If you could buy again knowing what you know now...
 

I'm ready to start looking for a 5th Wheel to own rather then rent, and I'd like to avoid some common mistakes.

I've always been told to buy 1 year old rather than new (so somebody else can work the bugs out)... but just read a thread about some respected members here who bought new.

So I figured I'd ask the question in the title... If you were starting over, buying a new 5th Wheel, knowing what you know now...

Any thoughts on one or more of below?

- new or used?
- (I see if new that 25-37% off MSRP) is a fair offer
- what is a fair offer off MSRP for each year after its manufacture date?
- best way to inspect?
- best warranty options
- avoid Camping World?
- Best Dealer?
- Best rig for some one who isn't really great at doing his own repairs?

Any other general advice for a newbie about to buy his first 5th wheel?

Thanks!

I recently purchased a year old fifth (see my sig below).
As you suggested - I let them work out the bugs; but mostly I'll let them suffer the initial depreciation.

As for your other questions, I found a local dealer I trust - I'll give him my service business when needed.

I see you're in FL, if you're ever nearby the Dothan, AL area then look him up:
https://www.bamarv.com/

Bought a year old fifth wheel for half of what the original owner paid for it a year earlier. I did end up having to replace the air conditioner at a cost of $400 and a hour of my time. I don't regret buying used at all and would do it again.ask yourself what the warrantee is worth to you and can you fix yourself whatever may go wrong with it.

If you're planning on keeping the RV long term, that depreciation is irrelevant. If you're planning (or think you might) "flip" your RV on a regular basis, always buying-selling-buying-selling, then maybe depreciation is a valid concern. If you aren't comfortable doing your own repairs, then that adds to the appeal of buying new, and getting a warranty.

I would shop floor plan and features first and foremost. It doesn't matter how great a deal you got on it if you and your Mrs. aren't happy with it.

We bought new, first time ever for us. Long line of used RV's in our past. We're planning on keeping this one 20+ years (until I'm too old to pull it). I could have cared less about depreciation. We found a floor plan we both really liked, and it was a "go".

Of course you must first like the unit, its floor plan and any/ every thing else about it, otherwise its not a good deal; now with that said ...

My fifth, new (with additional factory accessories) retailed at $85K - $90K. I estimate the original buyer was out the door around $69K - before taxes; as a used unit I saved an additional $20K over that (guesstimated) original price. Then he went to work spending more money on additional upgrades.

That lowered price also led to reduced state sale taxes, reduced local registration fees (highest in the state), etc. Ultimately it all added up to big bucks saved, at least big bucks to this Cheap Charlie.

My only downside (to date) is the fifth has a safe installed, but the prior owner now doesn't know the code - nor have the keys - to open it (older, now widowed, approaching senility). To regain that physical space I may need my local welder to get to work (he's performed that job for me once before).

I hope this helps...

Rob

My first trailer was used. I'm glad I went used as it gave me a lot of opportunities for fixing things and really learning about trailers. I consider myself to be fairly handy, especially once I've consulted the experts here on the forum. The floorplan of the current trailer really sucks but it's the nature of the type of toy hauler I have so I just suck it up.

My next trailer might very well be new, possibly ordered, as I have a very specific list of features the trailer must- have.

If you're not handy then you need to A) Find a dealer that is very good at addressing issues and B) a trailer manufacturer that builds to a higher standard of quality.

Off topic but call a lock smith first .....

On Topic, I have had both new and used, current was new. If you plan to use it much floor plan is most important. Can you get to the fridge & bathroom with it closed to travel? Next what does it weigh & what is my TV capable of towing comfortably? I'm not a weight police guy, but too much RV and too little truck makes for white knuckle trips, nuff said. When you start looking you will find 3 types RV, entry level, mid priced and high end: decide where you want to be. Used you may get a high end at mid level price. All RV's use appliances they get from outside manufactures, Norcold, Suburban, Coleman, Lippert, etc. They only build the frame work. Every RV I have had has needed some work and every RV will get something done to make it yours. Adding back splash, electric outlets, or in my case a washer dryer ( being retired, I spend many days a year out)
Good luck making your selection.

