Purchasing a Fifth Wheel

[flyinjake]

Well here we are ready to purchase a fifth wheel. We are not full timers and we do have a budget we want to stay in. We have been looking at fifth wheels for many years and now with the TV paid for we decided to sell the TT and move into a 5er. We RV throughout the year and do not let the cold stop us as we live in the SE. An all season 5er is a must, plus I tend to shy away from models that are labeled as lites. Why? I have one now and have first hand experience how lite can also mean not as durable.

This past week we visited several dealerships and have narrowed down the type of floor plan we like. The Sprinter 296FWRLS is a good example of the floor plan as well as the Cougar 333MKS.

We would like to buy new as we are the type to buy and maintain. Used is possible but the ones we looked at, dealer and private, we felt were well over priced compared to new.

We continue our search and have several brands where we have found floor plans that we like.

The Sprinter models are the front runner but I am concerned whether or not this is a good brand or not? Been to the Keystone forum and see the same complaints that I see about others. I am starting to wonder if the Sprinter Copper Canyon is really a lite model.

Cougars are in second place and I believe its because we have not researched it enough. Is it a better built trailer than the Sprinter? They seem to be a little more expensive but that does not always translate.

Just the other night a person we meet at the campground suggested Laredo. My last walk through a Laredo was a few years ago and I was not impressed then. Maybe something has changed.

We also looked at Jayco's this week and we left disappointed. After two different models we told the salesmen we were no longer interested. Maybe I had my expectations set to high but the quality or lack of really showed. Maybe we should try a different dealer and see if it was just bad draw.

So here we sit at Mistletoe State Park in Ga with analysis paralysis...lol We have talked this thing into the ground as has many others. Which trailer is the best if all floor plans meet the requirement.

Not looking to start a brand loyalty war but please post your comments on what you would look for across these brands. Yes, the best deal will play a factor. Maybe something you state will trigger us to lean one way or the other.

Do you know of another manufacturer that has models that could be purchased in the 20K to 30K range.

Thanks

Jake.

PS: Buying a car is so much easier...

[45Ricochet]

flyinjake wrote:
Thanks for the continued responses.
Our TV is a 07 Dodge 2500 CTD and our confident it will pull anything that we will buy. In fact I have turned down a 5er that was for sale based on the concern that it would be at the limit once we loaded the trailer and strapped everything and everyone into position.
Jake

That right there is a smart move on your part. Make sure you know not only what your truck will pull, but what it will hold. General rule is 20% of trailer GVWR is how much you will be asking your truck to hold up. Look up your GVWR or RAWR which ever one you use and shop for 5er's under that amount.
Good luck

[flyinjake]

Thanks for the continued responses.

Julie and I talked about the subject some more this morning before heading out to the trails. The subject came up several times but quickly subsided. I am sure we will talk some more as we sit around the fire tonight.

Our TV is a 07 Dodge 2500 CTD and our confident it will pull anything that we will buy. In fact I have turned down a 5er that was for sale based on the concern that it would be at the limit once we loaded the trailer and strapped everything and everyone into position.

I have been RVing off and on for some years and Julie has been RVing with me for approximately three to four years. The more we go the more we like it and that is one of the reasons we want to make the change. We have a good basis of what we want in the 5er. SOme of them are dealbreakers and some are it would really be nice. Luckily with what we want and like the RLS or RET floorplans feel most of the time. We also want good size window on the entry side, mid door entry, bathroom contained within its own room and a mid kitchen preferably with an island. Those are just some of the wants.

When we looked this last week at the sprinters we walked away with a good feeling and decided the 296FWRLS pretty much addressed are wants. One of the attractions were the distressed cabinetry that gave it a simple log cabin feel. Julie does not want the real fancy interiors that we see in some travel trailers. Simple but nice with room to cook is all she is asking for.

I am the picky one and it really boils down to a "quality" trailer that provides good bang for the buck. Many floor plans meet the want list, many trailers are removed strictly because they are out of our budget. That narrows the playing field down and now it boils down to which one provides us with the warm and fuzzy overall.

Right now its the Sprinter but I want to make sure when we look at these trailers on this end of the price point that I am not asking for trouble. I realize that I could get a great one or a lemon and it just depends.

I explained to Julie if we were buying a car then this would not be an issue. Know exactly what we want and we know what company can provide that car. With the trailers it does not appear to be that easy once you know what you want in the model. NOw we need to figure out which manufacturer can provide us that model and the quality.

Maybe all can and it boils down to dealer and price?

Jake

[TakingThe5th]

We have been happy with Cougar. The 2008 318SAB served us well. As others will say, we found maintenance is key and we had to do some minor repairs too, mainly because we apparently shook the heck out of it on the road and there were some construction issues. This year we traded up to the 333MKS and after 1 season are very happy. Likes include Moryde IS suspension, huge shower, a great floor plan (we travel with a golden retriever), plenty of storage, plenty of windows (had another small window added in the kitchen, DW loves windows). Dislikes-sofa bed (the bed), the flaky light control panel, goofy remote control, no place for the bathroomTP holder, no interior light switch by the door. Overall quality gets higher marks in our 333.

We tow with an F-350 6.0 diesel dually. It tows very well.

We had a similar experience with Jayco-expected a lot more then we saw. It didn't help that the salesman was relentless and we came to value a good dealer relationship.

