Not a Newbie, but been to long and need advice

[thegabrielles]

Hi ALL!!! We have been away from the RV world for far too long and are starting our research to get back into it. We have changed from CLass C, Class A, to the Fifth wheel and now a Fifth Wheel Toy Hauler. We believe this will meet all our wants and needs and we move into retirement and traveling the US in it. We will be living in it for months at a time (two adults only).

OK, so currently I don't even have a truck, so we will be buying the whole setup... preferably not brand new but less than 3 years old.
I am looking at an F350 Diesel to pull with and if I am seeing the numbers correct that should pull about any fifth wheel. But I am not stuck on any truck yet. BTW, I am a firefighter and have been driving about everything my whole life, I am not worried about my capabilities as long as the setup is safe. I will be adding cameras to assist, though.

We went to the Atlanta RV show today to get some hands-on and we fell in love with a Heartland Cyclone 4115. I got home, did my research and that thing is 45'-6" long and it weighs in at about 16k lbs dry.

So here come the questions.
1. How long is too long? I looked around at RV sites and found some that won't accommodate over 40' and others that cant handle over 36'. I don't want to limit where we can go or stay too much.

2. There seems to be a price gap on these... a bunch around $40K and then it jumps to $120k. I understand quality etc, but is the range really that high? I see the $115K 'on sale" for $80k brand new so is the markup really that much on the higher quality ones?

3. Any suggestions/ recommendations, if you take a look at the layout of the Cyclone you will see kinda what I am looking for. I am looking at sending about $120K for truck and camper, which seems quite reasonable, would love to spend less but willing to spend more for the right combo.

I appreciate any advice you can provide or any suggestions for a great set-up. We will be keeping this for a long time and have plenty of time to find the right combo.

[tinner12002]

thegabrielles wrote:
2btowed, thanks for the advice. I checked into the wide track steering and there is a kit to add it but everything I looked at from dealerships made no mention of that as an option. I am hoping for a SRW.

The access is definitely a must. I had been told that by several people and it looks like bathroom bedroom are easy enough to find with access but the fridge requires a slide out to access on a lot of 5'ers.

I am more than capable of driving any vehicle, I just choose not to make it more difficult with the bigger DRW and longer trainer. Hopefully, I can find what I am looking for with the shorter length/ weight and be able to safely tow with a SRW setup.

With whatever you purchase, be aware of your pin weight compared to your GVWR and payload of the truck your purchasing.

[thegabrielles]

2btowed, thanks for the advice. I checked into the wide track steering and there is a kit to add it but everything I looked at from dealerships made no mention of that as an option. I am hoping for a SRW.

The access is definitely a must. I had been told that by several people and it looks like bathroom bedroom are easy enough to find with access but the fridge requires a slide out to access on a lot of 5'ers.

I am more than capable of driving any vehicle, I just choose not to make it more difficult with the bigger DRW and longer trainer. Hopefully, I can find what I am looking for with the shorter length/ weight and be able to safely tow with a SRW setup.

[2btowed]

If you go to a dually Ford,get one with the wide-track steering,your turning and backing will be easy.Had 2 different SRW and went to dually,what a difference in wind,pulling out of mud,sand, bigger brakes.My rig is 38ft9in and get bumbed out of some CG.The main thing is can you back it in..Thus the wide track steering.I mostly dry camp,so ..check all the levelers and make sure high enough,restroom availabile w/o opening slide a must,also can you open frig w/o slide out.Spend the money and get an inverter/charger and your life will be much easier.also a min of 4 batts.Get a great mattress!!! I love my triple axle,it goes over the washboards way better than a 2 axle.Had both..,Many great places to camp w/o the campground all over the West,AZ,Utah ETC.Remember its the journey,not the destination that you should enjoy....1 more year and I'm out there also...

[JAC1982]

And commenting on the dually front, it's fine out where we live as many parking lots are designed for trucks since that's what a lot of people out here drive. I've also driven it to work and I just park in the way back. But it is a pain to take it anywhere more crowded. We just don't do it.. we either take my Explorer or our commuter Ford Fusion.

[JAC1982]

Basically you want your slide on the opposite side of the "hallway" to the bathroom/bedroom. In our case, our hallway and the slide are both on the back (driver's) side of the trailer. In our neighbor's Fuzion, their "hallway" is on the front (passenger side) and the slide is on the back. Their living slide is on the front, so they also have better access to their kitchen than we do. In ours, which has the living slide on the back, if you have it in, you have to scoot over on the couch to get around the counter peninsula to get to the fridge, or you can go in via the garage but we usually keep the sliding door there locked while in transit. We just keep a cooler in the truck for drinks and snacks though so it's never a big deal. But again, we only vacation with it so your needs may be different for living in it.

