Spending that much money, I would not limit myself to local dealers. If you want a Heartland, Check out rvs 4 less in Knoxville Tennessee. They have a good website also.

That much money, I'd go across country to save.

If you can get to a big RV show, I would highly recommend it. Hershey PA in the fall is great; not sure of your FT date. We walked around for two days sitting in various RV's, checking out quality, comparing and contrasting. We ultimately ended up buying used and purchased it in Texas (we're from PA) so we were willing to travel for the right "deal." Once you firmly decide on what brand and model you want, I would shop it with various dealerships. A friend of ours decided on their fifth wheel and spoke to the manufacturer's HQ to find out who their top dealerships were. They were from Texas and purchased in Indiana (I think!!).

ppl motorhomes has lots of 5thers, motorhomes, tt in stock. On their website you can look at their inventory. They are all used and consignment units. Not recommending used but a great site to compare units. You can also see how they look after a few years use. It will help you with your decision.

We are nowhere near ready to buy, but you're getting good advice.  Do a few RV shows, Hershey PA seems highly recommended, (we have a tenatative plan to attend it sometime over the next 2-3 years) figure out what works for you, then look around. If the best deal is 1000 miles further away after figuring cost to get there and an inspection if not new, then by all means make the trip (remember, the distance is relative and proportional to your savings and effort to obtain it.).  Money is money... now, if you'll only save a few dollars, well your time is also worth something.  In DebbieM's case... 18k savings may well have been worth it. They are surely satisfied, so it was certainly worth it to them, and that is what matters. We hope we find that kind of "deal" when our time comes.

FWIW, Brian

-- Edited by biggaRView on Monday 16th of March 2015 04:34:45 AM

Our situation is close to the same as you. We are in the market for a 40+ foot Class A and thought we had our decision made. We don't have many dealers here that can provide many models for us to compare, so we have travelled to see some different models that we were interested in. Well, this past weekend we drove 5 hours to the Phoenix Rally, and we are sooooo glad that we did! All of the manufacturers were there and we were able to walk through, compare and even drive several models and makes. We spent the entire weekend there! But, the most beneficial part was talking to some full-timers there who have been FTing for over 20 years. They gave us some great information and now we are looking for a 45 foot Entegra Anthem. We aren't ready to buy yet, but we will before the end of summer. So my advice would be to do as much research as possible, don't limit yourself to one or two makes/models and talk to as many people as you can. We've come to the realization that salespeople will only tell you what you want to hear to get a sale. We've talked to owners, techs and mechanics, and even though we're newbies at this, we feel that we've come a long way in educating ourselves, and learning more and more each day. Oh, and by the way, we are searching nationwide for our rig, not just local. There's so many more options that way.

Linda and Gary.....those that say on here to go to some rv shows aren't kidding.  It's sound advice.  We visited several dealers in our immediate area, but became so confused that we almost gave up.  We even had one that refused to show us some we wanted to see because we weren't serious buyers yet. Needless to say they were ruled out pretty easily as a potential dealer.  We went to 2 shows the biggest one in Hershey PA and spent 2 days there, and after the first time of going, I started doing some serious online studying about the ones we liked and their products.  We came across Grand Design a fairly new company that has amazing products but their customer service is the best this side of heaven!   Our choice was the Solitude 305 and it's almost 36 foot.  Our dealer we ended up with is almost 1-1/2 hrs away but it's worth it to us.  Their service is amazing and so was the dealer.  It's not unlike buying a house and you really have to research....that's the part I can't stress enough.  We were 2 years in our search so take your time.  You're exactly right...you're going to be living in it full-time so make sure you like it and feel like you're getting the best bang for your buck.  Good luck!!!!  

To add another piece to the research ... after you've narrowed down the makes/models you'd like, go try to find some that are 5-10 years old to see how they hold up over time. That will tell you a lot about the quality of the manufacturer.

