New & looking at getting a 5er

[Tspanos]

I am looking at getting a 5er to take on a cross country trip next summer (2008). I've been poking around some of the RV forums reading and I went and checked out two local dealerships and while I didn't care for the staff of either one I did find one unit that seamed to be what I was looking for, a Forest River Wildcat 32QBBS. It had the MSRP listed as $33,000 and my understanding is that I should be able to negotiate this down 20% or so.

The interior was pretty much what I would expect for this price range. So I guess this leads to my first question, what are your impressions of the Forest River products? Specifically the Wildcats?

Next, coming from cargo and horse trailers where we have fiberglass and aluminium roofs I am leary of the rubber roofs that are so prevelent on all of these trailers. What have your experiences been with the rubber?

My next question involves power, all of the models I looked at didn't even have a provision for a gen set nevermind one installed. How do you guys do it? There is a great compartment up front under the neck but the shore power plug I believe was on the back corner of the trailer. How much of the interior runs on 12 volt? Lights obviously, but what about the microwave, stove, oven, and the fridge. Plus, don't these trailers have a monitor panel like a boat, for the tanks and batteries? I couldn't find one.

Along the same line, my biggest concern is how am I going to power this unit on a cross country trip where I will be on the road for 2400 miles before I can hookup to shore power and then 2400+ miles back. I am planning on ordering a 5500 this fall so could the 220 Amp alternator with more batteries be a good option? What about mounting a small genset in the above mentioned compartment? Solar?



I know one of the guys actually just posted about a similar unit, but he was talking about fuel economy. Hopefully He'll see this and chime in.



Thanks please educate me on this whole RV thing. Tim

 

[PKnoerzer]

Many of the appliances run on 12 volts. The camper batteries will stay charged when the trailer is connected to your truck. The 'fridge will run off 12 volts or propane. The furnace blower is 12 volts and it burns propane. The stoves run on propane. The main things you can't run without a generator or shore power is the microwave and air-conditioner.

 

[surfbeetle]

FYI, I have yet to see a three way fridge (propane, 120v AC and 12v) in anything but a motorhome. Most TTs and 5vers have only a two way fridge, (propane and 120v AC). The two way fridges will require 12v to run the brain unit but 12v won't run the fridge completely.



As for a power source, there is always solar. If you get a large enough one with an inverter, you can power everything except the Air Conditioning. Some of the higher end TTs and 5vers and usually all of the Toyhauler models have setups for Generators.



Another thing to remember is your liquid capacities. How often will you be able to take on fresh water and drain the gray and black fluids while you are traveling? You may need to get larger tanks, but along with this is the ability to carry the added weight.







Good luck!

 

[RustyJC]

The 'fridge will run off 12 volts or propane.

I'd confirm this as a lot of the new 5th wheel fridges are 2-way (120VAC and propane), not 3-way. IOW, the 2-way fridges (like mine) won't run on 12VDC.



If your 5th wheel is prepped for a genset, you can tap in at the front with a shore power cord and power it with a quiet genset (such as the Honda EU3000is) carried on the back of the truck if you don't want to install a genset in the 5th wheel.



Rusty

 

[georgej]

Tim,

I find that by the time we get to our sons place in Virginia we've got close to 4000 miles on the odometer. It takes us about 7-9 days if we're in a hurry and stay in rv campgrounds every night so we can hookup to power source and drain our tanks etc. As said above the stove ,the fridge, most lights,slides, furnace,will work when unhooked to 120v. Get a good rv park directory to help plan your stopovers and enjoy our beautiful country

 

[Tspanos]

Thanks everyone, I'm planning on the whole trip taking just under three weeks and covering 5000 or so miles. It will probable become quite a bit more with site seeing. You all answered my largest question about power and what can be run on what source. I don't see the weight being an issue, if I get the 5500 this fall, the trailer will be well below the truck's ratings. I will definitly look into the overnighting with hookups Georgej just because of the tank bit.

 

[ScottLewis]

If you're not too pressed for time, try to go to a couple of RV shows where several dealers have their models on display. You not only get to check out the features on a number of them the same day, sometimes they will make a better than normal deal for you. We've travelled nearly 100K miles in first pull trailers then a fifth wheel. 95% of the time we stay at parks with at least electric and water hookups. We find we can easily go several days before dumping the holding tanks is necessary.



