Newbie needing guidance

[Payman]

Hello all thanks for allowing me in!

My plan is to put a fifth wheel on a lot I have set up living in it full time but taking maybe one or two 4-6 week trips a year as finances allow.  Certainly can?t buy new, but not sure what brands of used are the better.  Don?t want anything huge as it?s just me, but need a washer and dryer (hate the laundry mat),.  Have a diesel dually f350 to do the pulling and handy with most improvements and maintenance myself.
Open to all suggestions on what to look for and thanks in advance for the help!

 

[SeilerBird]

With a used RV the brand and model are not important. What is important is floor plan, condition and price.

 

[darsben]

Where do you plan to live in it?
Warm south or cold north?

 

[Payman]

Florida panhandle would be home base and travel elsewhere would be in the summer months like visiting my son in Denver.  I?m not a cold weather person!

 

[darsben]

Then see the post above mine but I would reorder the things
to
CONDITION
Floor Plan
price

 

[SeilerBird]

Then see the post above mine but I would reorder the things
to
CONDITION
Floor Plan
price

I don't think any one is more important than any other. I think they are all very important and the badge is meaningless.

 

[Payman]

Interesting since people seem to have such different experiences with manufacturers.  I had a class A years ago we had to replace a rubber roof see many have fiberglass, any opinions on which maybe better and why? Thanks

 

[DearMissMermaid]

Tons of used 5th wheels all over Florida and Georgia.

Look at LOADS of them. Study ads and pics. Start assembling your "must have" list and your "wishful" list. Go visit as many as you can.

Some come with washer dryer hookups in a closet and you have to add your own, others will already have the washer dryer included.

I bought my 5th wheel with washer dryer and I do love it! Easier to own less clothes to make up for the room the washer dryer takes.

Look at all years. Some of the older 5th wheels are better built than some of the newer ones. Folks are always amazed when they see mine and then find out it's a 1992 model.

Mine has an aluminum roof and so far has proved to be dry. I think they did have a skylight leak at some point, but no problems now.

Stark looking now and don't rush into anything until you get a better feel for what feels like home to you.

 

[Isaac-1]

While I agree that condition is very important, Brand / build quality / quality of materials matters also.  Simple put some materials hold up better than others, some are built more sturdy than others.  Full body paint beats vinyl graphics, fiberglass shower pans are less crack prone than plastic as it ages, Aluminium roofs are lower maintenance than EPDM rubber roofs, ....  Having said that care and maintenance and condition are important, an Aluminum roof may require less maintenance than an EPDM roof, though it can still lead to water intrusion and wood rot if that maintenance is missed.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I'll agree that the mid and top tier brands/models are generally built better and last longer, or at least are more repairable than the low priced "entry level" models.  However, when buying used, within that set of "better built" models, condition and floor plan trump any other parameter I can think of.

The problem with trying to name brands or models are twofold:
1) There are a dozens of them, some regional, and names come and go or get reassigned upscale or downscale almost at whim.

2) Some of the brands are "full line manufacturers" who have models in several price/quality tiers.

That said, I'll make a few suggestions:

Newmar made some pretty good 5W's in several different model names over the years. That quit making trailers several years ago.
Carriage (and Carri-lite) is another generally good quality manufacturer (now defunct)

Dutchmen and Coachmen targeted the lower price tiers and even their fancier models  typically just had more trim. Neither would be high on my list.

Forest River and Keystone are examples of full-line manufacturers. They have some quite good models and some not so good. FR, for example, makes over two dozen brands of 5W alone (and dozens more if you add other types).  Too many to list or make comparisons.

 

[Payman]

Thanks Gary looked at both the Newmar and Carriage brands both looked much better built than some new same priced models.