Advice for a short Premium Fifth Wheel

[work2much]

Any advice? Looking for a true 4 season trailer with good tank sizes built on a high quality frame and construction. Weight is not an issue but would like to stay at under 30 feet.

[Me_Again]

work2much wrote:
Any advice? Looking for a true 4 season trailer with good tank sizes built on a high quality frame and construction. Weight is not an issue but would like to stay at under 30 feet.

You state "high quality frame and construction" and then talk about buying a GD Reflection which is just a mid range unit!

Confused????

Chris

[work2much]

goducks10 wrote:

work2much wrote:

goducks10 wrote:

work2much wrote:
Thanks for the responses.

Not interested in Arctic Fox. We currently have one of their truck campers and have to say I don't consider it quality construction. At the last RV show we went to I looked at one of their 5th wheels and wasn't impressed.To me it looked like the quality has decreased over the last 10 years from when our TC was made.

I think we may go with a Grand Design Reflection which has models around 30 feet king to bumper. They also make a nicer trailer in the Solitude line but not in 30 foot size.

Like a previous poster we want more maneuverability. It's just the two of us so we don't need more floor space than a 28-30 trailer provides.

http://www.granddesignowners.com/forum/showthread.php/10479-Back-falloff

Link doesn't work. I joined the group but still telling me I don't have privilege to access this thread. I take it this is someone having a problem with their trailer?

He has a Reflection 5er. He backed up and ran into a car and the lower right or left corner of the 5er caught on a seam on the front of the car where the front bumper and fender are joined. The dent was very small, maybe 3-4". When he pulled ahead the corner of the 5er caught whole rear cap ripped off. He has about 12-15 pics showing the cap leaning up against the 5er and then the whole rear exposed. Many short cuts and it shows a lack of QC as there weren't very many screws holding the cap on. On the lower part of the cap where it's supposed to be screwed into some aluminum the assembler completely missed the aluminum and it went into the edge of the OSB board. Very shabby. It also shows the roof insulation stopping short of the rear of the 5er. Looks like about where the rear upper cabinets are. The guy is up a creek on the whole thing, which you can gather from reading.
In all the reading I've done in the last 5-6 years I've never seen anything like it. It makes having a frame crack or a slide out leak seem like a minor issue.
I think you have to join to see the pics.

Ok, I was able to see them after a moderator approved me for the group. Interesting hearing some of the responses. In my opinion it is easy to see why the back end of his trailer ripped off so easy. It is quite revealing to see how this was constructed with pretty cheap materials and a big fail on construction details. Thanks for posting.

[work2much]

gmcsmoke wrote:
I wouldn't consider 50 gallons of fresh water from GD a good tank size

Well, it's 60, but I have to agree. More would be better for extended booddocking.

[work2much]

rickeoni wrote:
Any OSB in an RV is a giant cut in quality and is price driven.
Very few short quality fifth wheels on the market. Quality is what is under the skin, not the bling on the outside.

Exactly. I see from your sig you have a Outdoors RV. Honestly I have never heard of them but looking through their website they seem well made and shorter floor plans are available. Maybe this is what I have been looking for!

Have you been happy with yours?

[rickeoni]

Any OSB in an RV is a giant cut in quality and is price driven.
Very few short quality fifth wheels on the market. Quality is what is under the skin, not the bling on the outside.

[goducks10]

work2much wrote:

goducks10 wrote:

work2much wrote:
Thanks for the responses.

Not interested in Arctic Fox. We currently have one of their truck campers and have to say I don't consider it quality construction. At the last RV show we went to I looked at one of their 5th wheels and wasn't impressed.To me it looked like the quality has decreased over the last 10 years from when our TC was made.

I think we may go with a Grand Design Reflection which has models around 30 feet king to bumper. They also make a nicer trailer in the Solitude line but not in 30 foot size.

Like a previous poster we want more maneuverability. It's just the two of us so we don't need more floor space than a 28-30 trailer provides.

http://www.granddesignowners.com/forum/showthread.php/10479-Back-falloff

Link doesn't work. I joined the group but still telling me I don't have privilege to access this thread. I take it this is someone having a problem with their trailer?