All campers will have problems mostly due to their lightweight and cheap materials they build them with. Many new ones are having problems with springs..tires..slides..AC's and the list goes on and on. Many people ditch them in a year or two so you have to be on your toes buying used. Match your purchase to the tow vehicle by not going over the trucks capabilities.

We just bought our 4th RV (2018 Highland Ridge 371MBH) and we bought new not so much because of the warranty (although it is a good deal) but because I've had water intrusion issues with the 2 used campers that I owned....and those are problems that can show up way later. Buying new, I know the maintenance history of my rig and that helps me sleep a little better at night.
We fulltime in ours, so we researched for over a year before we bought our 371. For us, the criteria were: 1. Brand (Highland Ridge or Grand Design) 2. Dealer (More for service than sales. Typically, they will price match or come real close to any internet price). 3. Floorplan - We went back and forth between rear and mid-bunks. Once we decided on a mid-bunk, we looked at both HR and GD and preferred the HR for a couple of reasons (no carpet in the slides was one) but both were really good units. We avoided the extended warranty because it didn't make sense. The price of the warranty was added to the monthly payment and was over 9K after it was all said and done. I can do a lot of work for that amount of money......
For the inspection, we went up a week before and walked through the unit. We identified several minor issues then and had them fixed before our official PDI. When we did the PDI, I had a check list that I found on the Open Range forums and it went smoothly.
Lastly, I would avoid Camping World.....

Avoid CW like the plague.

Whatever you do find that you like, look at RV Trader to compare prices. Dealerships all over the US may have that same camper and at least one of them will have it at a great price. Use that price to learn what the camper "could" be sold at.

Since you're in Fl, check eastern discount dealers such as RV Outlet, Couch's, Holmans, and RV Wholesalers.

Since you have an F250, buy or borrow a 5000 lb. Sherline scale. Do not believe the brochure on pin weights.

RV Trader is garbage... Just like CW, but the online version.

RVT.com is a much better resource to sell or buy RV's if you are looking for used and sometimes new.

Here are the things I would have done differently...

Nothing would change, because we needed to try each of our ideas before deciding on the 28ft 5th wheel in my signature.

We started with a 30ft 2008 travel trailer that we got for a steal. This was our "let's see if we like RV'ing" purchase. It went well, except pulling a travel trailer cross country was not the most comfortable thing. We moved to a 2011 37ft Montana High Country that was loaded to the gills. 4 slides, washer/dryer, double fridge, etc... This was going to be our full time residence if my military retirement and new employment didn't allow us to keep our home. We have been lucky and are able to afford our home, so we moved to a smaller 28ft 2016 Heartland 5th wheel. It has 2 slides and great storage for the size it is.

We love it because it travels great, is capable of getting into some of the shorter RV restricted sites and is capable of going off road to a point.

Advice, well I would say don't go too big with the trailer and regret it a year down the road.

Buy used if you can, so much less money in it that way.

Do your research, know what to look for and how to identify potential problems.

Don't be afraid of problems, especially if you can fix them yourself.

Get some good tires, like Sailun or GY Endurance.

Get a good hitch like B&W or my choice the Andersen Ultimate.

Take your time, enjoy the journey and the destination.

Thank you for all the help here. This group continues to amaze me. I have a lot of clarity on my direction now. Thanks again! Bob

would i be a jerk if i made the dealer fill the holding tank with water and then run the spickets and shower

Nope. I might even make them fill it full to make sure there are no leaks in the tank.

That should be part of a normal Pre-Delivery Inspection by the tech. I never found leaks on anything done by the factory, but they were common place on units with repairs done by owners.

I would have bought the last one I bought first !! Prob was I wasn't making the salary I was when I bought the Arctic Fox.

My wife thinks I should only buy used RV's because her hair stylist only buys used RV's. Yeah, that's what I'm up against. :(

My toy hauler was 10 years old when I bought it. It came from my brother's best friend so I was confident that I was getting the straight poop on what issues the trailer might have. There were a couple issues that he didn't know about. The most serious was that the crossmembers holding the fresh water tank were bent.

