New member looking for information

[jdftwrth]

Hi,

I am a new member and looking for information on all aspects of 5th wheeling.

I was looking around in 2007 and between them and now a lot seems to have changed and I am still as confused as I was then.

So howdy y'all and tell me where to start.

JD

[Cheif 2]

Throw out some questions you have and I am sure you will get some responses.

[jdftwrth]

Through out some questions, well son this is one Texan that has a whole lot of questions.....

First and perhaps the most important question to me, is 5th wheel RV'ing something that a person who is "physically challenged" should even consider?

No wheelchairs but difficulty in getting around, nerve damage in lower back and legs..

So, folks please feel free to toss in any thoughts you might have.

Thanks,

JD

[Cheif 2]

I have friends with leg and back problems and they do struggle at times with the steps in the fifth wheel campers. There are days my legs don't particularly care for the steps either. Got knees that have seen to much abuse in 28 years of firefighting. If you are going to travel alot a motor home may be a better choice. If you are going to stay parked for extended periods some folks say a 5'r or TT is a better choice. Hope this helps some!

[jdftwrth]

Cheif 2 -

Thanks for the reply. I pretty much matched up what I had already figured out.

Went to one of the larger RV dealers down in Cleburn TX back in 2007 and spent 1/2 a day climbing in and out of the various RV's they had on their lot.

That danged sales man did his darnedest to get me to sign on the dotted line but like I told him at the outset of my visit, I was just looking.

This dealer had close to 100 5th wheel rv's on the lot and a huge service department.

Went back to the dealers location about 2 months ago and it was all closed down, went bust in 2009.

Had I had a proper tow vehicle I might have bought one of the units my wife liked but my 2003 Dodge Ram 1500 was not suited for towing something that big.

Thought about a "motor home" but like most folks thats a little too pricy for my wallet.

Been looking at gm 3500 drw trucks down on the local lot, they have what I want but with the cost of fuel rising every day, don't want to make purchase decision yet.

So in the mean time I will continue doing my homework and digging deeper into the manufacturers of the various 5th wheel units. As I come up with questions that I can't answer for myself then it will be time to post on the forum.

There is a pretty popular RV camp ground about 10 miles south of me and I may wander down that way and poke around some.

Thanks.

JD

[Cheif 2]

Lots of good info on RV Net and also Escapees. Everyone once in awhile there is also a good deal on a truck/5'r combo on Escapees.

[Stripit]

I would think buying used would have an advantage over a 5th wheel and a motorhome is easier for most folks to deal with if they have limited mobility
[url]http://www.rvtrader.com/ look here at the RV trader for combo units for sale.

[01zeosix]

Hi and WELCOME to the Forum JD!!!

Used should definitely be a consideration. There are some very fine used units out there that have been well cared for.

Find a reputable dealer from forum recommendations before shopping. Less confusing that way. Believe it, or not, the dealer is as important as the quality/condition of the unit you purchase.

Also, should a 5th wheel be your purchase decision, consider one that has a "Quadra Step" instead of the three step units. Much easier to maneuver in/out of the unit.

These can be added even after the purchase, if you end up with a used unit with three steps. Well worth the cost and short time it takes to install.

Here's a link to a post on this forum about the Quadra Steps:

http://bit.ly/HUPctx

Hope this helps some,

[jdftwrth]

Like I said in an earlier post, you folk have been right helpful and I appreciate your comments.

That being said, I would consider either a new or used rig, my biggest problem is finding a dealer to has some degree of honesty, not many of them around the Dallas/Fort Worth area, its been my experience with them that you need to be overly careful because they are desperate to sell something and will lie through their teeth just to make a sale.

So that brings me to my biggest issue, being a newby and not being able to depend on the dealer for any honest answers, how do you pick the right unit?

Granted spend the time up front researching the various choices it the intelligent thing to do, but you can't possibly research every possibility and running back and forth between home and a dealer is not really viable. That coupled with the fact that to find the right rig may entail going to San Antonio and them parts and thats a good 6 hours each way.

So where do I start (it would be right helpful if you could avoid saying at the beginning)!

[rotaxman]

Welcome JD

First off JD there are no dumb questions every one of use on this forum or for that matter any forum were at one time green horn newbies from what it sounds like to me you will fall right into this camping thing and be a seasoned veteran before you know it.

The first thing to decide is how big a truck you are willing to buy/drive. Once you figure out the truck then that will have a large bearing on what size a trailer you will be looking at.

If you are going to buy new that would make it somewhat easier to figure out what you want but not necessarily cheaper.

If you buy new all you would have to do is get with the wife and you two decide what floor plans you like that will be withing your trucks ratings. You would be able to do that by looking at different manufacturers websites and looking over the floor plans.

Also some of those floor plans may of have been out for some time so you might be able to find a used unit that has the floor plan that you two like.

As stated earlier by Stacey there are some very good buys to be had in the used market currently.

You mentioned that you had some trouble getting down and up I would be wanting a hydraulic or electric for that matter leveling system. That would make life a lot easier for you when it comes to setting up the trailer.

Also as previously mentioned the 4 step option is good we have it on our current junk 09 Mobile Suite and it does make entry a lot easier. You will find lots of times with a 3 stepper that first step up can sometimes be rather high not so much with the 4 step.

Hope this helps some notice I didn't say at the beginning.

As always good camping
Joyce and Jerry

[wingnut60]

jdfrwrth,
If you have shopped Cleburne, you aren't too far from me--Burleson.
email me if I can help with some info... joejd at aol.com
And welcome.
Joe

[jdftwrth]

rotaxman -

That comment about starting at the beginning was humor, you see I am the classic practical joker and I might say something like that....

JD

As one of my favorite cartoon characters used to say, "Thats a joke son, a joke. Get it?" - Foghorn Leghorn.

[rotaxman]

JD
yep I knew it was a joke I was showing you my light side too.

As always good camping
Joyce and Jerry

[rmn72]

We just bought a 2016 Open Range Light in May of this year (2015) and we are very pleased with the quality of our rig.
That being said, we are a good ways from you in Memphis but, on the Open Range owners, two Texas dealers come up in conversations as being very good to deal with. The first is Genuine RV in Nacgodoches the other is Sherrod's RV in Silsbe.

[wingnut60]

rmn72,
Nice that you have tried to help him, but the thread is over 3 years old--maybe he will come back with a new post and let us know what he decided on.
Joe

[rmn72]

Just realized that after I posted!!:oops:

[wingnut60]

I do it all the time....DUH,