RV Life Style

[wufan]

Thanks for the info. We will see if we get a call back I will check out some OK dealers and see if that works.

[Bluzrover]

I’m admittedly late to the thread but will offer this, which reflects many other comments here. We decided to buy an RV when my mother-in-law, who lived with us, passed away. She would babysit our dogs whenever my wife and I wanted to travel and it was tough finding pet friendly hotels we were willing to stay in. We rented a 28ft Class C for a week and quickly realized it was too small. The wife found a used 39ft Fleetwood Discovery diesel pusher and we bought it and instantly fell in love. After four years, we upgraded to a 43ft tag axle with a full wall slide on one side and two slide outs on the other, bath-and-a-half and full sized house refrigerator. It’s a studio apartment on wheels.

it’s got all the amenities one would want, including a nice outside entertainment center and grill that makes cooking a snap. I pull a Jeep Wrangler behind it so we have wheels once we’re at the RV park. It’s not camping, it’s our vacation home on wheels and it’s been fantastic in that we don’t have to search for pet-friendly hotel rooms which always reek of dog pee and such.

Sounds like you’ve done your due diligence and that will serve you well. I don’t have experience with trailers or 5th wheels but agree with others regarding the depreciation of new rigs as soon as you pull them off the lot. We’ve been lucky in that we’ve found two great used coaches that were well cared for. Good luck and safe travels!

[wufan]

I figure I’ve got to get something. The only way to truly feel wealthy is to be able to afford a second home on wheels so you can live like your poor on weekends...but with cool ****!

[wichshock65]

I figure I’ve got to get something. The only way to truly feel wealthy is to be able to afford a second home on wheels so you can live like your poor on weekends...but with cool ****!

Lol. Why do you think we all eat hotdogs over a fire when camping? Whole pack costs a buck.

[wufan]

Ok. Why do you think we all eat hotdogs over a fire when camping? Whole pack costs a buck.

Exactly!

[RoyalShock]

Just from the research we've done, GrandDesign has the best reputation for customer service and standing behind their product, and many think they are built just a little better than the competition. Forest River (they have several brands) seem to be the worst. I haven't heard much either way about Jayco as a company, so they are probably at least decent.

We've been in several Grand Design Reflections, Jayco Eagles and Keystone Cougars. That's the order I would rate them in in terms of quality materials, with Keystone coming in a distant 3rd of those three.

You're in a good spot in Mac, with two Harper Camperlands and the Four Seasons (I think?) in Abilene. Gives you a lot of choices fairly close by.

[wufan]

Yep! May go back to the 21bhe I posted previously, or might wait for one of them to get the 2800 BH (28 footer). I’ve never pulled a trailer before, so a bit concerned about size.

[SHOCKvalue]

Sounds like some of you guys are shopping 3/4 and 1 ton campers, but with half tons. Limiting factory on the 1/2 tons isn’t towing capacity, but payload. The hitch or pin weight of a decent-sized trailer, plus gas, plus all your crap, plus you and your passengers, is way more than the payload capacity of a 1/2 ton. They generally run in the 1200-1700 lb range. The 1/2 ton I had prior was like 1250 lbs. The truck I saved up for over a couple of years, so that we can eventually buy the camper we want, is 3895 lbs on the door jam sticker. Don’t have the camper yet, but I’m doing the horse versus cart purchase in the right order I feel.

Buy a truck first that is actually meant for towing, then go trailer shopping. The 1/2 tons are fine for landscaping supplies, and utility trailers, and really small travel trailers, and so on and so forth, but really they’re very watered down trucks that happen to have high HP engines. A donkey on crank with an adrenaline shot in its ass can probably pull the same as a Clydesdale, but which one would you want for your trip down the Oregon Trail?

I’m not your Mom so you can do as you please, but at a minimum don’t listen to the RV sales guys about what your 1/2 ton can tow.