We certainly sympathize with finding the right one. We actually bought an Amtrak rail pass, put a backpack on our packs and spent a month riding the rails across the country in search of our perfect home on wheels. Geography shouldn't be a limiting factor, but it will take some effort to really get quality time inside your contenders to really know if they are right for you.

Best wishes and good luck

I agree that limiting yourself to large dealers only may be a mistake.  I've known of small dealers that were excellent in making sure that the customer got what they wanted, not what the salesman/dealer wanted them to buy.  When talking with salesmen, observe whether they are asking you questions as to just what you want.  A good one will ask for more than just travel trailer/fifth wheel/Class C/Class A.  They will ask what you want with regards to the lifestyle you are planning with your RV, such as boondocking or not boondocking.

The dealer we bought from was not the largest in Oklahoma City at the time, but willingly advised us of good options and suggested ideas for the RV.  While they may be a bit bigger now, they still aren't the biggest, but they have been voted Oklahoma City's best RV dealer by citizens of Oklahoma City for something like 3 or 4 years straight.  We ordered our Mobile Suites from them, even though they had dropped the DRV Suites line (2008 when the economy tanked) and received excellent service.

When looking at shows or at RV dealers, take along a digital camera.  If you see one that appeals to you, even in the slightest, step outside and take a picture of the brand name, then the model number.  Then any photos after the name and model will show you what photos were taken inside or outside of that RV.  If you go to another RV and it interests you, do the same sequence of photos there as well.  Later, when discussing what you saw/thought you saw, you just might have a photographic record of the RV.

Don't rule out fairly new used models.  Just be prepared to possibly hire someone to inspect any prospective units that you really want to buy.  If it's good to go with the inspection, then you have a better idea of what may or may not need repaired.

Terry

A lot of good advice has been given. Another thought, RV Dreams Rallies often include a rig walk thru, we learned a lot from that, in fact, we changed our minds from a Class A to a 5th Wheel shortly after that walk thru. It's nice to see rigs at dealerships or shows, but once you see real life actually being lived, see what modifications people have made, ask them questions about what they like, dislike, would change or have changed on their rigs gives you insight that you wouldn't otherwise get.

Once we knew what we wanted, we weren't afraid to travel to buy it, our rig was bought from a dealer in OK, truck from a dealer 500 miles away, and we still feel we ended up with the right unit for us at a pretty good price. I make the process seem simple, it was NOT. We had a few bumps in the road, but in the end we're still happy with our decision and our rig.

Great advise, what Alan B said. We toured several factories and have learned a lot. The tour really is an eye opener. Pat K

For six months we have been planning to retire and full time RV.  We put our house on the market thinking it would take a while and we still had plenty of time to plan.  Well it sold in one day and we are closing in a month!  This is great except that we now have no make a housing decision in a hurry!  We want to stay small and are thinking perhaps a fiberglass travel trailer.   We have friends selling a popup trailer and we are considering just taking that on the road for a while until we are more clear about what we want for long term use.  Neither of us have ever done anything like this before.  We have two small dogs who will be traveling with us.  We are registered for the RV-Dreams rally next month.  Any thoughts on whether it makes sense to explore for a while with a pop-up or should we just dive in and buy something before we are sure what we want?  Help!

Many good suggestions above. An additional comment … not all RV Makers can be found at dealerships, some only sell directly. Therefore, attending a larger RV show might give you exposure to other options (i.e., what might not be available at local RV dealerships as well as RV makers that only sell directly).

A summary of how we decided: 1) Based upon our initial research, New Horizons (who only sells direct) was on our short list. 2) We met with a current owner, a couple we met through RV-Dreams. 3) We then went to the Hersey RV show, to see their show model. 4) Once we were fairly certain of our RV choice, we attended a New Horizons Owners Rally, meeting many owners and walked thru several newer and older New Horizons RVs. 5) We then took a factory tour, which had us traveling to Junction City, KS. These steps took time, but we believe that we have a better RV (for our needs), than if we had solely looked at the available inventory at dealers in our area.

