First post! Need advice from you good fellas!!!

[jaxteller]

Thanks for reading. My name is Alex and I currently live in Midland Tx. Working in the oil field as a truck driver. I've decided to buy a Fifth Wheeler. Things in the oil field change constantly. Cost of living is high and there's no job security . Some people say this boom will last 10 years others say 5. Who knows. But i want to be ready for any situation.

Reading through your posts, I found very valuable information.

But here's my question:

I decided to buy a used fifth wheeler. Perhaps a 2010 model or newer. What manufacturer builds the stronger fifth wheeler? Not looking for fancy appliances, but strong and high quality structure, frames, walls, etc.

I'm also going to redecorate the RV. Cant find a modern interior design. Most rvs interior looks like my grandma's house.

Anyways thanks for stopping by and i appreciate your input and or opinion.

God bless.

[alboy]

Also checkout Newmar,very heavy and well built, they still build coaches ,but no fifth wheels after 2008/09.

[ckwizard777]

As it has been said earlier the older Sunnybrooks say 99-06 were built like tanks, Strongest frame on the market hands down and built by Leland.
The only thing that comes close to that style frame now is DRV.
Good Luck

[jaxteller]

I really need to spend some serious time at the RV dealers.... it's just that being a newbie, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a high quality and a low quality unit. Imma keep reading through the different posts in this foru

[ol_Bombero-JC]

jimandlaurie wrote:
Ok my .02 and given your quest, an Arctic Fox would be good , but for oilfield working-living , for me it would be a Teton. Made hell for stout by folks that started by building units for rugged use during Wyoming winters and being towed on oilfield-mining-ranch roads. Not made any more , but still #1 in my book.

Caution suggested with Tetons from "close to the end" - prior to going out of business.

Jax - another suggestion.....
Spend some tome on Escapees forums.

You will find *LOTS* of folks -full time and part time - with upscale 5th wheels on the MDT and HDT forums there.

Plenty of those folks searched out quality re-sale 5ths - like Teton, DRV, etc.

Escapees also has "for sale" forums - which will have MHs, 5ths, etc.
Handy (for you to watch) for the folks who are "moving up".

BTW - Escapees is HQ'd in Livingston TX.

~

[Uncle_Grumpy]

I can only speak of my experience as an Excel owner. Months of research and scanning Craig's list I found our part time unit only 300 miles away. At 28 ft and a 97 it has fit our needs for 4 months in the winter and 4 in summer. Excel is built from the ground up in a small town in Kansas. Frame, oak cabinets, upholstery etc. Most units use appliances from vendors and yes they fail and all need maintenance. DR and Teton are beasts and require a big and expensive truck. I would also suggest that you not spend 50k and have the depreciation. Especially if you are not paying cash which is always the way to go. We got a bargain from a widow lady on a unit that was well maintained. A snowbird friend traded his Excel for a new Montana and has serious buyers remorse. Like the other units mentioned they were also on my list but we love our Excel.

[jaxteller]

jimandlaurie wrote:
Ok my .02 and given your quest, an Arctic Fox would be good , but for oilfield working-living , for me it would be a Teton. Made hell for stout by folks that started by building units for rugged use during Wyoming winters and being towed on oilfield-mining-ranch roads. Not made any more , but still #1 in my book.

Thanks man. Do you know if Teton has a new owner or was acquired by a big company?

[jimandlaurie]

Ok my .02 and given your quest, an Arctic Fox would be good , but for oilfield working-living , for me it would be a Teton. Made hell for stout by folks that started by building units for rugged use during Wyoming winters and being towed on oilfield-mining-ranch roads. Not made any more , but still #1 in my book.

