Looking for advice on purchase of 5th wheel

[tim fm ct]

Originally Posted by BrianGlenn

80K budget gets you a lot; especially if you buy 1 yr old 5ver privately. NOTE: OEM warranty is usually for 1st buyer and not transferable to later owners.

Fit and finish are better in higher end units and will provide more years of service, considering wear and tear, and retaining value of resale (if early sale was necessitated due to unforeseen circumstances).

After sales service by the manufacturer is important and I have previously owned a Heartland product (Landmark). OEM was very responsive and majority of Heartland Owners are happy with Heartland. They have been perfecting their sales and customer service over a few years (since 2005 or earlier?). The Bighorn is a good line, with some great floorplans.

Brian

$80 thousand!? Wow....a 5th wheel - - used??? We're looking for a 5th wheel. We've found quite few for way less than $80K..
Please provide a few examples.

[C130]

Originally Posted by tim fm ct

$80 thousand!? Wow....a 5th wheel - - used??? We're looking for a 5th wheel. We've found quite few for way less than $80K..

Please provide a few examples.

I agree, if you're not getting at least 35%-38% off MSRP on a 2015 I'd go elsewhere. I know some get 30%-35% off brand new models also. But, you have to watch the MSRP as a few dealers artificially mark the up and then tell you they are giving you a 35% discount. Holiday World in Houston does this, it's ridiculous and they have been talked to about it also by some manufacturers but they still do it. I had another dealer do the same thing also.

If I were buying a new 2016 or 2915 and they had what I wanted I think Couch's is the way to go. No BS, great prices and listed right on their web site. You can even configure a new model custom ordered and it'll give you a great price.

[tim fm ct]

Originally Posted by C130

I agree, if you're not getting at least 35%-38% off MSRP on a 2015 I'd go elsewhere. I know some get 30%-35% off brand new models also. But, you have to watch the MSRP as a few dealers artificially mark the up and then tell you they are giving you a 35% discount. Holiday World in Houston does this, it's ridiculous and they have been talked to about it also by some manufacturers but they still do it. I had another dealer do the same thing also.

If I were buying a new 2016 or 2915 and they had what I wanted I think Couch's is the way to go. No BS, great prices and listed right on their web site. You can even configure a new model custom ordered and it'll give you a great price.

Do used 5th wheels usually come with at least a 30 day warranty ?
We found a 2008 Montana for $25K from a dealer but it has no warranty at all? Is that typical??

[BrianGlenn]

Originally Posted by tim fm ct

$80 thousand!? Wow....a 5th wheel - - used??? We're looking for a 5th wheel. We've found quite few for way less than $80K..
Please provide a few examples.

Typically trailers with original MSRP over 100-120K

DRV Mobile/Elite Suites, Peterson Industries, Dutchmen Voltage; Landmark 365, Redwood, Blackwood, Vanleigh RV (Tiffin relationship), others.

Link to current RVT listing for used 5th wheels 70-120K.

Brian

[BrianGlenn]

Originally Posted by schrod

BrianGlenn--Here is my response you were waiting for. I personally have had two members private message me of their problems with new trailers and their frustrations over lack of response by Heartland. Both owners had Bighorns. Both advised me to avoid their frustrations and avoid all Heartland products.

I had a personal factory tour with Rob Schwindaman (Head of Customer Relations) in July of this year. I had read of the problems and asked him about some of the issues. He denied any knowledge of these. Like I stated this was a private tour, done on a shutdown Friday, with only my wife and I. We were not impressed with the quality at all. He was bragging that they turn out 2000 units a year now. I ask you how do you add quality when you are talking quantity.

OK, so there are 2 out of 2000 per year. Seems a bit narrow for a comprehensive database to avoid the other 1800 owners. But that is your decision. I respect that.... And your visit to the factory supported your decision.

My experience was the opposite. Good balance to others reading this thread.

Thanks for your reply.

Brian

[jimcumminsw]

Originally Posted by tim fm ct

Do used 5th wheels usually come with at least a 30 day warranty ?
We found a 2008 Montana for $25K from a dealer but it has no warranty at all? Is that typical??

Yes that is typical! The first one I bought was used and did nnot come with any warranty.