Sushidog wrote:

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Rachel, if by a pop-up you are considering a hard sided pop-up, like a good used HI-Lo, Trailmanor or even a larger A-frame - just to explore the lifestyle, I say go for it. I'd go with an inexpensive, used travel trailer for the time being, till you decide what you want. That way when you trade it in or sell it, it won't cost you that much for the learning experience. I would not recommend a cloth sided PUP though because of their poor performance in extreme temperatures and bad weather. Just make sure your tow vehicle is adequate for the task at hand. What are you planning on using to tow that pop-up with?

Chip

-- Edited by Sushidog on Sunday 15th of March 2015 06:09:48 PM

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The popup available to us is a Flagstaff tent camper that a friend is selling for $4,000 (has two big beds, kitchen, toilet & shower.)  So not a hard-side.  We know so little about these that we aren't comfortable buying anything used from someone we don't know.  So if this tent camper is not a good idea, we will buy something new.   In addition to the camper/trailer, we will be buying a new tow vehicle and are thinking a V6 Toyota Tacoma truck.  We are really nervous about towing/backing up, and that fear is impacting our decision on how big a trailer to get. 

Gary and Linda wrote:

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Rachel.....Congratulations!!!!! We put our house up for sale last Monday.....Praying it sells fast!!!!!!! Good for you!! Happy trails to you!!!

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 Gary and Linda,

 It's so easy to get caught up in the details/work of all the preparation that I sometimes forget how amazing and exciting this all is!  Thank you for reminding me   And best of luck with your process!

 

Rachel

To add on to Terry's comment... perhaps you could give the rest of us a clearer picture of you plans, away from cities, or near them, your comfort zone on living amenities, gear you think you might like to bring along, etc. You mentioned 2 small dogs, do they require any significant amount of exercise?  Getting a handle on your activity level. The point of all this is there are many ways to RV... those with experience similar to what you reveal, will be able to offer better advice as to what might best fit your needs.  Rest assured there are folks on here that have.. been there done that, and can help you decide the best course of action, and rig to buy. I agree with Terry, you may find the V6 Tacoma to be not upto your needs... find the RV first then get the right vehicle to tow it, if a towable is what you think you should have. Again, you have to figure that part out. Don't rush into buy, you may regret it later... and nothing will poison a dream faster than regret.  With the right attitude, the good news is, such set backs are temporary. Good luck!

I really ought to get going on my book <grin>.

We did a couple of years of research, starting with what type of RV we wanted for full-timing. We learned early on that HOW you will live and travel has a great deal to do with what sort of coach will make you happy. Generally, if you plan on staying put for long periods of time a towable is better than a MH. Similarly, if you plan to move frequently a MH is generally preferable to a towable. Keep in mind that you will always have something towing something else when you are going down the road. Once at the campground, one part will remain parked while you travel in the other part.

Most travel trailers can be safely towed by 3/4 ton pickups (F250 class). The higher end 5'ers are usually enough heavier that you will need a 1-ton pickup (F350 class), and some of the really nice 5'ers (DRV for example) really need even stronger trucks (F450 or F550 class). A MH can usually tow a toad that will do whatever you want it to do. Some people tow a half-ton pickup (F150 class) with a motorcycle (or two) or an atv loaded in the bed. Others tow a Smart Car. Most are somewhere between. Remember that if you go with a towable, the tow vehicle will be your daily driver unless you choose to each drive a vehicle on travel day. A 5'er has the hitch mounted in the bed of the truck, so you can't have a cap over the bed, and you can't put a lot of stuff in the bed. A travel trailer uses a hitch mounted near the bumper so the entire bed is available, and of course you can have a cap over the bed.