Happy travelling





Dan

 

[DPhillips]

We have a Forest River Cardinal 27RKS, 1998. We bought used from a local dealer and have nothing to it other than normal maintainance. (tires, re-pack wheel bearings, clean the rubber roof. I just replaced the vent covers and installed a vent cover on the bathroom vent.



We purchased a Honda EU2000i to use at the races. We are able to run everything but the A/C with this one generator. We plan on getting a second one to run the A/C if we need/want to. It is nice having the single generator while traveling. The wife can make a pot of coffee or heat something up in the microwave.



The rubber roof has held up fine since we purchased it three years ago. We considered the Wild Cat when searching when we found this one.



Klenger has very good information on his website. Give him a try.



Hope this helps.

 

[231jasonS]

I had nearly the same trailer and it was fine. I had a couple of issues with warranty stuff but nothing major. It got rolled last summer so we just ordereda new one. We went a little bigger and better this time with a forest river Silver back its a branch off from the ceder creek.



We have a honda eui2000 to run stuff. It would run the AC on low, but not on high. We had two 12v batteries and those would last with out the genset for a few days if used right. Never had a problem with the tanks being to small(family of 4). I think a propane generater wired in is an option that we did not get. we did have several blow outs with cheap tires on the trailers.



search member BUGOUT for a thread on some forest river problems.

 

[EricBu12]

Tim,



your other question if you haven't found it yet, the controll and monitor panel. . Might be in a decorative wood cupbord on the wall that is shallow.



Rubber roofs are good if maintained well. you have to clean it twice a year with normal dish soap and keep cjecking on cracks on vent and other seals. on rubber roofs you use a "self-lap" sealant you get at the rv store. I would 2nd the checking on cheap tires. I have a toyhauler that had 6 bad tires and 2 blew. . get goodyear or equiv. for your long trip.



For what you will do, I recommend a 2000 to 3000 gen that you can either stre in the front storage or bed of the truck.



One thing I have noticed on almost all 5ths including mine is the lack of insulation in the floor of the bed/bath area. I know the lower floor of the storage is insulated, but the door to the storage is thin and heat or cold builds and the Appliances can't keep up. Get a couple of sheets of 2" Foam Insulating board and fit inbetween the framework of the floor. this will give you a R-10 value right there.



Other than that, everything else should be good. When you run the fridge on Propane or 110, the coach, or rather, the fridge HAS to be level. or very close. this will make it run efficiently.



Get a good pair of wheel binders for parking where the chocks get pinched between the tires verticaly... This helps prevent movement.



A good thing to have is a checklist of things needed to do when packing up from a campsite..... Ie:



TV ant. down

fridge secure

stabilizer jacks up

Hoses and cord unhooked

chocks put away

loose items secured

Storage compartments locked (do this. . dont just close with thumb latch)

windows closed

furnace off

step secured

Trailer Light check



This will help you remember all the things needed to do when traveling... Happy first RV!



Eric

 

[JShriver]

Hey Tim,



I'm the guy. I just bought a Wildcat 32 QBBS 5er. We've had it out once so far. Everything worked great. We bought one with many options and ended up around $27K. For all you get you can't beat the price. The Wildcat is what I call entry level.



As far as overall quality, I was a little disappointed in ALL the RV manufacturers for the price range I am able to afford. The overall quality is not like what you would find in your Dodge truck. In the latest TDR magazine #55 there is a piece in TDRV where Jim Anderson discribes the challenge in finding high quality RV products. It's a good read.



I settled on the Wildcat because of the price vs. features on the 32QBBS. I can over look some average workmanship because if you want higher quality the price doubles very fast. I'm just not gonna pay $50K for a camper!



It's my 1st RV purchase and I plan on using it alot. By the way, the fridge/freezer worked on gas while driving down the road on 12v power (although it took a while to cool down). The only thing I have found that I'm going to take it back for is the awning. It's hard to pull out of the slot at the top where it attaches.



