Buying Fifth Wheel Trailer, Any Tips Welcomed

[DwayneKelch]

Tracy, Dick, Loren, Casey, All,



Your input has been great. Tracy, your info opened my eyes about Alfa... definitely off my list. Thanks.



Still struggling with decision. My wife really liked a 2000 Sea breeze (2370) she looked at. I didn't like the triple axles and the fact that it weighed 13,800 pounds dry. Too much 5er to pull for me being a newbie and all.



Have been paying particular attention to construction of all these units. Varies somewhat. Focusing on Carriage Cameo Lxi, Nu-Wa (Hitch Hiker Premier, Champagne, Snowbird SE), Newmar (Kountry Star or Mountain Aire).



Looking for a used coach and trying to keep purchase between $30K - $40K. Have decided to keep length 35' and under.



Were looking to add washer and dryer to unit, but now thinking otherwise. If we end up living in one location for awhile, might reconsider.



Loren, can't believe someone would intentionally unlatch your hitch. Geez, what a cruel world we live in.



Have time to look as our truck (ordered 29 Mar) probably won't arrive until end of May or first part of June.



We're taking a vacation 12 - 22 May and will get a chance to look at a few 5ers in Missouri and Arkansas.



Appreciate everyones input/experience... definitely educated us in this process.





Dwayne

 

[pmartin]

5th wheel

Good luck on selecting the right 5th wheel. We have 2003 35 ft, triple slide, Newmar Kountry Star. I like the trailer, it is well insulated and solid. Pulls very stable, however it is very heavy! It has 7000 lb axles with G rated tires. My last trailer, Wilderness, with E rated tires liked to throw tire treads. That ruins a good trip.



It is set up for washer & dryer but we prefer to use the campground laundry facilities.



One additional thing to compare is holding tank capacities. Our Newmar has large holding tanks which saves time during multiple one night stays in route to your destination campground. Once you get to your main camp ground, staying for several days, holding tank capacity isn't so important. I also like electric slides.



Hope to see you on the road.

 

[Jim Smith]

I like my Newmar 36ft , triple slide,stackable washer/dryer. Its heavy but the Diesel tows it very well. Look a good quality unit and you won't be disappointed. You get what you pay for. Insulation is important both summer and winter. Good luck.

 

[CROW]

I have a 2001 Kountry Star fifth wheel and am pleased with the unit. I went through the Newmar factory last summer and was impressed; they build all of their products on the same line from the least expensive trailer to motor homes with astronomical MSRP prices. Newmar also has a three year warranty, which was one of the reasons I bought a Newmar product. One thing I would insist on in a new unit is disc brakes. From all I hear they work better and seem to have to have fewer problems than drums. They are an option on the 2004 Kountry Star fifth wheel, but may be standard on the higher end Newmar products and would guess that other manufacturers offer them as well. Another thing I would insist on is greasable shackles on the springs, some of the less expensive trailers do not have them. There are a number of quality products out there besides Newmar and were I in the market for a new trailer I would certainly look at some of the other products. Good luck on your search.

 

[JimMoran]

Lets see you and several of the other responses have come up with alot of stuff to work on. To make a long story very short and baised on our exoerience. The first thing to do is to find out what the GVWR of the 5th wheel in question is. Then have it weighed and stand back for the shocker - of how little weight you cah add.

And a heaver tire rattin does not mean you can carry more stuff.

Good Luck Jim - -- email address removed --

 

[ralbert]

Dwayne, To look for a nice used high line 5th go to a high line dealer. I found a 18 month old Kountry Star that had been lived in 5 months for 30,000. The guy paid 76. 500 but traded it on a $300,000 Coach. I past up the 5th because it dry weighted at 13880 and grossed at 18880. Too much weight for my 3500. I want to be able to stop it. I looked at another high line dealer and found a 2002 HR that listed for 40 that was traded in on a 73k Kountry star for 23k and I am a happy camper. I am now building a barn to keep the campers in for 28k. My 95 Lance 945 TC has been kept inside and it is like new so I figure this new barn will work well. Good luck Rob

 

[Brianpump]

