So we been casually looking and dreaming for 10+ years. Each year we go to the RV shows and find our "new model" that we think would work for us. It's almost time now to buy. Hoping to be on the road part time in Summer, 2015. After doing some research online we've come across the Arctic Fox brand. While neither of us have seen an Arctic Fox, the Silver Edition 32-5M appears to have what we are looking for, except maybe a little larger shower.
We live in Florida and from what I understand the closes Arctic Fox dealer is in Pennsylvania. The wife wants a new trailer, not used, so that is what we will get. I want a new F450, so I think that is what we will get. What would be your suggestions as to how to proceed with this endeavor? Should we try to locate some used units here in Florida, just to look at? Not even sure if there are any. Drive through campgrounds trying to find one in hopes someone will talk to us about theirs? Is buying from a dealer in Pennsylvania while living in Florida a deal breaker? Once we start traveling we will probably store the trailer up north when we return to Florida for the winter. So I am not sure it matters where we buy the trailer from, right? Maybe it makes a difference if something happens to the trailer before we begin our road travels. Does that happen frequently and you have to return to the dealer?
..and oh yes, I am petrified about pulling something this big. Heck, I can't even back up our lawn tractor with a trailer and not have a problem.
Any insight will be greatly appreciated.
Gannet said
02:37 PM Sep 16, 2014
Is there something specific about this brand? As we have been looking it has seemed to us that there are large similarities between brands. Some are clearly higher quality than others, but as to floorplans and features they don't seem all that different. Big, small, side entertainment, rear entertainment, wraparound kitchen island or not, hall bath or side bath, etc., they all seem to have more or less the same choices.
The point being, of course, that if you live in Florida you live in one of the largest, if not the largest, RV markets in the world. Given that it will clearly be much easier to deal with something close to home, it would have to be something really unique to pull me out of state.
Just imo, ymmv.
GENECOP said
02:44 PM Sep 16, 2014
Kellies rv in PA is a good place to deal with....you can get warranty service anywhere....We also have an Artic Fox TT...heavy but well built....
NWescapee said
04:54 PM Sep 16, 2014
We bought our 5'ver from an out of state dealer, signed the paperwork while visiting our daughter over Christmas holidays. The biggest hassle was then getting the rig back to our home state so we could load it and get the house on the market. We bought the RV in December in OK and didn't get it back to WA until April. Didn't want to drive across all the mountains in the winter, issue with the new truck we had ordered, etc, etc.
I would just advise that you find a dealer you feel you can trust, ask questions about any work that needs to be done after PDI and how they would handle that if you are buying brand new. Get everything in writing.
Arctic Fox is a good brand, we see a lot of them in the Pacific NW as they are built for 4 seasons. We felt their 5th wheels were smaller than what we wanted for FT, but that's a decision that varies a lot based on what you want. We had actually considered buying a used Arctic Fox TT several years ago but due to how heavy they are would have had to upgrade the truck we had at that time and we weren't ready to upgrade truck and TT at the same time. Saved that fun for when we actually decided to go FT.
Jo and Ben said
05:23 PM Sep 16, 2014
We have the 32-5M and love it!! We bought ours in Colorado, which is where we lived before we went full-time. Not sure what your time-frame is, but we will be in Florida mid-November and you would be welcome to come visit and look at the RV. I would recommend seeing any rv before you buy. I am not aware of a dealer in PA that sells the Arctic Fox 5th wheels--we had to have the microwave replaced in ours and went to an Arctic Fox dealer in PA but they only sold A.F. truck campers, not 5th wheels. The shower is small, but definitely manageable. The kitchen has plenty of cabinet space. My only wish would be for more dresser drawer space in the bedroom. The living area feels roomy and comfortable. We started out looking at smaller 5th wheels but moved up to the 32-5M after spending some time seeing each one. Not sure if I've answered all your questions, feel free to pm me if I can answer any more :)
Jo
Terry and Jo said
11:47 AM Sep 17, 2014
Dave and Denise wrote:
..and oh yes, I am petrified about pulling something this big. Heck, I can't even back up our lawn tractor with a trailer and not have a problem.
