Community Forums

Gary magic · 06-13-2017, 12:18 PM

Looking into new fifth wheel. Comparing keystone to Jayco. Any advice.
Was told jayco are built better. Also looking Columbus compass by Palamino.
Newbie here Thanks

Mr_D · 06-13-2017, 12:28 PM

from Vancouver, WA

No idea about 5th wheels, in my 50 years of RV'ing I've never owned one but they sure have some nice floor plans now. Good luck with your search!

Lanny1763 · 06-13-2017, 01:21 PM

Gary:

Welcome aboard. What are you going to tow these rigs with will be a pertinent question asked by some.

I've no experience with a Jayco and have only walked through a Columbus once (which was enough for me to know that it wasn't the right rig for me or DW, just our humble opinion). We've had a Cedar Creek, a Keystone Alpine, and now have a VanLeigh Vilano. As Mr D said lots of rigs have nice floor plans, so you should make sure that whatever FW you choose has a floor plan that YOU like.

Are you planning on fulltiming in this unit? Do you have a max budget? These questions and probably many more are going to have to be answered before someone here can fill in the blank.

Brad W · 06-13-2017, 01:39 PM

Hey Lanny - I just glanced at the Columbus as I've never heard of them before. At first glance they look a lot like everyone else. Curious what caused you to say it wasn't right for you

Also, I've racked my brain on this - I know DW is referring to your wife, but what exactly does DW stand for?

MtnTrek · 06-13-2017, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brad W

Also, I've racked my brain on this - I know DW is referring to your wife, but what exactly does DW stand for?

DW= Dear Wife, DH= Dear Husband. Although, I guess it could be the adjective of your choice...JK'ing (just Kidding)

Be well

OP: (Original Post[er]) Welcome to the forum! Sorry I can't offer direct input on those products other than they are both Thor Industries subsidiaries, which may offer the best or the worst of that marriage. Of which our DRV Suite is also a product. It sparks heated debates with no clear cut advantage / deficit emerging.

Brad W · 06-13-2017, 01:51 PM

thanks

sorry, didn't mean to derail the conversation

Lanny1763 · 06-14-2017, 05:37 AM

Brad:

The Columbus that we walked through back in 2013 came across as a lesser quality fit/finish interior wise. I see many Columbus FW's now, so maybe they've changed. At the time, we decided to go with another brand. Someone else may have looked at the same rig and decided that it was exactly what they were looking for.

R/S
Lanny

Mody n Domy · 06-14-2017, 05:47 AM

We looked at a few 5th wheels we full time so build quality played a big part for me the DW was concerned with floor plan and the decor. We just bought a Grand Design Solitude. We took a factory tour and I liked what I saw. No matter what you buy there will be problems I beleave you get what you pay for.

minnow · 06-14-2017, 10:09 AM

Forest River, Thor, K-Z are the big players in the RV towable business. They have numerous sub brands under their corporate umbrella. You'll find all of these manufacturers will have their defenders and detractors. Most use all the same components such as hot water heaters, furnaces, AC, refrigerators, slide out mechanisms, etc. I suggest finding a floorplan you like and looking over the construction details. In my opinion, for the most part, they are built similarily. Jayco offers a 2 year warranty, Grand Design is known for pretty good after the sale customer support and a 3 year structural warranty. I'm sure other brands have something that sets them apart from the competition.

raineman · 06-14-2017, 10:27 AM

Also, the dealer you buy from can make or break your RV experience. If buying new, make sure your dealer has a reputable service department. We have been happy with our Keystone product.

minnow · 06-14-2017, 10:59 AM

Great Point !

Twilightzone · 06-14-2017, 12:27 PM

>"Looking into new fifth wheel. Comparing keystone to Jayco. Any advice."

Where do you live? Any anticipation of using the RV in fall/winter/spring?
If you do that... make sure that the trailer has heated tanks, good insulation, and
aluminum framing.

chaps2018 · 06-14-2017, 01:06 PM

We have been looking hard at the same thing. We travel/camp a lot. This will be our 5th trailer.

For me the cut line is whether the mfgr has a longer warranty or clearly states extended living/rving/camping policy on their literature. Length=>35'. My price point is $45-65k.

I have only found (in my local area) the following that are above that cutline in that size/price point.

Jayco eagle/northpoint
Montana high country
Heartland bighorn
Grand design refl/solitude

For me, this criteria keeps me from wasting time looking at a zillion trailers. And hopefully a better purchase for the long run in terms of product quality.

As noted above dealer is very important (for the warranty period anyway).

I too am interested in what others have determined as selection criteria (beyond layout, amenities, etc)

Brad W · 06-14-2017, 01:46 PM

edit: I'm referring to the post above ^^^

I'm in research mode too. Your price points are similar to mine

Jayco has the two year warranty - that has captured my attention.

Jayco also has a lot of standard features that are options on most units.

I've not looked at the Grand Design you speak of, i'll need to look them up

The more I look around the more I'm seeing about issues with Lippert built frames. It seems most, if not all, the trailers in the sub 100k category are build on these frames.

For some of the sub 100k brands not on Lippert frames, I'm not thrilled with something about them... weight, specific floor plan features, etc.

Regarding the Lippert frame issue - all the posts I see appear to be somewhat dated. Is this something that got enough attention they started doing something different with their build QC, or is it that the newer ones haven't been on the road long enough to reveal the issues?