I was thinking about this for some time and really just started looking.
Some things I know already. I want a turn over hitch and companion hitch.
I want the bed space clear when not towing.

Tow truck is the F350 in my signature.

For the most part it's just going to be myself.
I do like a tall shower and don't like the glass door that looks
out onto the bed.

I guess what I need to know is what is out there and what I "Need".
A generator would be a plus.

Having never towed I need some education on this also.

Any help will be appreciated.

Thanks
Sean

P.S. I think the kitties will stay at home. I think???

 

Like you said, you need to find out what you "need".

But if you take your cats, you NEED a good place for their litter boxes. We took one cat with us, and thus we found a floor plan with a good place for that. In the slide out.



But if you need a place for multiple boxes (you do not want to have to deal with them in the bath, or in the bedroom), then something like a Montana 3402rl will give you a big closet inside the door to the rig. Or a toy hauler and use the garage.

 

The cats are almost as bad as some of the "Toys" out there.
They could even have there own cat door.

The thing is deciding on what I need and what I want. So
many options. Like I said shower type and size is one.
I also think a longer bed and not one of the short ones.

Sean

 

We've been 'working on' another thread like this for the past couple weeks and a lot of good information there. But with that said, don't know your budget. If new, $30 to over $100K. Preowned - use the NADA-RV for general pricing for a particular brand/model, but a few years old - most get pretty inexpensive in comparison to their original cost - but beware of dealers pushing you. Most sales guys are just working stiffs struggling to earn a living on small commissions but their 'sales manager'.......and a major problem we ran into at a couple dealerships. Don't be reluctant to make a reasonable counter offer to a price - it's expected. Also, you want the 'out the door' price. Taxes, tags and other state mandated costs will add a bunch to that bottom line. We found that tany dealerships have way too much used inventory and want it gone and will deal.

Most 5ers now seem to have a full 60x80 inch queen bed with a king in some of the $$$$$ versions. A walk through bathroom was one of the things we didn't want on our new one. But with that said, there are some really nice ones that are set up that way and with a curtain as our last had, would isolate you from that area plus it is a more open plan. The bathroom sink in the bedroom is to me a mega turnoff and something we saw on some smaller 5ers

As a suggestion, go wander a good sized dealer's lot and look at everything from the back row to the front. Every brand has a bunch of floor plans. Every brand has virtually the same make appliances, axles, pin box, etc, etc so if you are considering used, even some 'orphan's' from defunct manufacturer's can be great deals.
I can't say enough good about a B&W hitch. Set up with the Turnover arrangement, rated at 16,000 ponds, with the Ford 5er package, 20,000# and using the same head.

If you find one to your liking, do a full and complete PDI (Pre Delivery Inspection). There are several decent formats you can download from the 'net or I can forward the one I made up from several, but based on a 'net version.

Good luck - and keep us posted. Tomorrow is Saturday and a good day to wander

 

It might be easier to tackle this topic, if it were broken down into more specific questions.

Finding something with a larger bed and bathroom should not be too difficult as a fair number of models are out there. I just worked on an older Fleetwood Prowler all the want back to 05 and it had the king and I know Challengers do, but that is only a couple off the top of my head.

I think Dave's advice pretty much hits it on the head. Start going to shows and just talk to owners. Stand in the showers (take your shoes off), walk around in them. Pretend you are watching TV. Can you see it from where you sit. Just all the stuff you do at home. Then when you get down to specifics it is easier to be helpful.

Hitches? Bottom line they all work. Some folks like em fancy, some like em basic and put their bucks elsewhere and from my perspective it is a matter of preference.

In the end, you can get a good or bad rig from every manufacturer, as has been said here so many times. If you are brand new to this, take someone with you who is not. If you don't, you can get slaughtered!

Just my thoughts,

Steve

 

That is really a neat job!

Steve

 

Good choice on hitch arrangements IMO. I have the Turn Over and Companion Slider (as my truck is a short bed).

