Looking for some personal reviews and experiences

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slemons52

New member
Joined
Sep 25, 2017
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2
Good day RVer's,

My husband and I are new to the whole RV living thing, and are looking to buy a 5th wheel and live in it full time in AZ for awhile then over to Eastern TX for awhile, we also have children so bunks with slides are a must, as well as we will be buying a used one. Was just looking for some input and reviews from experienced RVer's on make and models that would be best for the heat and or cold. Thanks All
 
We have a Fuzion 322 toy hauler because we haul around a motorcycle sometimes, but not always. The back bunk beds can convert to a picnic table and sometimes we use the ramp as a deck to grill out on, etc. That back ?garage? has turned out to be really handy for extra space. Not touting Keystone as a brand, although thankfully we have had pretty good luck with ours, but the toy hauler scenario gives a lot more options in my personal opinion, but they do cost more. As others have stated on here time and time again, floor plans and personal preferences will make it or break it for a fun (or otherwise) experience. Good luck and happy travels.
 
Welcome to the Forum!

The FIRST priority for really loving ANY RV is FLOOR PLAN!  The one I want will not fit your needs - mine is not a bunk house.  Get the one that fits YOUR family.  Look at lots of units.  Develop a list of MUST HAVE  and  DO NOT WANT  items.  You said a bunk house is a must have, but even these come in several varieties.  PPL web site is great because they have a floor plan for every RV in stock, right on the listings page.

For particular brands, they are all about the same within a price range.  Clearly, a FW that cost $75,000 new will be better insulated and made from better materials than one built the same year that cost $35,000.  The real issue is CONDITION.  Was it gently used and well maintained or was it used and abused.

Note that no RV is real good in cold weather, but as long as you do not plan to winter in Flagstaff, you should be okay.

Read lots of Library articles (tab near the top of the page), read lots of threads and ask lots of questions.
 
There are a lot of what I would call run of the mill brands which I also happen to have and there are upper end brands such as Nuwa, mobile suites etc which can and have had their own issues at times. I'd search brands and models that you are interested in and notice differences like laminated foam core floors vs plywood or OSB floors. Lightweight models often have foam core floors. Also search and read up on frame failure issues. There are models and years that companies such as Lippert built frames that were cracking. Go under each rig and look at the frame style as some are 3 pieces of steel welded together to form an "I" rather than a one piece beam or a "box" style.  Look closely around the spring hanger mounting brackets for indications of cracks, new paint or additional welded in reinforcements.

The good thing is that you are trying to live in the heat rather than the cold. RV's are terrible in very cold weather and suck tons of propane. I haven't tried Az or Tx in the summer because we are snowbirds but I imagine the heat can also be a challenge. The number one issue that you need to be careful of is water damage. I have looked at a lot of RV's and had s couple that would have nearly kicked my butt on missing the water damage that they had. It can sometimes be at the stage where it is not real evident in the interior yet have already caused extensive damage.

It seems that there are plenty of people who buy new and find water damage a few years later. That water damage didn't happen at year three or four etc, it just became evident at that time. Leaks can migrate down the inside of walls and severely damage the floor before it is noticed. The RV is built from the floor up so it's not the same as cutting out a piece of rotted plywood around the toilet in a house. Look for little pimple looking spots on the ceilings and walls as it's sometimes a sign of wet panels. look very closely at interior seams, corners, trim moldings and under slides and behind couches and dinettes, especially in the corners. If you use a sharp object poking the carpet in the corners the wood shouldn't be soft.

When you inspect the undersides of the slides look for soft areas which usually start at the outer corners. Look for deformation or witness marks of unusual wear. DO NOT fall in love with anything. DO NOT get in a hurry. DO NOT worry about someone else snatching it up. Be very suspicious of sellers who are pushy or right on your tail the whole time you are looking. Go on the roof and feel all over for soft spots, listen for crunchy sounds of bad wood. When wet,  plywood will separate and pucker up. If it's out of the weather long enough it can actually dry enough that it will then sound like it's crunching when walked on or pushed on. Roof damage often starts in the corners or at ladder mounts, around ac units or other places where items protrude through the roof membrane.

If you buy something and the frig or furnace or water heater die be happy. Those items can be easily replaced but water damage can be a total disaster. This is like life and death. DON'T believe the sellers, PROVE it to yourself. I'm not yelling at you just emphasizing and dont want to see your dreams destroyed by some lying sob. Good luck to you and come back with any questions.
 
We wanted a bunkhouse 5th that was less than 35'. Ended up buying used then replaced the sofa bed with bunk beds.

If memory serves me right there is 35 1 /2" from the back wall to the slides. We made bunk (stacking) beds for the kids 66" x 34"
 
Boonieman said:
We have a Fuzion 322 toy hauler because we haul around a motorcycle sometimes, but not always. The back bunk beds can convert to a picnic table and sometimes we use the ramp as a deck to grill out on, etc. That back ?garage? has turned out to be really handy for extra space. Not touting Keystone as a brand, although thankfully we have had pretty good luck with ours, but the toy hauler scenario gives a lot more options in my personal opinion, but they do cost more. As others have stated on here time and time again, floor plans and personal preferences will make it or break it for a fun (or otherwise) experience. Good luck and happy travels.
A couple more features typically found on toyhaulers are 100+ gallon fresh water tanks and either an on board generator, or at least pre-wired for a generator.
 
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