Wife and I have been looking for a 5er. Found a listing for a 2004 Hitchhiker m33.5 CKQG. Maybe my search capabilites are not that great, but I found specs for a 35 CKQG. Published pin weight 2580 with GVWR of 16500.

My truck is a 2008 King Ranch PSD SRW. It is on the optional 20" rims. The door sticker only talks about the 18s. Door sticker GVWR is 10000. The owner manual gives a GCWV of 23000.

I am thinking borderline or to err to safety, not at all. Would love to hear other opinions.

Thanks!

 

I came accrossNuWa Industries, Inc. - Archives:

Appears to me more like 13.5 with a pin wt of around 2500 indicated.

I'd suspect you pin wt more like 2700 lbs.

Based upon what I found you will have no problems

 

Thanks! senix

It would be awesome if someone here had that same rig would pipe up. Good info tho! The wife looked at the pics on craigs list and is all hot to look at it up close and personal.

Since this is new for us, what kind of things should we look for, aside from the obvious flaws, when buying a used 5er? The gentleman selling is older and seems to be very forthright, but.......

 

look at the data plate to get the specs from there.

tires vs axle ratings

All systems..do they work.

See if they will let you tow with it. Not sure if you are setup for that yet.

Crawl under it and check everything you can visually see.

At least hook your tbc up and have the better half squeeze the slider on the tbc. Then walk around to each drum and listen for the buzz. Buzz would mean the brake is at least getting power. No buzz no brakes.

 

Awesome! thank you!

I am not an entire newb to the RV world, but this will be the first 5er WE have owned. We have used the wife's parents 5er a lot in the past, but not with my own truck. Connecting up the brakes is a great idea.

Your are correct, I am not entirely set up for this yet. I have a B&W turnover in the truck, but will need to get the Companion hitch for it. B&W is talking about a new Companion slider hitch, which I think I would like with the short bed, but so far, no ETA on market arrival. NEW Product Launched | B & W Trailer Hitches

 

yeah with an older 5er you certainly want a slider. If you could use the parents truck to pull it then that would work. You want to see if it tracks well. Plus gives you an opportunity to check the brakes better.

 

Take a knowledgeable friend or a tech along to help keep your enthusiasm in check. Focus on the structure, for example water damage. Save for a refrigerator replacement, most other things are not really expensive to fix and are within the ability of a do-it-yourselfer willing to learn.

I agree with Scott regarding the weight. Hitchhikers are heavier than competitors, but quality often brings weight with it.

Hitchhikers are generally a good choice. Quality when built and generally hold up well, in my experience. They can develop slide leaks, as with any other fiver, so look for water tracks at the edges of the slides and with the slides extended, look underneath them.

Good hunting,

Steve

 

The GVWR is 14900 for that trailer the UVW is between 11880 - 12080 depending on the model, there are two Touring Coach or Luxury Suite with the Luxury being the heaviest, expect 2700 to 2900 for the pin weight. I personally know people that are pulling that trailer with a F250. Figure on installing air bags with that much pin weight to help to keep the truck level. With that year of HH the only problem spot for water damage is the front left side and sometimes the right side. Look at the lag bolts under the front and make sure they are tight and also look at the trim screws and make sure they are tight and not rusted off. Water gets behind the trim strip causing water damage if the caulking was allowed to go bad. The water damage can be fixed but it's not cheap, you can call NU-WA service for a price if needed.

Denny

 

Thanks! It is the Luxury Suite. I figured I was going to need air bags, but brand etc. is a discussion for another thread if I can not find one here already on the topic.

I will look at the all the joints carefully. It is pretty easy to spot where caulking has been repaired or not. I will pay particular attention to the areas you pointed out.

 

One other place to look at is the trim at the bottom of the slides, if it has leaked it can get into the slides floors and cause water damage, again if the caulking has been taken care of over the years it should be fine. I think the trailer that was at the HH rally we were at is the same one you are looking at and it had suffered that damage to the floors. Just take a good close look at it before you buy.

Denny

 

Slide floor damage shows up first on the perimeter. It can be hard to spot if a couch is in the way. More often it is easier to see from the exterior of the slide where the sidewall meets the foor. Extra screws or non factory screws are a dead giveaway.

Steve

 

On any used trailer it all comes down to being very careful when checking it out before you buy I don't care what brand it is. It doesn't matter how expensive or well built a RV is it still has to be maintained over its life. No maintenance short life good maintenance long life. I would get on the roof and work my way down looking for places that water could have gotten in, signs of caulking and sealant being replaced is a good thing.

Denny

 

Amen,

Steve

 

Both those guys are right on the money, roof, water damage first, tires (dot date codes) would be another.
When I bought our used trailer, I turned everything on including the a/c, refrig, stove, heater, water heater, water pump, toilet flush, shower, and all lighting. Check the hours on the generator if equipt and start it and also check the oil color.
Operate any slide outs and pull the awning out looking for damage/wear also.
Hook up the trailer lights to your truck to ensure they work and ensure it has a safety switch at the 5th wheel connector.
Before you move it if you decide to buy, check the lug nuts for approx 100# of torque. If driving very far home, grease the wheel bearings right away.
If a toy trailer, check the fuel pump and nozzle assembly for operation.
I would also open cupboards, look under beds and storage area for mouse/rat droppings. If so, another issue with possible infestation, water line/wiring damage as those critters chew on everything.
Good luck. As they say... buy with your head, not your heart.

 

Well, the wife and I went to look at it this afternoon. I took all the advice posted here and email from a friend who is now on this 3rd HH (He keeps upgrading). I could find only minor things.

All the leak points mentioned appear to be sound. I could find nothing that even hinted of water damage. I got up on the roof and it looked to be in good shape, aside from the normal staining you would expect to see from weather (no hail damage).

There were 2 spots on the front where it looked like someone cut it too sharp and ran the cab corners into the trailer (less than 1/4" depth dents) and one spot on the right hand side where the skirt under the slide out had an ~2" crack in it. The owner told me did that recently, rather stupidly by not watching what was in the way when he extended the slide.

All the seals around the slide appear to be in good shape. I crawled under the slide-outs and saw no obvious signs of wear. Carpeting and lino in good shape (just 2 spots on the carpet that he said he had never been able to get out).

I was not able to check out all the systems. First, the propane tanks were empty and it has been winterized. The current owner told me that if we were seriously interested he would un-winterize it and put propane in so that everything could be tested.

The washer/dryer does not work, we were told, but it also has an icemaker built in. I guess they like their drinks cold when they snowbirded.

Finally, the tires, are what I would consider well out of date. The tread was pretty good, and the wear did not appear to abnormal. I see this as a negotiating point.

One last point, he has converted it to a gooseneck. This would be nice for me as I have the B&W turnover in the truck already and would not have to get a Companion hitch.

He is asking 17500 which is below blue book.

All opinions are valued. Thanks!