What a wonderful community - so much information here!
We have been looking @ fifth wheelers, and never knew until I read here that there is a difference between "full time" and "weekend" units! How do I know which manufacturers I should be looking @ for full timing ????
Peace, Al
Luvglass said
06:51 AM Jun 25, 2009
The best place to get an independent opinion is the RV Consumer Group
http://rv.org/
Just about anything they rate full time or snowbird should be appropriate. After you decide on a few brands, it's wise to join the online groups and see what current owners think of them.
Good luck,
Fred
gypsymaus said
07:48 AM Jun 25, 2009
Welcome Al!
That was some very good advise from Fred. We bought our 5ver new last July. We had shopped for about 7 months. The insulation, and dual pane windows were important. Also since we had all our "stuff" weight capacity was important. We have since purchased a MH, because I need to be able work at my computer while we are "under way". We are traveling way more than we had ever imagined. We have made wonderful friendships on the road, and learned so much from them.
Happy shopping!
DreamerBob said
09:24 PM Jun 25, 2009
I too agree with Fred. I've just completed the whole process of researching RVs. Part of my research was buying the RV Consumer Group ratings. I was suprised to see that some of the manufacturers that I thought looked good at RV shows were rated rather poorly. Not that this group knows everything, but they do evaluate every model and at least seem thorough.
My advice would be to do a LOT of reading and be patient before pulling the trigger - its too expensive to make a mistake. Pick a few manufacturers with ratings as high as you budget will allow, then go see them at dealers or RV shows. There's a LOT to learn but its a very fun and exciting process.
Good Luck & have fun!
dream reachers said
10:03 PM Jun 25, 2009
I agree with the others. My wife and I spent 2 years reading, researching attending rv seminars, looking closely at different models on dealer lots. We studied the RV Consumers materials which were very helpful. We are so glad that we took our time and did our homework first. We have been living in our 5ver for 2 years this coming Aug. and know we made the right decision. We bought a 2 year old, loaded "full-time" trailer for about half the price of a new one. Most RVs you see are strictly vacation models and will not hold up to full-time use. Make sure you understand the different weights. RV Dreams will give you a wealth of information and encouragement. There are no stupid questions here, so don't be afraid to ask.
Mallo said
06:39 AM Jun 26, 2009
Two other things.
1. Trust yourself if the rig your walking around in feels shoddy or poorly made. If you feel a draft in a coach that is "buttoned up" and should be tight. Walk away if on the other hand the coach feels solid and is warm when it's cold or cool when it's warm. It's likely a solid coach.
2. Check the warranty being offered see what the use restrictions are from the manufacturer. If the builder will void the warranty because your full timing then that tells you something. The quality builders don't have limits on use for their rigs. (Carriage, Excel, Nu Wa to name three)
Mallo
Terry and Jo said
07:27 AM Jun 26, 2009
Researching is critical. But, hands on looking is more important than reading and looking at pictures.
Many a time, I thought something looked good in pictures but when actually in one of the units, it was obvious that it lacked in appearance or quality.
As for "consumer review" sources, pay close attention to the details of what you are researching. Years ago, when I was a manager in a Radio Shack store, we used to get people coming in to buy "x" model of VCR (or whatever). They had done their research on "Consumer Reports" about "x" model being rated high, but once in the store, they found that model "x" had been discontinued and was no longer available.
It seems that Consumer Reports had done their review and rating, but it was months or years before that review actually got published. To this day, I never look at Consumer Reports. Now, having said all that, I must point out that electronic items evolve quickly and a delayed publishing of a review was common. With an RV of some kind, it is not as likely that MAJOR items would change, except in the case of a manufacturer suddenly offering another option that may not be in the initial review. For instance, DRV (formerly Doubletree RV) now offers a fourth slide in a number of the three-slide models. However, their website doesn't reflect that information.
I have found it to be helpful to also look at other "RV owners'" forums that are specific to the brand that has attracted my interest. One of them for fifth wheels is one called "Fifth Wheel Forums", which has forum areas for different brand names. If you can find such, check for such "owner's forums" even in motorhomes, if that is your interest.
Terry
Judy said
08:53 AM Jun 26, 2009
Just in case you haven't found rv.net it also has lots of info. southwestjudy
We have been looking @ fifth wheelers, and never knew until I read here that there is a difference between "full time" and "weekend" units! How do I know which manufacturers I should be looking @ for full timing ????
Peace,
Al
Welcome Al!
That was some very good advise from Fred. We bought our 5ver new last July. We had shopped for about 7 months. The insulation, and dual pane windows were important. Also since we had all our "stuff" weight capacity was important.
We have since purchased a MH, because I need to be able work at my computer while we are "under way". We are traveling way more than we had ever imagined. We have made wonderful friendships on the road, and learned so much from them.
Happy shopping!
My advice would be to do a LOT of reading and be patient before pulling the trigger - its too expensive to make a mistake. Pick a few manufacturers with ratings as high as you budget will allow, then go see them at dealers or RV shows. There's a LOT to learn but its a very fun and exciting process.
Good Luck & have fun!
Two other things.
1. Trust yourself if the rig your walking around in feels shoddy or poorly made. If you feel a draft in a coach that is "buttoned up" and should be tight. Walk away if on the other hand the coach feels solid and is warm when it's cold or cool when it's warm. It's likely a solid coach.
2. Check the warranty being offered see what the use restrictions are from the manufacturer. If the builder will void the warranty because your full timing then that tells you something. The quality builders don't have limits on use for their rigs. (Carriage, Excel, Nu Wa to name three)
Mallo
Many a time, I thought something looked good in pictures but when actually in one of the units, it was obvious that it lacked in appearance or quality.
As for "consumer review" sources, pay close attention to the details of what you are researching. Years ago, when I was a manager in a Radio Shack store, we used to get people coming in to buy "x" model of VCR (or whatever). They had done their research on "Consumer Reports" about "x" model being rated high, but once in the store, they found that model "x" had been discontinued and was no longer available.
It seems that Consumer Reports had done their review and rating, but it was months or years before that review actually got published. To this day, I never look at Consumer Reports. Now, having said all that, I must point out that electronic items evolve quickly and a delayed publishing of a review was common. With an RV of some kind, it is not as likely that MAJOR items would change, except in the case of a manufacturer suddenly offering another option that may not be in the initial review. For instance, DRV (formerly Doubletree RV) now offers a fourth slide in a number of the three-slide models. However, their website doesn't reflect that information.
I have found it to be helpful to also look at other "RV owners'" forums that are specific to the brand that has attracted my interest. One of them for fifth wheels is one called "Fifth Wheel Forums", which has forum areas for different brand names. If you can find such, check for such "owner's forums" even in motorhomes, if that is your interest.
Terry
southwestjudy