Which 5th Wheel Camper? - Recommendations?

[dslc6487]

My wife and I are looking at getting a 5th wheel camper sometimes in the not too distant future. I am 69 years old and retired and she is 59 and will be retiring in January. Earlier in our lives when our daughters were younger, we had a nice pop up by coleman and we really enjoyed camping a lot. The girls finally wanted to spend more time "primping and smelling good" than they did camping, so we sold the pop up. Got busy with our careers, but the thought of camping has always been with us. We have some friends that have motorhomes, but I don't think I really want to go that route. Don't want to have to keep up the engine, transmission and drive train of two vehicles, as I would have to tow a rider vehicle. So, we are looking at a 5th wheel. Just looking for some comments and advice. What brands to stay away from, which are a good deal? Any advice on floor plans and size? Also, I doubt we will be buying a new one. Will probably be looking at later model used ones. Will probably pull with Chevy Duramax or Ford F250. Any advice that you can share with me will be greatly appreciated.

Frank Gibbs
Gordon, Ga.
Retired Engineer
Highly decorated, disabled, combat veteran of Vietnam War

[Parrothead_Mike]

We recently purchased a Cedar Creek Silverback 29RE. The dry weight is about 9,700 lbs and offers 3 slides and plenty of room inside. We spend about 3 months in Florida during the winter so the extra space is nice for that, but honestly it's a bit large for just going around camping. We will, and have, gone camping in it though. Info on the Silverback below.

http://www.forestriverinc.com/product-details.aspx?LineID=207&Image=5033

My '02 Chevy DuraMax 2500HD handles it just fine. On our way back from Florida this past spring (bought it in FL) we went through some pretty steep hills in TN and all went well going up and coming down. I did add some extra support to the rear end recently with a Roadmaster Active System.

[laknox]

dslc6487 wrote:
My wife and I are looking at getting a 5th wheel camper sometimes in the not too distant future. I am 69 years old and retired and she is 59 and will be retiring in January. Earlier in our lives when our daughters were younger, we had a nice pop up by coleman and we really enjoyed camping a lot. The girls finally wanted to spend more time "primping and smelling good" than they did camping, so we sold the pop up. Got busy with our careers, but the thought of camping has always been with us. We have some friends that have motorhomes, but I don't think I really want to go that route. Don't want to have to keep up the engine, transmission and drive train of two vehicles, as I would have to tow a rider vehicle. So, we are looking at a 5th wheel. Just looking for some comments and advice. What brands to stay away from, which are a good deal? Any advice on floor plans and size? Also, I doubt we will be buying a new one. Will probably be looking at later model used ones. Will probably pull with Chevy Duramax or Ford F250. Any advice that you can share with me will be greatly appreciated.

Frank Gibbs
Gordon, Ga.
Retired Engineer
Highly decorated, disabled, combat veteran of Vietnam War

Frank, I won't coach you on your choice of FW, other than to find the floorplan that you like and watch your weights to be sure you have enough truck to CARRY (not TOW) that FW. As far as trucks go, the 2006/2007 Duramax's are very desirable. The engines are pretty much identical and have no pollution control b.s. on them. The '07 model has quite a bit more h.p. than the '06 (nearly 100 more than my '02 D'max) but you have to remember that that h.p. doesn't come free; you still have to "feed the beast". 🙂 A lot of guys like the '06 since the payload is nearly the same but it tends to be a bit more economical. You =can= run a programmer and make up the difference since the computers, engine and turbo are virtually identical (or so I've been told on a couple different diesel fora). If you want something newer, I'd encourage you to stay away from the trucks that use the particulate filter (DPF) system and either go with the older models that don't have anything, or go to one that has the DEF system. You will have more payload the newer you go, too.

Lyle

[broark01]

kohai wrote:

donn0128 wrote:
Greetings.
For a 2500 series truck depending on age and drive train your really limiting yourself to fivers 10,000 pounds and under. In other words around 30 feet long max. What you really need to do is go RV shopping. Find what you like and dont like. Once you find your ideal fiver then match a truck to comfortably tow the fivers GVWR.
As for brands? In the used market it makes little difference. More important will be overall condition and how well it has been maintained.
Personally used or new there is probably only two brands I would look at. Arctic Fox or Cedar Creek. I have owned both in the past and was happy with both.

