Any RV'ers around here?
Up for general discussion, if you are an RV person, particularly a fifth wheel type please chime in. We are considering changing from our fixed base property to a fifth wheel RV in our retirement. Wondering about the pros and cons of the whole gig as we would be starting from ground zero and I know there is a LOT to learn.
Thanks in advance-DesertRat:)
We have had a few 5th wheels over the years and always loved it. Like a few have said there are pros and cons and size will factor in of where you can get into with it. Our last one was a Cardinal 33 foot and it was about as big as you could in the more primitive campgrounds. Get going down a dirt road with no turn around or end up in a campground with lots of trees and you can get into trouble fast. And like others stated, the big commercial campgrounds are not always as nice as they appear. I've stayed in some that ask if what kind of spot do I want, awning out or slides out, can't do both because they are too narrow. And they charge for everything, extra people, pets, cable, etc, etc.. Our friends that we traveled with loved the commercial campground, us, no so much.
I liked the 5th wheel because they are very stable to tow and you can drop them and use your truck to run around. We also towed a 20 foot boat behind it and it was not problem at all. Drop the boat in the main lot, go drop the 5th wheel at camp, go get the boat and you're good to go.
After a while you get a routine and know where to go or what to look for in a campground. Golf cart batteries and solar is the way to go and maybe think about an on board generator that runs off your propane if you want to primitive camp and still have a/c.
As for quality i think most use all the same major parts. One or two fridge or a/c makers. Same with heaters and water heaters. Same for manufacturers, a few make the majority of the units.
Forest River has almost 90 brands that they make. K-Z makes 20 or so and same with Keystone and Heartland.
Reality is that it is VERY expensive. 50K or more for truck and same for the trailer, if your going new or fairly new. Add in property tax and insurance on both, storage if you cant keep it at home. $100.00 bucks a tank for gas/diesel and campground fees and a road trip adds up fast. In the end, we ended up selling the truck and trailer off. Did the math and it was close to 14k a year to "camp" (5th wheel = mobile hotel room) and at that price we can drive or fly, eat out and stay in some nice hotels or cabins when we want to go.
Don't get me wrong, we loved it and at some point will do it again, but it is not cheap to do.