My mother-in-law took her kitties along for several thousand miles of camping in their fiver. Now dogs are another story, ours insist on being in the truck to see where we are going.

Those two are important considerations. Neither the wife or I are particularly big, but we have a large walk-in shower at home and did not want to feel claustrophobic in the trailer. A residential size mattress was another. I am a little over 6' and did not want to hang off the end of the bed.

We found at a few places that not only were they just working stiffs, but they were clueless to camping. Really! We had gone to one dealership and left in disgust because the salesperson could not answer what I thought were some basic questions. Things that were not in the sales brochure, but simple, and if it was not in the brochure this guy was clueless. We went back there a few weeks later to look again and got another salesperson. This guy was awesome in the depth of his knowledge. I finally asked him why he knew so much more than others, and he laughed, then said that he was the only salesperson there that actually OWNED an RV himself. So after that, that was the first question we asked a salesperson. Like buying a car from someone that has no driver's license and has never driven a car.

Good luck in your hunt. Be patient, take good notes on what you see along the way (or lots of pictures) so you can go back and review and narrow down your choices. Most dealers have a sign on the units that lists at least the model and asking price. We would take a pic of that and then the subsequent pics would be of things we liked (or disliked) and then used all that in discussions with family and experienced camper friends.

 

As you are in Washington, take a good hard look at the Northwood Arctic Fox line of 5th wheels. They are all-weather manufactured RV's. Here's a link to their web site. Northwood Manufacturing

And here where the NW owners hang out. Good bunch of people who will go out of their way to "show you around". Northwood RV Owners Association Forum

 

Ah yes - the clueless salesman. Luckily we have only run up against one of them this time and he's been selling RVs for many years. The guy we bought our new Montana from has an older Montana and uses it and will be off to Cape Cod next week (not my favorite place in the summer). He even knew what our traded Titanium was along with its few aches and pains.

 

I would suggest that you attend a RV show if possible. Good exposure in one location to many different makes and models.

List the things you thing you will need or desire and then shop around for someone that has it all.

Need to know how much you can tow with your truck. Get is weighed empty so you know where you stand.

Figure 20% of the trailer GVW for the pin weight...what goes against your payload.

 

What Stableloads do you have, Scott? Or ones like I just installed or removed? OOPS, this was supposed to be a PM, sorry for horning in on your post Yahiko

 

That brings up some important info Bud.

Part of this may be that the op will need to consider adding something to the suspension to bring the load back level.

I had the stableloads on my previous truck. The ones that fit on the lower leaf spring. For the F250's that worked well.

Nothing on my current F350 drw though.

 

To the op - what is your truck?
GVWR,
GAWR,
Cab style, etc...
you will probably exceed rear GAWR and GVWR before GCWR or towing limit...

just trying to help

 

Everyone remember when you were first starting out and trying to educate yourselves about RVing was like trying to get a drink of water from a fire hose? I know I do!

Steve

 

I don't mind that one bit. I find that it can be helpful.

Just out of curiosity I fueled up and then rolled onto the Cat-scale.
Truck was empty other then me and the fuel and I was just over 8200Lbs
Mind you that I have not added the turn-over hitch to that yet.

Salesmen love/hate. The first one was nice and not pushing the next one
was the "I have been selling tries for 40 years" and seemed a bit on the
pushy type used car type he was talking how soon are you thinking when the first
guy was talking when you ready come back and see me.

The first guy seemed to be be listing while the 40year guy was telling me the Oh you don't
was that after I had said I was thinking air bags and a compressor even after I
emphasized "thinking".

On other things I like the idea or going to shows and doing a lot of of walking, looking and
talking. I don't even have a budget because I don't know much yet. In the end I do
think that a well cared for "gently" owned "snicker" one may be the way to go. But only
time and and talking to people like all or you will tell.

The one thing I don't want to come up is an over looked surprise.

Thanks to everyone and keep telling me what I need to be looking for.
Even if you think it's only a small thing because to me it could be a deal breaker
or a back breaker.

Sean