Help to decide best place to buy a 5th wheel

[vagabond vet]

I have been researching and looking at rv's for months and decided to go with a 5th wheel because they seem to feel more like home and better made, but not always the case. Currently I reside in NY state and purchased a Ram 2500 Cummings diesel with an 8 ft bed because I understand they tow better than the shorter wheel base trucks. I have minimized my personal belonging and have been doing so for years now as if i knew this time were coming. MY last occupation was a truck driver I did this for 20 yrs + loved it.

 

In a couple of months I will have finished all of my business and personal things meanwhile shop for a 5th wheel for my rig here then I have to decide which state to drive to South Dakota or Texas to apply for my domicile, tags, register, ect. Next is what makes me so uncomfortable....here I am in a truck with a few bags of cloths and personal stuff and in need of a home , a 5th wheel, where do I go who can I trust, so I hear all rv's need work which doesn't bother me but something that cost thousands of dollars scares the heck out of me some of the work I might not be able to do, minor stuff ok I just have to take my time.South Dakota has camper world but they have a real bad rating, the one here in NY has a ton of nice priced used rv's but 9% sales tax and it doesn't seem real bad but if I pay 20k cash for a 5th wheel the taxes could buy me a nice new digital camera with some accessories and I'm afraid of buying a lemon.Texas seems to have an rv store on every corner lol so just knowing where to go would be the trick. I am not looking for any handouts but if anyone knows any trustworthy dealers near a domicile that might give DAV discounts please advise if not ok either way this is what I want to do hopefully I

will find one.

 

I also don't know if it would be better to find a rv used and pay cash for what I have on hand or try to finance something.Its been so long since I financed anything I didn't think Id get financed in my truck but I had a trade and a hefty down payment so that went easier than I thought and the payments are very low

[Jim Gell]

vagabond vet,

 

Welcome to the forum! You should get plenty of assistance from the folks here. If you have not already searched the forum for answers in threads created by others, you might want to try that.

 

I am by no way an expert, but I also left NY a couple years ago and had many of the same things to figure out myself.

 

After going to some RV shows, and being disappointed in the quality of what I saw in the new 5th wheels in my price range, I decided to try to find a gently used older high quality unit. I searched RV Trader, Craigslist, and also set up a automatic Google search notification that alerted me to when a brand I was considering came up for sale anywhere on the Internet. I ended up spending between $2-3K flying and driving around the country looking at used 5th wheels at both dealers and individuals. I wish I had been fortunate to have found the one I eventually bought sooner, but I am also glad to have sorted out some that would have been bad purchases along the way.

 

I did not go there myself, but one dealer/reseller that I spent a lot of time looking at online, was PPL in TX. You should go to there website and take a look. They seem to have a pretty good reputation.

 

I used a professional RV inspector to look over a 5th wheel in TX before I flew down with the intent to buy it. That did not work well for me as the guy missed critical water damage and mold issues even after I coached him over the phone on what I wanted him to look for. Somehow, you need to make sure your not buying a lemon. Hiring someone that is trained and experienced to do an inspection for them is probably prudent for many people. I learned to do do it myself though online information and YouTube videos.

 

To me, choosing a domicile had little to do with where I wanted to buy my RV. There are many past discussions to search for that cover that. Health insurance for folks who need to purchase it is currently a major consideration.

 

To finance or not is probably a crap shoot. In theory, if you can finance at a low interest rate and the fed tightens the money supply, rates should go up, and if you invested the money you did not use to pay cash correctly, you could be sitting pretty. My crystal ball is too cloudy for my liking and we paid cash. Either way, I suggest that you go in with the understanding that you are buying a depreciating asset and plan for how you will replace the RV in future and have a financial exit plan if RVing does not turn out to be what you want to be doing in the future.

 

So where in NY are you from? I grew up in the Finger Lakes and think of that as "home" but actually moved around the state a lot.

 

JIm

[vagabond vet]

Hey Jim thanks for the reply, I'm in Rome and as far as health insurance goes I'm a veteran we wait in line and die or make it sooner or later to a doctor lol. I also can use medicare if I like which is much faster then the wait and die method. After a long battle I finally got a service connected pension with retro pay in a lump that's my starter money to get a truck and a 5th wheel. Once its gone its gone so Its a bit nerve racking needing to one shot this. I will have a a look at PPL in Texas thanks, Oh one other thing will I have to pay any taxes if re-register my truck in a domicile state or is it just registration fees and such?