Under 30' and less than 10k pounds for a 2500 truck? That seems a bit stingy. I'm at 35' and 11.5K pounds and still within specs on my GMC 2500HD.

I hear good things as well about Arctic Fox and Cedar Creek. I tried to get the forum to help build a quality vs price chart but didn't get too far. This is as far as I got...

http://vps1.tincreek.com/5th%20wheel%20quality%20chart.png

Good thought, but most of this quality vs price info can be purchased rather than building it. JR Consumer being one that I use and am sure there are others.

[RVcrazy]

We love our 2015 Chevy Duramax. We have 30k miles on it so far. The older ones have different weight ratings, so check before buying used. We bought a used Hitchhiker in good condition from the previous factory location, Kansas RV Center. They fix up used units before selling them and will make changes for you.

[JIMNLIN]

op wrote:
So, we are looking at a 5th wheel. Just looking for some comments and advice. What brands to stay away from, which are a good deal? Any advice on floor plans and size?

There are no brands to stay away from.
My advice on choosing a floor plan is to choose the one you like at a price range you can afford and go camping.
The wife likes RK models for their superior kitchen cabinet space. You also will have slide out arrangements to choose from.
Take your time and choose a floor plan you and her like.

Will probably pull with Chevy Duramax or Ford F250. Any advice that you can share with me will be greatly appreciated.

A Ford or chevy ?? I would stay away from Fords with the 6.0 or 6.4 diesels. Ford did drop them quick....for reliability reasons.
Fords new 6.7 diesel seems to be a winner. And of course the GM Dmax/A has a stellar reputation among RV folks.

My old '03 2500 Dodge/Cummins has a 13350 lb tow rating which is normal for that era. This truck pulls my 11200 lb 5th wheel RV trailer with a 2200-2300 lb pin weight depending on how its loaded.

Newer model 2500 trucks have higher tow rating. However old or new the 250/2500 trucks have 6000-6200 RAWR for carrying hitch loads from 5th wheel trailer. These trucks can have a empty rear axle weight in the 2800-3000 lbs range which leaves around 3000 lb + for a payload...or a 2500-2700 "wet hitch weight".

JYI the GM/Ford 350/3500 SRW trucks are the same as 250/2500 except have a 7000 RAWR. Your simply getting the same truck....with a heavier rear main spring pack or in some cases just a rear aux overload spring pack.

[Padlin]

I once read that if you are looking for a used rv to look at only the higher end makes. If the previous owner had the $ to buy it, chances are they had the $ to keep it up. Made sense to me.
Something like the no longer made Newmar Kountry Aire, or the DRV's. Others can tell you the best brands made.
As far as a truck to pull it, wait till you find your trailer.

[newk]

OP, you need to tell us how you're going to use it. If it's for a few days at the lake and back home for a month, you won't need much in the way of size nor quality. If you were to take off for a year of traveling, then decide to winter in the south, etc., etc., you'll want it bigger with more load capacity, and you'll want flooring, cabinetry and everything else to stand up to heavy use.

One thing I would recommend is that you don't decide on a 3/4-ton truck too soon. That's what I did with my last truck. I was sure 3/4-ton trucks would haul whatever I'd want. So we were stuck with smaller 5ers than what we really wanted.

[Bluebeard]

I am pretty new to this too, and just finished spending almost 6 months looking for the "right" 5'er for my wife and I. Here are some comments I could add:

1. Where do you plan on camping? In rv parks? boondocking? If you stick to camping areas with paved roads, you can probably go with a longer trailer. My wife like to just take off and explore roads, thus anything longer than 26 feet really limits where we could go (narrow and windy roads) with my limited trailering experience.

2. My issue with most of the trailers we saw is they are TOO MUCH like home, except without adequate storage. My wife and I go camping to GET AWAY from a home-like experience. We wanted to be comfortable but without all the features of home.

3. Summer camping or year-round? Will determine whether you want hard sided or soft sided pull outs. My wife and I usually go out in the fall in the mountains and it is not uncommon to experience freezing nights.

