I need good info on Fifth-Wheel travel trailers..What to buy??

[ShowDown]

I am wanting to buy a fifth-wheel travel trailer and I have never owned one before. I do know that we want rear living area and would prefer an island in the kitchen area and I want to be able to stand up in the bedroomcand would like to have a slide in the bedroom as well as a double slide in the back so I am sure I need the tall version up front. We would also like a shower that isn't UmpaLoompa tiny. I am thinking something in the 30 to 32 foot range but might go bigger. We will mainly be towing it to various lakes within 80 to 250 miles away and setting it up for three to four days at a time but probably wont use it much if at all during the winter. Who builds the best trailers out there and what should I be looking and also what should I stay away from. Any help on this matter would be much appreciated. Thanks!:)

[LASERRAY]

We used to have a "Komfort" made by Thor Industries. They are very well built. They are very popular up in the Pacific Northwest where rain is always a factor, so the fifth wheels are made for wet wheather, meaning they are sealed very well, corners are rolled, seals and roof are water-tight. Very good all around product. Oak cabinets, large windows, trussed ceiling, etc. Our 22'er felt alot bigger then it really was. We up-graded to a class c about a month ago.
Buying an R.V. is alot like buying a boat. Don't rush yourself. Do alot of looking. Go to R.V. shows. Look at
The R.V. Trader (http://www.rvtraderonline.com) . And shop around.
Good Luck!
:cool:

[Cheap Thrills]

Avion makes a nice 5th wheel along with Carrage RV. both have upper end models with slideouts and the ability to have one custom made to your liking . I also like the rolling baked potatoes Airstream I thought that they produced a fifth wheel at one time but didn't see one listed on their website . but without a doubt one of the best T/T on the road . just an opinion.
C.T.

[LASERRAY]

Another R.V. Link For you ShowDown. :cool:
RV.Net (http://www.rv.net)

[riverbound]

We have an Alfa Toyhouse We kept the garage area open so it has a big area in the back where the kids can play when all the toys are out. I am very happy with the build the room inside and it tows really well.
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/520/681Picture_007-med.jpg

[Flying Tiger]

Theirs 2 types.
Full timer liveing type, and family vacation type.
Price seperates them.
I start with Prowler,, check out the others,, then go back and negotiate the best deal, even if it's on sale - grind the $$ furthur and make them throw in stuff..
Make sure the woman in your life has a say in it,, and listen to her opinion. You'll be glad you did. Chicks have a view of the nest guys don't see.
Just my 2 cents worth.
Good luck,, have fun.

[ShowDown]

The only two I have looked at so far have been "Mobile Scout" and "Hitch Hiker" I am going to look at a Terry tomorrow. I like the looks of your Alfa Toyhouse Riverbound.

[riverbound]

Show down,
We have removed all the vinyl off of ours now so it is all white. I would recommend having the dealer do that before you pick it up, It looks so much better that way. If you are going to use it in the summer time make sure you go overboard on the a/c we run dual central a/c units in ours (one in the back and one in the front) Also check to see if you can get the sani flush system for the tanks. It lets you run clean water in to your waste tanks form the outside and makes dumping a lot easier. We also had the windows tinted and it helped keep it cool during the summer months. We will be using this as our river house next year during the construction of our new house.

[riverbound]

The Alpha gold is the same as mine but non-toybox it does have the rear living and is all windows on the back. It also has a nicer inside.

[boxscore]

We recently bought an '04 Triumph by Fleetwood. The quality is a notch or two better than their entry lines, i.e. prowler and terry. If you buy a new one, please know this! The dealer margin is astronomical. The factory window sticker on ours was $56,000 and we paid about $42,000 with a second AC added by the dealer. BTW , we opted for a front living room . Check one out before buying a rear living room. You might like the layout of it. I think Fleetwood and Montana are the only couple manufacturers who make one that way.

[ShowDown]

Another thing we have to consider is the fact that another couple and their small child will be staying in it with us occaisionaly on weekends at the lake.
boxscore: what do you like better about front living?

[Kilrtoy]

We dont own one, But we recently looked at all of them.
We found Coachmen, to be what we preferred....

[boxscore]

Originally posted by ShowDown
boxscore: what do you like better about front living?
Ours front living has slides (4 total) on each side with sofa sleepers on each side, fireplace, and entertainment center located up front. It makes for a great social area. The bathroom and shower moves to the rear which affords it a high ceiling where the usual layout puts the bathroom and shower in a "squatty" situation. Just take a look at one before buying anything alse. In fact, Fleetwood builds the Triumph right there in Texas. Fleetwood quality gets knocked sometimes but they've done a real nice job with the one we bought. Lots of nice features found on higher end units like Alfa, Presidential, Alumalite, etc. Those 5th wheels appeared to be about 10-15K higher than ours. I don't know what length unit you may be looking for , we found the front living 5th wheels to be 34-38'. So if you looking for something a lil shorter, front living might not be an option anyway . Good luck and happy camping!

[B-rad502]

Check out: goodsamclub.com
They have a forum over there that is far busier than any boating forum I've seen! You can ask the same question there and get all kinds of feedback!
Some nice one's I've seen are: Alfa Sun, Montana, HitchHiker, and Cardinal. There are A LOT of different makes and models out there.
We bought our first rv last summer, a 25 1/2' Layton 5th wheel and absolutely love it! It's nice to actually take a break from the lake and go up to the mountains once in a while!
Good luck!:D