Another newbie with a zillion questions

[NancyM333]

I apologize ahead of time for this long post and list of questions!

My already-retired husband and I would like to live in an RV in the summers work at a National Park when I retire, and it looks like he will be doing it alone next summer--probably Yellowstone--from May 1 until September 30.  I?m a teacher and will go out for my summer months.  This means purchasing an RV before then, and I have a zillion questions.

Here are some things we?ve found in our research over the last few months:

We have decided on a towable after renting a Class C last summer. 
We have a Dodge Ram 5.7 liter, and the towing guide says 8550 (I guess that?s total weight to pull), so we?re trying to look at things under 7000 lbs.  It seems like less is better.
I really love the outdoor kitchen feature.
We both really like the idea of a dinette with chairs instead of a booth/u-shaped dinette.
My husband is 6?4? and has a hard time in many models, particularly if there is lowish hanging moulding on the doorways.
We would like to spend $20,000 or less.
I am totally paranoid about the thing becoming a leak factory and being a lot of frustration, tears and cash.
I am also very nervous about the towing aspect--both the safety and the wear and tear on the RV.

So I guess I need to phrase these in the form of a question--

--Are there brands or construction materials/methods that we need to put at the top of our list to lower the chance of a leak?
--Is it better to buy used to see if it will leak, or are leaks more about the care the owner takes?
--Does storing it indoors significantly reduce wear and tear on the waterproofness?
--Does driving it significantly increase wear and tear?  We live in Georgia and are thinking maybe we should store it in Wyoming and not tow it across the country every spring and fall.
--What is the cost differential between indoor and outdoor storage?  We?re seeing $120/month here in Ga and $50/month in Wyoming for outdoor storage, but we?re not finding many indoor published prices.
--Is it significantly easier to tow a Fifth Wheel than a Travel Trailer?  It seems like it would be, but the weight and cost means we have fewer models to choose from.
--If you buy used or a floor model, and you switch out a booth dinette easily for a table and chairs after purchase or is it pretty solidly attached?  Table/chair models are very hard to search for online!
--Do you have any advice for someone tall purchasing an RV?  The Fifth Wheels seem to have more head room to me, but again, they are heavier and more expensive.
--At this point we?re looking at all types, but we?ve seen a 2016 Jayco Jay Flight 24RBS and know my husband can walk around in it.  Is this a sturdy brand? 
--For a first time RV buyer, do you think it?s better to buy at the top of your budget, new, or lower the risk by buying something used?

Okay, I appreciate any answers--every answer I have read has been so nice.  I was really gung ho about our future RV life until I read an article online about RV maintenance nightmares, so I was motivated to log on and ask you all for help.

Nancy

 

[kdbgoat]

Ok, here's my opinion answers on your questions:
First-I'm assuming by the tow limit of your Ram, it's a 1500. If so don't even think about towing a fifth wheel. It may have the towing capability, but it can't carry it.
There are really no brands that are inherently less leak proof than any others.

You are correct that leaks are more about the care the owner takes, and we recommend buying used for the new RV'er as you probably will want something different within a year or two. If you buy new, you will take a big hit on depreciation.

I don' t have a clue about storing it indoors. RV's are made to be outside, and we store ours outside in the yard. I'm sure everyone that stores inside will say it's better, and folks that store outside will probably say it doesn't hurt to be outside.

Towing it around will inherently cause more wear and tear due to flexing etc. but they are built for that. Folks tow their campers all over the place all the time.

Storage cost is a locally price driven commodity.

Fifth wheels are supposedly easier to pull and supposedly harder to back up. I've never pulled a fifth wheel, so I don't know if that's true or not. Your truck (if it is a 1500) isn't really a model that conducive to pulling a fifth wheel, so it's a moot point.

Difficulty in switching out the booth for a table and chairs all depends on how handy one is. Some folks would do it with no hesitation and others would booger it up badly because they don't have the skills and take two months doing it.