If I were to buy used again I would have to spend a LOT of time going through the trailer. A thorough service record would be good to see. I'm thinking that my next one will be ordered (new) because I'm going to be very picky about features. I doubt that I'll find one on the lot configured to my specifications.

Made me laugh. Both because it's funny, but understandable.

Dave

Awesome tips guys really appreciated

Went to the large RV shows and really liked the Cougar 327 RES, Well built and everything we needed. Local dealer was a prick and no way I would ever buy from or have warranty work done by them. Im one of those people that would most definitely pay less for something without a warranty, Maybe my area but to get something fixed right is very difficult. Anyways bought from a large online dealer and had it delivered. Did a quick inspection in the driveway before I took delivery and went to work. Its been one of the best experiences I have had on a larger purchase. I think it was petes RV and I will buy from them again, even the driver was super nice and I would request him also. MSRP was 62k the local dealer was asking MSRP and would not budge. We paid $35k delivered out the door, 3 years latter and we could sell it for that we paid. It didn't make cense to buy a used camper for what we got a new one.

Wow, that's a heck of a discount! Thanks for the tip.

Search some of the RV owners forums and read on the likes and dislikes from actual owners, problems ,etc.
Fill EVERY holding tank with water to check for leaks. Empty holding tanks
Any organized Rv'er will have good records of maintenance.
Have trailer fully set up for a PDI ( pre delivery inspection) , Lists are usually available on RV owners forum.

Best of luck in your search!

We bought our Cougar High Country from Pete's RV in Burlington VT. They also have one in Indiana and ours was delivered from there. We paid about $32K with a TT trade in, but hard to say exactly as we also had rails, hitch and Reese Sidewinder installed, but MSRP was close to $52K. Pete's has been great for warranty work including getting Keystone to warranty broken steps 2 years later.
What would I do different? The wife actually bought the fiver as I was tapped out with mortgage and bills. She went 15 year financing to get the payments low and that was a mistake. 7 years of payments and we are seriously underwater. In retrospect, I would have subsidized her with a 10 year. However, we make repairs, do maintenance and we have years of RVing ahead.

The wife and I won't have anything other than a rear kitchen, seems they have more storage and counter space. The next fifth wheel I buy, I also want a bedroom slide out that has a real queen size mattress. Imma getting kind of tired of having my ankles hanging off the end of the bed!

Avoid any and all Trailer or 5th Wheels that use a Lippert Frame. You can fix Refrigerators and A/C's. Pretty hard to fix an inferior frame.

I had to chuckle at this. When I was looking at new toy haulers, a Lippert frame was a definite negative and moved that trailer lower down the list.

My first trailer was used. It was a really nice bumper pull. We learned a lot with it like how important to us the opposed living slides with an island was, how much maintenance can cost, what worked and didn't work for my family, etc. We bought it for 20K and sold it a year and a half later for 18k. The original owner paid closer to 40k. With what we learned we went out and bought a brand new trailer. We would probably have gone used again but the floorplan we liked is very scarce on the used market and we were ready to place an order.

I would recommend buying what you think you want used. Odds are you will sell it in 1-2 years and then with what you have learned get another trailer that suits your needs. At that point you can go new if you want because you are going to know a lot more then than you do now.

Also, if you have to get a new tow vehicle at the same time, get the trailer first. Don't be like my granddad and get an F250 at a good deal, then turn around and get a DRV Mobile Suites at a good deal only to find out the dealer was full of crap and the empty weight of your new trailer is too much for your hitch, and your truck, and that is before adding a single piece of gear. Once you know the trailer, you will know what kind of truck you need.

