Should we buy used 5th wheel

[Gloria_E]

True newbie to 5th wheels. Looking to retire. Should we buy used and if so - how old ? What to look or ask for? Desperately looking for some guidance in purchase of our retirement home 🙂 Thank you

[kstanton]

X2 everything Go Dawgs mentioned.

Since you say you’re new and you mention buying a 5th wheel I would add also think about your traveling style. We are not full-timers. When we first retired we bought a 25’ motorhome and spent our time touring with frequent stops. By that I mean staying one or two nights in most locations. We did not have a toad and used our bicycles getting around locally if we didn't want to move the motorhome after it was setup for the night. We had a grand child and things changed! We decided against the very long trips (5-8 weeks) and liked the idea of having a vehicle to get around locally (restaurants, grocery stores, sights, etc.). I also decided to stay in spots more than one night in most cases. All this led us to buy a 5th wheel (I also looked at a travel trailer but personally like the 5th wheel layouts better).

Again, as Go Dawgs mentioned do your research. My research led us to buy a used 5th wheel – a used 2009 Carriage Domani. Carriage made a great product but it is no longer in business. Carriage being out of business did not bother me as I’ve found I can get replacement parts through various online retailers. However, I do most of the RV maintenance myself (like a boat there will be necessary maintenance). If you do consider buying used (or even new) how far are you willing to travel to buy? I live in the Atlanta area and bought our Domani from a dealer in Midland Texas. The farther you're willing to travel to buy the more options you’ll have but you should have a very specific 5th wheel in mind and know the value (NADA and online buying tools like rvtrader or RVT are your friends). Addon edit - before you travel great distances to buy you can have a local inspection done by a certified RV inspector.

One of the big decisions in buying the 5th wheel was the tow vehicle. While the Domani is only 30’ long it is still heavy at GVWR 11,000 pounds. This meant I needed to buy a truck with the capacity to easily tow the Domani 5th wheel. If you don’t already own a truck I would recommend you decide on a 5th wheel before buying your tow vehicle and also consider the cost of the appropriate tow vehicle in your budget.

Continue to ask questions, Look at the myriad of options. Go to RV shows. Don't get overwhelmed and enjoy the buying experience as I have great confidence you’ll really enjoy the RVing experience.

[Lantley]

I you have the experience to identify and evaluate a 5th wheel. Then buying used is OK. But if you lack the knowledge and don't know what to look for. Or even what you are looking at buy new.
THere are bargains to be found on the used market, there are also plenty of leaking money pits. If you If you have the knowledge you'll be fine.
If you lack the knowledge by new from a reputable dealer.

[JW_of_Opechee_S]

I have bought new cars and trucks but not new when it comes to my fifth wheels. I find that the depreciation on rv's is more than I want to accept and by buying on that has been well taken care of and only a couple of years old, have had all of the warranty issues taken care of. I understand those who want a new one that is just theirs and no one else has used but that depreciation would eat at me on an item that expensive. Good luck in your search and hope you have a great time.

[donn0128]

Certainally you can buy used. Age, condition, and where you plan to live travel are all important considerations in any buying decision.

[Go_Dawgs1]

Well Gloria there are a few things you need to learn. What is your tow vehicle? Is it big enough to tow at the trailers GVWR (not dry weight)? What is the TV cargo carrying capacity? Can it handle the pin weight? Make sure you have a big enough truck to handle your trailer. Since you don't have any experience with 5th Wheels. Then you need to do some studying on line, talk with others, increase your knowledge. Once you have gained knowledge, what is your budget? Are you going to keep your present house, or sell it and use proceeds to buy RV? Have you ever done anything like this? If not you may want to rent for a week or two to see if you like it.
I have owned 5 RV's and learn something new all the time. Learned a couple of hard lessons in the beginning and was lucky it had some knowledge of repairs and if not where to turn to when needed. Good luck and continue to troll the forums for help.