[joelc]

I just scanned this entry, but failed to see what truck you will be pulling the RV with. Be sure you know the weight ratings of your truck before you decide. If you plan to full-time in later years, and will be getting a truck for that purpose, then purchase a truck that will tow much more than your current needs. That way, when you are ready, you won't have to purchase another truck too.

[BB_TX]

No brand is going to be trouble free. And you will see that as people post about problems with every brand out there.
We went thru the same thing 7 years ago. Went to multiple dealers, 2 large RV shows, and scanned the RV forums. Narrowed our choices down to Montana, Cardinal, Jayco, and Cedar Creek. Back and forth, back and forth. Finally decided the Montana was right for us. And it turned out great. Still have it and have had almost no problems with it in 6+ years, 178 nights, and 19,000 miles.
But there there have been posts about people having problems with their Montanas, as well as their Cardinals, Jaycos, and Cedar Creeks. So I don't know that there is a good answer to what is best.

[loulou57]

sdetweil wrote:


I'm 6'2", 260, so no tiny bathrooms you have to leave to change your mind

we finally decided on Keystone Alpine 3720FB.

We were in Elkhart Indiana and went through the model you bought. We decided that if we traded our TT for a 5th wheel, it would be this one.

My hubby is the same height and weight as you and we found so many RV's of various types just not suitable for his size. Showers not high enough, beds too close to walls/dividers, dinettes that he could not sit in comfortably, the list goes on.

[dennisgt60]

Sounds like you're good to go....wishing you safe, happy adventures!

[sdetweil]

this is a challenge to be sure. We decided after I got layed off in June that we might as well retire and travel around. We started looking at FW in July and purchased in Sept. It really came down to floor plan, dealer and features.

we walked thru a couple hundred units over 20 dealers.

we want to be able to spend a longish time on a trip (month or two),
don't want it to feel like 'camping'... (no metal post tables)
she wanted double door fridge, and place for (maybe) washer dryer.
no L shaped kitchen where you can't stand at the stove and turn around.
we have animals we can't leave at home for that long, so they have to go with us. cat & dog. so a place for a catbox.
room enough to get away from each other on the frustration days.

I'm 6'2", 260, so no tiny bathrooms you have to leave to change your mind!.

only thing I think is consistent across everything we looked at, the cabinets are mostly an afterthought. hardly any shelves or consideration for actually putting things in. big door, nothing behind it..

we finally decided on Keystone Alpine 3720FB. We liked the Montana 3900FB, but loosing most of the master closet if she wanted a washer/dryer killed that. both have a 1/2 bath where we can put the cat box and can get to easily while traveling. We liked the alpine/montana finish look on the inside. most owners seem to think they hold up decently.

on the price side, we didn't find anything we were happy with lower priced units. We have tent, popup and TT camped before so we know what we like.

I traded my 2012 F250 for a 2012 F350 dually to carry the extra weight.
I had the dealer install Goodyear G614 tires as I hear too many troubles with E rated tires (and I have tire troubles with my car hauling trailer and don't need it here too!)

[powderman426]

Your in a good situation as you have a unit and don't need to hurry. The best time to look at a trailer is on a rainy day so you can check for a possible leak.I would run all the slides in and make sure they move smoothly and quietly. Check as much as you can before taking ownership as that is when things will get fixed quickly. As for tires I would pay a little more to have them changed out to something beside china bombs . good luck on finding a good one.

[guidry]

Most owners will say they love their 5th wheels or they would get rid of them or just not post. Having said that, we love our Open Range OR

Don't be misled by the numbers; they are square footage, not length of trailer. They have double pane window options and several models.

good luck

[dapperdan]

We settled on a Montana as well BUT there are so many different brands and models, it's really hard to "nail" down a "best".

I would talk to people in campgrounds or at RV shows to see (in person) what they liked and what they didn't like about their choice. Most people experience some sort of "glitch" with their units at some point in time, some "glitches" are bigger than others but if you were to poll people on here I'd bet most have had a problem of some kind. We have with ours, thankfully it's not been anything major, just a couple of little things.

Just because you buy a "high end" RV north of 100k doesn't mean it's going to be trouble free. Taking good care of what you own is more important than what brand or how much you laid out for your RV.

Just my two cents.

Dan

[TucsonJim]

Due to extensive quality problems with our 2009 Keystone Cougar, I can't recommend them. The FW spent the first nine weeks in the shop while items like the slide, shower and landing gear were all rebuilt and repaired. All four of the Chinese tires they installed were already defective when I took delivery and had to be replaced. I took it back for warranty work eight times in the first year. Now that the warranty is over, we usually spend $500-$1000 per year in repair work for items that should have lasted much longer.

[Alley_Fox]

Been there, done that. 5 years ago we spent many, many months checking owners' forums, looking and asking other RV owners about their rigs. Our budget, coupled with the desire to have a dependable RV, led us to a short list of 5 used fifth wheel brands, 4 of which are no longer in business-not because they made bad products, but because of the lousy economy. They were well built but nobody could afford them so a lot of cheaply constructed rigs remained in the market. We started with a smaller 5th wheel and have since upsized to a bigger model by the same manufacturer and have not been disappointed after about 23,000 miles of traveling. Do lots of research, join or read lots of forums, talk to the guys that have RV repair shops and don't be taken in by fancy fixtures and gadgets.

[grampachet]

We love our Montana, have had no problems other than a couple of very minor ones in 5 years, 17,000 miles.