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09-02-2013, 08:39 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Fleetwood Owners Club
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 705
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What ever you decide to buy, get something gently used. What comes off production lines have a history of problems the first (and sometimes the second) owner has to debug and put up with. There is a cost of getting one livable if you have to run it back to the dealer & sometimes to the manufacturer to get things right.
Dave
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David & Gail Salisbury, NC
2003 American Eagle 42'
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09-02-2013, 09:43 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: NW AZ and Kenai Peninsula
Posts: 207
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Once you get past the glitz, look at the frame and suspension and tires and wheels. People full-time in a lot of things, some quite small. A full-time 5th is going to be heavy as in 16,000# and up to maybe 25,000#. Weight carrying for your stuff should be substantial, as in 3,500# or more.
The wheels and tires should only be loaded to 60% to perhaps 80% when hooked up to the tow vehicle. Flats and blowouts are the pits. Consider 17.5" wheels and tires.
Axles with springs? Consider a trailing arm rubber suspension such as the Mor-Ryde IS.
Look for thermopane or double-glass windows.
Leveling should be full hydraulic, as should slides.
Consider a hard-wired power management system to protect all your electrical and electronics against power surges, high voltage and low voltage.
Boondocking? Room for solar and 6 or more batteries? Current technology satellite dish and all the associated cabling to get to all the TV sets? Room for the receiver box?
Also look at New Horizons and Space Craft, which are custom builders to your design.
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09-02-2013, 10:33 PM
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#17
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Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 62
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Where does Americana fall? Interesting features. But I filled in the contact form 5 days ago and no contact. Guess they have too much business. Yes, I know Forest River builds the guts on a motor home assembly line.
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--Jeffrey Steinberg, Scarsdale,NY
2013 Silverado 3500 HD Crew Cab 8 foot bed, Duramax/Allison. Renting a travel trailer until I decide.
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09-03-2013, 09:03 AM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 1,596
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The best walls are high density foam insulation laminated. This makes a very strong wall, basically draft free. Some will argue that batten insulation is best. That what used in homes. Fact is it will drop down from the vibration it gets towing. They also compress it due to rv walls being thinner than houses. This hurts their r value. The Blue Dow is good stuff.
__________________
2003 Teton Grand Freedom. 2006 Freightliner Century 120 with Detroit 14L and Ultrashift.2016 Smartcar carry on deck. Full time going from job to job. Building and maintaining plants across the USA. Sold 2006 Mobile Suites 32TK3
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09-03-2013, 04:53 PM
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#19
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Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Michigan
Posts: 5
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Americana is now out of business.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jsteinberg48
Where does Americana fall? Interesting features. But I filled in the contact form 5 days ago and no contact. Guess they have too much business. Yes, I know Forest River builds the guts on a motor home assembly line.
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We also looked at the Americana 5th has a top 5 choice. Called and emailed over several weeks with no answers. Did some more research and found out they had gone out of business. Moving on...
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09-03-2013, 07:46 PM
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#20
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Moderator Emeritus
Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Bryan, TX when not traveling.
Posts: 22,945
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Quote:
Originally Posted by glennwest
The best walls are high density foam insulation laminated. This makes a very strong wall, basically draft free. Some will argue that batten insulation is best. That what used in homes. Fact is it will drop down from the vibration it gets towing. They also compress it due to rv walls being thinner than houses. This hurts their r value. The Blue Dow is good stuff.
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As long as the proper glues are used and the wall is pinch roller compressed or vacuum bagged properly the wall will be stronger, but if not done properly, you will have delamination and then the structural advantage is GONE.
Ken
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Amateur Radio Operator (KE5DFR)|No Longer Full-Time! - 2023 Cougar 22MLS toted by 2022 F150, 3.5L EcoBoost Tow Max FX4 Lariat Travel with one Standard Schnauzer and one small Timneh African Gray Parrot, retired mechanical engineer
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09-04-2013, 09:25 AM
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#21
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Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 62
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bsc27
We also looked at the Americana 5th has a top 5 choice. Called and emailed over several weeks with no answers. Did some more research and found out they had gone out of business. Moving on...