Any insight will be greatly appreciated.
As someone who has backed up just about every kind of trailer one can think of, backing lawn tractor with a trailer is a LOT more of a challenge than a longer unit. The longer one's trailer is, the quicker one can "adjust" for the circumstances. We had a 26-foot fifth wheel prior to getting our current 38-footer. I can guarantee that the 38-footer backs easier than the 26-footer.
So, while the trailer will be larger, I wouldn't worry about the backing too much. Just have a "guide" behind you to help you get into place. If no guide, then remember the acronym GOAL....Get Out And Look.
Terry
Dave and Denise said
07:09 AM Sep 18, 2014
Wow, thanks for all the helpful comments!
Gannet, this model appeals to us because of the floor plan, trailer quality, price range and size. It seems to be almost the "perfect" trailer for us. Second on our list is a Bay Hill by Evergreen model 296RL, that is sold in Florida but is a little smaller. But after doing more research on the Arctic Fox, it think it is a distant second.
GENCOP, it's good to hear your positive comments regarding Kellies RV in PA. I put a lot of faith in comments made by those on this forum.
NWescapee, so your experience in getting your trailer back to your home got me to thinking. We were expecting to hit the road for a seveal weeks close to home (assuming that is where we bought the trailer) in case any issues did arise that would require us to return to the dealer. While it may be not as convenient, now I am thinking we could buy in PA, rent a U-Hual trailer with what we want to pack in the trailer, drive to PA, load the 5th wheel then spend several weeks up there close to the dealer. Our plan was to go north anyway and this sounds like a better plan than hauling the trailer to Florida only to turn around and head back up north. Thanks for those comments and the other suggestions regarding our interaction with the dealer.
Jo, first thanks so much for offering to allow us to see the trailer. We will be in touch with you for sure. It's also good to hear you how much you like the 32-M and your comments regarding the bathroom, bedroom, kitchen and living area. I will PM you.
Terry, thanks for the encouragement. It's just so much responsibility to haul something like this, I guess you just have to go with the experience. So you are saying bigger is better...shhh, don't tell Denise or we might end up with a 53 footer! ha ha.
-- Edited by Dave and Denise on Thursday 18th of September 2014 07:22:09 AM
Dave and Denise said
07:52 AM Sep 18, 2014
I have another question. We are and will continue to be Florida residents. We will continue to maintain a home in Florida. Lets say we buy the trailer in PA and plan to travel and store the trailer outside of Florida for several years. Therefore, the trailer would never be in Florida. Do we register the trailer in Florida or can we register the trailer where we buy it or someplace else? I know years ago the DMV in Florida would not issue me car plates for a car I bought in Ohio without coming out into the parking lot and seeing the vehicle in Florida.
Any have any ideas here?
NWescapee said
09:10 AM Sep 18, 2014
In our experience, registration is usually based on the same state where you have your driver's license. If you will continue to be Florida residents I would think you would want to register it there so as to not raise questions regarding legal domicile or tax avoidance, etc.
That being said, as least for SD my understanding was that we could have registered our new truck / 5th wheel there when we bought them if we were buying them without financing. If you are financing the unit the Patriot Act and other new legislation will require you to register the rig in the state where you have your driver's license. Or at least, that was our experience 18 months ago when we went through all this, we had to finance until the house sold and could eliminate that debt.
Dave and Denise said
09:34 AM Sep 18, 2014
Thanks again Dale and Ruth...
After doing some research it appears to me that Florida will permit us to complete the application for certificate for title and mail the completed form to our local county tax collector or license plate agency. Not sure why I had to physically show them my other vehicle several years ago.
I will need to research the benefits in registering the trailer in SD. No doubt a quick search of these forums will help me with that.
kb0zke said
07:26 PM Sep 18, 2014
You definitely want to register your vehicles in your domicile state. As more people learn about the tax advantages of certain states and the tax disadvantages of others, they are often choosing to move to where the tax bite is less. That leaves the high tax states hurting for money, and the first place they will look is someone who either used to live in that state but now claims another (lower tax) state or a current resident who has a vehicle registered elsewhere. The penalties for trying to avoid a tax bill are generally much larger than the tax bill.
