Buying used is one of the best pieces of advice on this thread. You may be inheriting someone else's headaches but if you do your brand research, look it over, find out if it's a local trade then get maintenance/warranty records you should be good. As far as how to afford them interest rates are still really low at some places and we are lucky enough to have found a bank that was financing late model RVs for a lower rate than a house.

 

Just a quick compliment, not a hijack: I really wish I could have found a 5er with a low profile like that. You can drive without fretting much about overhead clearances, get decent mileage, and that one is short enough you can park it almost anywhere...very nice setup.

 

Backtrack2015,
Thanks for the compliment.
The cost of these toys can be considerable. As noted some suggest new with the warranty and others keep the cost manageable with good used equipment.
I bought this truck used because it was in very good condition with all the dealer service records. I believe I will save some money in the long run. I did buy a additional warranty to cover big ticket items since the truck is out of Ford warranty.

So on used 5th wheels what are the things to look for in brand and features to get a good value and not a lemon?


Regards,
Chris

 

We decided to stick with late model 2015 and newer, that got us the best interest rates and most components are still under individual warranty. After all of our searching we ended up comparing 3 different floor plans that we really liked so I can up with a spreadsheet listing the items that were important to us and the individual specs (weight, length, tank size). I assigned each one a 1-3 number 1 for the best 3 for the worst and totaled them up so the lowest score won. After that do some brand research, they all have forums that you can look over and see common issues recalls, tsb's, ect. a big thing with fiberglass models is bubbles in the sheeting, its a sign of moisture penetration that might not show up inside for years. Also don't forget to climb the ladder and check the roof for any patches. other than that all I can say is take a good look through every compartment and closet, anything that looks like it might be a problem to you is worth asking about.

 

Chris, I hope you did the payload calculations before you bought that trailer, because it looks like about all the truck can handle. I'm calling the weight police!
Seriously though, my wife and I had a trailer nearly identical to yours and we loved it. We had it lifted just like you do, and we could take it just about anywhere due to the excellent ground clearance. It also doubled as a great hunting rig for me and a friend in the fall. I wish I'd have kept it, but needed the trade-in cash.

 

If you are just getting started in the RV world the cost can be staggering if you by new in today's world. We started in 1978 with a new F150 Ranger and a 8.5' slide in camper both financed, then after realizing my truck was not up to the job we bought a 1979 F250, beginners mistake. Our next upgrade was a 10ft slide in that we payed cash for, then in 1987 we bought our first new 5th wheel and financed a small portion of the cost, that was the last one of our 4 5th wheels we financed. After our new 1979 F250 we never bought a new truck until 2000 and all our trucks both for work and play have been bought out right along with any cars after 1979. We always ran all our trucks and cars for many years so by the time they were ready to be replaced we had the money to do so.

When looking do your homework and make sure what you are buying is something that will work with your plans and if you can hold off save for as much of the purchase price as possible. Just look at the cost to finance over the cost for having cash, it can be shocking. We would never ever use any equity in our house be it by loan or reverse mortgage to by toys and if your are going fulltime bank your proceeds from your house because someday you will get off the he road and have to buy a place to live. Remember trucks and trailers do not appreciate like a house. We also payed our house off in 14 years so saving for toys was easier after that.

Denny

 

P.Bronner,
I did not do a weight calc on the camper to truck interface! I think we are good too. (I did start a thread on my truck and camper in this same section of the forum)


(closer to being back on topic)
We were looking at some used 2006 ish trailers today on line they seem to be in the 10K range. I hear what your saying about 'run what you brung', and keep the cost down. This old one is paid for, a new one might not be! And bigger is not always better. RV show this weekend in Erie PA. We might go look around.

Denny,
Great comments, and right back on topic!
Regards,
Chris

 

Buy used in good shape. We have zero debt besides our mortgage and keep it that way.

- 4 years ago we bought a 2000 F-250 7.3 diesel for $9200. Since then, I have about $3000 - $4000 in it to spruce it up and update it. Runs great, gets the job done and asks for more.

- 1.5 years ago we bought a 2011 Montana High Country in the only floor plan of any 5th wheel we have really liked for $28000. The PO bought it new for $60000 in 2012... We have put a couple hundred into it, not including tires to make it our own.

Save money, pay cash and be ready for unexpected expenses. We use our credit card to pay for everything we can. We get points for every dollar and cash back for those points. We get $600-1000 a year back, and that helps pay for a lot of things.

