Fifth Wheel Progression

[JoeVMorton]

Wow, that really looks nice Duthcmensport!

I just pull through going forward. I go down to the far edge of the driveway before making my turn. It's not really even tight with our current rig. We have a circle up by the house that I go around before backing into our spot. Even with the current rig, I do run into the yard a bit doing that.

There isn't any traffic to speak of on the road, it's a dead end in a small farming community. Worst case would be a few of my neighbors blocking the road catching up on things.

Your drive does look a bit wider than mine, but I think that our "wings" are similar. I guess the drive in the video is quite a bit narrower.
Thanks,
Joe

[JoeVMorton]

I suspect that I know the answer, but what are folks thoughts on the BAL Accu-Slide when looking to purchase.

Our 23MLE has one already and it seems to work pretty well. I haven't adjusted it yet, but the videos don't look too bad.

Here is the reason that I ask:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8pzSu7nLJY

Thanks,
Joe

[gearhead]

We reached maximum mass with our previous Landmark.
Just traded it for an Arcadia 288SLBH. Eight feet shorter and 8000# lighter.
I had unloaded the Landmark into my garage, mostly using garbage bags. I’m down to 5 bags left. We must have had 800 paper plates. I did find the remote for the DISH satellite!
I really just got tired of the weight and length. Realizing how bad an accident could be if and when it happened. Tired of maneuvering the length every time I had to make a food and fuel stop.
The pin weight went from 4000+ to maybe 1800. I can feel it.
But more importantly we now have bunk beds for the grand kids.
Betty might have to downsize her 28 pair of shoes though.

[sourdough]

I'm hoping you like downsizing. IMO there is a point when big is TOO big. We're at that point in my thinking. We used to take a trailer into all kinds of stuff and have fun....but we were younger and daily, physical tasks meant nothing - not the same anymore. The smaller trailers opened up a lot of opportunities and....would fit between a lot of pine/juniper trees - but we don't do that any longer.

Like I think you're finding as the trailer grows the "stuff" grows. The trailer is now like our house - we have so much stuff in it I have no idea what we have or where it is. In that case, and I can't find "it", I just buy another. In the smaller trailers you knew everything, where it was etc. - we carried only one of any "xyz". Downsizing....not a bad thing. Hope you guys have a lot of fun and a lot less stress.

[JoeVMorton]

Originally Posted by gearhead

We reached maximum mass with our previous Landmark.
Just traded it for an Arcadia 288SLBH. Eight feet shorter and 8000# lighter.
I had unloaded the Landmark into my garage, mostly using garbage bags. I’m down to 5 bags left. We must have had 800 paper plates. I did find the remote for the DISH satellite!
I really just got tired of the weight and length. Realizing how bad an accident could be if and when it happened. Tired of maneuvering the length every time I had to make a food and fuel stop.
The pin weight went from 4000+ to maybe 1800. I can feel it.
But more importantly we now have bunk beds for the grand kids.
Betty might have to downsize her 28 pair of shoes though.

Congrats, that looks like a great rig!

I am finding it super nice to have time to think over the options with great feedback like yours. When we bought our first RV I felt like we needed to make a decision and start experiencing things or we would never learn.

We are coming to the conclusion that something like your decision is where we are going to end up. Just add enough room for a few of the grand children but don't overdo it.

It would seem that it's very rare for folks to have less than 2 or 3 RVs in their lifetime, so we probably won't get it 100% right this time either.
Joe

[jasin1]

Originally Posted by JoeVMorton

Hi All,
Now that we have a little over 6 months in our 23MLE (really like it) we are starting to think about what might be down the road (who knows when).

One thing that we noticed when traveling with our grand children is that we need a bit more space.

So, what path have others followed in terms of moving up (or down) in length?

We kind of like the idea of a toy hauler for the versatility, but the minimum size seems to be about 39-40ft.

We have also seen some BH models in the 34-35ft range, but many are longer than that.