All of this is to say that you need to decide on the type of RV first. After that, you can start focusing on brands. Again, we were told over and over to buy used (we can't afford new anyway) as we would probably change coaches fairly soon once we started living in the coach and learned what we really needed and wanted. We were also told to buy a high end coach, even if that meant getting a somewhat older one. We learned about that first-had from some friends. They bought a popular brand of MH brand new. Less than a year later they traded it straight across for a ten-year-old Foretravel. The reason? The popular brand didn't have the quality they felt that a full-time coach needed and the Foretravel did.

Since there are only so many ways to arrange the interior of a box, it doesn't matter what age or quality coach you look at when you are trying to decide on floor plans. Go into every rig at the show or on the lot and imagine you are living in it. "Try" watching the television; "take" a shower; "wash" the dishes, etc. Obviously you can't really do any of those things, but pretend. It won't take you long to figure out which arrangements will work for you. Then you can start looking for those plans in the brands that you are considering.

As far as buying locally or at a distance, the "rarer"

The question of buying locally or buying from a more distant dealer comes up frequently. Unlike the automobile industry, RV dealers tend to take care of warranty work for non-customers when they don't have any other work to do. If you are staying fairly close to home and are buying a new coach you may be better off paying a bit more to buy locally. If you are a full-timer, though, you are not likely to be near the selling dealer for the year or two of warranty coverage. In that case you may be better off going for the best price. If you are buying used there generally is no warranty anyway, so go for the coach that best suits you wherever it is.

Remember that when you buy at a distance you have some costs that tend to be overlooked. Suppose that you are looking at a coach that is 600 miles away. You plan to drive there and then drive the new coach home. You will spend a full day driving to the dealership and burn some fuel. If you're going for a MH and driving your toad you may be looking at 30 gallons of fuel (more or less). That's $75 at our local prices. If you're after a towable the fuel bill may well be double that. Then you will spend that first night in a hotel, so you are looking at another $150 or so. Add in the meals, and you are somewhere around $300 before you start to buy the coach. Many RV'ers don't want to drive 600 miles in one stretch, so figure that the trip home will take two days. You won't have the hotel expense, but you will have a campground fee. Fuel costs will be at least double that of the trip to get the coach, so you are looking at several hundred dollars and three days time over buying locally. Going farther away will increase the cost.

Thanks for the information Terry. I just got done researching insulation methods and am deep into slide technology. I know in the end whatever brand we decide upon will dictate what construction methods we are stuck with. Figure understanding all the construction methods might help eliminate certain brands when it comes time to buy.

I often hear the "leaking hydraulic fluid" issue with hydraulic slides spoken of as a selection criteria for RVs.

I will tell you that it is VERY RARE for a hydraulic slide to leak. If it does, it is likely to be a loose fitting on initial delivery. Very rarely does a hydraulic fitting fail and "burst". So I consider the hydraulic fluid issue to be an "Internet forum" issue, more than an actual issue. Don't let that be a selection criteria of critical importance. IMO.

Also note - hydraulic lines are "typically" run where they will not affect the interior of the coach were they to suddenly "burst" as often discussed on "Internet forums".

You are far better off looking closely at infrastructure, as Terry says, specifically; frame, insulation levels and the tightness of the rig, running gear. Only after you find a basically sound rig that meets your "foundation" requirements would I even consider anything else. And the type of slide mechanism is more a "curiosity" item than a selection item in my evaluation. All slides can fail, all slides can leak water, and all slides do leak some level of air. To me the way they are sealed is as important as the type of mechanism.

More people have issues with running gear than any other single major issue. Investing in good (or "best in breed") running gear (which includes suspension, tires, wheels, brakes/actuator, tire monitors) is likely the best single investment in the rig you can make, and will make your road time far more pleasurable than any other single item you can spend money on.

-- Edited by Jack Mayer on Wednesday 22nd of April 2015 08:00:18 AM

bjoyce wrote:

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https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEPjZVNq7aYiRcnnd14itvA - look for "Impromptu Coach Review" in Jon's titles.  He is a new fulltimer, so doesn't have the fine tuned critical sense of a longer term fulltimer.  His April Fools one is a hoot....

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 Loved it.