[wufan]

Sounds like some of you guys are shopping 3/4 and 1 ton campers, but with half tons. Limiting factory on the 1/2 tons isn’t towing capacity, but payload. The hitch or pin weight of a decent-sized trailer, plus gas, plus all your crap, plus you and your passengers, is way more than the payload capacity of a 1/2 ton. They generally run in the 1200-1700 lb range. The 1/2 ton I had prior was like 1250 lbs. The truck I saved up for over a couple of years, so that we can eventually buy the camper we want, is 3895 lbs on the door jam sticker. Don’t have the camper yet, but I’m doing the horse versus cart purchase in the right order I feel.

Buy a truck first that is actually meant for towing, then go trailer shopping. The 1/2 tons are fine for landscaping supplies, and utility trailers, and really small travel trailers, and so on and so forth, but really they’re very watered down trucks that happen to have high HP engines. A donkey on crank with an adrenaline shot in its ass can probably pull the same as a Clydesdale, but which one would you want for your trip down the Oregon Trail?

I’m not your Mom so you can do as you please, but at a minimum don’t listen to the RV sales guys about what your 1/2 ton can tow.

I think this is good advice. I’ve done the math. My Ram 1500 has just over 1700 lbs of payload capacity and can tow 8300 lbs.

My family of 4 plus dogs and gear comes in between 800 and 1000 pounds, so I’m looking for a hitch weight of less than 600 lbs and a fully loaded trailer under 7300 lbs. Ideally I will be at or about 500 and 5500.

If we enjoy the camper like we think we will, then in ~ 10 years we can sell the house and get a 2500 with a camper for two. Travel the country for a decade (my wife and I can easily get contracting jobs) working part time before retirement.

[SHOCKvalue]

I think this is good advice. I’ve done the math. My Ram 1500 has just over 1700 lbs of payload capacity and can tow 8300 lbs.

My family of 4 plus dogs and gear comes in between 800 and 1000 pounds, so I’m looking for a hitch weight of less than 600 lbs and a fully loaded trailer under 7300 lbs. Ideally I will be at or about 500 and 5500.

If we enjoy the camper like we think we will, then in ~ 10 years we can sell the house and get a 2500 with a camper for two. Travel the country for a decade (my wife and I can easily get contracting jobs) working part time before retirement.

Just buy a 350/3500. Same truck with different springs but far higher payload capacity. Only like another $1K.

The diesel 250/2500’s in particular have surprisingly low payload capacities, due to the extra 700 (or whatever) lbs in engine weight. They can be in the low 2K’s in payload, which is sort of shocking as a so-called heavy duty pickup.

[wufan]

When it comes time to upgrade I will do the math again. All things being equal, the lower the payload you need, the better.

[RoyalShock]

Just buy a 350/3500. Same truck with different springs but far higher payload capacity. Only like another $1K.

The diesel 250/2500’s in particular have surprisingly low payload capacities, due to the extra 700 (or whatever) lbs in engine weight. They can be in the low 2K’s in payload, which is sort of shocking as a so-called heavy duty pickup.

A diesel 2500 is pointless for pulling a 5th wheel do to the low payload. The engines are so much heavier, by several hundred lbs.. My 2500 gasser has 2600 lbs of payload, which will be enough for a "half-ton towable" 5th wheel, with a couple hundred lbs to spare when loaded.

[wufan]

Whelp, Mrs WuFan asked if the dealership had called back to accept my offer. No, no they have not. She wants me to call em back and get this done. It has been decided.

[wichshock65]

Whelp, Mrs WuFan asked if the dealership had called back to accept my offer. No, no they have not. She wants me to call em back and get this done. It has been decided.

And???

[wufan]

And???

Put down a deposit on a grand design imagine xls 21bhe. The one I linked above. It sleeps (uncomfortably) 7, is less than 25 foot hitch to bumper, under 5000 lbs, has a true queen bed, seating for six in the living area, power everything, four season set up, and an outdoor kitchen. All in all it should be a great weekend trailer for my family of 4 to cut our teeth.

Paid $1000 more than I wanted, but it had everything we wanted and we loved the floor plan and styling. Plus my wife likes me again.