Our 23MLE is about 29ft and is a dream to tow. Would love to hear from folks that went too big, small, or in some kind of progression to learn as much as we can while we are enjoying our current rig.
Thanks,
Joe

Originally Posted by JRTJH

One thing I've learned from others is to always consider "WHERE" you like to park the rig. Many that I've talked to as we travel is that when they upgraded to a larger trailer, they didn't realize how limited places to park really eliminated many of their "preferred camping spots"... Most of the "older parks" are set up for trailers shorter than around 35'. In state and federal campgrounds, the ability to rebuild is limited to allotted funds and that means upgrading site lengths may be 10 years out in the planning stages before they can meet "current demand". Private campgrounds can rebuild sites faster, but that means increased costs which are passed to the consumer.

All that to say, "Don't forget to look around as you travel in your current 28' fifth wheel and compare your favorite places to park. Can the places you really want to go accommodate a 40' trailer?

It's not always about "the trailer features" but sometimes comes down to where can we park it? If you exclude all your preferred campgrounds because they don't have long enough sites, you're going to not only have to get used to a new, bigger trailer, but also get used to new places to camp.

I ended up with a 35’ fifth wheel because my wife’s cousin purchased a GD toy hauler just at 35’…they said so they could get into state parks… It just stuck with me when i was looking for my own fifth wheel…we stay at quite a few state parks and 35 just barely fits sometimes….i booked a state park in St Augustine that i could only get into if i drove into the weeds on the other side of the road and noticed as the park filled that everyone was parking right on the edge of the road in front of the sites…the space across was empty but i would have been trapped if and when it occupied so we didn’t stay…barley navigated the tight road as it was…

If you get bored just spend an hour or so trying to book sites at campgrounds and state parks where you.l ike to travel…. first enter your current rv length and see what’s available…then change the length of your rv to what you may like to get in future and see if it limits the sites available

[JoeVMorton]

Originally Posted by jasin1

I ended up with a 35’ fifth wheel because my wife’s cousin purchased a GD toy hauler just at 35’…they said so they could get into state parks… It just stuck with me when i was looking for my own fifth wheel…we stay at quite a few state parks and 35 just barely fits sometimes….i booked a state park in St Augustine that i could only get into if i drove into the weeds on the other side of the road and noticed as the park filled that everyone was parking right on the edge of the road in front of the sites…the space across was empty but i would have been trapped if and when it occupied so we didn’t stay…barley navigated the tight road as it was…

If you get bored just spend an hour or so trying to book sites at campgrounds and state parks where you.l ike to travel…. first enter your current rv length and see what’s available…then change the length of your rv to what you may like to get in future and see if it limits the sites available

Sub-36 has been a thought going through our mind as well Jasin1. Some of our favorite trips so far have been to state parks and I don't want to change that. I also don't want it to become un-enjoyable because it's such a pain to get setup in tight quarters. I have seen some large toy haulers in a few of them, just not sure I have the skills and/or desire to get that done.

One of the things we need to sort through is the best floor plan for us at that size. Something open like the 315RLS would be optimal most times, something like a BH or short TH might be best when we have the grand kids. I think our dog would really like the patio of the TH.

Hopefully we can spend some time in each and sort through that over time.
Thanks,
Joe

[Blueswede]

Our first trailer as a couple was a 32' Hideout. We used that for 7 years until we realized that it was too small and really not built that well. We moved up to a new Cougar 368MBI in 2021 and have had no regrets since. Plenty of room and we love the floor plan. We're currently up in idyllwild with 2 of my wife's daughters and 2 grandkids. Everyone has their own sleeping space. I don't think that you'll have any regrets moving up. We certainly don't...

[jasin1]

Originally Posted by JoeVMorton

Sub-36 has been a thought going through our mind as well Jasin1. Some of our favorite trips so far have been to state parks and I don't want to change that. I also don't want it to become un-enjoyable because it's such a pain to get setup in tight quarters. I have seen some large toy haulers in a few of them, just not sure I have the skills and/or desire to get that done.

One of the things we need to sort through is the best floor plan for us at that size. Something open like the 315RLS would be optimal most times, something like a BH or short TH might be best when we have the grand kids. I think our dog would really like the patio of the TH.

