I'm a newbie. I am going to buy a fifth wheel, what should I absolutely have, how do I prepare?

[KausalityKid]

I am finally at the point where I can tour America. I am 60, Single, have no children. Oh my am my mother‘s caretaker who has a lot of illnesses, but would like to see some of the national parks wNile she still has time. So I have a sense of urgency. I have already bought my truck, and it will pull anything on the market. I have a 2019 Ram 3500 HO Laramie with dully’s oh that well to 30,000 pounds, and has 1000 pounds of torque. I wanted to make sure I had a truck I could handle mountain roads with a decent sized fifth wheel.
However, I know nothing about fifth wheels in regards as to what I should get. I want a Toy hauler because I have a hobby of prospecting for gold and need a place for equipment like an ATV and other equipment. I want a fifth wheel that I can basically live in for months at a time. What is important for me to look for. I’ve been tall make sure it has at least two air-conditioning units, but that’s about all. I’d also like one that has the outside grill and TV.
I also don’t know what I need to do to prepare for it such as insurance, Internet connectivity, etc.
any suggestions and help is welcome.

 

[Gronk]

The thing to do is look at the floor plans of the toyhaulers you are interested in. Find the one that YOU like the best. The rest is pretty much 'standard off the shelf' stuff. A decent MIFI will be a good place to start for internet since most campgrounds have marginally good to poor WIFI. Most of that depends on what you want or need to use the internet for. Insurance wise, call a bunch of places and see what they offer and how much. That's kinda like trying to insure your truck, a matter of personal choice. ALso look into different RV clubs such as Passport America, FMCA, Escapees, etc. You can get some decent discounts at some parks with them. Another thing to look into is getting a fuel discount card. TSD Logistics and FMCA have them. A new comer to these is Escapees. I just received notification that they have one now. See which one or all that will work for you.

 

[MapNerd]

1. You want a toy hauler if you're planning to bring toys - alternatively you could go with a standard 5th wheel and a swivel wheel.

2. Whether buying new or used, have any unit you are serious about inspected by an NRVIA certified inspector. Think of them as a home inspector. They will spend several hours checking the unit over, test most if not all functions and give you a written report of everything that is wrong. That report will inform you as to whether the unit has serious problems or mostly minor issues. In either case, it will help you negotiate a fair price and also prepare you for what you might need to be prepared to live with or fix at your own expense. YOU should always hire the inspector - not the dealer. Never use an inspector recommended by a dealer. These inspectors receive a lot of repeat business from that dealer and may be inclined to look the other way on some things in order to stay in good standing with the dealer. I'm not questioning anyone's integrity. I'm saying don't allow the opportunity to exist for that to even occur. You hire them. You pay them. That keeps them working in your interest. You can find a NRVIA inspector here.

3. Attend the inspection and follow the inspector around like a lost puppy. Ask questions like a 5 year old. You will learn a lot about how an RV works and that will be invaluable for you in the future.

4. Once you've identified a unit that you want, double check all of its weighted ratings, and compare them to your truck. Remember, you're going to load the unit with a bunch of your stuff and your mother's stuff, food, water, provisions, toys. Add it all up and compare that to your truck's GCWR and make sure that fully loaded, you are under 80% of that rating. Remember that depending on length, 20-25% of a fifth wheel's weight will transfer to your truck at the kingpin, so subtract that weight from your truck's GWR, as well as approximate weight of yourself, your mother and the things you plan to keep in the truck. Failure to heed this "80%" rule as it is called may result in you being passed by a Vespa when climbing 3% grade. At worst, it may result in mechanical failure, an accident, or worse.

5. If you plan on Boondocking, you'll almost certainly want a generator.

6. Consider what provisions, comforts and considerations your mother will need so that this is an enjoyable experience for her as well.