Florida is one of the states that are popular with full-timers because of their tax structure. Since you are already a Florida resident I'd suggest you register your vehicles in Florida. Also, having your driver's license and your vehicle registration from the same state will avoid lots of unpleasant questions should you ever have an accident.
Dave and Denise said
06:39 AM Sep 19, 2014
Good points David...Having worked in the tax field for 25 years before retiring, I always do my best to comply with tax law.
RVKevi said
07:38 PM Sep 19, 2014
We just registered our vehicles in FL a few months ago. We had to take our truck and our car physically to the DMV for them to check VIN and odometer. But not our fifth wheel. The fifth wheel they registered without seeing it. My guess is that if it has an engine they have to see it. If not, they don't.
Gannet said
05:01 PM Sep 20, 2014
You need to register the vehicle in Florida if you are Florida residents (including just "domiciled"). If you had a "second home" elsewhere and kept a vehicle there permanently then you could register it there. But for a full-timer, registering in a different state "looks funny" and can get the tax man sniffing around.
In Florida, titling and registration is handled by the county tax collector of your county of residence. You should be able to do all this remotely, as it is sometimes necessary for other folks, such as servicemen. I would call them ahead of time and talk it over. As to the legal requirements, you will need to fill out HSMV 82042. Both the registration number and mileage have to be inspected. If you can't do that in-person (due to being out of state) then the inspection has to be performed, and signed off by, a police officer in the state where the vehicle was purchased, or by the dealer where it was purchased, and recorded on their letterhead. It's all spelled out on the Tax Collector's website. You can see ours here: http://www.sarasotataxcollector.com/services/motorist-services/car-truck-trailer/bringing-vehicle-to-florida
Dave and Denise said
07:25 PM Sep 20, 2014
Gannet, thanks for the insight. We wont be full timers and I prefer to register the trailer in Florida. Your link is helpful and thanks for the suggestion to discuss this with our county tax collector in advance. That makes a lot of sense.
So we been casually looking and dreaming for 10+ years. Each year we go to the RV shows and find our "new model" that we think would work for us. It's almost time now to buy. Hoping to be on the road part time in Summer, 2015. After doing some research online we've come across the Arctic Fox brand. While neither of us have seen an Arctic Fox, the Silver Edition 32-5M appears to have what we are looking for, except maybe a little larger shower.
We live in Florida and from what I understand the closes Arctic Fox dealer is in Pennsylvania. The wife wants a new trailer, not used, so that is what we will get.
I want a new F450, so I think that is what we will get. 
What would be your suggestions as to how to proceed with this endeavor? Should we try to locate some used units here in Florida, just to look at? Not even sure if there are any. Drive through campgrounds trying to find one in hopes someone will talk to us about theirs? Is buying from a dealer in Pennsylvania while living in Florida a deal breaker? Once we start traveling we will probably store the trailer up north when we return to Florida for the winter. So I am not sure it matters where we buy the trailer from, right? Maybe it makes a difference if something happens to the trailer before we begin our road travels. Does that happen frequently and you have to return to the dealer?
..and oh yes, I am petrified about pulling something this big. Heck, I can't even back up our lawn tractor with a trailer and not have a problem.
Any insight will be greatly appreciated.
The point being, of course, that if you live in Florida you live in one of the largest, if not the largest, RV markets in the world. Given that it will clearly be much easier to deal with something close to home, it would have to be something really unique to pull me out of state.
Just imo, ymmv.
I would just advise that you find a dealer you feel you can trust, ask questions about any work that needs to be done after PDI and how they would handle that if you are buying brand new. Get everything in writing.
Arctic Fox is a good brand, we see a lot of them in the Pacific NW as they are built for 4 seasons. We felt their 5th wheels were smaller than what we wanted for FT, but that's a decision that varies a lot based on what you want. We had actually considered buying a used Arctic Fox TT several years ago but due to how heavy they are would have had to upgrade the truck we had at that time and we weren't ready to upgrade truck and TT at the same time. Saved that fun for when we actually decided to go FT.
