Choosing the right RV
My wife and I are doing the same thing you are doing right now. We are going to live in the RV full time and we are going to be on the road for the first year of retirement. There are so many models out there and it is difficult to choose and choosing means compromise all the time. We will take a long time to decide because this is an important decision.
We have owned a Terry, a Jayco and now a King of the Road. We had very poor perfomance from the Terry (Fleetwood product), good performance from the Jayco, and excellent performance from the King of the Road. Does more money mean excellence, I don't think so. But some of the factors that you will consider are:
* budget - range of expense.
* conveniences and add on's that you must have versus those that are nice to have.
* weight - a big factor even with a Dodge 3500 - the newer production units are using more light weight materials so that you can tow longer units with less weight. This is especiall true with repect to the KOR which has wood frame construction versus those that are built with aluminum.
* warranty - more manufacturers are coming out with 3 year warrantees. Alfa is now offering a 5 year warrantee on their products.
* Dealership - are they trustworthy and do competent work. Check out the reputation when a situation is severe.
* Your lifestyle - how do you want to live when you are in the unit. Do you like a rear kitchen, center kitchen, rear living area, and how many are going to be in your unit? (2 - 4)?
* Sleeping area - Can you stand up straight in the main sleeping area?
* Storage - Will you be able to bring you tools, chairs, and other RV accessories and recreational items as required?
* Bathroom - very important - do you have a shower or bath that you can actually stand and move around in? Do you want an enclosed lavatory?
* Slide outs - generally two slide outs are very common, but most units going out today have 3 for more room and liveability. If you are thinking about resale, then you should consider more slide outs in the future.
* Travel - are you going to stay on rv parks where there are full hook ups, i. e. electric, water and sewer, or are you going to go off the beaten path and be on your own. This is important for carrying fresh water and black and gray water storage.
* Hitch weight on the bed of the pick up?
* Dealerships across the country - will there be locatable dealerships should you venture forth beyond your state lines?
* Can you live with your decision for five years? RV's depreciate just like cars and you need to have break point for change. Is this going to be big enough for your needs as you grow and change?
I wish you success in what you are looking for. It is a difficult choice so do not rush it. Time is on your side. Some other manufacturers that you should consider:
* Nu-Wa - they make a variety of lines with Hitchhiker being most noticeable.
* Carriage - Cameo, Carri-lite, Carriage, etc.
* Newmar - American Star, Kountry Star, MountainAir, etc.
* Keystone - Cougar, Sprinter, Montana, etc.
* Alfa - Sun, Ideal, Gold, etc.
Do yourself a favor and check some of these brands out. Also, the Fall is the best time of the year to buy a previous years model if you find the floor plan that you like leftover. The new model year begins mostly in July and August for the 2002 models. Dealers are anxious to reduce 2001 inventory by the Fall.
Use the Internet! Do not feel that you have to buy this product in your local. Shop the USA. You will find that there are big differences in pricing on the RV of your choice in different geographies.
And lastly, use competition to your advantage. And do not be concerned about pricing the competition against each other to lower the price and obtain more benefit for yourself. Leverage this aspect until it is absolutely exhausted. You may want to visit:
http://www.rvamerica.com - it is a good website that will provide owner oppinions on their trailer purchases as well as dealerships and information about manufacturers. Go to
http://www.rvtraderonline.com and do a search for fifth wheels within your price range and see what comes up. You may be surprised at what you can get for your money.
Hope that this might help since we are doing the same thing now.
Regards,
Ed
Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
I think I've overwhelmed that pentium 386 brain of mine 
. At any point of confusion, I think I've seen all that I can in my price range. We are toying with a Fleetwood wilderness, and also with a sportsmen. Seem to like the sportsmen floorplan the best, but it's about 6k more money as well. I've been cautioned against "cheap" and "inferior construction" in the Fleetwood, but it appears to be as well made as any of the others. Alot of you had early suggested the Arctic Fox, which we found to be a very nice coach- just a little too nice (immenities) for us. Is there a well made entry level that stands out bett than the rest?? (My wife just says to make up my mind already!!)
i can't speak for the fleetwood personaly but i can say that most units are equal except there are always a few that stand out for best quality. #1- my advice is first find the unit thats asthetically appealing to you. #2-second is the dealer within reasonable distance from your home. (long distance dealers are a pain). #3-when those two criteria are met see if it's within your price range. if so buy ---if not, see #1. I would do a long distance dealer if the unit was top quality. GOOD LUCK!