Hopefully we can spend some time in each and sort through that over time.
Thanks,
Joe

The 315 rls is perfect for a couple and feels really spacious….The living room sofa or an air mattress works perfectly fine for the small percentage of times other people camp with us.

[Miloski]

How long will the grandkids be camping with you? 12-13 yrs ours stopped going as much.
Do you go to State Parks? Your trailer now will fit most and 40ft very few.
Older grandkids can sleep in a tent if need be. Most of the time it will be just you and your wife.
Your age and how long you think you will want to haul a 40 footer.
Cost of new unit or new unit and rig?
Value lost in present unit?
Lots to carefully consider.

Originally Posted by JoeVMorton

Hi All,
Now that we have a little over 6 months in our 23MLE (really like it) we are starting to think about what might be down the road (who knows when).

One thing that we noticed when traveling with our grand children is that we need a bit more space.

So, what path have others followed in terms of moving up (or down) in length?

We kind of like the idea of a toy hauler for the versatility, but the minimum size seems to be about 39-40ft.

We have also seen some BH models in the 34-35ft range, but many arelonger than that.

Our 23MLE is about 29ft and is a dream to tow. Would love to hear from folks that went too big, small, or in some kind of progression to learn as much as we can while we are enjoying our current rig.
Thanks,
Joe

[JoeVMorton]

Originally Posted by Blueswede

Our first trailer as a couple was a 32' Hideout. We used that for 7 years until we realized that it was too small and really not built that well. We moved up to a new Cougar 368MBI in 2021 and have had no regrets since. Plenty of room and we love the floor plan. We're currently up in idyllwild with 2 of my wife's daughters and 2 grandkids. Everyone has their own sleeping space. I don't think that you'll have any regrets moving up. We certainly don't...

Thanks Blueswede, I really like that floorpan and the look of a full Cougar. I feel that the mid-room might be a little more versatile than a bunk room for us. I will add it to the list to look at.
Joe

[JoeVMorton]

Originally Posted by Miloski

How long will the grandkids be camping with you? 12-13 yrs ours stopped going as much.
Do you go to State Parks? Your trailer now will fit most and 40ft very few.
Older grandkids can sleep in a tent if need be. Most of the time it will be just you and your wife.
Your age and how long you think you will want to haul a 40 footer.
Cost of new unit or new unit and rig?
Value lost in present unit?
Lots to carefully consider.

Agreed Miloski, It would be easier to be impulsive! We have found that we really like state parks the most - something about being in the thick of the forest. I think that we will always have family that would like to tag along, but it will mostly be just us. Thanks for the questions.
Joe

[CedarCreekWoody]

Originally Posted by sourdough

I'm hoping you like downsizing. IMO there is a point when big is TOO big. We're at that point in my thinking. We used to take a trailer into all kinds of stuff and have fun....but we were younger and daily, physical tasks meant nothing - not the same anymore. The smaller trailers opened up a lot of opportunities and....would fit between a lot of pine/juniper trees - but we don't do that any longer.

Like I think you're finding as the trailer grows the "stuff" grows. The trailer is now like our house - we have so much stuff in it I have no idea what we have or where it is. In that case, and I can't find "it", I just buy another. In the smaller trailers you knew everything, where it was etc. - we carried only one of any "xyz". Downsizing....not a bad thing. Hope you guys have a lot of fun and a lot less stress.

Danny we went through the same exercise and downsized to a 27 footer. Had to go to Grand Design to get the features we wanted.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by CedarCreekWoody

Danny we went through the same exercise and downsized to a 27 footer. Had to go to Grand Design to get the features we wanted.

GD makes good trailers and hope it's working out like you hoped. To me they're "Keystone Cousins" as the founders came from Keystone.

There is a place for big and small in RVs. We were pretty happy with smaller units until we started spending months at a time away. Then you want a clothes washer/dryer, more room etc. etc. We're pretty basic, no frills folks so we may downsize as well one of these days...at least I would know what I had and where.