[Big Greg]

You are correct that a good quality used fifth wheel can be better than a new less expensive rig. There are good quality new fifth wheels but they are, to me, expensive. Be sure to check the tow ratings of your 2500 against the fifth wheel and pin weights before you purchase the fifth wheel. You might want to check the used (and new) inventory of Kansas RV Center (formerly NuWa, manufacturer of HitchHikers) in Chanute, Kansas for good rigs, their service department has a good reputation also. Buy your fifth wheel anywhere but register it in SD, FL, TX or where ever you decide to get a mail forwarder and domicile. We purchased out current truck in FL and registered it in SD and saved a couple thousand dollars in sales tax. The old truck was registered in MI. Greg

http://www.kansasrvcenter.com/blog/2014/05/why-you-should-buy-your-next-rv-from-kansas-rv-center/

[vagabond vet]

Thanks for the reply Greg the dealer just told me I could tow between

 

Towing⁺:

15,500 lbs - max
Payload⁺:
2,650 lbs - max
GCWR⁺:
22,000 lbs - max and gonna check out Kansas

[Big Greg]

I'd check the trucks spec sheets to ensure the dealer is correct. Remember the payload has to include passengers, full fuel tank, hitch, and everything you have in the truck bed. The payload will add up VERY fast and you'll want a safety margin. Our 17K pound fifth has a pin weight of 3600 pounds. You will not know true weights until you get the rig weighted at each tire. Greg

[LindaH]

Thanks for the reply Greg the dealer just told me I could tow between

 

Towing⁺:

15,500 lbs - max

Payload⁺:

2,650 lbs - max

GCWR⁺:

22,000 lbs - max and gonna check out Kansas

Keep in mind that the towing and payload numbers are for a basic truck with no options, no gear, a partial tank of fuel and one 150# driver. Which means that, in real life, you won't really be able to tow something that weighs 15,500# without going over one or more of the ratings (GVWR, GCWR, front and rear GAWRs).

 

Since you already have the truck, load it up like it will be for a trip with you, passengers, pets, supplies, a full tank of fuel, and get it weighed. Once you have the "real life" weight of your loaded truck (add about 200# if you don't yet have a fifth wheel hitch), subtract that weight from the truck's GCWR...that will give you the *maximum* weight you should be towing. Then subtract the truck's weight from its GVWR...that will give you the *maximum* fifth wheel hitch weight the truck can carry. For purposes of looking for a fifth wheel, assume a hitch weight for the loaded fifth wheel that is 20%-25% of the fifth wheel's GVWR.

 

Now that you've done the math, you'll be in a better position to know what to look for when you start shopping for a fifth wheel.

 

Here is a calculator you can use, too:

 

http://changingears.com/rv-sec-calc-trailer-weight-fw.shtml

[vagabond vet]

Im not good with math for starters that form is confusing for me there are more blanks than I can find numbers for...perhaps it will all look more user friendly when this coffee buzz wears off all I know is I checked the weights of the 5th wheels I was leaning towards and they were all pretty light more towards being considered a single guys rig not the Waltons, some were even labeled 1/2 ton tow friendly. I will be traveling rather light me diesel fuel toothbrush and clean shorts, no kibbles doggies or meowsersssss maybe later. I watched this video when researching towing for the truck I bought

 

[vagabond vet]

Well I'm just not feeling it anymore, actually feeling kinda sick, spent a large sum buying this truck after doing what I thought was good homework to have people keep putting this weight thing in front of me if I have bought the wrong truck to pull a 5th wheel please just say so, Ill buy a tent

[Big Greg]

I was saying that a 3/4 ton truck will not have the specs to pull many heavier fifth wheel. There are lots of 3/4 ton trucks towing (and stopping!) fifth wheels. From what I have read from you your not after a 38' heavy RV for a family. There are lots of 28 to 32 foot fifth wheels that should be fine for you. We have a few friends with 3/4 ton trucks that have been pulling small to medium size HitchHikers for years. Disc brakes on a fifth wheel always help stop. Don't feel bad, the HDT fellows often think a 1 ton dually isn't enough truck. Greg

[vagabond vet]

Well.... alright then, but I guess you know what you will be getting for Christmas, a nice moth ball scented squad tent.

[WeBeFulltimers]

Well I'm just not feeling it anymore, actually feeling kinda sick, spent a large sum buying this truck after doing what I thought was good homework to have people keep putting this weight thing in front of me if I have bought the wrong truck to pull a 5th wheel please just say so, Ill buy a tent

Don't get discouraged it has happened to many people including me. You are fortunate that you haven't purchased your fifth wheel yet. All you have to do is like LindaH says load your truck as if ready to tow and take it to CAT scales and get your ACTUAL weight by axle then you will know what additional weight the truck will accept and still be safe/legal. My being a former 20 year trucker, as you are, I'm sure you have dealt with axle/gross weights many times unless you pulled light loads all the time. Just remember that axles on a camper DO NOT SLIDE in order to make axle weight adjustments.

[vagabond vet]

no worries sir I have a warped sense of humor I guess I should have put it out there that I had previously looked at the jayco lightweights along with a few other models that claimed to be 1/2 ton friendly and decided to get the 2500 because I just feel better having more truck, but to my surprise you guys weren't mind readers and just trying to help a newbie out and I greatly appreciate it thanks a ton

[Jim Gell]

vagabond vet,

 

If you can wait that long, I recommend before you buy a trailer that you attend the Escapade in Essex Junction, VT, July 24 – 29, 2016 and the Bootcamp held the two days before. It's not too far from Rome. You will get a broad spectrum of information to inform your decisions from the presentations and get to talk to lots of people and see what works for them. I went to both a couple years ago and found it well worth the time and money.

