how to get info if you are dumb?

Once you have a few specific manufacturers in mind, you should take a trip to northern Indiana and go on some factory tours. What you see could make a "this one or that one" decision easier!

Don't rule out doing the rental of something you both like. Nothing better than spending a weekend in a rental unit finding out what may work best for you all...

Just going down and buying something is one thing but when you hit the road with it will really start showing what your needs/likes are going to be.

My hat is OFF to those that can manager those big rigs going down the roadway. They are hugh, expensive to operate, and to me can't be all that enjoyable in the transit mode. Too much for this ole country guy to manage. I also think you will always have to have DEEP POCKETS to keep your head above waters.

The only expenses we have is buying a couple of batteries and a couple of tires ever five years or so. Insurance and licenses is not bad at all for our OFF-ROAD size POPUP I have. I have all the modern appliances the big rigs have just abit slacking on the move around inside space. Everybody wants to go BIG - The bigger the better it seems. Our camping lifestyle likes the 24-26 size trailers.

Of course we are in it for the camping mostly off the power grid places and not for the full time living in the HOME ON WHEELS thing. There is a big difference in lifestyles here...

Must be a hugh nightmare for you guys trying to get it right the first time. It is hard buying your last RV first. You may end up going through two or three of them before you get the one you like the best. i.e. the more deeper the pockets are the better I reckon...

just some of my keeping sane thoughts here...

Roy Ken

Do lots of research, read lots of rv forums. Look at owners forums, like for our brand is www.suitesowners.com, there's an Excel owners forum, Jayco forum, Montana forum, etc. You can see what kind of issues real owners are having. If this is your first rv, buy a good quality used unit with a floorplan that looks liveable to you. You will not know what you like and don't like until you spend time in it. Buying a used unit prevents you from making a mistake, keep it for a year, if you don't like it then you can buy a new one with the floorplan that suits you best.

Right on point Motorcycle Jack :)

We spent months and months researching 5th wheels. We obviously wanted the most we could get within our price range.
We finally zeroed in on the Arctic Fox from Northwood Manufacturing. They build their own frames and seem to pay close attention to detail when building their units.
They are a little heavier than most but the quality you get is worth dealing with the extra weight.
So far we are very happy with our 5'er!

Tony, Darlene and Bentley
2013 Ram 2500 HD, Turbo Diesel, Exhaust Brake, TMPS, Tow/Haul, RideRite Airbags.
2014 Arctic Fox 295K Silver Fox Edition

Leigh...

Our rule.... after you have done all of the above,
get the one your wife wants. Simple.

Charles

coon creekers wrote:
well, we have narrowed it down to a fver at least! seriously, we have no idea what manufacturer is the best, or worst. is there somewhere we can find out? yes, we know what options we do, and don't want. but aside from personal exp. which we have none, how does one find a rating of good and bad? I am so confused right now :h

All good advice here, so far, but one thing has been left out. Look at FWs =first= and settle on what you like, based on your camping desires/needs, THEN tailor the truck needed to tow that FW. If it turns out that you might need a Freightliner Sport Chassis or even an HD (semi) tractor to tow it, and aren't comfortable with that, then set your sights lower. Do =not= listen to what the salesmen tell you a given truck will tow; they're as likely to tell you that the newest 1/2 ton trucks, with all the bells and whistles, will safely tow a 40' FW. Forget "towing capacity" when shopping for FWs; it's all about =payload=; how much the truck can =carry=. You're =carrying= the front of the FW, same as if the bed were filled with cement block, and that's the "weak link", as it were. Dozens of threads on here regarding weights; pick 10 or 15 and read them, and you'll pick up most of what you need to know.

Lyle

Also consider the cost and inconvenience of having to return the RV to the dealer multiple times for warranty repairs. And if needed parts are not immediately available you may not be able to use your RV for weeks or even months. Those costs are not compensated under any warranty program. If and when you buy ,,,,find a dry campground and a full service campground as close as you can near the dealer and spend enough time in each type of campground to fully exercise all parts, features and appliances in the RV. Also make sure there are good tires on the RV before you buy. ST tires are not good tires.

Honestly all manufacturers make good trailers and all manufacturers make junk. The key is to find a manufacturer that stands behind their product and a good dealership to work with. To help determine this, go to owners forums and lurk a bit. Do remember that more people with problems tend to post than those who have no issues. Follow the themes of the posts and throw out ones that appear to be rants from posters with one or two posts on that forum.

The best thing to do is go to an RV show where you can easily see a lot of rigs from a lot of manufacturers. Compare trim levels, amenities, how comfortable and user friendly they are. Take notes and go out them into a spreadsheet. Once you decide what style of floor plan you like for your needs, then you can compare across brands. Compare price, weight, tank size, or any other option that is important to you. Once you narrow it down to one or two, then you can do pros or cons, post on an owners forum and ask about the good and bad for that 5er. WhY do they like or dislike about it.

When deciding what floor plan you like, sit in them, imagine your usage, i.e. moms clothes in that closet, dishes in this cabinet, kids toys in that drawer etc. Act out your daily activities (ie cooking, watching tv, walk around each other in the unit.) Ask to see the unit with the slides in so you can see what is and isn't accessible. What is important to you for accessing on the road? In my current tt, we can't get to the bathroom if the slide is in or the pullout sofa is out at night. Things we didn't think about that we will watch for in our next unit.

What's best for a week ender isn't what's best for a full timer. What's best for a family of 4 isn't what's best for a young couple or an older couple. What you need to do is determine your price point, look at some manufacturers in that price range, pick a floor plan and go check one out. Spend an ho¨r or two in it and imagine living in it. Where do you put this item and that item, find there places and check if they fit. When you can answer those questions you'll know which one is "best".