). If you spend Nov/Dec and Mar/Apr, in the mid sections and save Jan/Feb for the deep south, you shouldn't have much issue with hard freezes. (they have furnaces that can keep you warm on the cold days)

Buy a used 5th wheel and keep a tight lid on the price with the idea that you can always trade in later if you want bigger or newer and you are unlikely to lose much if the lifestyle doesn't meet your liking.

[almcc]

Ah, a change from a trailer to a 5th wheel. We haven't pulled anything other than a 5th wheel before, but it might be easier to hitch/unhitch a 5er compared to a trailer. You may also enjoy the increased ceiling height of a 5th wheel depending on the model you get.

One other consideration for you. There will came a time when you have to "hang up the keys" and go to a permanent location, if that park model isn't suitable for habitation during the winter you will have a problem. You may want to consider not selling your home (sell the park model instead) if that's where you want to be on a permanent basis

[sunblade50]

Thank you all for your great advice. I will definitely check into renting a 5th wheel rig. Any suggestions on places in Michigan that rent them for the week or two weeks?
Also in answer to one of the questions posted, we have been members of Lighthouse Village for 32 years now. Started with a Coleman Pop-up, then a 29' Vega, then a 35' Aljo Ally. We now have a nice park home for the summer months. So that said, we are pretty comfortable being around each other in small spaces.
I feel that if we don't do this it will be something we will both regret for the rest of our lives. I will be 66 in March and will be retiring in January. We travel well together and both enjoy traveling to places with no particular destination in mind.
Thanks again for your feedback everyone!!!:)

[jmtandem]

We are exploring our options when I retire in January. One of them, the one I am most geeked about is purchasing a fifth wheel rig. We have a park home that we can summer in in Homer Michigan. What we are thinking about doing is selling our main house and purchasing a fifth wheel rig and spend our winters traveling.
This has probably been posted before, but what I would like to know is what are the pluses and minuses about this lifestyle?
I understand that if we don't like it we will have to probably take a big hit on selling the rig.
Is there any places that will lease a rig for a year?

Thanks in advance for any help in this matter.

You might enjoy these webpages. LoveYourRV and Escapees

[amandasgramma]

We bought a couple of small 5ers (21 foot then 26 ft) and now are up to a 34 foot 5er. The small ones helped us to decide if we liked 1) RVing for more than a few weeks and 2) whether we could handle the steps. I have a left knee that is almost totally eaten up with arthritis. I don't run in and out of the 5er a lot, I'm careful with how I step down and climb the stairs. We sold our home last fall and are now full-timing and can't imagine going back to a stick built house in time in the near future!!!!

I say buy a used one.....mainly because you have no idea until you live in a couple of rigs what floor plan you may find good for YOU. Buy cheaply but wisely (have it checked out first) and give it a spin. We sold the 1st 21 footer for more than we bought it for......and plan on doing that with the 2nd. (course, at $3000. purchase price, we weren't in for a big loss either).

Happy travels!

[TomG2]

I would buy new if possible. I love having a warranty and knowledge of the trailers history. Consider a motor home if you plan to travel travel travel. If you intend to sit in one place all winter then a park model may be preferable. The point is, just buying a fifth wheel is only the beginning and an expensive one if you don't have a plan. There are advantages/disadvantages to all forms of RV's.

[Go_Dogs]

Just economically speaking-Are you planning on selling your house and using the proceeds to buy an RV? If so, you will be selling an asset to buy a depreciating item. Not a good idea.
You should also consider having a plan B. In case of illness, accident, or dislike for the lifestyle.

[hermy]

First of all, I agree with filrupmark- buy used to avoid the huge depreciation hit. Secondly, yes, every style of RV has its advantages and disadvantages. What suits you the best is totally governed by how you will be using your rig and your lifestyle. TTs have few steps and are lower to the ground but often have less storage. Motorhomes can be spendy and you will probably have to outfit a vehicle to tow behind- but are probably the most comfortable for long distance driving. 5th wheels tow nicely and have lots of storage (usually) but have plenty of steps to navigate. Everything has its good points. As far as the lifestyle goes I see no downsides as long as everyone is healthy. If health becomes and issue then everything changes but you only have to cross that bridge if it becomes necessary. For us the 5th wheel works perfectly and we love the lifestyle of being able to go where we wish and follow great weather. Make smart choices and have a ball!

[John_Joey]

sunblade50 wrote:
...and spend our winters traveling...

I think this was the biggest shock when we first started to snowbird was the small area we had to explore. Unless you head into Mexico, your travel area will be very limited due to cold temps. You'll have California, Arizona, Texas, and Florida to explore, pretty much anything under I10 will be warm in the middle of winter.

For your other questions, the statement of buying good used was a good one. We love snowbirding/exploring just like Al, but I agree it's not for everyone. A one week rental might be a good thing to see if both like it enough to spend months at a time.

Now for the story :E :W. Bellied up to a bar a few years ago for happy hour when another couple sat down next to us. They asked us what we were doing and we said we were RV snowbirds. Turns out they were leaving the next day to California for a month, they were in Texas for a month already. Their story was they were FT's then RV snowbirds, and now using the internet rent monthly in various states during the winter. They move from state to state and explore that area. Kinda made a lot of sense the more I thought about it.

[tomman58]

We have a 40' TT (we are not liking 5ers, steps and upstairs BR). That said ,we live in our TT 6 to7 months a year and welcome our home when we return.The space inside ANY trailer is very limited compared to a house, 270 sq ft to 2600 sq ft. If you are not cozy with the DW and are not used to spending almost every moment with her you'll have problems. Just saying.

[filrupmark]

Buy a good used rig . If you don't like it you wont take a BIG HIT. Just a small hit or none.