Jim W.

[KerrTx]

We looked at a lot of 5th wheels before we bought our Bighorn. It has the layout and was made with the features we were looking for, at the price we were willing to pay. I'm not sure where someone that does not own one gets there opinion of what the quality is or how good of a company Heartland is. You can find someone on here that will be more than willing to tell you how bad the RV you are looking at is. They can probably tell you what's wrong with a lot of things. You should just look at every one you can, even if it's not the brand you are interested in, so you can see all the different features and options that different manufactures use. It will help you make the right decision on the unit that is right for you. Heartland is a good company to work with, I've talked with several of their people and they couldn't be more helpful. I've talked to the local Bighorn rep and he would do anything he can to help his customers. They care about their product and they care about their customers. Evidently they will even give you a private tour of the manufacturing facility on the weekend, even if your not a customer. RAM made over 200,000 truck last year, how many they made wasn't a factor in my decision to buy one.

[Helipilot]

Might I suggest getting a good used high end unit. Most issues have been taken care of and getting a gently used unit for half of new price leaves extra dollars in the kitty for travel. That is what we did and have absolutely no regrets. Of course we spent almost five years prior to retirement looking and searching all the forums. Wound up with a 2011 Mobile Suites 36RSSB3 and it is sweet.

[SassyPeach]

Originally Posted by gourmet01

I am in hopes several of you will weigh in on which 5th wheels you feel are worth buying. Our goal is to travel a fair amount, be comfortable, and not have any major issues. We have looked at the Reflection and Solitude by Grand Design but they are a new company so we're not sure. We also read some negative reviews about their responsiveness to problems. We also like the Alpine and Big Horn. We'd like to stay in the $80,000 and under range. Your advice please!!! Oh, and we are planning to go to the RV show in Pomona in October.

We are looking for our first 5th wheel, and would like some advice based on your experience. We have RV'd before in an older motorhome. We live in California and probably won't take it where it is cold. We intend to use it over long weekends, weeks here and there, and get out of the Central Valley for 2 months during the summer.

We are looking for comfort, reliability, and good value for the money spent. We would appreciate hearing from those of you who like their rig, what it is, and the quality of workmanship. If you've made mistakes, let us know so we can learn from them!

Many thanks!

I currently have a 2015 Grand Design Solitude 379FL. Love it! We have had a few hiccups, but I call JD and its taken care of. I did make the mistake of taking it to Camping World to be worked on. I should have known better. The closest GD dealer is a couple hours away from me, but JD also took care of Camping World's goof! I absolutely LOVE the front living room. We had 13 adults sitting and eating one night. I am happy with Grand Design. For the money I feel like you can't go wrong. I was also afraid because they are a new company, but decided that the floor plan was worth it to try them out. I am happy we did.
Now my husband and I are talking motorhomes so we will be selling ours. I am excited and sad.

[SassyPeach]

Originally Posted by Helipilot

Might I suggest getting a good used high end unit. Most issues have been taken care of and getting a gently used unit for half of new price leaves extra dollars in the kitty for travel. That is what we did and have absolutely no regrets. Of course we spent almost five years prior to retirement looking and searching all the forums. Wound up with a 2011 Mobile Suites 36RSSB3 and it is sweet.

Great advice! We bought ours new and WE had to get the kinks out! Whoever gets ours will have a well oiled machine!

[easdsa]

Lots of interesting information here. Since we're talking about a 5'er, I like reading threads like this one.

Heartland: We had a Heartland mpg (little TT) as our "learner" and were quite active on the owners' forum. At that time Heartland was pretty good about stepping up when someone was having problems that the dealer couldn't/wouldn't take care of. That was shortly after Thor bought them. I now see many more negative comments, so I wonder if Thor is influencing things.

Warranties: We've not seen any used coaches with warranties, but that's more due to the age of the coaches we're looking at than anything else. We bought an extended warranty with our mpg and it transferred to the new owners.

We're looking at used high-end coaches, not new ones. Part of my research is to get a good idea of what the ones we're interested in are selling for. I see some huge differences from one part of the country to another for the identical coach. I suspect that as more of us search the entire country for our coaches we will see more uniformity of prices.

