Best 5th Wheel for Fulltiming Family?

[olkisaka]

My husband will start travel nursing this fall, and we plan to take the housing money and stay in an RV instead of renting an apartment. We have been looking at travel trailers and fifth wheels and have pretty much decided we need a fifth wheel because we need the extra storage space. We like the Avalanche layout, but there are lots of others we have liked also.

We would love advice from others who have spent an extended amount of time living in an RV -- which model do you think would be best in our situation? Which models would hold up for the two years we plan to travel without falling apart?

Here are some details:

***We will stay in each job location for 3 months, and then travel to the next assignment, so we not actually be towing all that often.

***We have two girls ages 9 and 11 who will be traveling with us, and they need space for belongings, as well as a reasonably sized bunk (twin size is fine, just not one of those super narrow bunks we have seen in some RVs).

***We will be homeschooling, and so adequate storage and table space is kind of important so we have room to keep supplies and work.

***We would like an outside kitchen

***We do not care whether there is an extra bathroom

***If at all possible, we would like space for a washer/dryer, but that is not a deal breaker for us.

***Our max price limit is around $45,000, and we would love to spend less. (We know this rules out a lot of models that are recommended for full-timing, but we have to deal with what we have.)

Thanks so much for any advice. We have heard so much about conflicting info from dealers and websites, and look forward to hearing from someone who has actual experience living in an RV.

[KanTC]

Welcome olkisaka,

It sounds as though your doing your homework and asking the right questions.

What tow vehicle do you have?... that's also a big factor as to which 5th wheel you can choose. ;)

Many of the larger 5th wheels (typically used for "full-timing") have a hefty pin weight once loaded, and even
more-so if the washer/dryer is in the front closet/wardrobe.

Terri, the Chevy co-pilot :)

[olkisaka]

We have not purchased the tow vehicle yet. We are waiting until we decide on a RV.

[Slim]

http://www.rivercityrvsales.com/mobile/mdetails.aspx?VID=194564118

This one looks to meet a lot of your needs

[bsmith0404]

Although new 5ers in your price range are not necessarily designed for full timing, they will hold up if you care for them. You could also look used at some of the high end trailers. Best advice, go to every RV dealer within reasonable distance, walk into every model you possibly can, take notes, and then go back and re-look at the ones you liked the most. Look at all of the little things, closet door latches, type of bathroom door (slider or hinged), where are you going to put the toaster, etc. Think about your life style and the things you typically do, do you have space for the necessities? For us, our kids drink milk like it's water, being able to put at least 2 gallons in the fridge was critical. A bathroom separate from the bedroom was also important so I wasn't getting woke up in the middle of the night when one of the kids went to the bathroom. You will be spending a lot of time in your RV, spend a lot of time in it when shopping, let the kids roam. In the end, get as much RV as you can afford that offers the best situation for you. Although, a bunkhouse so the kids have their own space sounds like a good model for your situation, they also take away from living space which is also important for full timing.

[Herap]

Welcome to the forum and your future life style. Just a suggestion, but you may want to check out a used toy hauler also. Using the back end for the kids room and or learning center may be of value.

Ray

[Bombfixer]

I second the idea of a used toy hauler. The garage area is great for extra storage. It has the drop bunks for sleeping, and the bottom bunk can be turned into a desk/table/work area. They have washer/dryer hook ups. Some even have a 1/2 bath back there.

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[BirchyBoy]

Wow, this sounds like quite the adventure! I don't have anything to add other than wishing you and your family the best of luck!

[2014Fuzion300]

I second the idea of a used toy hauler. The garage area is great for extra storage. It has the drop bunks for sleeping, and the bottom bunk can be turned into a desk/table/work area. They have washer/dryer hook ups. Some even have a 1/2 bath back there.

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X2
Bouncey!

[canesfan]

I first thought a toyhauler too, but here's two things to consider, at least.

1. The way the beds work in the garage you would have to undress the bottom bed everyday, run the beds all the way up, pin the top bed in place, then run the bottom bed back down to make it into seats. At night you'd have to do the opposite. Unless you don't mind ducking under the top bed in its lowered position in order to get in and out of the bench seats. I want to say the top bed is ~4.5 - 5' off the floor in ours while lowered, and that's at its top most position.

2. You said you'd like an outside kitchen, I haven't seen a toyhauler with an outside kitchen yet. I was wanting one too.

Good luck in your adventures!

[Bombfixer]

An outside camp kitchen is an option on many of the Raptor line of Toyhaulers.

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[denverpilot]

A co-worker loves her toy-hauler and they don't have any toys. But they do have a teenager. Ha. Teenager with garage area to himself and a door to close makes for good camping, she says! ;)

[theeyres]

At the risk of sounding like a heretic on this great site, I would also suggest you post your question on the Escapees site: http://www.rvnetwork.com/
The site is mostly fulltimers or former fulltimers and they have a lot of great info about fulltiming.