Which brand of 5th wheel to purchase?

NWCatOwner · 02-25-2015, 10:39 PM

We're looking around, trying to figure out what we want (and can afford). We've never RV'd before. We know we need to get a new truck, which is another whole area to investigate. First I want to find a 5th wheel that I like and then we'll figure out a truck to pull it.

Anyway, last weekend I looked at some rigs and really liked the Cougar 301SABWE. I've since looked at the Keystone site and they make a whole bunch of different brands of 5th wheels. Holy Cow! But the site isn't the easiest to figure out what is what (plus the floor plans are so small it's hard to know if I even want to look at it in the first place).

My main question is (and I know I'll have others later - HA!):

Will it matter which brand we purchase? Are there any differences between them, other than floor plans (I'm assuming). Any difference in quality? In options? From the Cougar brochure it has lots of nifty features - will another brand have the same features?

And, why have so many different brands in the first place? Other than to boggle the mind of someone that is very new to this and quite clueless (but learning!).

This Saturday we're going to a few dealers that carry Keystone, so I can look at more of 'em than what I saw last weekend. But any info from you folks will be quite helpful.

Thanks!

chris199 · 02-26-2015, 03:44 AM

The Keystone site breaks the units down by brand. Each brand has increasingly more/"better" features. Most important is to find a floorplan you like.
We went from a 19' Passport to a 29' Cougar TT and will be picking up a new Montana 3790RD in a month or so. We have upgraded the truck a cpl times. We would have been better off going larger...earlier.

I recommend you find a winter RV show. Great way to see many brands, models, and floor plans all in a few hours.

NotyetMHCowner · 02-26-2015, 08:09 AM

I don't know your financial situation, but we could not afford to make a mistake. I would highly suggest, if you have never RV'd before, to buy used. Let the original owners take the depreciation hit. You may realize you don't like RVing (highly unlikely, haha), then you are stuck, without buying your way out of it. Also, some would say, it takes about the third one to know what you like. We started with an old used popup, then to a newer but still used TT, then decided a fifth wheel was what we wanted and ordered a new one. Just my 2 cents.

NWCatOwner · 02-26-2015, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NotyetMHCowner

I don't know your financial situation, but we could not afford to make a mistake. I would highly suggest, if you have never RV'd before, to buy used. Let the original owners take the depreciation hit. You may realize you don't like RVing (highly unlikely, haha), then you are stuck, without buying your way out of it. Also, some would say, it takes about the third one to know what you like. We started with an old used popup, then to a newer but still used TT, then decided a fifth wheel was what we wanted and ordered a new one. Just my 2 cents.

In April I'm renting a Jayco Redhawk for a month, which will give me a good feel of what it's like to RV and all that. Heading from Seattle to Sacramento along 5 and then back up along the coast highways.

And yes, we'll probably go used, but right now I'm looking at new just to see the floor plans, features and options that I like (hubby is very smart - if I like it, he'll like it). Then, when we're ready to purchase, I'll start looking around for a used one that fits my needs.

NotyetMHCowner · 02-26-2015, 09:02 AM

That would be good. That way you find what you like and more importantly, what you don't like. I agree with the comment of going big to start with on the truck. They really don't cost much more to buy up front as opposed to trading in later to upgrade. A good 3/4 ton diesel is WAY more truck than any 1/2 ton (my opinion of course).

bsmith0404 · 02-27-2015, 01:52 AM

With many of the larger companies like keystone, brands are basically like a trim level in a car, basically it's like going from cloth to leather interior. A few companies, such as Jayco, have different trim levels within the same brand. As already mentioned, look at as many as you can. We are on our 3rd 5th wheel and finally have everything we want (at least we think we do). For us it's the little things that we have learned to love or hate about some. For example, we have had enough grief with the little plastic clips on closet doors to know that we won't own another RV that has them. We know counter space is a premium so a flush stove cover is a must (we cook outside on camp chef so the stove cover never comes off). And after experiencing the comfort of a fireplace, we know any RV we buy will have one. This was a luxury we weren't even interested in when we bought our current unit, but we love it so it's now on the must have list. And finally storage, storage, storage. If it doesn't have enough for all the stuff we have decided we "need" over the years, we aren't buying. Again, look at as many as you can, take your time, look at the little things, and think about where you will put things like a coffee pot. It won't take long and you will start to understand the difference in brands and where your price range needs to be to be happy/content with the unit you buy.

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