Welcome Larry & Kim. you've come to the right place.  You are probably going to go FT a few years ahead of us so we will follow your exploits with interest.  We saw a Cedar Creek at the Chicago RV show last year and got generally good feeling about it for that price point. As we are at least 6 years or so from going FT I'm sure things will change a lot and we aren't commited to any model or floorplan yet. That is the fun of the research and the asking of questions of the more experienced folks on this forum.  You will gain valuable insight from them. 

Hello and welcome!

I too am new to the forum, and plan to FT sometime in 2016 when I retire. In the beginning, I was drawn to the size and layout of the fivers, but I have an aversion to towing anything that large and cumbersome even a few hundred miles at a time, nevermind cross country. The other negative for me was in owning and maintaining a large, dual wheel, low mpg pick-up truck in addition to a smaller primary transportation vehicle. These considerations now have me looking in the direction of a mid size (approx 34') Class A motorhome; preferably a diesel pusher. This would give me the option of towing a small toad or using the second vehicle as a scout. 

Depreciation is a main consideration, and although a comparably sized motor home would probably cost a little more, and depreciate a little faster than a fifth wheel, that expense would probably be offset by subtracting the cost, maintenance, and depreciation of the truck. Also, I feel that a MH is easier to drive and maneuver than a large fiver, but that's just me.

These are just a few of the many things I've been thinking about during the planning phase, and I'm equally sure that in time, this opinion will also evolve.