Community Forums

MtCamper · 02-26-2019, 06:48 AM

DMAX18, If the camper you found fits your needs and the price is right don't hesitate to buy it. There is always a good market for clean rigs. In our younger days I made a profit from buying right, using them for a while and then selling campers. OK, not much of a profit but had a fun hobby that was cheaper than golf.

CalCamp · 03-02-2019, 10:44 AM

We put about 80k miles in 15 years of travels in my Arctic Fox 24-5N. It was the perfect size for the two of us to go just about anywhere. Trips included North to Coldfoot, AK and Inuvik, NWT. The Inuvik trip totaled over 500 miles of gravel highway. Also been to all states but ND and HI.

I've taken the Fox to places only accessible by 4wd, and is short enough to get in/out of almost any parking lot.

The 24-5N is no longer available new, but you can find some used. It is heavier than most but that helps make it very durable.

We are now looking at Arctic Fox's 27-5L.

I suggest you find what you think you want, then go sit in it for a couple hours and see if you still like the layout. Good Luck, and have loads of fun.

Back to morning brew . . .

Armymags1 · 03-02-2019, 11:58 AM

We have the 2016 gateway 3900 se that is made by heartland that we also pull with a 2017 3500 duramax. We have only used it for one season and we did have a few issues that were all warranty. Good luck with your new heartland.

DMAX18 · 03-03-2019, 04:51 AM

We have not settled on the Heartland yet as we are still looking. I appreciate all the great input.

monkey · 03-03-2019, 10:18 AM

Ok,, I'll take some heat for this, but so far we like our Cougar "X LITE" 5vr.. Bought it new 3 years ago, and have had very few minimal problems. The axles are rated 1K lbs over our Loaded weight. The 28SGS we have is 32'4" nose to tail. That was important so it fits in the garage. Our 2015 Silverado 2500 pulls it like a dream. (yes I drive a truck for a living) . Lots of storage up front in the basement, lots of room due to the opposing slides in the rear living room for the two of us and two Danes. We looked at bunches, and maybe we got lucky but the build quality was very good compared to the many we saw. Lots of people will bash Keystone rv's, so be it. We are happy so far. I might add it has the curved nose, our fixed B&W hitch gives us plenty of clearance in our short bed truck. I think the nose of the trailer sits about 1" high,,, no biggy to me. Monkey

CalCamp · 03-04-2019, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by monkey

Ok,, I'll take some heat for this, but so far we like our Cougar "X LITE" 5vr..

Why do you expect to take heat for this? It doesn't seem like a dishonest post. You gave your experiences and that's that. Enjoy your Cougar.

Back to morning brew . . .

RussOnTheRoad · 03-04-2019, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DMAX18

We are new to RV community and looking for some advise for our first 5th wheel purchase. We enjoy backpacking in the national parks so we and have been told that we should keep the length below 30 ft. 30 ft is also probably the max of the parking are in our rear yard. We are looking for something pre-owned maybe 4-5 years old. With that said many of the used 5th wheels out there that are under 30 ft are listed as "Ultra Light". Is there anything to be lost by going with an Ultra Light? Our tow vehicle is 2018 GMC Denali 3500 Duramax short bed SRW so weight is really not an issue.
Also Is there any manufactures to avoid? Any input would be appreciated. .

Do you need to be concerned about contact between the pickup cab and a fifth wheel when making tight turns with a short bed? It may be something you wish to examine before purchasing a hitch and fiver. I know people have gotten sliding hitches to avoid such contact.

Separately, it seems quite a few have extolled the Arctic Fox in this thread. I own one, a 2018 model. I am not a big fan. It seems every time I turn around something else needs fixing. My impression is that the build quality on older ones may be better. I've spoken with some folks that own older ones who are happy and I'm sure some folks with newer models are too. Me? Not so much, perhaps because I get under the hood a lot and have seen the haphazard workmanship behind the access panels that many people never see. I also full-time much of the year so I'm in the RV a lot more than most people, I expect.