Jo
As someone who has backed up just about every kind of trailer one can think of, backing lawn tractor with a trailer is a LOT more of a challenge than a longer unit. The longer one's trailer is, the quicker one can "adjust" for the circumstances. We had a 26-foot fifth wheel prior to getting our current 38-footer. I can guarantee that the 38-footer backs easier than the 26-footer.
So, while the trailer will be larger, I wouldn't worry about the backing too much. Just have a "guide" behind you to help you get into place. If no guide, then remember the acronym GOAL....Get Out And Look.
Terry
Wow, thanks for all the helpful comments!
Gannet, this model appeals to us because of the floor plan, trailer quality, price range and size. It seems to be almost the "perfect" trailer for us. Second on our list is a Bay Hill by Evergreen model 296RL, that is sold in Florida but is a little smaller. But after doing more research on the Arctic Fox, it think it is a distant second.
GENCOP, it's good to hear your positive comments regarding Kellies RV in PA. I put a lot of faith in comments made by those on this forum.
NWescapee, so your experience in getting your trailer back to your home got me to thinking. We were expecting to hit the road for a seveal weeks close to home (assuming that is where we bought the trailer) in case any issues did arise that would require us to return to the dealer. While it may be not as convenient, now I am thinking we could buy in PA, rent a U-Hual trailer with what we want to pack in the trailer, drive to PA, load the 5th wheel then spend several weeks up there close to the dealer. Our plan was to go north anyway and this sounds like a better plan than hauling the trailer to Florida only to turn around and head back up north. Thanks for those comments and the other suggestions regarding our interaction with the dealer.
Jo, first thanks so much for offering to allow us to see the trailer. We will be in touch with you for sure. It's also good to hear you how much you like the 32-M and your comments regarding the bathroom, bedroom, kitchen and living area. I will PM you.
Terry, thanks for the encouragement. It's just so much responsibility to haul something like this, I guess you just have to go with the experience. So you are saying bigger is better...shhh, don't tell Denise or we might end up with a 53 footer! ha ha.
-- Edited by Dave and Denise on Thursday 18th of September 2014 07:22:09 AM
Any have any ideas here?
That being said, as least for SD my understanding was that we could have registered our new truck / 5th wheel there when we bought them if we were buying them without financing. If you are financing the unit the Patriot Act and other new legislation will require you to register the rig in the state where you have your driver's license. Or at least, that was our experience 18 months ago when we went through all this, we had to finance until the house sold and could eliminate that debt.
After doing some research it appears to me that Florida will permit us to complete the application for certificate for title and mail the completed form to our local county tax collector or license plate agency. Not sure why I had to physically show them my other vehicle several years ago.
I will need to research the benefits in registering the trailer in SD. No doubt a quick search of these forums will help me with that.
Florida is one of the states that are popular with full-timers because of their tax structure. Since you are already a Florida resident I'd suggest you register your vehicles in Florida. Also, having your driver's license and your vehicle registration from the same state will avoid lots of unpleasant questions should you ever have an accident.
You need to register the vehicle in Florida if you are Florida residents (including just "domiciled"). If you had a "second home" elsewhere and kept a vehicle there permanently then you could register it there. But for a full-timer, registering in a different state "looks funny" and can get the tax man sniffing around.
In Florida, titling and registration is handled by the county tax collector of your county of residence. You should be able to do all this remotely, as it is sometimes necessary for other folks, such as servicemen. I would call them ahead of time and talk it over. As to the legal requirements, you will need to fill out HSMV 82042. Both the registration number and mileage have to be inspected. If you can't do that in-person (due to being out of state) then the inspection has to be performed, and signed off by, a police officer in the state where the vehicle was purchased, or by the dealer where it was purchased, and recorded on their letterhead. It's all spelled out on the Tax Collector's website. You can see ours here: http://www.sarasotataxcollector.com/services/motorist-services/car-truck-trailer/bringing-vehicle-to-florida