I have bought used, but my last two campers were bought new. It is nice to own something that a previous owner hasn't jacked up with his idea of cool mods. It's very common to find extra lights and outlets simply tapped into existing wiring without regard to load or purpose.
A lot of people purchase new at (or very near) MSRP then try to sell or trade two or three years later only to find they are upside down on their loan. Smart shopping with modest negotiation skills can net a price reduction that will negate any depreciation in value the first few years.
Very few people purchase their last camper first, plan on selling or trading yours in the next 5 years.
MSRP is really a worthless value. In order to truly negotiate a realistic price, ask to see the dealer's invoice. I deliver campers to dealers and have taken the opportunity to look at the invoice accompanying the camper I am transporting. It is surprising what the factory charges the dealer for and how much they charge.
The value of used campers varies with age. Some depreciate very quickly while others hold their value very well due to market demand and availability. The Forest River Aviator is a good example. Relatively few units were ever made, and while early purchasers paid a premium, later buyers got a huge discount. However, the prices stay pretty high because they are, in fact, very good units and highly coveted.
The best way to arrive at a price for a used camper is to shop that model, taking note of the average asking price and, where available, the actual selling price. You are then armed to negotiate your best deal.
The best way to inspect a camper is to operate every single device/appliance. Of course, this only proves that a given item worked when you tested it. They can all quit any time without warning. Make sure everything works before you take possession, or that you have some kind of agreement concerning non-functioning items. I would take note of the appearance of the underside of the camper, then fill the water tank full. Make sure it doesn't sag under there. Operate the water pump. Check the water heater. If it has electric, fill it and turn on the element, you should feel warm water within 20 or 30 minutes. Turn on the propane water heater and make sure that part lights properly too. Test the heater, air conditioner (hard to do if it's freezing outside), television antenna and amplifier. Make sure the slide(s) operate smoothly. Check all lights. Look for leaks under sinks, shower, and around the water heater. Make sure the seal on the toilet valve holds water. If it leaks out odor from the black tank can enter the bathroom. Finally, pressure test the camper. There are several youtube videos on DIY pressure testing.
The best warranty option is the one that leaves the most money in your pocket. There are several books available that make RV maintenance and repair pretty easy. There's a document floating around the 'net called "The 12 volt Side of Life", it's free and priceless. These things are basically aluminum, wood, paper, staples and glue. It's not rocket science. ;)
Definitely avoid Camping World. Unless you really like wasting your time, money and being treated like crap.
Best Dealer is kind of subjective. Like all people, they have their good and bad days. Some are better than others, but none are perfect. My last dealer was almost perfect. I bought the camper and left. It was perfect until he started sending me emails that they had some really good deals I should know about. :D
If you are mechanically challenged, don't take your repairs to a dealership. They are dealers, not repairers, otherwise they'd be called repairerships.... or something like that. ;) The point is, there are lots of independent repair techs that will come to you and repair your camper in a single day for a reasonable price. Most (if not all) are even able to complete warranty work.
The rig you choose is going to be largely influenced by cost. This is why there are so many different models to choose from, otherwise they'd all have welded and glued aluminum superstructures with Adzel siding and 10 inch 'I' beam frames with painted exteriors.
Find the floor plan that works for you the best and then start shopping for price. Naturally, you don't always get what you pay for, but you will always pay for what you get!

If and when we buy another 5'er, I will buy used and shorter than my current 40' length. Used ones have already taken the big depreciation hit and, in theory, have had some of the kinks worked out that my new Cougar came with. I have found 40' to limit our spot finding options most places.

Well, it is all about the floor plan. Have your rented and experienced enough to be confident of your choice? It is not uncommon for people to discover shortcomings in the floor plan after a year of use. If you are risk averse, you might buy used until you know for sure what you want.

I'll keep this relatively short.

I'd buy new. You never know how a used one was maintained. One bad winterization and you're in for some expensive repairs. Somewhere around 30% off MSRP is about right. Yes, Camping world is crap. Once you drive of the lot you are dead to them. And when buying new, no matter what brand you buy, you will have warranty issues. ALL campers have issues. Some more than others but you will be back for warranty work no matter what. It's all about the dealership. So research the dealer just as much as the camper itself. Being aligned with a good dealer who will go after the MFG and actually take care of issues is what is important. I'm getting a Grand Design 5er this winter. I've heard tremendous things about their customer service and I know the dealer here in southern NH will take care of any issues I have.