5th Wheel Age

Rusty,

Thanks for the heads up on the GVWR and GAWR. The rigs we are looking at using the 20-23% rule off of the Trailers GVWR we are around 900-1200 below the trucks payload rating. We also don't put anything extra in the truck. So I believe we are OK.

Thanks again for the information, as there are people that don't take that into consideration or know to. Information is knowledge.

ldmc wrote:
As for the Truck, I have been watching the weights of the full time rigs and there are many out there that are well within the ratings of the truck, but thanks for the input on it. We just don't want a Dually so that just makes our choices limited a little.

The problem with a single rear wheel truck is not how much it will pull (trailer tow rating), it's how much it will carry (GVWR and rear GAWR ratings). There are a lot of threads here that deal with sizing a tow vehicle and a 5th wheel, so I won't go into that, but be sure to work off the trailer's GVWR, not its dry weights, since you'll be full-timing in it, and figure 20-23% of the GVWR will be pin weight that must be carried by the truck.

I'm not aware of "many full time rigs that are well within the ratings" of a SRW truck. I guess that depends on what one considers to be a full-time rig....

Rusty

Looks like the majority of all replies agree that I need to look for a used one now and buy new just before I retire.

That is what I was thinking, but wanted to get opinions of others who have been down this same road. So I now need to start looking at a good condition used rig.

As for the Truck, I have been watching the weights of the full time rigs and there are many out there that are well within the ratings of the truck, but thanks for the input on it. We just don't want a Dually so that just makes our choices limited a little.

I did the same thing and I'm sorry I did. I bought my FW 15 years out and at 10 years old everything seems to be breaking on it. I wish I had held on a few years and just put the money I would have spent on a payment back and used it for a down payment. I figure it's going to cost me at least $3000 in repairs to get my RV ready to travel.

I would save my money and buy it used in eight years when you retire.

used. you'll want to change by the time you retire

Ten years seems a long time to be buying ahead. As noted above, technology will change dramatically in that time, as will your tastes. I would buy a used 5th that meets your needs now, and take the money you aren't spending on a new full time unit and put it in a special savings fund for your retirement trailer. Then pay cash for it then.

I also agree that your SRW will not be enough for a full timer unit, even if under 37'. I have been looking, and to get a trailer that has quality and holds up to full time, they are much heavier.

Mark

With all respect, I'm not sure that your stated desire to move up to a full-time 5th wheel is compatible with a SRW truck as a tow vehicle. Our Mobile Suites (see signature) has a 19,000 lb GVWR; the same model in Elite Suites trim with the same frame and suspension has a 21,000 lb GVWR - that is definitely dually territory!

If your wife is comfortable towing with a SRW pickup, then she will adapt easily to towing with a dually. We've been towing 5th wheels with Ram duallies since 1996, and my wife is quite comfortable driving the truck either when towing or around town after we arrive at our destination and unhitch the 5th wheel. The rule of thumb she uses is, if the mirrors will fit, then the rear fenders will fit. It's just a matter of getting used to it.

As far as your original question, we traded in a 2004 Mobile Suites 36RE3 that we had owned since new to get our 2014.5 Mobile Suites 38RSSA. I'll be retiring at the end of this year, and we decided that we didn't really want to go into retirement with a 10 year old 5th wheel, despite the fact that it was in excellent condition. The newer MS had features that weren't common or available on the 2004 such as disc brakes, automatic leveling, residential refrigerator, etc.

If this will be your first 5th wheel, I'd recommend buying a used full-time rig and use it for a few years; you'll quickly learn what you like and don't like about your choice so that when you buy that next 5th wheel for full-timing, you'll have a "must have" list based on your personal experience. Seldom does the first 5th wheel, despite how nice it looks on the showroom, meet all your expectations after you've lived in it for awhile - our first 30' single slide 1996 Jayco Designer 3030RKSS was great until we took a 2 week vacation. By the end of that vacation, we both decided that it was just too small and claustrophobic. We kept it until 2000 when it was replaced with a Jayco Designer XL 3610RLTS.

Rusty

We've been shopping rigs and am downsizing a bit. At this point we have it narrowed to two different makes and floor plans. Just this morning we've been discussing how to set up each on as far as where things go on the inside, looking for the long run in a few years when we will both be retired. We have no plans to full time.

Thanks for all you options/experiences. Please keep them coming.

One thing that we have decided on is that the length will be under 37'. We have learned in our years of traveling that we want a shorter rig for more choices to camp in and do not want to have to go to a dually. DW just doesn't want to drive a dually, she is comfortable towing with a SWB.