We settled on a 2002 Arctic Fox 24-5N. It's small enough to get into most places and it was VERY INEXPENSIVE ($7000 and it was in new condition); it has a ton of storage and the floorplan is simple but very functional. When we were shopping for the shorter trailer, storage was a HUGE issue. Very few trailers had adequate storage for anything other than just a few things. I haven't used it much so far, but I am told it is a good unit, albiet a bit heavy.

Hopes this helps.

[Cummins12V98]

LOFAT36 wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:

LOFAT36 wrote:
We have a 2012 Crossroads Cruiser 33'-0 which weighs just under 9800 lbs. dry. It has 3 slides & kitchen island (lots of counter space), tons of cupboards and a fireplace and we both love it. Pulls great with our 2010 Silverado 2500 HD Duramax.

Sorry I can't resist! You pull your RV DRY? Have you weighed it after owning it for a while and you slowly accumulate lots if "STUFF" ?

There is no stuff that isn't used. If I/we don't use it it stays home. Emptied every year before heading to Yuma for the winter. It weighed in at 11,425 Lbs. when I weighed it heading south. Mind you we had no food, booze, water, propane and I even emptied the trailer battery. LOL

You are very disciplined, good for you! That is a good weight for a 2500.

[LOFAT36]

Cummins12V98 wrote:

LOFAT36 wrote:
We have a 2012 Crossroads Cruiser 33'-0 which weighs just under 9800 lbs. dry. It has 3 slides & kitchen island (lots of counter space), tons of cupboards and a fireplace and we both love it. Pulls great with our 2010 Silverado 2500 HD Duramax.

Sorry I can't resist! You pull your RV DRY? Have you weighed it after owning it for a while and you slowly accumulate lots if "STUFF" ?

There is no stuff that isn't used. If I/we don't use it it stays home. Emptied every year before heading to Yuma for the winter. It weighed in at 11,425 Lbs. when I weighed it heading south. Mind you we had no food, booze, water, propane and I even emptied the trailer battery. LOL

[CarlT100]

Pick your floor plan and your RV, then get your truck equal to the towing task. Hire a certified RV tech to inspect your choice (used) before you buy.

[Michelle_S]

I'll offer this in your selection, try to find one with Auto Leveling, adds to the price, but makes setup and tear down much easier. I'm only a couple years your junior, but wouldn't have a unit without Auto Leveling and Disc Brakes.

[Cummins12V98]

LOFAT36 wrote:
We have a 2012 Crossroads Cruiser 33'-0 which weighs just under 9800 lbs. dry. It has 3 slides & kitchen island (lots of counter space), tons of cupboards and a fireplace and we both love it. Pulls great with our 2010 Silverado 2500 HD Duramax.

Sorry I can't resist! You pull your RV DRY? Have you weighed it after owning it for a while and you slowly accumulate lots if "STUFF" ?

[MNRon]

Lots of choices, too many to give really good advice without you narrowing things down a little. With that said, I suspect you don't know where to start given the wide universe of 5ers.

Regarding truck, do you have or will get a newer one (last couple years the capacity has gone up significantly) or is it older and thereby limiting your capacity? If pre-~2012 the advice of ~10klbs for a 2500 is pretty good, if newer you might be able to bump that up a couple thousand. If you're buying new I would recommend considering a 3500 as price isn't that much more but it adds even more capacity.

As I'm sure you've read, rear capacity of your TV will be the limiting factor in your 5er choice - ~20% of 5er weight is on bed of truck.

Regarding 5er, if looking at used there is still a wide variety depending on how much you can spend. If you can, I'd recommend an older mid-higher level 5er as opposed to a little bit newer entry level trailer. Again depending on your budget the Artic Fox and Cedar Creeks mentioned would be good choices. I'd add that Montana's, HitchHikers, Excels and many others fit in that range well (but can be heavy). We had an older Jayco Eagle TT we were very happy with too.

Start by getting a sense of floor plan you'd be interested in. Go look at some and sit in a few. Then start narrowing down what you like and don't like. A little more information will allow this forum to provide you much better advice.

Good luck!