OP: Sounds like you have had no experience. Suggest you start cheaper and trade up later if you like the lifestyle. Too many folks splurge a retirement nest egg only to find that RVs depreciate fast and require some maintenance. Unfortunately, the RV industry has not found the quality model, and some repair expense will result. Assembly is usually a bigger problem than appliance failure. One of my complaints about the industry is that higher prices seem to go into more expensive furniture and fancies rather than better assembly. Doing repair your self helps keep the cost down. Repair is almost always cheaper than buying a new RV.
Since you’re thinking of a fifth wheel, get the pickup truck and buy a bumper pull trailer to see if you like the lifestyle. Read, Read, Read, and search for information like crazy. I regard RV.NET to be the best that I have found. Some people actually post solutions to problems as opposed to complaining or asking for help. This is a great site for asking for help, and the answers will come. Yes, there will always more posts about problems than there will be about “no problems”, but the auto & pickup web sites are much worse in that respect.
When you are shopping, remember the old adage: is it a salesman, are his/her lips moving, their lying. Can’t tell you the number of times that we’ve walked through an RV show and heard sales folks stretching the truth. DO NOT be pressured into an immediate decision by a salesperson. You can get prices just as inexpensive outside of a show. You should shoot for 30 % discount from MSRP in the spring and 35% in the fall (not always achievable, but a good goal). If you provide more details including location you’ll get even more advice from this group.
