We are Craig and Linda, currently looking for our fifth wheel.  Craig was able to retire this past August.  We put our 3100 sq. ft. house on the market in July and were blessed to close in December at a price within $1000 of what we hoped to gain.  Our RV dream has been fairly recent as we never allowed ourselves to think we could actually do this seemingly crazy thing!  Funny how it seems more 'normal' all the time!

Our plans were to do some travelling when we became 'empty nesters', but we are so pleased that we can take our two kids with us and begin the travelling much earlier!  We already home school our kids, so we'll just pack them up with the two dogs and hit the road.  Discovering this site while contemplating our options truly inspired us to actively pursue a wonderful adventure.  Special thanks to Howard for sharing the financial information so that we could venture forward with some peace of mind!

We determined early on that a fifth wheel is a good option for our circumstances.  In August, we traded our 2002 Suburban and 1999 F150 truck for a hefty Chevy (2005 Silverado crew cab diesel, 3500 dual wheel, long bed).  Due to the fuel prices at that time, the price was very reasonable and further encouraged us to continue with the plans.

We had just settled in for a long wait with the house sale when the offer came in just before Thanksgiving.  We still have a lot to do, as we don't have the truck outfitted with tool boxes, hitch, trailer brakes, etc.  Oh....and did we already mention that we haven't purchased the fifth wheel yet?  We really like the Forest River Cardinal bunkhouse model.

Fortunately, family has room for us to stay with them while we further research our options.  We've got a lot to learn, as we have some experience tent camping and only one weekend trip in a little rented 19' TT.  We are looking forward to benefitting from the discussions with those with so much more wisdom and experience.  The forums here have already been helpful and we will be adding our questions soon!  We're particularly interested in negotiating a good price and have already been perusing that thread.

Happy New Year to all - we are so pleased to meet you!

Welcome to the forum.

Hope you find that 5th wheel you're looking for. You should be able to get a good deal right now.

Jim

Congrats on the sale of your home. This will be a great adventure for you and your kids. It will also provide a real education for them as they explore the country. Happy Travels. Colleen

Hey Craig and Linda,

Good to see other potential fulltimmers,  doing it with kids in tow.  How old are your kids and how are your family members taking the news.  We are planning on doing the same June'2010 after our kids are finished with grade school.  Where are you guys from?  We live in Michigan and to have to sell our home.    Tom, Marci, Nick and Bryce

Welcome Craig and Linda!

You are wise to not rush and do your research to find what is going to best meet your needs. Have fun and enjoy the ride.

This is a good time to be looking for a 5th wheel. I just bought Sherri a new Carri-Lite Extreme 5 Emerald. We got such a deal on it I could not pass it up. There are many deals out there now due to the overstock inventory on most dealers lots. Good luck to you in your new life style...You'll love it!! Keep in touch with the forum so we will know how everything is progressing. Joe and Sherri

Wow - congratulations on selling the house and hope you find the right rig. Looking forward to hearing more about your adventures and homeschooling etc. Happy New Year! Randy and Pam

Thanks to all for the encouragement. We also enjoy viewing your blogs and you have inspired us as we plan to dive in to that arena as well. We've learned so much through the open sharing! Tom and Marci - our boys are 13 and 8 and we'll have our two dogs as well. We are looking forward to sharing so much with them. We're in Texas and have enjoyed home schooling our kids for 8 yrs. See you all in the other threads!

I think it's wonderful you have decided to pursue this lifestyle. I know your children can do nothing but benefit from it. The bunkhouses are great. I've seen a unit that technically has 3 bedrooms with the rear bunkhouse divided. That floorplan could give everyone a little privacy. I apologize that I can't remember the manufacturer. Good luck on your search and welcome.