I was once told by a big muckety-muck ay an RV factory that when business is good quality goes down because they have more new hires that don't know what they are doing. When business is slow they let go the less experienced workers and keep the old hands. Maybe looking for an RV built in a year where business wasn't so good will yield a better quality RV.

chaps2018 · 03-05-2019, 09:02 PM

Don't use price to determine quality. As with most things, more is not necessarily better. The mfgrs have been on a push to Bling-up trailers. The costs go high very quickly but it is all stuff that is eye candy and may not contribute to overall "quality" of a trailer.

Search this forum and Google on issues with trailers you are considering. I was just about to pull the trigger on a mid-priced 5er that we had been looking at for over a year. I finally got serious and read about the issues--come to find out that brand had a serious issue with AC cooling. Lots of posts/multiple websites. It was built in the duct work and not easily corrected. We live in south Texas and good AC is a requirement. Of course all brands have issues but some show up over and over and may not be easily correctable.

If the frame and running gear are important to you, look at cargo carrying capacity (CCC) of the trailer. I use this as an indicator of the frame and axles. If your CCC is only 900lbs that says that your frame and running gear is near maxed out. If you have 2500lbs capacity you have a lot of margin. For me this is important since we put so many miles on the rig. I have a 1Ton Dually and I don't want to have to worry about overloading a trailer (read blowouts, hard on bearings, rough ride on the trailer structure and contents).

Funny story--when looking at the 900lb CCC trailer, dealer trying to make a sale told wife and I the only way we could have a 1000lbs of cargo in the trailer is if we filled it with bricks...i went out and weighed our then current rig that day...1100lbs of cargo. Obviously didn't go back to that sales guy.

Good luck, the searching is really fun!

kdauto · 03-06-2019, 05:34 AM

DMAX18, it's kind of hard to suggest a make or model, we have no idea of your budget, floorplan preferences or sleeping needs.

Your truck will pull almost anything. A short bed will require either a slider hitch or one of the pivoting 5er hitches some newer 5th wheels have. We are empty nesters so we avoid anything that says BH (bunk house) in the description. We prefer more living area. Bedroom size and bed layout are important, shop around, a LOT!

We had a travel trailer before, 26' and 5000 lbs. We have a 5er, 32' and 11 000 lbs, costs the same or LESS in fuel to haul the 5er! I reckon the airflow between truck and trailer is much better with a 5er, something many don't consider.

I'd tend to avoid ultralite or light if your budget can afford it. As many stated, materials are thin and sometimes cheap. Boxed aluminium frames like ours are sturdy and will handle rough terrain.

Make sure your truck isn't lifted, make sure 5er height will fit your truck. Check ground clearance of the 5er for your intended use, many 5ers are very low and won't handle rough roads or boondocking.

Try to figure out what exactly you intend to use it for. Campground camping, seasonal or not, etc.

Danny Brown · 03-06-2019, 01:43 PM

Narrow down the year of the unit you wish to purchase, then obtain RV Reviews. It list manufactures and models in sections for full timing, part timing, and week-ender. It grades manufacture and unit by customers, dealers, and service. There is also a written review with pros and cons of each, very extensive. It will help you narrow down your search and allow you to match what you want to do with your budget. Enjoy your adventures!

AGoodLife · 03-06-2019, 04:21 PM

We decided the new Winnebago Micro Minnie 2405RL was perfect for our needs because of it's 5,500 dry weight and 7' wide body.

AGoodLife · 03-06-2019, 04:25 PM

Why does this site change image orientation?

ramn4ver · 03-06-2019, 04:45 PM

You must be from down under...

DMAX18 · 03-07-2019, 05:58 AM

Sorry for the delayed response as I have been traveling this week. We are still searching for the 5th wheel. We have at least narrowed it down to having the rear living area.

Since my 3500 is a short bed I have decided to go with the Pullrite Superglide Fifth wheel auto sliding hitch with the new ISR mounting. My truck is set up with the factory puck system. I like the idea of having an autoslider.
I am planning to call Pullrite as I need to find out if the hitch can be partially disassembled in the truck for ease of removal when not in use.

Thanks again for all the great input.