buying a 5th wheel trailers

[etcssw]

My wife and I are about three years from retirement at which time we are going to sell our house and become full time RV's. We presently own a travel trailer that we want to upgrade to a fifth wheel next year. Here's our problem we want to go with a lite weight fifth wheel but we are not sure that a a lite weight fifth wheel can hold up to the constant earth quake that a full time RV'er puts them through. Please, if you know that one manufacture/type is better than another I'd like to hear your opinion. As you fifth wheel owners will tell me the truth and not a sales pitch. Thank-You and Fair winds and Following Seas.

[bfast54]

etcssw wrote:
We have been looking at trailers and 5th wheelers and I don't see were there is a vacation or full time rating on them so if I'm not looking in the right place for the rating please tell me where to look for this. As for the one response I've been thinking about ordering a unit from the factory but at this time I'm not sure who builds the best full time rig. We are not rich but we are doing well and just as buying a home we want to buy the right unit. Summer months will find us in the mountains of Idaho and the winters in Maryland/Virginia. So the summers wont be real hot and the winters (most) years wont be sub zero but they do get snow. Thanks Fair winds and Following Seas

In all fairness,,,,,,,DRV,which makes Mobile Suites, Select Suites,etc.....is the one of only a very few,who Warrenty their rig,for FULL TIME USE.
Space Craft may also......

I recently toured the Mobile Suites plant.......wow......you do get what you pay for......BUT...YOU WILL PAY.....

I.E.......heavy,quality built......double frames....built to be on the road.


Sorry to say.......with the roads the way they are......and full time needs, there is NO SUCH ANIMAL.... as you are looking for.

Do not go cheap........you will regret it.....This is your New House, on wheels.......research it.

YOU may find a Jayco,Cardinal,Cedar Creek, etc...... in upper end,that are nice,and will work......But, if you say.....You are fulltiming in them......they Will Not Cover that use in warrenty.....,ask,......and read fine print.....buyer beware.

You are going to need a 1 ton dually at minuminm......to pull a REAL FULLTIME unit.

It js good you are starting early,in reasearch.

[Atom_Ant]

I'm just curious what your motive is for lightweight? Fuel?

If you have any option for a truck as you say, I would lean towards the heaviest units I could find to carry with me for the next decade or so.

[n7bsn]

etcssw wrote:
We have been looking at trailers and 5th wheelers and I don't see were there is a vacation or full time rating on them so if I'm not looking in the right place for the rating please tell me where to look for this. As for the one response I've been thinking about ordering a unit from the factory but at this time I'm not sure who builds the best full time rig. We are not rich but we are doing well and just as buying a home we want to buy the right unit. Summer months will find us in the mountains of Idaho and the winters in Maryland/Virginia. So the summers wont be real hot and the winters (most) years wont be sub zero but they do get snow. Thanks Fair winds and Following Seas

The builders don't "rate" them, that rating comes from owners and places like the RV Consumers Group link

With your projected winter home, you have to get a "Four Season" rated rig. My list (currently in production) would be Excel by Peterson Industries, New Horizon, Arctic Fox by Northwood and the new company that people from Carriage started (name spaced). If NuWa ever restarts production they would be included on that list.

Edit...PS if you get serious on Arctic Fox, the factory is in eastern Oregon and a "stones through" from Idaho, the dealer in LaGrande might be a great place to go through, being the closest dealer to the factory they get some real deals on cost

PPS, check the warranty terms, if they state "full time living voids the warranty" (and many week-end/vacation rated units do) they aren't up to what you want.

[etcssw]

We have been looking at trailers and 5th wheelers and I don't see were there is a vacation or full time rating on them so if I'm not looking in the right place for the rating please tell me where to look for this. As for the one response I've been thinking about ordering a unit from the factory but at this time I'm not sure who builds the best full time rig. We are not rich but we are doing well and just as buying a home we want to buy the right unit. Summer months will find us in the mountains of Idaho and the winters in Maryland/Virginia. So the summers wont be real hot and the winters (most) years wont be sub zero but they do get snow. Thanks Fair winds and Following Seas

[Ramblin_Recks]

etcssw wrote:
My wife and I are about three years from retirement at which time we are going to sell our house and become full time RV's. We presently own a travel trailer that we want to upgrade to a fifth wheel next year. Here's our problem we want to go with a lite weight fifth wheel but we are not sure that a a lite weight fifth wheel can hold up to the constant earth quake that a full time RV'er puts them through. Please, if you know that one manufacture/type is better than another I'd like to hear your opinion. As you fifth wheel owners will tell me the truth and not a sales pitch. Thank-You and Fair winds and Following Seas.

