Soon to be RV 5th owner

[eugene66]

Hello, my wife and I have decided to live year round in a 5th wheel, having just moved to the San Diego area, renting is too expensive.
We have visited RV dealerships and have to yet to find an exact floor plan we like. I visited Recreation by design RV in Elkhart, i also visited DRV in Howe as well. DRV Suites are beautiful but way too expensive, Recreational appear to be half the price. I understand Recreational use a wood frame, DRV uses aluminum. Can anyone out there offer some advise? I'm leaning towards Recreational by Design.

Thanks,

Don

[Veebyes]

Bottom line is you will get what you pay for. New 5 star unit at 3 star price is not happening.

JMO but I would not skimp on quality to get a better price. That will be regretted real quick. Short list the builders & models down to maybe 6 or less that you would be happy with then drag the internet everyday for a lightly used of one of the models you like.

Pick up a 2 or 3 year old top end builders model for the price of a new mid market unit not nearly as well built.

[mittshel]

You might want to check out Grand Designs Reflection and Solitude. Their customer service has been fantastic. We are not full time but we could easily live in our Solitude. Good luck with your choice and have fun. Betsy.

[RustyJC]

If you're an experienced do-it-yourselfer or a riverboat gambler, make an offer on THIS MOBILE SUITES. :E

Rusty

[Lantley]

eugene66 wrote:
We like the DRV but not the price, I also visited the plant, 140k
is over our budget.

Consider DRV is built for your intended purpose. Full time living.All RV's are not built for full time living.
There are many brands and models available. Focus on more than just price. Find a quality unit made for full time use. You can find much cheaper units than DRV however it is debatable if they will last over the long haul like a DRV.
DRV is top of the line you can scale back some but don't by a weekend unit and try to use it for full time living. A weekend unit won'y hold up to years of full time living. Buying the wrong unit can be an expensive mistake. Slow down and do your reserach

[RustyJC]

I assure you that I paid substantially less than $100K for mine that listed for over $138K - no knowledgeable buyer is paying list price for a DRV. Back in 2013, my daughter and son-in-law bought a 2011 MS 36TKSB3 at PPL that had been out on 3 trips before the owner had a heart attack and could no longer RV - they paid in the neighborhood of $70K. There's a 2008 MS 36TK3 for sale over on the DRV owner's forum that will realistically go for probably $40K to $42K.

Rusty

[eugene66]

We like the DRV but not the price, I also visited the plant, 140k
is over our budget.

[RustyJC]

Personally, from the aspects of depreciation, quality of construction and materials, insulation, suitability for full-time living, etc., I would look at a used, well-maintained DRV Mobile or Elite Suites before a new 3-season 5th wheel for equivalent money. We had a 2004 Mobile Suites 36RE3 that we used for 10 years before purchasing our current Mobile Suites. I'm in contact with the individual who bought our 2004, and he's very happy with it.

Rusty

[phillyg]

Gotta say NuWa was a very successful FW using a wood frame.

[eugene66]

Thanks for the heads up.

Don

[joelc]

First of all, don't rush in your search. Many manufactures make things look good on the inside, but the quality underneath is sloppy or poor. Look under sinks, in the storage area as to how plumbing and wiring is routed. If you ever have a problem, you will have to access these areas. If you find a unit you like, and it is built well, it would be worth spending a bit more than paying for headaches down the road. There are many RV companies that have frames built for them by a 3rd party. Companies that do this may or may not have their frame built to their specs. Be sure you get a strong frame. Check into companies, although few that might build their units from the ground up. Be sure the insulation R factors are good. If a company won't give you certain specs, then they are hiding something.

[Jim-Linda]

djgarcia wrote:
If I planned to full time RV I would not choose a wood frame unless I had plans to just park the RV permanently park it in one place.

Well guy, everyone has an opinion. We have a 1998 NuWa 38' that is still in use every day (we fulltime). It is a semi wood frame, vacuum bonded fiberglass. The trailer is in excellent shape, been across the country many times, in all kind of weather. So the blanket statement is somewhat incorrect, just saying.

Jim

[ReneeG]

I agree on making sure that you purchase one built for full time living, not only because they are made for it, but also if you live full time in an RV not rated as such, your warranty is void.

[ventrman]

You might save Money buying from an Individual rather than a Dealership. Good Luck in your Search.

[NC_Hauler]

There are FAR more 5er's out there that offer aluminum frames than just the DRV. Do the research. If you're going to live in or around the San Diego area year round, it appears the weather is rather moderate and a 3 seasons type 5er would easily work for you...Weather seems like it would be great for year round living....from what I've read.