Dave,

I can't fully answer your questions because we don't know what reference you might have for price and quality of a used 5th wheel.  But, let me kind of touch on a few things.  First of all, we also don't know your plans for full-timing as you've only made two posts to the forums.  Not knowing much, please allow me to ramble on with what our plans were for full-timing and what and why we chose what we did.

Our plans for travel, when that finally comes about, was to locate to an area of interest, say for instance, southern Utah.  We would find a good place and stay for anywhere from 1 to 6 months.  That would allow us to save money on fuel for moving, but also allow us to have the time to do day trips to all the places that might interest us.  (Utah has 5 national parks and also some state parks to check out, plus there's places in northern Arizona that we could reach from southern Utah.)  Once we felt we have seen everything, then we'd move on to another area of the country and repeat.

We had it in mind that we would be living in our RV for an indefinite time.  Some have set time limits to how long they think they want to RV, but many of them have also enjoyed the lifestyle so much that they went beyond their original plans.  Because of being long-term full-timers, we elected to be sure and get a good quality RV, so a lot of research and looking was done to choose a well built unit, starting with a study of the basic foundation of the RV.  In that case, the foundation is the frame, suspension, axles, wheels and tires, so I looked at those carefully.

With Jo looking at the internal things like floor plan and amenities (with some input from me) and me looking at external features, we each decided that if either of us said "no" on a unit, that unit was no longer considered.  After two years of research on both 5th wheels and motor homes, we selected a Mobile Suites by DRV Suites, and it has proven to be a good unit.  We have even wintered in Colorado this last year.  DRV Suites units are higher priced than a lot of others, but it will also be our home for that indefinite time.

Just to give you a look at possibilities, check out the "Pre-Owned" section at Rolling Retreats.  They are a mom and pop dealership that are major sellers of the DRV Suites line and can and will take the time to answer any questions you might have, whether it be for new or used units.  Granted, they are in Oklahoma, but I know of one west coast couple that just recently ordered a new DRV through Rolling Retreats.

Rolling Retreats website

As I always have stated, be sure and verify what you hear from dealers with people on the forums, regardless of brand name.  Plus, once you get interested in a brand/model, check different dealers for both price and to get a sense of whether they want to help you.  Being on site when asking some questions can get you pushy salesmen that want the sale but not answer a lot of questions.  If a phone call doesn't get you answers from a dealership, shop at another dealership.  When you get narrowed down to certain brands/models, see if there are any owners associations with forums where you can read about those specific brands.

Keep in mind that forums also tend to draw people who are looking for solutions to problems, which can lead one to think that "maybe this brand isn't any good."  If you register for those forums, you can ask your own questions there, and a good one to ask of owners of those brands is, "If you were to purchase another RV, would you purchase the same brand/model as you currently have, or would you change - and why would you change?"

You are fortunate that RV Dreams' forum is made up of people who own all kinds and brands of RV's, so be sure and also ask questions here as well.  If you can also give us an idea of your plans, all of us here at the forums can get a better perspective of what you might want and like, perhaps even including price ranges that you would consider.

Terry

Henry, you are following in our footsteps. Several years ago we started talking about full-timing. We did a couple of years of research, starting with what sort of RV would suit OUR needs/wants. One of the choices you will make is towable vs motor home. Generally, if you are going to be moving at least monthly a MH is often preferred. On the other hand, if you are going to leave the coach parked for months at a time a towable is generally preferred. As you might expect, individual needs and wants can push you one way or another. That's something that only you can decide.

As far as new vs used, some people DO get the right coach the first time. Most of us don't. That's why the general recommendation is to buy a used coach first. You will take less of a hit when you decide to trade it for something else. Sometimes, though, the right coach comes along with the right deal at the right time. If that happens to you JUMP!

While you are discussing your plans, wants, and needs, you can start visiting coaches. At this point in your research you shouldn't worry about price, age, or condition. Go into every coach you can find and evaluate it as if you would live in it. Since there are only so many ways to arrange the interior of a box it won't take long for you to know what floor plans will and will not work for you.

Now you can start focusing on brands. My suggestion is that you focus on high-end coaches. For towables, that probably means Airstream and Arctic Fox for travel trailers, DRV and New Horizons for 5'ers, and Foretravel and Newell for motor homes. Keep in mind that others will add other brands, but these are the ones that we would concentrate on. PM me if you would like to know the reasons for each brand being on the list.

Buying from a private party vs buying from a dealer is sure to get a discussion started. Private party sales can save you money IF the coach is priced properly. There is no guarantee, but the seller probably knows more about the coach than a dealer would. On the other hand, a private seller may not have a realistic idea of the worth of the coach, and can have it priced way above where it should be.

Dealers have a reputation to protect, and most will put some money into a trade-in so that it is more ready to go. Sometimes, though, a dealer puts little effort and less money into getting a coach ready to sell, and prices accordingly. If you can look beyond the initial appearance you can sometimes get a bargain.

One good source is a consignment place, such as PPL. www.pplmotorhomes.com/ They are mainly consignments, but as I understand their business plan, they want to move the coaches quickly, so they encourage sellers to price low. You can see what coaches have sold for, so checking frequently and tracking coaches of interest from first appearing on the list to being sold can give you an idea of what sort of deal you might be able to negotiate. Should you visit them, remember that the seller pays for everything PPL does, so don't be surprised to find personal items still in a drawer. If the seller didn't pay PPL to clean the coach, and the seller didn't clean it, it won't be clean. The price will probably reflect that, though.