My own personal pet peeve is slides that open up on the front. But a lot of 5th wheels have them, and some of the big ones with 3 slides really feel spacious inside because they have slides on both front and back. I just don't like them sticking out in front when we set up our nice "Patio" area with the awning, chairs, outdoor rug etc. We spend a lot of time sitting outside while camping, so it really just depends on what your needs/wants are in terms of what you'll be doing with it.

Can't help you on the 2 vs 3 axle. Ours is 2 and my husband was pretty adamant about only having a double axle, not sure why other than that's what his dad told him.... something to do with the middle tire wearing out faster than the outers or something.

[thegabrielles]

Thanks, Jac! This access to the bedroom bathroom is something I had not even thought about. Is there anywhere I can look to see what can be accessed closed up? Or, if I stop at a rest area or somewhere is it easy to let a slide out to access stuff like the refrigerator? Definitely, want access to the bathroom. One of the reasons we were initially looking at class A was to have all that stuff available while traveling.

Also, the 2 and 3 axle trailers should turn the same (except the extra length, correct? Or is there something I am missing?

[JAC1982]

Our neighbors have a really nice Fuzion 371 that is just under 38' and is pretty nice on the inside. Kitchen is spacious with a good size fridge and lots of cabinets, has a fireplace, extra half bath, etc. It also gives bedroom/bathroom access with the bedroom slide in, which would be nice if you're on longer road trips and want to make a pit stop in the camper.

I like our Impact 351 but I think living in it for a month at a time would get a bit tedious, only because the kitchen is on the small side. We sacrificed kitchen space for garage space... we're at 38'1" with a 12'6" garage. We also lose our bedroom/bathroom access with the bedroom slide in.
Fine for us since we just vacation with it, but again, may be annoying if you're on a long trip with it.

We've ran into a few size limitations, especially when it comes to getting a prime spot, say, by the water, but so far we've always found a place to park...it's just not always the most picturesque spot in the campground. Just plan ahead.

[BStiers]

I have a 40' triple axle Fuzion 360 that I tow with a GMC Dually. When not towing the Dually is my daily driver. I have no issues using the truck as my daily driver I just park farther away and get my walking in.

However with my set up I have some campgrounds we do not fit into because the turning radius for backing is so short. Of course pull thru sites are not usually an issue it is the back in sights. We have discussed going smaller for the reduced weight and increased maneuverability.

They keep making bigger and heavier campers but the campgrounds are not getting bigger.

Just my 2 cents.

[slapshot12]

We looked at every 5er toy hauler we could and decided on the Momentum 349M. I'm towing with a 350 SRW and it's done great so far. I'm at 14k empty, around 15.5k loaded with a 3000 pin weight and I'm just below my CCC rating and well within the GCVW. I didn't want a DRW either, even though my truck isn't a daily driver. I agree with old biscuit, up to 16.5k I'm comfortable with a SRW, anything about that and I'd go to a DRW. Just check the CCC and GCVW ratings for the truck, that is where you can run into issues.

We went with a 39' since many state parks in FL are not big rig friendly and I've found several that we can't get into. This also is about as big as I can store at home.

In the Momentum lineup, you may look at the 328M, 349M, and 351M. Those are the 2 axle with garages ranging from 10' to 13'.

Our short list was the Momentum, Fusion, and Voltage.

[thegabrielles]

Thanks again... I really do not want to go DRW so I will look at the smaller/ lighter RV. There is another RV show the end of this month so we will go back and re-look at everything in person and actually have a better plan of attack once we are there.

Definitely keep the advice coming and suggestions for great mid 30' TH!

[1Adam12]

I'd consider getting the largest model that fits your needs and still has two axles. We are currently 38' and have used this coach all over from state parks to RV parks. The triple axle units will fit on the right site as well, the issue is the turns required and backing to get in there.

You get squeezed at the entrance to most state parks (in Fl) and usually are navigating around trees right on the edge of the road making it physically impossible to back into some sites.

I'm using a long bed now and just came out of a mega-cab. I'm noticing the extra two feet or so on tight turns.

[DutchmenSport]

My favorite "original" quote:

“You really need to think in terms of what is the ultimate extreme usage you'll be experiencing with your truck, not what is the lightest usage and hope it's OK when the extreme happens."

Get the diesel dully for the size of trailer you are considering. You'll have no problems adjusting to a dully.

[Old-Biscuit]

1 ton SRW......up to 16K total weight
1 ton DRW......16K and up to 27K total weight

[thegabrielles]

Thanks again!! We have looked at our needs and about 95% it will just be me and the wife. We will be on the road for a month at a time or more so we will be “living” in it and part of the reason we are looking at a big camper. We will definitely take the advice on size and we are now looking at Keystone 39’ as one we will go look at in more detail. We made the smart move and did a bunch of internet searching and talking, then went to the RV show to get hands on with all the rigs. Lots of choices and lots of options. Our “must haves” changed today with the hands on compare to the last time we went to a show.
We do appreciate the help!