We are ready to buy a used (preferably) 5th wheel and a pick up truck that will handle it. We know nothing! Your feedback based on your experience as well your knowledge gained from reliable sources, is much appreciated. We are really excited about this opportunity and look forward to the upsides and feel we can handle the downsides. Our preferred 5th wheel length is 34'-36'. Our home is sold and we have a month to make this happen. We have done some homework mostly on the internet and through dealers (including PPL), but very little from experienced RVers yet. We intend to live in this RV perhaps as long as 8 months - touring and taking next steps toward buying/building a traditional home. Sorry for so much detail, but you need to know where we're coming from. If you've read this far and think I am in the wrong forum slot, please say so.
We are overwhelmed with the brands. We live in a large market with many choices (Houston). Many units seem to turn over quickly, so it's necessary to be ready when you find the right one. I would appreciate your comments on 5th wheel brands. We were fixed on Alfa until we learned from consistent comments that their basement air is less than ideal for our hot and humid weather. So now we are open to "advice". OR if there is a ratings magazine or such that ranks them based on overall desirability... NADA helps with comparative pricing, but doesn't necessarily reflect the market value of a particular RV, in my opinion.
Brands that have been mentioned to us as more desirable are: Carriage, Tahoe, King of the Road, Mountain Aire and Cardinal. May be others too; can't remember. Looking for these brands on the internet and at dealers, it seems that the Tahoe, King of the Road and Mountain Aire are priced noticeably above similar size/type/year units. Although not mentioned to us as better units, we have found a 2004 Holiday Rambler 36' Presidential (too heavy?) and a 2004 Titanium 34E39SD appealing. To make it more complicated, there are aldo two new 2006 Carriage Compass models available that are DEEPLY discounted (reflecting their relative value??), to the point where their prices compete with some of the used RVs. There - that's it - anybody have the patience to read all of this and still have the motivation and energy to reply??
Pick-Up Truck: We'd rather a 3/4T Diesel automatic than a 1T dually for lots of reasons. Shopping for this used truck, we find that people are usually loyal to the brand they're driving. Here's consensus: Dodges (especially Cummins-equipped) and Fords seem more prominent than Chevys. Dodges have weaker (automatic) transmissions - notably torque converters, we are told. Chevys have the desirable Allison auto transmission, but supposedly the Duramax engine is not as desirable as the other two makes. We're told that Ford's diesel engines are problematic, like they spend more time in the shop than others. Your feedback? The RV we buy will dictate the amount of truck needed to haul it or vice versa, so we'll have to work through that. Hopefully we will learn enough about that to choose an adequate, safe truck.
Thanks very much in advance for wading through all of this, but you all are "there" and know this stuff better than most. T
We are overwhelmed with the brands. We live in a large market with many choices (Houston). Many units seem to turn over quickly, so it's necessary to be ready when you find the right one. I would appreciate your comments on 5th wheel brands. We were fixed on Alfa until we learned from consistent comments that their basement air is less than ideal for our hot and humid weather. So now we are open to "advice". OR if there is a ratings magazine or such that ranks them based on overall desirability... NADA helps with comparative pricing, but doesn't necessarily reflect the market value of a particular RV, in my opinion.
Brands that have been mentioned to us as more desirable are: Carriage, Tahoe, King of the Road, Mountain Aire and Cardinal. May be others too; can't remember. Looking for these brands on the internet and at dealers, it seems that the Tahoe, King of the Road and Mountain Aire are priced noticeably above similar size/type/year units. Although not mentioned to us as better units, we have found a 2004 Holiday Rambler 36' Presidential (too heavy?) and a 2004 Titanium 34E39SD appealing. To make it more complicated, there are aldo two new 2006 Carriage Compass models available that are DEEPLY discounted (reflecting their relative value??), to the point where their prices compete with some of the used RVs. There - that's it - anybody have the patience to read all of this and still have the motivation and energy to reply??
Pick-Up Truck: We'd rather a 3/4T Diesel automatic than a 1T dually for lots of reasons. Shopping for this used truck, we find that people are usually loyal to the brand they're driving. Here's consensus: Dodges (especially Cummins-equipped) and Fords seem more prominent than Chevys. Dodges have weaker (automatic) transmissions - notably torque converters, we are told. Chevys have the desirable Allison auto transmission, but supposedly the Duramax engine is not as desirable as the other two makes. We're told that Ford's diesel engines are problematic, like they spend more time in the shop than others. Your feedback? The RV we buy will dictate the amount of truck needed to haul it or vice versa, so we'll have to work through that. Hopefully we will learn enough about that to choose an adequate, safe truck.
Thanks very much in advance for wading through all of this, but you all are "there" and know this stuff better than most. T