5th wheel pointers

[mr.wilson]

I have looked at some of the Forest River products, Sandpiper the Sierra and Wildcat I think was the other model. I have narrowed the search down to a few. Gulf Stream, Canyon Trail is on the list. They talk about the ability to cold weather camp, not sure if I would do much of that.

 

[Grizzly]

hhranch put together a good list of 5th wheels to consider. New Horizon is the only 5 star rated 5th wheel, but very spendy. Hichhiker by NUWA, Excel and Arctic Fox as well as Nash are 4 star rated. The least expensive of the 4 star rated is the Nash. I'm not sure how the other 5er on his list rate without looking them up.

 

[Garlic]

The 4 season package IMO is worth having. I camp all year from the low100's to below 0, and having a unit that I can comfortably stay in all year and have everything usabl is worth the investment. When it is real cold the heating costs are up because it also heats the tanks and storage areas. The added insulation in the summer is also a blessing in it's own. I have awnings on my slide outs and it works real well in the sun and heat, also I do not have to shovel the snow off of the slides before I pack it up. For me the smooth side has been the way to go, I have had an aluminum sided unit that faired well. KZ, Keystone and Forest River are good units when you get to the mid grade models.

 

[JimB1]

When shopping don't take checkbook along.



Once the deal looks good on paper, go home for the checkbook and see if deal still looks good when you get back to dealer.

 

[Grizzly]

When shopping don't take checkbook along.



Once the deal looks good on paper, go home for the checkbook and see if deal still looks good when you get back to dealer.

That's alway been my policy also. Go home and sleep on it.

 

[draymorris]

I have not read all the posts here so forgive me if I am repeating what someone else already said.



I spent about 8 months transporting RV's and was amazed my what I learned abou the industry. I personnaly lived in a 99 KZ New Vision Ultra for about 1. 5 years as well.

Beside the "sleep on it" advice, think the best thing you can do is contact people with experince - not salesmen, not manufacturers - people who live with them everyday.

From my transporting days, I beleive that the quality of each company cycles. Even the company I drove for told me of sales trends that reinforce this. As they try to compete, they chnage designs - as they change designs they change engineering sometimes - as engineering changes, problems may arise in the final product many month down the road - WATCH OUT FOR TOTALLY NEW DESIGNS.

 

[draymorris]

I hit the wrong buttons before I was done --

I learned that KZ made a good product, and from what the dealers told me, they stood behind their product.

Fleetwood was a joke - on one that I picked up, I found a peice of trim over a window that helped keep water out, hanging down. I took it to the factory and they literally taped it up with packaging tape and told me I was good to go. I also notice more loose peices at the end of the run with their units.



I know that personaly I would look for so many things in the design that I would not even think about listing them here. But if it looks cheap, it probably is.



I can't stress enough about tires. Most trailers are puching their tires to the limit before you load them. The heavier duty the tire the better it will pull - MPG come into the picture quickly.



Don't be afraid to ask to pull it for a test run - you may be stuck with a very rough ride.

Air bags and proper ride height also make a huge difference.

I could go on and on - but in closing - each trailer I hooked onto was a different animal. Some I would refuse to pull after I did one - other I would request - and KZ was one of them.

Good luck

 

[MMerlino]

Lots of good information - but beware

Lots of good information was listed above. Two things to beware of: First, was mentioned by more than one person. The factory tires from China should be avoided. They look good and seem to hold there tread wear to what one would expect. However, they seem to have a problem with the tread separating from the casing. Get a good set of tires it is well worth the cost. The second thing is what hitch are you going to get? You didn't list what kind of truck you had. If it is a short-bed you need a sliding hitch. There are a few out there. I like the Pull Rite Super Slide because it is passive (it moves back on its' own when turning tight corners). However, this hitch has an intrinsic fault that could cause you to loose your trailer. It can be easily fixed but Pull Rite has not chosen to do so. Read the below link. If you have any comments please make them on this link. By doing this it will reactivate the link and possibly get the information out to someone who is not aware of the defect.



https://www.turbodieselregister.com...1465-super-glide-5th-wheel-hitch-concern.html



As you can see there are lots of favorite RVs out there. Get one that makes YOUR foot pat...

 

[donnandon]

I would recommend checking some of the online user sites for any of the trailers you are considering. There you can see what others are saying about their trailers, good and bad, and what options/modifications others recommend for the particular trailer. You can ask questions of current owners too... which can be a great help. It helped us narrow down the field.

 

[B.G. Smith]

Stay away from rear kitchens. Get the largest grey water tank you can find. Look at the wheels, if it only has five lug bolts, don't even go inside. I have had some experience with the Chinese tires on a boat trailer, they came apart sitting in a storage building. But the tire failure problem is by no means limited to foriegn made tires. I have scattered tire treads in several states from at least five different domestic manufacturers. Try to find what you can be happy with that has a loaded weight that is not anywhere near the carrying capacity of the tires. For me, 30' would be the ideal length but most manufacturers aren't making them that size anymore. I currently have a Newmar American Star. I ordered the trailer with easy lube axles and dish ready, I got suspension with greasable spring hangers and a piece of wire sticking out of the roof for a satellite dish. Find out the height of the unit, it could be critical later on looking for storage, etc. If I were in the market right now I would look hard at the KZ New Vision and the Titanium. The four seasons insulation is a must as is the insulated underbelly. If you are in Kansas City area, go over to northern Indiana and visit some of the factories, most will take you inside and let you see the building in progress, very enlightning. Actually buying a less expensive used unit and using it a while is invaluable experience before buying a new unit. Happy camping. bg

 

[Grizzly]

Stay away from rear kitchens. Get the largest grey water tank you can find. Look at the wheels, if it only has five lug bolts, don't even go inside. I have had some experience with the Chinese tires on a boat trailer, they came apart sitting in a storage building. But the tire failure problem is by no means limited to foriegn made tires. I have scattered tire treads in several states from at least five different domestic manufacturers. Try to find what you can be happy with that has a loaded weight that is not anywhere near the carrying capacity of the tires. For me, 30' would be the ideal length but most manufacturers aren't making them that size anymore. I currently have a Newmar American Star. I ordered the trailer with easy lube axles and dish ready, I got suspension with greasable spring hangers and a piece of wire sticking out of the roof for a satellite dish. Find out the height of the unit, it could be critical later on looking for storage, etc. If I were in the market right now I would look hard at the KZ New Vision and the Titanium. The four seasons insulation is a must as is the insulated underbelly. If you are in Kansas City area, go over to northern Indiana and visit some of the factories, most will take you inside and let you see the building in progress, very enlightning. Actually buying a less expensive used unit and using it a while is invaluable experience before buying a new unit. Happy camping. bg

I agree with you on all but two things, 1, Rear kitchen, if you have a good set of shocks you won't get that "bounce" near as bad. You can always pack towels or what have you on dishes and other sensitive items. Also one does not have to take along glass dishes. 2, I do not recommend "Easy Lube Axles" because they don't work most of the time. You might get grease in the front bearing but not the back bearing. I believe it's far better to open up the drum and inspect the brakes and hand grease the bearings.



The best bang for the buck is a Nash, 4 star rated, 5er or TT. If you want fiber glas caps and sides and nicer interior and still a 4 star rated, get an Arctic Fox, but it will cost you more $$$.