 

I have seen folks full timing in all sized RV's. I have not noticed any correlation between the size of the rigs and how much the owners seem to enjoy the lifestyle. We went to the bigger end of the spectrum and I often think about how nice it would be to be more nimble with a rig such as you will have. For safety and durability, I think it would be better to have a trailer that is something like 20% lighter than the maximum capacity for your truck. With our HDT, this is not an issue I have really dealt with, so other's may have more informed opinions on that.

 

Jim

[R. Walter]

Well I'm just not feeling it anymore, actually feeling kinda sick, spent a large sum buying this truck after doing what I thought was good homework to have people keep putting this weight thing in front of me if I have bought the wrong truck to pull a 5th wheel please just say so, Ill buy a tent

 

There are plenty of smaller 5th wheels that your truck will handle just fine and be within its ratings.

[vagabond vet]

Ultimate Batch pad yeah! 8100 lb dry weight + 500lbs gear gas and Hai Karate after shave for the ladies......Ram 2500 Cummins Diesel will be doing backstroke down the road. But check it out these lightweights are the new rave in the rv industry. This rig is hot!

 

 

 

[Big Greg]

The lighter a unit is the less insulation, full time livability, longevity, and 4 season capability it likely will have. Also, if you will be full timing check the warranty to ensure full timing is covered. I'm not trying to discourage you, just give you information to make the correct decision for yourself. When we started in 2007 this was our first RV and we were so green I couldn't even spell RV. I needed all the info I could get......books on full timing, walking around campgrounds talking with RVers, Escapees Boot Camp, Life on Wheel, picking anyone's brains that had some experience. Greg

[2gypsies]

The lighter a unit is the less insulation, full time livability, longevity, and 4 season capability it likely will have. Also, if you will be full timing check the warranty to ensure full timing is covered.

 

VagabondVet: This RV looks very nice and if you think it fits in with your weights and the floorplan is good for you, then you're set to go.

 

Keep in mind if you don't plan to spend your winter in Montana or your summer in the desert, 4-season doesn't mean anything in our opinion. It will get you through the shoulder months just fine.

 

Also, we bought our Newmar new and many full-timers have them. It did not come with a full-timing warranty. We had no issues because of it. I would guess that a good dealer/manufacturer would honor a repair, if needed. I'd be interested to hear if any full-timer was every refused warranty work if it didn't come with a full-timer's warranty.

[vagabond vet]

I thank you for your input and concern I may not necessarily purchase the 5th wheel in the video it was just there on another tab in a series of lightweight videos. I did speak to an older couple who have been full timing over 10 yrs and they said a few names of some of the better built rigs and that the mfg stood behind the units. I am disabled so I dont have anything really pressing me I sit and read and watch videos on how to DIY stuff along with informational educational videos and on average I spend 12 hrs a day doing this. I spend quite a bit of time looking at rv's visiting web sites and calling and talking to factory reps and sales people. I do not have the luxury of spending a year on deciding on what unit to buy and feel like a complete idiot for even getting on this forum, I've lived in a lot of places seen lots of things in my life ,even lived in a box under a bridge once so whatever I get I get new used it doesn't matter, thick walls thin walls home is home.

[vagabond vet]

 

VagabondVet: This RV looks very nice and if you think it fits in with your weights and the floorplan is good for you, then you're set to go.

 

Keep in mind if you don't plan to spend your winter in Montana or your summer in the desert, 4-season doesn't mean anything in our opinion. It will get you through the shoulder months just fine.

 

Also, we bought our Newmar new and many full-timers have them. It did not come with a full-timing warranty. We had no issues because of it. I would guess that a good dealer/manufacturer would honor a repair, if needed. I'd be interested to hear if any full-timer was every refused warranty work if it didn't come with a full-timer's warranty.

Well I planned on following the good weather actually I'm sure there is a route you full timers take just need to find it

[dblr]

Have you seen the Artic Fox brand yet, smaller units but have heard some good things about them, hard to find a dealer here in the east but I do believe there is one in Pa. Good luck on your search and you will get a lot of GOOD help here.

[Kirk W]

I think that you will find that there are nearly as many different ways to live and routes to travel as there are people out on the road. There is really no one way or total answer but I'm sure that you can find yours. The key is to match the RV to the truck and just adjust to make it work and hit the road. The secret to happiness is not having what makes you happy, but learning to be happy with what you have!

[vagabond vet]

Aye those arctic fox aren't as plentiful but a very nice 4 season rig I did remember the name from when I lived in Ontario Canada But will google them up asap thanks

 

Have you seen the Artic Fox brand yet, smaller units but have heard some good things about them, hard to find a dealer here in the east but I do believe there is one in Pa. Good luck on your search and you will get a lot of GOOD help here.

[vagabond vet]

I think that you will find that there are nearly as many different ways to live and routes to travel as there are people out on the road. There is really no one way or total answer but I'm sure that you can find yours. The key is to match the RV to the truck and just adjust to make it work and hit the road. The secret to happiness is not having what makes you happy, but learning to be happy with what you have!

Can I just get the colors to match ?