[jaxteller]

Please check out this video. This couple gave me the redecorating idea:

http://dayslikeneverbefore.blogspot.com/2013/11/mini-home-renovation.html?m=1

[jaxteller]

Thanks again for all your kind suggestions! My budget I would say is 50k. I want it used but with a solid, strong foundation. I'm thinking a used Carriage, Excel, Drv, mobile suites will be some of my choices but i still want to wait til a do some more research. Like I said I'm not looking for fancy appliances, just a solid reliable unit that will last me 10 or more years. Even more if I can. I'm gonna have to keep up with maintenance and trust me, every advice and suggestion is greatly appreciated. So far I know that water can be lethal to an Rv. Gotta be careful in keeping my unit as dry as I can. Defenitaly I won't be buying my Rv in the permian basin area. I'll drive up north or perhaps in el Paso. Thanks again for your input.

[jimmyfred]

............Also , don't purchase any trailer around Midland-Odessa , you'll pay a very High price........look further out at DFW area , San Antonio , and Houston ! Be willing to travel to make a good deal on a quality trailer . , jf

http:\\www.rvonline.com

[jimmyfred]

.............I grew up in Midland,tx........there are boom and bust cycles associated with the oil Bizz ! This 'Boom' is going to last far longer and be far stronger than the previous cycles ! Drilling will slow down eventually , But , maintaining production levels means lots of jobs will continue 15 or 20 years into the future .
.............I would encourage you to invest in a Used , Up scale 5'ver for long term use and comfort ! Travel Supreme(my 5'ver) are extremely well made trailers . Teton is another top scale 5'ver that is made for FULL Time living .
.............There are significant differences in quality between the midlevel trailers and the 'TOP' brand names . Mobil Suite , Hitchhiker , Travel Supreme , Teton , and several others are available as used units that facilitate full timing living in very hot and very COLD climates .
..............The steel in the frame in the top trailers is much stronger and heavier than less expensive units . Any unit you purchase should have the under belly......FULLY.....covered , this prevents mice and any other critters from gaining access to the interior of your home . Should also have 2-15,000 Btu air units and come with 50 amp service as well . Just do your research before spending your money and you'll be able to make a wise decision . , Good luck , jf

[C_Schomer]

I've had great luck with Sunnybrook. We started with a Sunlite hybrid, Shadow Cruiser, FR Wildwood and then we decided we were pi$$ing our $$$ away on the far-apart junk. Then we got a new 2000 SB, a used 98 SB and now a used 08 SB. The SBs are built strong and used ones are a safe bet and so are most of the other brands mentioned. I avoid lippert... I have several friends with lippert stuff and that's as close as I want to get. I was just checking out the DRV site and my SB has a taller boxed frame than anything DRV builds. I know it's way overkill but it's much better than the other way. This is our first with the polar package and dual panes. We haven't camped in any extremes but from running the AC while stored at our house, I'm impressed. It cools down considerable better than all the other RVs we've had. I noticed it takes longer to heat because of the heated basement and I plan to unheat the basement because we don't need it. A friend just got a 2000 Jayco designer and if they are all built like that one, I would jump on one of them but his only has half the basement that mine has. Good luck! Craig

[missourijan]

I've owned 2 Drv's so I'm biased. I would highly recommend them. Excel and Hitchiker are also good brands. Drv's are heavy, you need a big truck. We are fulltimers and our Mobile Suite weighs in at 19,400 loaded. Look at the owners' forums for the brands, www.suitesowners.com, there's one for Excel, Montana, Jayco, etc. You can ask questions of actual owners and see the kinds of issues they have had or may be having. When you decide which used unit you want contact some dealers to be "on the lookout" for what you want. When we bought our last Drv the dealer already had our trade in sold before we signed the papers on the new one. The buyer had been looking for a Select Suites for months. Look at www.rvtrader.com for used Drv's, they definitely don't have grandma decorations. Keep posting and asking questions, you learn a lot

[Me_Again]

jaxteller wrote:
Thanks for your suggestions. I'm not trying to be rude with my grandma but so far, most rvs I've seen, have outdated decoration except for the airstream, but that's out of my budget.

Some are talked about some pretty high end 5th wheels. You sure you want to take a 100-200K 5th wheel to an oil patch. Seems like a good used Hitchhiker II, Excel, Carriage or new/used Arctic Fox might be a better choice.

Look here: http://www.kansasrvcenter.com/usedRVsForSale.aspx

Chris