Prepping for the Plunge!

Hi everyone!  I'm new to the site and have decided to take the plunge and am planning to go full time RVing in a year or two (saving up now).  After a long time of wanting to vagabond, I found Rving as a perfect way to do so.  I've decided on getting 5th Wheel 26-30' and 1 ton (maybe dually if possible) truck.  While this is still a long ways away, I want to be fully prepared for it.  

I've been looking at used fifth wheels and was wondering, how old should I go?  Do designs change much over the years?  For example, if I look at a newer model, how much different would it be from a model 5-6 years older?  I want to be sure electronics are up to date -but how important is that?  and how much is it to replace for newer stuff?  What should I be looking for, as far as the good and bad?  I'd consider myself somewhat handy, but only with some sort of instructions.  I'm probably overlooking a ton of stuff, but I'm sure you'll let me know  

Being used, I'd most likely want to renovate it to fit my needs and style.  I'm 36 and will be traveling solo (maybe with a dog), and am pretty sure on the size, assuming it would be more than enough for me.  

Aside from the vehicle and trailer, I'd like some input on ALL the other stuff that I should be preparing for, almost like a checklist of things to get done (and things I'll need to get after purchasing) before I even get a rig since it'll be some time before I can actually purchase.  I'm trying to avoid a loan as much as possible.  Any and all input (or sources of information) from you all would be HUGELY appreciated.   Thanks so much, and I look forward to connecting with you all in this community                 -Eric

Hi Eric. Welcome to the forum.
My wife and I decided, 3 years ago, that she and I were going to spend a few years following retirement living on the road and we've been planning, preparing and saving ever since. You'll find that there are lots of things to think about and prepare for. Also, we've changed our minds multiple times on what 5th wheel we want. We're 6 months out now and finally have all of our ducks in a row. Depending on how you want to approach your life on the road you'll need to think about power needs (generator? Solar?) as well as water and waste. That's if you don't want to spend all of your time in parks.

I've looked at hundreds (literally, not figuratively) of trailers and I've found that there are some subtle differences between the older and newer rigs. Some things that come to mind are the current (past few years) are more likely to have auto leveling and 50 amp as opposed to 30 amp power. The interiors tend to be lighter in color. The higher end rigs are more likely to have double pane windows. A lot of things might, or might not be, important to you as an individual. It depends, a lot, on things that you will figure out since you're doing the right thing by planning ahead.
Bob

I spent a few months last year looking for my first fiver after many motorhomes. I wanted a fiver since I found the perfect park in central Florida and I got the perfect site. I finally settled on a 20 year old fixer upper since I did not want to go deeply into debt. The newer ones are nicer, but basically the floor plans have not changed. It is almost always bedroom over the hitch, then the bath, kitchen and living room going from front to back. My advice is to spend a lot of time reading and preparing. A good place to start is right here in our library. There is a great article on full timing:

http://www.rvforum.net/joomla/index.php/29-fulltiming/435-fulltimeprep

and there are many other great articles there also.

Greetings,
RVs have changes a lot over the years.  Way more glitz and glitter, way less quality.
Our 2005 fiver is still in IMHO really good shape.  New slide toppers, new LR carper, reupholstered couch.  Everything still works perfectly.  Buying older is definitely an option.  Just dont be in a hurry, and pick a floor plan that you can live with.
BTW next October our fiver and truck will be for sale.  We are committed to three months camp hosting this summer or I would probably sell it sooner.  If your interested, send me a PM and I will be glad to give you more info.

Hi and welcome to the forum Eric. if you use the search function you will find lots of advice on what you may want to take but remember everyone's needs are different. There was a recent post asking the same question which might help.....

http://www.rvforum.net/SMF_forum/index.php/topic,112093.0.html

Also try not to post the same question in 2 places.

Good luck on your search!