What to tell first time 5th wheel buyer to look for?

[CJ5_jeeper]

I have a very good neighbor that wants to buy his first rv. He has a Chevy diesel pickup that will handle a medium size 5th wheel toy hauler. If he was buying a motorhome I could show him what to look for when shopping. I went on line and printed out Calif. license requirements, and I was going to tell him to look at weight ratings and to find out about tires and axle ratings. I do not know much about trailers, so if you could tell me what he should look for I will print it out,and it will help him to make the right choice the first time instead of learning the hard expensive way.

[larry_barnhart]

Look for things he will never like or she will never like. One would be standing head room in the bedroom for an example or leaning over the toilet to clean the shower as I have seen.
chevman

[Halmfamily]

Look at every floor plan, what looks bad on paper may be the right unit. We looked a countless number and almost signed the paperwork on a bunk house and the wife wanted to look at some new units that had just arrived. We looked at the layout in the brochure and did not like it but when she walked in it she said it was the one that felt like home. It was a front living room. Happy wife is a happy life:D

[john_bet]

When we went shopping in '04 we looked for a floorplan she liked and I looked for a unit with a GVW of 12k or under. We settled on a 32' Montana with a gvw of 12,100#. Our gcvw usually is around 19k.

[aspen2008]

You need to also tell them to spend a lot of time walking through 5th wheel a dealers lots to determine what floor plan works for them. Before we bought our first 5th wheel we looked for 6 mths and we kept it for 11 yrs before we bought the camper we have today. Floor plan layout and access to items in slide outs is very important. Joining this forum is definitely a great resource for you friend. The Mad Norsky is correct about weight. When I bought my Nemar I had a 3/4 ton truck and it could not handle my new pin weight. I had to go to a 1 ton dually and having adequate margin is very important. My camper weight is 14.5K, but I bought a 20K hitch to protect myself against the poor road condition on our hwys. Good luck to your friend.

[sele]

everybody has talked weight and tvissues which all make good sense. look at slide issues floor plan size of bathroom and shower. How many people involved what works for wife husband may not work for a large family. almost too many questions before answers.

[golf_bears]

Not to be condescending but I think your best suggestion to him would be for him to become a member on this forum. Then he can get firsthand experience to all his questions from a whole bunch of knowledgeable RVers.

That's what I did before I bought my RV and truck. I learnt a whole bunch of things from many of the folks on this forum. The group as a whole is very knowledgeable and very willing to share their knowledge and experiences, good or bad.

[The_Mad_Norsky]

Since you own a motorhome, you already have some good ideas of interior operating features they should look for.

Two easy to use formulas can tell your neighbor which trailer his pickup can handle.

First though, your neighbor needs to get their truck weighed somewhere, full of fuel and occupants. This will give him the major information they need to then properly match that truck with a trailer.

OK, the formulas:

You need definitions first:
GVWR = gross vehicle weight rating of pickup
GCVWR = gross weight rating of pickup and trailer added together. (combined weight rating)

Carry Formula: this tells one how much hitch weight their pickup can handle

GVWR - pickup weight = payload capacity, or how much hitch weight they can handle

Pull Formula: this tells one the absolute max weight, loaded, of any fifth wheel they can pull

GCVWR - pickup weight = max weight fifth wheel.

So, example, say you have a pickup truck weighing 7000 pounds with a GVWR of 10000 pounds and a GCVWR of 21,000 pounds.

10000 - 7000 = 3000 pounds payload or fifth wheel hitch weight can be handled.

21000 - 7000 = 14,000 pounds maximum loaded trailer can be pulled.

The formulas work for any rig, just make sure you have the proper numbers plugged in.

[deleted-2]

Just my thots and experience...

If there is a wife or homemaker involved that's most likely where the decision will hinge.

Read many times on here if the DW ain't happy no one will be.
I'd just start walking thru a number of choices.
The aha moment will come when the right coach is found.

[WyoTraveler]

Since he already has a PU measure height of PU bed and also hitch. Is there enough adjustment to tow level? how about height of bed rails on PU? Enough clearance. Roughly 6". See so many posts about that after they buy.

[donn0128]

Also warn him to forget terms like shipping or dry when it comes to weights. No one has or will ever tow a dry trailer.

[BigT]

That's a little like asking what is your favorite food; everyone has their own opinion. Without knowing the specific details it sounds like they probably have enough truck to handle up to the mid 30 foot length of trailer. Our approach was to vistit a two or three dealers and find something that appeals to us, and then do a lot of reading on that brand and style on the web. The number one deal breaker for me would be any new or used rig with "China Bomb" tires on it. The good news is that can be easliy fixed. You didn't mention anything about how much they wanted to put into this RV; new, almost new or a fixer upper, and that would of course make a world of difference. Just shop, shop, shop and read, read, read. JMHO

[brirene]

Pin weight. I suspect you're correct about a "medium sized 5th wheel", but he's got to know what his payload is and what the pin weight of the fiver is, and how much other weight he'll be packing. Especially important with a 3/4 ton.