First off, I agree that most Lite 5ers are built comparable to a vacation type TT. There are some that look really nice, but they are "Lite" for a variety of reasons, not just cheaply built, but there is usually a difference on options.

We spent three years looking and dreaming. Each time we went to an RV show, we would only focus on one type of 5er to compare apples to apples. We quickly realized the only floor plans we were comfortable with started at 36 feet. Then we came to the conclusion that we had a list of options that were "must-haves" for our own creature comforts. Once we figured out what we really wanted to live in, the choice was easier, because then the discriminating factor was $$$$.
We chose the best 5er in our opinion that would meet our needs that we could reasonably afford. This is the first purchase that we have ever special ordered from the factory, because we really knew what we wanted and didn't want to settle. Are there "better' more expensive options out there? I'm sure,but not for us ! We'll get our new CC 36ckts in 4 more weeks.
Good luck and safe travels,
Reck

[gitane59]

ETCSSW Welcome To RV.NET
There are many options available to you, but alot depends on your wants and needs and budget.
Where you plan to spend the bulk of your time will make a big difference in the onboard amenities and the audio and thermal insulating values of your fifthwheel that will make your fulltime living comfortable.
Where you plan to spend the bulk of your time also will dictate the maximum size of fifthwheel that you will want to purchase. If state park are your type you will want ot limit your size to 32-34 ft maximum.
If you plan to go off the grid quite a bit boondocking you will want weight capacity for a generator and solar panels
What brand of trailer do you now own and how often do you currently use? With lite weight units all components are not biult for constant day after day of use. Cutlery drawers in low-end lite vacation units with plastic runners and plastic brackets are opened and closed 15-25 times per day which for a vacation unit which equals 600-1000 times per year assuming 10 weekends and 2 weeks use during the summer time.
Fulltime use would result in you opening and closed a drawer full of all your fulltime cutlery needs 5000-9200 times per year. How well do you think a lite weight unit with plastic hardware will stand up to this quantity of use.

Make sure you purchase the correct unit once and not waste your money on the wrong unit and become very disillusioned.
What do you plan to use for a tow vehicle? The size of TV will determine the weight of trailer that you can safely stop and control while towing.
I strongly suggest a used (3-5 year old) mid to high-end unit and a TV capable of the weight.
Keep asking questions as that is the only way to learn and avoid costly mistakes.

[hmknightnc]

etcssw wrote:
As for a tow vehicle we are lucky our son is the Sales Manager for a large group of dealerships. So we will be able to get whatever we will need at a good price. I just want to make sure that whatever 5th wheel we get it last us for a good long time.

If your planning on using full time get a high quality FW. You don't want to be messing around with cheap materials in your "home". Not getting cheap materials means a heavy FW in your case.

My family spends a lot of time on the road showing horses and we have a mid-level FW. Works very well for us but I wouldn't want to deal with it as a full time rig.

[etcssw]

As for a tow vehicle we are lucky our son is the Sales Manager for a large group of dealerships. So we will be able to get whatever we will need at a good price. I just want to make sure that whatever 5th wheel we get it last us for a good long time.

[YnotTurbo]

Good evening Shipmate,,, If you plan on full timing it I would recommend spending a little more money and get a fiver that will keep you and the wife comfortable with better hardware and creature comforts. The heavy rv's do keep out sounds at campgrounds when you are trying to sleep. The interiors are a little nicer on some of the Mid to Upper level fivers. Not sure what you plan to tow the new fiver with, but you will want something comfortable as well.
There are a lot of light fivers, but you may not be able to get some options like automatic leveling or washer/dryer hookups. You are smart asking questions now. It will be too late once you buy your new unit. Welcome to the forum and if you have any other questions, just ask the Chief...

[n7bsn]

I've only ever "looked" at "lite" units, but I suspect you are correct that none are up to full-timing. I don't recall ever seeing a "lite" that was rated higher then "vacation" use (week-end, vacation, snow-bird, full-time)

There are lots of ol sailor types around here.