He has a Reflection 5er. He backed up and ran into a car and the lower right or left corner of the 5er caught on a seam on the front of the car where the front bumper and fender are joined. The dent was very small, maybe 3-4". When he pulled ahead the corner of the 5er caught whole rear cap ripped off. He has about 12-15 pics showing the cap leaning up against the 5er and then the whole rear exposed. Many short cuts and it shows a lack of QC as there weren't very many screws holding the cap on. On the lower part of the cap where it's supposed to be screwed into some aluminum the assembler completely missed the aluminum and it went into the edge of the OSB board. Very shabby. It also shows the roof insulation stopping short of the rear of the 5er. Looks like about where the rear upper cabinets are. The guy is up a creek on the whole thing, which you can gather from reading.
In all the reading I've done in the last 5-6 years I've never seen anything like it. It makes having a frame crack or a slide out leak seem like a minor issue.
I think you have to join to see the pics.

[gmcsmoke]

I wouldn't consider 50 gallons of fresh water from GD a good tank size

[eb145]

Look at the Bighorn 3270RS.

[work2much]

goducks10 wrote:

work2much wrote:
Thanks for the responses.

Not interested in Arctic Fox. We currently have one of their truck campers and have to say I don't consider it quality construction. At the last RV show we went to I looked at one of their 5th wheels and wasn't impressed.To me it looked like the quality has decreased over the last 10 years from when our TC was made.

I think we may go with a Grand Design Reflection which has models around 30 feet king to bumper. They also make a nicer trailer in the Solitude line but not in 30 foot size.

Like a previous poster we want more maneuverability. It's just the two of us so we don't need more floor space than a 28-30 trailer provides.

http://www.granddesignowners.com/forum/showthread.php/10479-Back-falloff

Link doesn't work. I joined the group but still telling me I don't have privilege to access this thread. I take it this is someone having a problem with their trailer?

[goducks10]

work2much wrote:
Thanks for the responses.

Not interested in Arctic Fox. We currently have one of their truck campers and have to say I don't consider it quality construction. At the last RV show we went to I looked at one of their 5th wheels and wasn't impressed.To me it looked like the quality has decreased over the last 10 years from when our TC was made.

I think we may go with a Grand Design Reflection which has models around 30 feet king to bumper. They also make a nicer trailer in the Solitude line but not in 30 foot size.

Like a previous poster we want more maneuverability. It's just the two of us so we don't need more floor space than a 28-30 trailer provides.

http://www.granddesignowners.com/forum/showthread.php/10479-Back-falloff

[work2much]

Thanks for the responses.

Not interested in Arctic Fox. We currently have one of their truck campers and have to say I don't consider it quality construction. At the last RV show we went to I looked at one of their 5th wheels and wasn't impressed.To me it looked like the quality has decreased over the last 10 years from when our TC was made.

I think we may go with a Grand Design Reflection which has models around 30 feet king to bumper. They also make a nicer trailer in the Solitude line but not in 30 foot size.

Like a previous poster we want more maneuverability. It's just the two of us so we don't need more floor space than a 28-30 trailer provides.

[Rjdreyer]

Montana 3000RE < 36 ft.

[Veebyes]

I guess the few quality builders out there think people do not want quality in a small size. Tough to find, even 10 years ago.

Start with the tankage. That will eliminate a bunch of builders right away. Anything with less than 80gal FW got scratched right away. That left a very short list of builders. Next came floorplan, galley in particular. That knocked it down to 3 or 4 models. The hunt started from there. Had to be one of those models.

[Me_Again]

AF is about the only manufacture that builds what you want.

Chris

[greende]

Padlin wrote:
Do you consider 3 hrs close? There's a AF dealer in Milton Pa. We made the drive a few years back, nice folks.

I would travel that far. Right now they only have one used AF there. The one new unit they have has been sold. If I saw a unit in person that I liked, I would be willing to order one.