considering buying a fifth wheel

One thing that I wished I had done before I purchased was to take a good look at the manufacturer books that come with the unit. I found out after the fact that if I had looked at them carefully, they told me what I could expect as far as how I use the unit and what will happen if I do something that it was not designed to do. For instance, I have an older 1994 5er and the Dometic refrigerator is not to be operated/turned on when the outside temperature is below 55 degrees!! If you plan on being strictly a summertime RVer, its probably not an issue with how it will be operated, but if you want flexibility in time of travel, best check to see what your rig can tolerate by reading the manuals. I think sometimes there are clues in those books, but few spend time looking at them.

Aside from what Old-Biscuit said need to inspect the roof and for any signs of leakage.

One weak spot on many 5th wheels is overloaded tires which means a lot of flat tires. Check to see if the brand name on all the tires match. If so that means it probably is OK in that area. If they are all different then it may mean a problem.

dpgerson wrote:
Hello all,

I'm thinking about buying an 02 Snowbird. 26.5 feet. Probably the most basic model. This would be my first 5th wheel. I've been a truck camper guy for 20 years.

So I'm wondering if there are known problems with this model, and if there is anything other than the basic stuff (evidence of water damage, stuff that doesn't work, etc.) I should look for. I'd appreciate any advice, and thanks in advance.

Going to join the NUWA family you may want a little more info go: Here and Here

That's a rock solid unit. As mentioned check for suspension wear. The frame is one of the best made by Youngs Welding.

Tires......age of tires/see DOT info on sidewall (XXYY-------week and year 3205---32nd week of 2005)
IF over 5 yrs. old plan on new tires ASAP
Also note current thread wear patterns.....indication of axle alignment, bent axles/spindles

Look over suspension.......springs/shackles/mounting holes etc. Worn/broken/mis-aligned. Springs still have arch/not flattened

Check area around pin box.....look for heavy caulking/wide gaps, broken trim screws, cracking/spider webbing in front cap/sidewalls----indication of pin box flex