Best (or worst) Fifth Wheel to buy?

[Old Bubblehead]

Don't buy one expecting to accommodate the kids and the grandkids. You and the wife will be stuck with a $100K, hard-to-handle, oversize travel trailer or RV. While it may seem like a great idea at the time, they will join you a couple of times and that will be it. Buy something suitable for you and the wife and something that won't require a humongous tow vehicle. You'll be a happy camper.

Thanks Bob,

Yep got that tee shirt on our first coach. Ordered with cockpit drop down, pull out couch, convertible dinette. Had coach two years, had one visit to use "extra" sleeping capacity. When we ordered current coach, we ordered just for us. If we pick up fiver, it will also be set up for how we camp.

Truthfully, my biggest challenge is finding room for DW's quilting/ sewing supplies and equipment. I like midship bunk house layout where I could pull bunks and set her up a sewing studio.

Sure head will be hurting after running gauntlet at Hershey show.

cheers,
J

 

[High Desert]

If I was in the market for a 5th wheel today, I'd give a solid look at the Arctic Fox lineup. They are not cheap, but very well made, generally have a real 4 season package, and built to last. If you watch a lot of the full timer youtube videos, you see a lot of Grand Designs being used. And you also see and hear about all the quality and failure issues they have. Belly leaks seem to be a real problem with that product along with a myriad of other issues. Year to year, who makes the best changes. Alpenlite was a great product until the son took over and drove it in the ditch, then NuWa was the one, especially the Hitchhiker model, then Montana held the lead for several years. Throw a rock on a dealer lot and you may hit next year's hot model. My approach would be twofold: layout and manner / quality of construction. The warranty works until you pull off the lot, then it's pulling teeth to get anything done in a reasonable timeframe.

 

[Gizmo]

Thank you for your help! I have a 3500 GMC Duali so pulling won't be an issue - but I love your feedback on construction and warranty and negotiating - that is a huge help! I really appreciate it.

That is what I thought with my 2017 GMC 1 ton 3500 when I purchased a 2017 Grand Design 310GK 35 foot 5er. Took off for my winter in Tucson and decided to stop by the scales and just verify weights before I put the washer and dryer and the generator in the front of the RV. Well, bad news I was 600 pounds over my truck GVWR/payload ratings, and the 5er weight in at 15,400 well under the 16,600 of the RV GVWR. The only solution I had in 2017 was to go to a DRW truck so I switched to Class A with 7442 pounds of payload. My planned upgrades would put me over the GAWR and probably tire ratings.

 

[DMan1717]

Sometimes I can't help but giggle like a little girl. two phrases set this off. first one is lifetime warranty, must mean a good product. This is because I have had two rigs that were sold with such a warranty. Both manufacturers were not in business when I bought them. The other phrase is we are going green as a country. This one makes me laugh because I have had a machine shop and know how much green energy it would require to make the shop viable.

For the record I have only met happy grand design owners.

We have a Cedar
Creek fifth wheel and like it a lot. We had a Cougar before and the upgrades we had considered came standard on the Forest River Cedar Creek. In regards to a "Lifetime Warranty" I consider it a joke. Giant Recreation World offers one, but it requires you to bring it in once a year for them to go over. That cost is around $300. Not what i would consider a free life time warranty. To be perfectly truthful they do not advertise it as FREE. It just sounds like it might be? Buyer beware. The other thing I would do the day after I bought it is to change the tires to something better. And, having blowouts on 2 fifth wheels I would add the underside RV-DE-FENDER just "In Case" of another blowout. Insurance claims have slayed up our RV for over 2 months (right during summer).