Hope this helps.



JShriver

 

[AMink]

We have a hitch pull Wildcat and have been fairly happy with it. As mentioned above, workmanship across the RV industry is suspect. There is a Wildcat website that you can check out for lots more opinions. When you go to make the final deal, go over that thing head to toe, top to bottom. I spent over 2 hours going over ours, jotting down things that I wanted fixed before delivery. Somewhere, I got a list of things to check. I'd ask them to vacuum out all the cabinets, holds, etc. You will find sawdust EVERYWHERE in a new trailer. Pull out the awning and make sure it works easily. Have them fill all the tanks and check for leaks. Run the water pump and make sure when you shut the faucet off, the pump stops almost immediately. If it doesn't, there is a leak somewhere in the system. Run the stereo. Make sure when you switch between a, b, and a&b, it works right. Ours was wired wrong. Have them install a second battery as part of the deal and don't settle for crap batteries. You're paying $$$ for this thing; a top of the line battery set isn't going to break the bank for the dealer.



As far as power, the Honda or Yamaha 2000's are good units. If I'm at a lower elevation, I can run my A/C with my Honda. The trick is to turn off the breaker that runs the convertor and shut off everything else too so the only draw on the generator is the A/C. Also, make sure the fridge is set to "gas" and not "auto". When it's set to auto, it will run on 120 if available. My A/C is a 13,500 unit.



Lastly, have fun! Good luck.

 

[Tspanos]

Once again thank you. JShiver I would be interested in hearing more about your search. Did you find anything else that stood out with the Wildcat? Eric, the checklist is probably a really good idea. Thanks for hitting upon the rubber roofs that was something that really bothered me more than the average craftsmanship of the units.

 

[Grizzly]

Tim, Forest River is just not know for quality. They are but one step above Fleetwood. Consider an Arctic Fox if you are interested in quality and want generator ready. Look at them and compare quality and woorkmanship. They are not as fancy as a Wildcat, but much better where it counts. Cab-over-campers have 3-way fridge.

 

[PRawls]

You could try CrossroadsRV.com also. I've been very happy with mine, and I've only heard complaints from a couple of people.

 

[MBurtch]

We had a 29RK 2002 Wildcat until our current trailer. We had a few warrenty issues that were handled by the dealer. I would try to make sure the dealer you are buying from is good about handling any warrenty issues. I thought it was a good trailer for the price. We used two honda 2000 generators to run the airconditioner or just one honda 2000 generator to run everything else. The Artic Fox someone mentioned is a good trailer also and a step up from the Wildcat.

 

[JShriver]

Tim,



One brand I saw that I also liked was Thor Industries. I looked at the Denali model 5th wheel. It seemed like it was made well and although I didn't negotiate a price I think it was only a few thousand more than the Wildcat. Again, Quality/Price was what I was looking for.



There are alot out there I didn't see. Happy Hunting!



JShriver

 

[SHobbs]

Tim, Forest River is just not know for quality. They are but one step above Fleetwood.



Being a fultimer and having owned a 5er from Fleetwood as well as my current 5er from Forest River I have to disagree with that statement. The Cardinal I currently own has been flawless, there have been only two trips to the shop within almost 4 years of ownership. The difference in the quality is incredible compared to the Fleetwood Terry I once owned. Now I am not saying that the Cardinal is perfect but, compared to the Terry it is like night and day.

 

[BFoughty]

I'm also looking at fifth wheels. has anyone had any experience with the Denali good or bad?? we are looking at the 28LB-M5. This is a bunkhouse model. We also looked at the Zinger model this is made by crossroads. rv and liked it. They now have come out with them in Fiberglass outsides vs. the Aluminum sideing. Sorry to steal the thread. Brian.

 

[Tspanos]

I'm also looking at fifth wheels. has anyone had any experience with the Denali good or bad?? we are looking at the 28LB-M5. This is a bunkhouse model. We also looked at the Zinger model this is made by crossroads. rv and liked it. They now have come out with them in Fiberglass outsides vs. the Aluminum sideing. Sorry to steal the thread. Brian.

Don't worry about hijacking, I started this because I couldn't find one close enough already started.