I'm only 5'9", so height isn't an issue for me. The best thing to do is look at a LOT of trailers before you buy. Even look at ones that are ratty so you can at least get an opinion on the layout and other things such as head room. Take a notebook, and make three lists-One is things that you MUST have, another for things that it CANNOT have, and another for things that are nice to have and can possibly added later. Around here a few of us tend to say the three most important things to look at when choosing an RV is #1-floorplan,#2-floorplan, and #3-floorplan, followed closely by condition at #4. If you don't like the floorplan and it doesn't work for you, you won't enjoy RVing

I am hesitant about recommending any particular RV, with exception of maybe a Grand Design. Each manufacturer has good and bad of every model. Some come out of the factory and are a pure joy to own, and the next one off the line can be a nightmare for anyone that ever owns it.

 

[Old Timer]

here are my 2 cents. I would buy a used one because most people never tow them that far and don't use them that much. They get tired of them or need to have the next big thing. They also have most of the bugs worked out so your chance of having a problem on the road is less. If you are going to spent a lot of time in it like what you are talking about than size does matter. You want something that you will be comfortable living in. Go to some RV shows and take a look around. Don't be afraid to check out the 5th wheels as we were looking at TT's and ended up with a 5th wheel instead. I have a used 03 Montana that the owner hardly used. The outside looks faded but ti's whats insider that matters most. The roof is the most important thing to look at. A new one will have a new roof but a used one will not so give it a good inspection. Make sure that everything works. use every button knob toilet faucet light switch door make sure that you ask lots of questions. I had to help one guy find his fuse box because they had tripped a breaker in his motor home. He was freaking out looking for it. I had to tell him that the coach had a different system than the cab part and he was looking for a breaker not a fuse. Get what you want don't settle for something less. You have to match the truck to the trailer not the other way around. This is the only time you put the cart before the horse. You need to have enough horse for the cart.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I think kdbgoat gave an excellent summary answer.

Construction and materials pretty much follow the MSRP. It should not be surprising that cheaper priced trailers are built cheaper, with less care in the workmanship (reduced assembly time) and lesser quality materials. RVs are extremely competitively priced, so nobody is simply charging a higher profit margin for the same goods. If one RV costs a thousand or two more than another, there is a reason, either features or construction. If the features are the same, then the price difference is materials & construction. The more expensive brands are always built better "under the covers". However, that doesn't mean they are more trouble-free in the short run. They suffer about the same percentage of manufacturing goofs. They will hold up better in the long run, and typically are easier to repair as well, all due to differences in construction.

Even buying used, you can compare original MSRPs (available in the online NADA RV Guide) to help determine the relative position of the RV in the market.

In the price range you are considering, there probably won't be a great deal of difference in quality if buying new. Smaller trailers are pretty much all designed for the lower priced market. In my opinion, a better choice is to buy used and get the most upscale model you can for your money. RVs depreciate heavily, so you can buy a much better rig for the same money. However, your truck is probably going to restrict your choice to the low end of the market anyway. A modern half ton truck is designed to be more car-like than truck and is not a really heavy duty hauler.  A 3/4 ton truck would be a wise first move.

 

[malexander]

If buying from a dealer, don't let them convince you that you can pull anything.

 

[NancyM333]

Thank you all for your very helpful responses.  I had no idea there was something besides weight that matter in towing--we will definitely eliminate Fifth Wheels, then, even the lightest ones. 
I like the idea of looking up the MSRP and using that as a quality ranking.  We will concentrate on buying used to cut depreciation in case we choose the wrong model and need to trade. 
We've been to two RV shows--that is so much fun and allowed us to tour 40 or more models.  We also camped at a National Park over July 4th weekend, and we browsed over 100 campers (and saw what was towing them, too) at our campground.  That was also helpful.
Your answers have sparked some more questions, so I'll search around for those answers or post another thread.
Again, thanks so much for your replies!  I think I'm more nervous about this purchase than when I bought my first home 30 years ago!