Community Forums

spock123 · 04-16-2017, 05:37 AM

After one year the camper is out of warranty.

jetzen · 04-16-2017, 07:03 AM

The KZ Durango Gold line of 5th wheels is warranted for 2 years and is also warranted for full time living.

spock123 · 04-16-2017, 07:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jetzen

The KZ Durango Gold line of 5th wheels is warranted for 2 years and is also warranted for full time living.

So you are saying that after two years the camper is still rated for full time I living. I have never seen any camper that didn't have a few problems.

jetzen · 04-16-2017, 07:28 AM

Spoc123,

No what I said was is that the Durango Gold line of 5th wheels are warranted for 2 years even if it is being used as full time residential unit.
I am not sure what you are inferring to as "Rated".

ralphie · 04-16-2017, 09:27 AM

Arctic Fox has a good reputation. I'm not saying Montana is great because I own one, but we definitely upgraded from our Forest River Wildcat POS. Just know that they all have issues.

spock123 · 04-16-2017, 09:55 AM

Montana makes has some nice floor plans but like you said all the manufacturers could use some improvements. We had a Wildcat Sterling, well really a POLECAT but the Cedar Creek that we have now has been great. Cedar Creek has some great people to work with at the factory

Cumminsfan · 04-16-2017, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paz

What you say is true except some manufacturers specifically state living in the unit full time will void the warranty. That's not a problem if you buy a used trailer that's already out of warranty; but if a manufacturer has that little faith in the durability of his product, I wouldn't want it even for weekend use.

Thats ridiculous. I have a Northwood 5th wheel and it's not a so called full time advertised RV and only has a 1 year warranty. We're heading into our 5th camping season. Yes we're weekend warriors but the unit is still working as new. Every brand made has problems. Even the high end units can sometimes be junk.
You can put any kind of advertised slogan on any RV. It's all in how it's made. Jayco offers a 2 year warranty on every trailer they sell. So I guess that means you could full time in Hummingbird.

MtnTrek · 04-16-2017, 02:15 PM

We're parked next to a wonderfully preserved Teton Homes, They tow it handily with a Ram 3500HD DRW. Nice rig. There are good values out there if you're patent.

bddadles · 04-16-2017, 03:57 PM

My advice would be start looking at consignment lots like PPL Motors. And be sure to buy used. I've had both and used is the way I'll go in the future if we ever decide to part with our Hitch Hiker.

Like someone else said the #2 on your list is going to be hard to find. Have you considered a toy hauler with a small garage for your play room?

I would also check out Kansas RV Center. Even though they do not produce Hitch Hikers any longer they have some used in various brands and they refurbish there also. You may find something they could modify to meet your needs.

Brad

jasonh · 04-16-2017, 06:20 PM

No problems with my 16 Fuzion 420 5'vr. Live in it full time with 3 kids

ac5501 · 04-16-2017, 08:51 PM

The Lifestyle Bay View series covers just about all of your 10 conditions. New ones can still be found at a very good price. Not that many reviews because they did not make all that many of them. Warranty is still good because everything Lifestyle made was from a 3rd party and you need to contact them - most dealers will also sign you up for an eXtra Ride warranty plan. In short, it covers 9 out of 10 of your points, and has the just about the best mid bunk layout of any fifth wheel out there

southernlady · 04-17-2017, 05:39 AM

We decided on a Heatland Landmark 365, which is 1) has a full time warranty and 2) has a two year warranty.

We've had it two weeks now and much like anything new, there are minor issues but nothing major. No unit is perfect.

We found ours at a Camping World (and yes, I am aware of the hate for that company) but the price could not be ignored. The unit has an MSRP of 138,000+ but we paid less than 75k for a brand new unit which just had the misfortune of having been on the lot for over 300 days.

Don_T · 04-17-2017, 07:26 AM

When we were shopping for a new 5th wheel we looked at the Durango Gold campers too. We did like them but we ultimately bought an Alpine as we liked it a bit better.

mtofell · 04-17-2017, 04:43 PM

The manufacturer's recommended usage is more than just a warranty thing. It's really at the heart of what OP is asking about. Living in an RV day in and day out is A LOT different than even every weekend use would be.

Probably the main thing is the moisture generated just from living - cooking, bathing, breathing. If an RV is not intended or "rated" by the manufacturer for such use you will just be fighting an uphill battle right from the start. I know we all get desensitized to all the warnings and recommendations but every once in a while there's some to pay attention to.

I just couldn't imagine setting out on a journey like full timing and take a tool not even built for the job. Even using a tool that IS built for the job you are likely to run into trouble. After all, it's an RV

Aside from moisture there are many other things too - durability of cabinets, faucets, floor coverings, furniture, windows and doors. Low end houses these days are built with crap that starts to fail after about 5 years. And RV manufacturers somehow manage to find even cheaper stuff to put in their trailers.

I'm not in a position to need a full time rig so I honestly don't know a lot about the exact differences but from checking out RV shows it's clear full time rated rigs are noticeably better built.