The last of the kids will be out of college, so we are working on choosing a rig and truck and slowly selling things off with hopes of heading out on the open road by end of 2014!
We were leaning towards a 2008 or newer Keystone Cougar. Enough room for husband to still work full time, but hopefully, still fit into State Parks. But he is now leaning towards a Carriage Cameo. Anyone have an opinion on one versus the other? I'm afraid the larger Cameo will mean more difficulty getting into State Parks. We're more into boondocking and remote parks versus private/KOA/etc. Not that concerned with fancy compared to more space and better built.
Thank you!! Next year we'll be in your ranks!
GENECOP said
01:05 AM May 22, 2013
Welcome Deb, I think the Cameo is a better built unit, the larger size will also be nice to have for FT use. Whatever you guys decide will be OK, have fun, welcome to the forum, see you on the road.
Terry and Jo said
01:14 AM May 22, 2013
Debbie,
Welcome to the RV Dreams forums. You certainly have found a good source of information for making choices for an RV and a tow vehicle. Keep in mind that you will want to choose the fifth wheel first so that once you know its GVWR, you'll have a better idea of how big of a truck you will need to tow it.
Keystone is a reputable name, and I'm pretty sure there are some folks full-timing in a Cougar. As for the Carriage, that company itself has gone out of business, so you will need to do your research. The Carriage name was also a reputable one, but if you go that route, you'll have to buy used.
Space in a smaller trailer can be had with the right floorplan, but when you start to look at "better built" you also start to look at more expensive. As trailers get better quality builds, it involves more expensive materials.
Good luck with all your research and planning, and feel free to ask any questions that come to mind. It is better to ask a question that may seem "dumb" but not asking the question might see one end up making decisions that end up having expensive outcomes.
Terry
PD CFK said
01:31 AM May 22, 2013
Debbie, Sent you a private message. We have a 37 foot Cameo and it is big, but the 35 and 36 foot models are roomy, if you think you want to stay smaller. Good luck with your hunt. Pat K
Alie and Jims Carrilite said
02:14 AM May 22, 2013
We are on our 2nd CarriLite. The first was an older 532RKS model that was in great shape. Our current Carriage is an '09 CarriLite 36Max1. There are nurmerous dealers that will do repairs and an extended warrenty is available. Much of the items that would have to be replaced over time are common items anyway, waterpumps, fridge, etc all available. The Carriage frames are stacked box tubing not I-Beam so it starts with a robust foundation.
The last of the kids will be out of college, so we are working on choosing a rig and truck and slowly selling things off with hopes of heading out on the open road by end of 2014!
We were leaning towards a 2008 or newer Keystone Cougar. Enough room for husband to still work full time, but hopefully, still fit into State Parks. But he is now leaning towards a Carriage Cameo. Anyone have an opinion on one versus the other? I'm afraid the larger Cameo will mean more difficulty getting into State Parks. We're more into boondocking and remote parks versus private/KOA/etc. Not that concerned with fancy compared to more space and better built.
Thank you!! Next year we'll be in your ranks!
Debbie,
Welcome to the RV Dreams forums. You certainly have found a good source of information for making choices for an RV and a tow vehicle. Keep in mind that you will want to choose the fifth wheel first so that once you know its GVWR, you'll have a better idea of how big of a truck you will need to tow it.
Keystone is a reputable name, and I'm pretty sure there are some folks full-timing in a Cougar. As for the Carriage, that company itself has gone out of business, so you will need to do your research. The Carriage name was also a reputable one, but if you go that route, you'll have to buy used.
Space in a smaller trailer can be had with the right floorplan, but when you start to look at "better built" you also start to look at more expensive. As trailers get better quality builds, it involves more expensive materials.
Good luck with all your research and planning, and feel free to ask any questions that come to mind. It is better to ask a question that may seem "dumb" but not asking the question might see one end up making decisions that end up having expensive outcomes.
Terry
Our current Carriage is an '09 CarriLite 36Max1. There are nurmerous dealers that will do repairs and an extended warrenty is available. Much of the items that would have to be replaced over time are common items anyway, waterpumps, fridge, etc all available. The Carriage frames are stacked box tubing not I-Beam so it starts with a robust foundation.