Having owned several trailers with wood and aluminum wall construction and living in a couple of them I have found that aluminum transfers heat and cold worse than wood. I now own a Teton and it is the most comfortable to live in year round. The double pane windows do not sweat like single pane and are much more comfortable to be close to in the winter especially the large windows. Something to think about if you are not always in temperate climates. Also the roof thickness, the thicker the better for insulation and sound. Speaking of sound the double pane windows make a huge difference. Storage is also a big issue. Take a look at a Teton they are very competitive in the entry line and have the highest livibility rating. Some have said to try a trailer or two and then get what you want. That can be expensive. I took the factory tours of several brands and was sold once I saw the differnce. Look past the flash and pay attention to the details and construction. Newmar brands, Holiday Ramblers, Carriage, King of the Road, and Tetons are all good rigs for full timing. Do consider what climates you will be in as I have pointed out livibility comfort varies greatly. Alpenlite also has some good rigs. You also may consider a 110 volt house refridge if you plan on being hooked up most of the time as they are larger, frost free, has ice and water in the doors and are much more relilable and one less hole in the wall. Moore ryde is very smooth and little maintenance, air ride is the best but expensive.

 

[Utah Willie]

I have a 2000 Alfa Gold and it has been great but if I were going to cold country areas such as Alaska, I'd look to something like the Tetons. As for a washer/dryer, talk to those who have had them. I have two friends with them and each has used them but a couple of times and are figuring to remove them as they do not usually wash a large enough load and require hooking up to appropriate facilities... those facilities usually have several machines available that allows you to do your entire wash and dry in one fell swoop.

 

[JPS]

Buying Fifth Wheel

One thing you might want to consider is some type of air ride hitch. I think any type of air equipment is an improvement over standard types. Have used trailers with Moryde[sp] axles and they are a good feature! jps

 

[Sherman]

Originally posted by BJMarshall

My wife and I have been in ours a little over a year now. We did a lot of looking before we bought. We really liked the Glendale. We've got a 32E37DS I think. It's got 2 slides and a stacked washer and dryer. I've only pulled it 2 or 3000 miles, but it pulls great. We were in GA last summer and the air ran non stop on the 100 degree days, but it stayed 75 inside. The winter was no problem. The heater would heat the trailer from 30 to 65 in less than 20 minutes.

We're about ready to move back in to a house and settle down. Email me if you are interested.

Good luke on your search,Iam on my 4th living quarters horse trailer,I finally sat down with pencil and paper and my wife who is commander in chief in the kitchen and designed a trailer to meet our specific needs for the RV portion of the rig and then got lucky and found a trailer company to build it. It is under constuction as we speak, the RV part will be built and installed 1500 miles away in Elkhart In. My point is, no matter what you start with it probably will not work the first time around,I would strongly suggest that you either buy something cheap with full agreement from a dealer that you can trade back with preset depreciation terms,work with a dealer that has a large inventory,or rent and make short trips trying different styles and types. Talk to as many people out there that are doing what you plan on doing (living full time in your RV),they are your best source of info. I have about an extra $6000. under this new rig in optional axles,hydraulic disc brakes,17. 5 wheels,low profile I rated radial tires(extra $1200. just for the tires) in your reseach you will find that tires and brakes are your biggest problem.

 

[MHalberstadt]

Tracy:

I see you have 2000 Alfa RL.

We just bought a 2001 30RL.

Any thing to look out for? Any trouble areas?

What tires have you had on it? Any issues or tire recommendations? Former owner says tires are orginal so I am replacing them right away.

Mike, Vista CA

 

[DMcGalliard]

Have you looked at a used Teton?

We have a 2003 Teton Sunrise 33', three slides and the other features you talked about. We have been very happy with ours, probably pulled it 40k miles.

Factory is good to help when you have a problem. They are well built and do not go out of fashion very year, hold their value. I think hydraulic slides are better, had both. The Teton is heavier, ours is 14. 5k the way we travel. Get the heat pump, will save you money. We have had our Sunrise over 7 years and I would not consider trading as there is nothing better on the market. We were at the Tampa RV show and I saw nothing I liked except Teton.



Hope this helps.