[Neverhome]

Originally Posted by tim fm ct

Do used 5th wheels usually come with at least a 30 day warranty ?
We found a 2008 Montana for $25K from a dealer but it has no warranty at all? Is that typical??

I believe it is. We bought a 2007 Montana and were told because it was over five years old there was no guarantee, but we joined the Good Same Club as an Elite Member and was able to purchase one that covers just about all of the major items that can go wrong with a fiver at a very reasonable price, given that the hourly rate for repair in our area is $110.00 per hour. If even covers parts and provides discounts on items purchased and installed at Campers World, which is where we bought the unit. I recommend you check the extended warranty out and while at it look into their travel club which is similar to AAA but far more comprehensive when towing.

Neverhome

[Bill.Vannuys]

We bought our first travel trailer when I retired and immediately started traveling. We realized we enjoyed the traveling with our stuff, but understood we didn't know what we wanted with our first purchase (no slides, small, little insulation, cold frosty windows, blizzards stuck at truck stops, frozen pipes, etc). We had fun, and we did our research for what we really wanted as we visited campgrounds for nearly 3 years - about 9 months actual time in campgrounds around the country. We talked to owners of all major brands and asked for their likes, dislikes and recommendations.
We enjoy the freedom of being able to travel in colder weather, but I must remain comfortable in hot weather. So, I established a few requirements: 5th wheel, 1 ton single rear wheel towable, dual pane windows, good insulation, and 2 air conditioners.
There seem to be many nice brands and "yes", we did like some higher end brands, but in our price range we narrowed our choices based on owner feedback to Montana, Heartland and Grand Design Solitude 5th wheels.
Based on our discussions with owners, all were happy with their above 5th wheels. We then further narrowed our choice to Montana and Heartland based on floor plans. Then, my wife called dealers and searched the internet looking for dual pane windows (harder to find without a special order); the right price was presented on a leftover 2014 Montana model with dual pane windows several states away. We traveled 600 miles to look at the model, negotiated a final deal and purchased the unit. Saved over 40% off MSRP. We are very satisfied; what an upgrade! Still pinching ourselves!!! Could we have done better? I don't know, but all RVers who have seen our unit say we did well. More important, we are happy with the deal.
Additionally, we were able to learn about 5th wheel hitches as we talked to owners so we could purchase what we thought was the best hitch for us (Hensley BD3 Trailer Saver). Only hitch I ever had, so I have no experience and nothing to compare it against...but we like it a lot.
We sold our unit on the private market 2 months later as we more than doubled what we were offered on trade in.
Still a fairly new 5th Wheel traveler, but this is my methodology for what it is worth.

Bill

[Campnfools]

We spent 3 years looking at all different brands and models of 5th wheels before our purchase this year. It was our first 5th wheel and will be our last RV, and we kept this in mind when making the decision. Our plan, after I retire in a few years, is to spend months at a time in the unit, so comfort, storage, quality and reliability made up the 4 key aspects of our decision.

We visited different RV dealers all over, went to numerous RV shows over the 3 years, as well as talking to owners of units we would see while traveling and camping. What we found was, dealers and manufacturers all make claim to the best product but when speaking to owners, the stories are all over the map, both good stories and horror as well. A perfect example to us was, one couple that we have been friends with for years purchased a new Open Range 5th wheel about 3 years ago. They use it extensively and have nothing but great things to say about it. This year, while camping in PA, we met a couple that had a new Big Horn. They just purchased it after having had an Open Range that they had nothing but trouble with.

What I'm getting at is, your question may not be difficult for some to answer but, if answered by enough you would probably receive answers both good and bad on a model you may be interested in. In our case we were not able to find the unit equipped the way we wanted locally although we tried. Our local Winnebago dealer did try and secure one from the factory but was unable to because of the factory's inventory at the time. So, we purchased out of state. I insisted that we camp in it for several days and nights, beginning the day we made the purchase and close to the dealer where we purchased, just in case the unit had any problems, kind of a "shake down". Glad we did that and found no issues - until after we left! Nothing big but it proves, even the best laid plans.......

If you buy new, hopefully you will have a dealer that is local in case you have warranty issues. Either way, best of luck with your search and your eventual purchase!