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You think they would take the site down...
__________________
--Jeffrey Steinberg, Scarsdale,NY
2013 Silverado 3500 HD Crew Cab 8 foot bed, Duramax/Allison. Renting a travel trailer until I decide.
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09-10-2013, 11:30 AM
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#22
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Champlin, MN
Posts: 163
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FiverBob
You want aluminum framing. All of the better coaches suggested are framed, most of them aluminum - - built like a frame home.
Bob
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I respectfully disagree with this statement. While aluminum is a little lighter than wood, the weight difference is only around 350#. That's not enough to outweigh (pun not intended) these facts:
1) Aluminum is a better conductor than wood; so aluminum studs conduct cold and heat better than wood between the outside wall and inside wall - which is not what you want.
2) Wood holds screws better than aluminum. That's why a quality build manufacturer will use wood inside an aluminum frame wherever they mount cabinets or something they want to stay anchored to the frame. Hmmm - why not start with wood to begin with?
3) Wood will rot and aluminum doesn't - very true. However, an aluminum framed rig has wood paneled ceilings, floors and walls, so they will also sustain water damage. A properly manufactured and maintained rig will help prevent this from happening.
Our next rig, which will be for full-timing, will have a wood frame if at all possible.
Jim
__________________
'05 NuWa 29.5 lktg HitchHiker II
'05 Chev 3500 4X4 Crew LB SRW Duramax/Alison
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11-02-2013, 08:17 PM
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#23
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Member
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 45
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No mention of newmar in that line of full time rigs. Carriage is great and so is nuwa. My newmar kountry aire is better then my last carri-lite. Better insulated and just structurally stronger in my opinion. Again newmar and the word heavy go together.
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11-05-2013, 01:44 AM
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#24
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Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 84
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Check out Continental Coach for a full custom rig. We love our CC Elegance--build quality and support are second to none--units are very heavy.
http://www.forksrv.com/continental/index.php
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11-05-2013, 06:42 AM
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#25
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Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 46
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bigfiver
Check out Continental Coach for a full custom rig. We love our CC Elegance--build quality and support are second to none--units are very heavy.
Home of Continental Coach by ForksRV
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WOW!! I have to say if I had $188,000 to spend on a 5th wheel...that would be the one. It is AMAZING!
__________________
Greg, Jeri and Rocky, the Jack Russel Terrorist
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11-18-2013, 11:30 AM
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#26
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club Triple E Owners Club
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: STETTLER
Posts: 417
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Another area not mentioned yet is the wall construction for humidity control. Full timing produces much more humidity than occasional use. The walls should have a vapour barrier to prevent humidity building in the walls. This is more critical in colder climates as the humidity is then condensed to moisture and the moisture and organic building material are fodder for black mold. Along with this is good bathroom/shower vent fans as well as in the kitchen/cook areas.
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2000 Bounder. 2000 Vanguard 17' boat, 5 dogs, 2 cats, 1 miniature ponies, 1 horse, Massey MF65, 2013 Kia Sorrento, 2003 GMC Sierra Denali Quad Steer- 1 longtime patient wife(56 yrs)
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11-18-2013, 11:41 AM
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#27
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Member
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Attica, New York
Posts: 38
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We've been very happy with our Redwood. Well built and easy to live in
__________________
Don't Let Your Dreams Be Dreams
2022 Entegra Ethos
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11-19-2013, 04:38 AM
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#28
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Senior Member
Texas Boomers Club
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Dickinson Texas USA
Posts: 1,274
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We, along with many others, are very happy with our Landmark. Heartland also manufactures the Bighorn and Big Country lines that are rated and warranted for full time use.
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2018 Heartland Landmark Oshkosh
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