Newbies In Missouri

[classycanines]

Hi All! Hubby and I are retired and looking for a 5th wheel camper to take our 4 pups and ourselves on some adventures. Are there any RV brands you'd stay away from? Looks like a friendly community here! Glad to meet you! Thanks, Donnie and Stacy

 

[Bearcatrp]

Welcome to the friendliest RV forum on the net. Allot of RV’s built during Covid were put together sloppy. My 2022 spent 8 trips in for warranty work. It’s a keystone. But some here have purchased new recently with little issues. Floor plan is key. Find the 5th wheel that fits your family. The one you find is the one you make the dealer hook up everything. Turn on the heater. Turn on the air conditioner. Hook up water and try every faucet and toilet. Open every cabinet and drawers. Look underneath. Look on top. Bottom line is once you sign, it’s yours. Your stuck with it. If you’re not very well versed with RV’s, find a friend that’s been doing it for awhile. They will know how to look at it. Pay attention to the ceiling. If you see one spot, walk away. With 5th wheels, you need a 3/4 or 1 ton, depending on the size of the RV. On the vehicle door jam or manual, will list towing capacity. If you’re real close on max weight, consider a bigger truck. Remember, it may tow it but will it stop in the event you have to lock it up to avoid an accident.
What kind of truck do you have?
Ever own a RV before?
Ever pull a 5th wheel? If you’re an ex trucker, no problem.
STAY AWAY FROM CAMPING WORLD. Find a smaller local RV dealer that’s been in business at least the last 10 years. Others will be along to offer their opinion. Again, welcome aboard.

 

[rvlifer]

If you have the money imo the top 3 5th wheel brands are spacecraft, new horizons, and luxe

Definitely avoid camping world like the plague.

the vast majority of rvs sold in the US are made by a handful of companies so they tend to be very similar in how they are built

If you can find a decent used one from a private seller you will avoid a ton of depreciation.

Have anything you are considering buying inspected by an nrvia inspector. Well worth the money

Home - NRVIA

Get your RV Inspected by a trained, certified RV Inspector through the NRVIA. Use our RV Inspector Locator to search for an RV Inspector in your area.

nrvia.org

 

[classycanines]

Thank you! Good information. We are seasoned campers with horses/ trailers with extensive living quarters, but nothing with slide outs. Have a 1 ton truck. So many we look at have leaked you can tell. I wouldn't step foot in a Camping World after CEO broadcast that he didn't want Trump supporters in his stores. No matter your political affiliation, he had no call to bring it in to his business.

 

[rvlifer]

For most 5th wheels it is best to tow with a dually. If you can live without slides one less thing to go wrong. If not avoid cable slides. You will see the cables on the outside when the slide is open. They are finicky and have more issues than other types.

I dont care much about a company's political stance usually but what they do to customers is unbelievably bad.

what rvs are you considering?

 

[Bearcatrp]

For most 5th wheels it is best to tow with a dually. If you can live without slides one less thing to go wrong. If not avoid cable slides. You will see the cables on the outside when the slide is open. They are finicky and have more issues than other types.

I dont care much about a company's political stance usually but what they do to customers is unbelievably bad.

what rvs are you considering?

That would depend on the size of the 5th wheel. I pull my 32 foot 5th wheel fine with my SRW Ram 3500. No issues. DRW does help though.

 

[rvlifer]

That would depend on the size of the 5th wheel. I pull my 32 foot 5th wheel fine with my SRW Ram 3500. No issues. DRW does help though.

I agree with you. There are some 5th wheels that are perfectly fine with srw. But you have to know how to calculate tow values properly and i see an awful lot of people out there that are towing rvs that are far too large for the tow vehicle

 

[rvlifer]

I stayed at a campground once where the owner lived on site in the same rv i own and he towed it with a srw f250. The minimum stock tow vehicle anyone should be using to tow my rv is an f450.

 

[Bearcatrp]

I agree with you. There are some 5th wheels that are perfectly fine with srw. But you have to know how to calculate tow values properly and i see an awful lot of people out there that are towing rvs that are far too large for the tow vehicle

I see it all the time. Have seen 3500 trucks sagging pretty bad pulling a 5th wheel that probably needed at least a 5500 or larger. Yet state troopers drive right by them. The truck may pull it but stopping in an emergency will get someone killed.