We pay the balance of the card off every month so there is no running balance or interest. It has not always been this way and we have had huge mounds of debt before, but careful planning and discipline helps with that.

We are getting ready to be fully retired and will be on a much tighter budget. We will have to slim down on eating out and silly spending, but we think that living as we want will be much more enjoyable than having the funds to buy things. Money is not everything. It is required, but it is not everything.

I have heard that saying that "the only people that say money isn't everything are those without money." I disagree and am grateful we live in a country that affords us the right to have our own opinions and pursue them based on our goals for our lives and our family.

 

I (we) have had more toys in the last 10 years than when we were young with the kids schooling and house payments. Having a few extra dollars during retirement is a nice plus. We scrimped when younger and had to to get all the necessities. Camping and high end trucks were desired but not affordable at that time.
We dont have a desire to go camping full time. Just put some money into a new klitchen/ living room update last year.
Regards,
Chris

 

SD,
So this is how we pay for our truck n RV (toys)...
I worked for 40 plus years, usually had at least one and sometimes two part time jobs most of that time, which helped to drive SS up some.
I'm retired now, am drawing two modest pensions, start social security later this year (I'll be 62), plus VA disability in the works. I still do some work now, under a DBA , using the truck to haul locally, either tow away or using one of my cargo/car hauler trailers. I also drive water tender/truck for a local guy during fire season (it was a busy year this year in CA), although this will curtail based on our travel plans in 2019 and onward. The money was steady and has gone in to the new trailer fund.

I was fortunate to have received a modest inheritance from parents trust when they passed (1996 and 2011), which enabled me to put a good down payment and buy the small ranch property we call home. I'm married to someone smarter than me with money (I can't rub two dimes together) she is the smart one with money. We have rentals, plus our primary residence, thanks to my smart wife. Our truck is paid for now, it had a 6 year loan, we decided to pay it off recently (three years in) to reduce our monthly expenses. Our Trailer is worth less (not worthless ) than we owe, not far from the tipping point, but we are looking at a new one; we plan to become pretty much full timers (6-8 months a year is planned, or more).

Will likely sell the coastal rental (lots of equity), we will be vacation renting the ranch property to fund our new RV (see trailer fund above) and cover our travel expenses. We've added a caretaker living quarters to the ranch and have someone identified that we trust to manage the property and do the rental stuff (our youngest son, 30).

I count myself as extremely blessed to have been able to accomplish these things and still have my health and a wonderful partner in Cindy. My wife has owned her own business (vacation property management) for 29 years and sold last year. She went to work for the new owners and is planning on departing after labor day this year so we can start our longer term travels in January 2019. I hope to run into some of you folks along the way and trade jokes, barbs, and great info about life, trucks, RV's and the things that make us laugh. There's always a cup of coffee, a beer (or something stronger) and/or a cigar to be had if I see you out there . Safe travels all.

Regards,

-Mark

 

Reading these posts I think most people can conclude that you don't get financially comfortable by being stupid or lazy.

 

Like the OP, we are retired (wife is only 60 at this point, so not drawing Social Security or from her retirement annuity). I retired twice (once from the Army and again from a 21-year civilian career). We are blessed in that regard.

Our situation is a little different in that we are full-timers. Our finance guy didn't want us taking money out of savings to buy a depreciating asset until we had passed a certain threshold on savings (just liquid savings - separate from retirement accounts, etc.). So, we took out a loan for the initial purchase (33% off MSRP) and paid on it until we surpassed FG's ("Finanacial Guy's") threshold. Just paid off the RV loan this week and saved $15K in future interest. We sold the house in August, 2015, when we hit the road so we are now debt free. Home equity went into savings and to help defray "start-up costs" for full-timing.

We had purchased a new Sierra 2500HD D/A in 2013 and paid it off in three years at a ridiculously low interest rate (USAA). When we hit the road a little over two years later, we realized we were a little under-trucked for the pin weight of our fiver. When we were offered an opportunity to trade even for the 2012 F350 DRW, we snapped it up. (The 2013 Sierra had 32K miles on it at the time and the 2012 F350 had 28K!).

Rob

 

Used for "Us" too.

2011 F-250 Lariat 6.2L FX4 CCSB
2014 Keystone Outback 298RE (from original owner)
+/- $45k cash. Savings.

Griz

 

"Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son" -- Dean Wormer, Animal House.

 

Thanks to all for engaging in the conversation!

Regards,
Jim / crewzer