Dave Mc

 

[SHobbs]

If it were me and I was looking at spending the money my next 5er will be a Mobile Suite. They have the highest r-value in the walls at R13 and all have thermo pane windows. From what I have read and from talking to owners that show up here they love them. They also tend to be heavy like the Newmars. You can find new Mobile Suites for around the same price as Newmars.



Another recommendation would be New Horizons which are highly rated. I would leave the w/d out of the equation. My neighbor installed one and is not happy with the dryer. A load of socks and t-shirts takes about 90 minutes or longer and forget any thing heavy like blue jeans. The washer works great so he uses the dryers in the laundry room here.

 

[Driftwood Ram]

Tracy:

I see you have 2000 Alfa RL.

We just bought a 2001 30RL.

Any thing to look out for? Any trouble areas?

What tires have you had on it? Any issues or tire recommendations? Former owner says tires are orginal so I am replacing them right away.

Mike, Vista CA

Mike;

If you still have the original tires, replacing them is a good idea. I have Firestone Steeltex on two wheels and just bought 2 Falken Landair H-T’s from Discount Tire. I plan on replacing the Firestones next year. While you have the tires off you might want to pack the wheel bearings and check brakes. I just had new brakes put on all around. It was cheaper to get the whole backing plate assembly rather than piece part the job.

The A/C is a PITA to get anyone to work on. Alfa markets it as a +, but wait until you have to find someone to work on it. We had ours replaced under the extended service contract at the dealer we bought it from. They no longer carry Alfa’s and I think everyone who used to work there has moved on because it was quite the Keystone Cops in action.

Other than that, most of it is just the same old stuff. Check the caulking on the roof, have the appliances and LP system checked, and see if the refrigerator is under the Dometic recall.

Official Dometic Recall - DometicUSA



There is an Alfa users web site alfa5vers : Alfa 5th Wheel Trailers (5'ers)

that has some good information if you sort through the “cheer leaders”.

Good Luck,

Tracy

 

[MHalberstadt]

Dear Tracy:

Didn't know about the Alfa users web site. Joined tonight.

Brakes, tires, batteries, roof and appliances are first things on my list.

Thanks, Mike

 

[RVTRKN]

Look into a B&W hitch. I really like the way the massive jaws clamp on the pin and NO RAILS. I own the RBW (lil rocker) with the rails (in my 2500) in the bed as well and I loaded a scoop of 3/4 rock and I'm still removing smaller sized rocks from under the rails. Never again will I own a hitch that require rails. My new 3500 C&C has the B&W elite series bed and I got the Companion 5ver hitch with it that also has a goose neck when needed. They make a companion 5ver hitch for the regular beds as well, which have no rails. If you go to B&W Custom Truck Beds, Inc. you will see how they work, also you can use a goose neck with it as a bonus. I would install it in my 2500 CTD but the companion is slightly different with a flat bed, which you will see on their web site.

 

[MHalberstadt]

My truck already has a fifth wheel hitch. An RBW Li'l Rock'r. It's a 15 K. I'm looking at getting the 16K which fits the existing rails already installed. If I were starting from scratch I'd definitely get the no rail hitches.
Thanks for your advice Mike

 

[RJOL]

I've owned two Alpenlites (currently gone out of business) and now own a 2006 NuWa HitchHiker II LS. I really like the HitchHikers. Check out their website at: NuWa Industries, Inc.



Also... there is an owners forum for HitchHikers at: NuWa Owners Forum - Index



The forum is run by owners, and is run, edited or financed by NuWa. You will get a lot of good info there.

 

[bigdaddydieseldan]

no fing way would I buy any keystone product they are fing pos I own a raptor and it is absolutely the biggest pos I have ever owned would never buy another keystone product again would'nt even take ir if they were giving it away look at alfa's, holiday ramler,teton top of the line



keystone #@$%!#@$%!#@$%!#@$%!

 

[seafish]

need rating info on Vagabond

I have the opportunity to purchase a 1995 40' Vagabond Travel Trailer for what I think is a very good price of about $7500. It is clean and fully equipped. I actually will not be towing this except for once to bring it to my property, but I still do not want to buy a poorly built trailer. Anyone have ideas and thoughts and experiences with Vagabond as a manufacturer and what to look out for?? TIA!!