Newbies-Katrina making us mobile

[SurvivorSeals]

Hello everyone.  Bob and Pat Seal here.  Been browsing the forums trying to learn all we can about 5th wheels before making our purchase.  Live in Baton Rouge, but our second home, our little spot of heaven on the Mississippi Gulf Coast blew and washed away in Katrina.  Had an 80ft mobile home...nothing left but the frame.  Cannot go back with anything stationary, must be able to pull it out.  So, while it seems that most RVers seem to upgrade and move up, we are downsizing to a 37ft 5th wheel...seems to offer us the most living room.  Our rig will be stationary most of the time year round, only pulling out for high water or storms coming in.  Have visited all the local dealers, but buying direct seems to give us the most bang for our buck.  So many options!  Still trying to figure out what they all mean and this forum has been a big help in making some decisions.  And I must add that this forum seems much friendlier than others visited.  Am nervous about retrieving our new baby from Indiana in Feb or Mar.  Us southerners do not know how to drive in ice/snow, much less pulling a rig.  Guess we'll figure it all out, but we'll be back to the forum with questions, I'm sure.

 

[Karl]

Welcome to the Forum, Bob and Pat!

Sorry about your experience with the forces of nature, and I hope things work out for the best for you. Some good friends in Baton Rouge had no damage to speak of, but were without electricity for quite a while.

Ask away with anything; there isn't very much that one of our Framily hasn't encountered over the years. A 37' 5'er is not all that small, and you'll find that the floorplans fer newer rigs are very well laid out and provide a lot in a relatively small space.

Good hunting!  

 

[Woody]

From  your reference to Indiana I assume you will be picking up the 5'er in Elkhard or nearby. At least you will have an easy trip south. Just East to I69 and then south through Indy to I65 and then on to Miss. or La. Once you get south of Nashville not much chance of significant snow.

Woody

 

[Ron]

Bob & Pat,

Welcome to the RV Forum.  Please feel free to join in any of the ongoing discussions, start new discussions, or ask questions.  Like Karl has pointed out there is a wealth of information among the framily and we are willing to share that information.  I think Woody has provided a recommended route when you return from picking up you new 5th wheel.
Glad you found us.

 

[SurvivorSeals]

Yes, we were out of electricity here in BR for several days.  Think it will be a plus to have a rig during those times, rather than powering up parts of the house for days.  I want to clarify about the "mobile" home we had.  It was a 1978 model and was no longer mobile when we bought it 12 years ago.  We certainly got our money's worth out of it, but the axles had long ago rusted out.  Don't want that to happen in the future, so I was wondering how often a 5'er should be moved just to keep things moving.  Also, since we won't be moving around a lot, is Gelcoat a big plus, or not?

 

[Carl L]

Don't want that to happen in the future, so I was wondering how often a 5'er should be moved just to keep things moving.  Also, since we won't be moving around a lot, is Gelcoat a big plus, or not? 

Trailers are simple critters.  The only issues I can see are wheel bearings, tires, and batteries.  You should have the wheel bearings repacked annually, move or no move. (Brakes can be inspected along with the job.)    Tires should be replaced between 5 and 7 years -- regardless of mileage.  If you are on shore power for long stretches your batteries should be well charged but you do need to check for electrolyte levels if the units are not sealed.

Other than that, just occasionally inspect the under-carriage and, particularly since you are Gulf Coast, look out for rust.  Wire brush it away and repaint with Rustoleum primer. 

Since you have an RV and traveling with an RV is a helluva lot of fun, why not move 2-3 times a year and see the rest of the country.