[jxnbbl]

For us, we never had a trailer until 2020 and got a Bullet 273BHS. It was great and we pulled it 20k miles, saw a lot and got hooked into this. We owned it a couple of weeks shy of 1 year, traded it in and got a Bullet 330BH because we wanted the grandchildren to have their own room/bathroom. The "in the living space" sleeping of the bunks wasn't good. The other item is that we may have bought a 5th wheel at the time but there was only 1 Grand Design that I believe my 2500 would be fine with that had "most" of the functionality that we needed. I needed a 3500 to get something we really would be perfect with.


We will purchase a new trailer (probably within a year) that must have a 2 sleeping areas, a bath and a 1/2 and give us the same living space as our current trailer. I look forward to shrinking the overall length of the rig. Although we have not had any real problems parking (sometimes with great car/patience) we want the maneuverability as we would like to do a 'around the US trip which would expose us to a many more situations. In writing this there has only been one time where we had to change sites upon arrival since it really was nearly impossible to fit in the site allotted. It was at Disney Fort Wilderness and the moons would have to align as it required that the site across the way was unoccupied as well as the one adjacent.



So to us, the bunk house, 1- 1/2 baths and about a total trailer length of 35 ft would suffice. When we are alone it is surely plenty and when we have our 3 grandchildren it is fine.

[gearhead]

We’ve gone from a Cougar 28SGS to Montana HC 305, to the Landmark to the Keystone Arcadia. No W/D connections, no dark wood cabinets, minimum foo-foo around the windows and no carpet. It’s cardboard and glue but how much longer will I be doing this.
I finally finished reloading today. There was more paper plates than I first thought. I put a 30# bag of them under the bed. I found a place for about everything else. Betty has been confined to her recliner with her bad knees. I told her our first trip we can rearrange everything. We’ll find a place for her her 28 pairs of shoes.

[JoeVMorton]

Originally Posted by jxnbbl

For us, we never had a trailer until 2020 and got a Bullet 273BHS. It was great and we pulled it 20k miles, saw a lot and got hooked into this. We owned it a couple of weeks shy of 1 year, traded it in and got a Bullet 330BH because we wanted the grandchildren to have their own room/bathroom. The "in the living space" sleeping of the bunks wasn't good. The other item is that we may have bought a 5th wheel at the time but there was only 1 Grand Design that I believe my 2500 would be fine with that had "most" of the functionality that we needed. I needed a 3500 to get something we really would be perfect with.


We will purchase a new trailer (probably within a year) that must have a 2 sleeping areas, a bath and a 1/2 and give us the same living space as our current trailer. I look forward to shrinking the overall length of the rig. Although we have not had any real problems parking (sometimes with great car/patience) we want the maneuverability as we would like to do a 'around the US trip which would expose us to a many more situations. In writing this there has only been one time where we had to change sites upon arrival since it really was nearly impossible to fit in the site allotted. It was at Disney Fort Wilderness and the moons would have to align as it required that the site across the way was unoccupied as well as the one adjacent.



So to us, the bunk house, 1- 1/2 baths and about a total trailer length of 35 ft would suffice. When we are alone it is surely plenty and when we have our 3 grandchildren it is fine.

Thanks, I think we are on a similar path. We may bypass the over 40' one. Looking forward to hearing where you end up.
Joe

[JoeVMorton]

Originally Posted by gearhead

We’ve gone from a Cougar 28SGS to Montana HC 305, to the Landmark to the Keystone Arcadia. No W/D connections, no dark wood cabinets, minimum foo-foo around the windows and no carpet. It’s cardboard and glue but how much longer will I be doing this.
I finally finished reloading today. There was more paper plates than I first thought. I put a 30# bag of them under the bed. I found a place for about everything else. Betty has been confined to her recliner with her bad knees. I told her our first trip we can rearrange everything. We’ll find a place for her her 28 pairs of shoes.

I am a fan of simple as well. How long has been a thought on my mind as well. Since we started late in life, I have to condense my learning a bit.
Joe

[gearhead]

Yeah, I’ll be 74 in October. I might have 5 more years of travelling, or 10, or 2.
Our son could inherit the fifth, he will have a barn soon. The daughter and SIL probably not. Yuppies.