The Search Is On!! - RV-Dreams Community Forum

SpunkyOne · RV-Dreams Community Member

The Search Is On!!

soos · RV-Dreams Family Member

congrats!
C'mon up to balmy Havasu and look at the DRV 5th wheels at Sunshine RV. They are great for full-timing :)

Sue

SpunkyOne · RV-Dreams Community Member

Hi Sue!

Thank you! We have towed our Pontoon boat over to Lake Havasu a couple of times as we have friends who live over there. TOO HOT is all I can say! LOL

Funny that you mention DRV as that's what I was researching just prior to joining this group! I had been reading the thread, "New 5th Wheel Advice", and had to go check them out. I did get on the two Arizona dealers' websites and Robert Crist in Mesa has only one on their lot and Sunshine in Havasu is showing nothing. Geesh, even Indio, CA, the ONLY California dealer listed on DRV's website, has NOTHING. So, how does one check them out? I'd love to check out the 44' Memphis and 44' Lafayette. If you happen so see those sitting on the lot over there, holler at me! ;)

Do you or anyone else know more about the Lifestyle rvs? I've been in a couple over at La Mesa RV in Mesa, AZ. Those are very nice and online I see the Alpha Gold with the optional storage room/kids room/motorcycle room and I like that idea because I still need a home office and I see nothing else that offers that.

BiggarView · RV-Dreams Family Member

We have the Lifestyle models (both lines... Luxury and the Alfa Gold) on our radar. Cindi likes the storage room on the AG 3905SH as a crafting room and extra storage for other hobbies (she wants me to bring my model trains on the road with me, but that is a different conversation biggrin ) We are still some years away from pulling the trigger on any unit. As long as you are looking at DRV, we spotted a new model on their website.. the "Cumberland" It has a nice 'midship' slideout room that would nicely adapt to an office. Worth a look. It's very nice but way too big for us.

-- Edited by biggaRView on Monday 24th of August 2015 08:09:28 AM

jayc · RV-Dreams Family Member

We have been living in our Heartland Landmark Grand Canyon (39') for four years and are planning to move up to another Landmark in the spring. We haven't made up our mind yet but it will definitely be another Landmark. One of the things that sold us on the Landmark is the outstanding customer service from our dealer and from Heartland. All Landmarks, now called Landmark 365, are rate and warranted for full time use and have a 2/5 year warranty. HERE is a link to the Landmark page.

Then there is the Heartland Owners Forum (see signature line below for link), a great resource of other owners and monitored by factory reps and brand managers. It is free to join and will give you contact with other owners that can give good advice on just about anything you can ask.

Then finally, there is the Heartland Owners club. We have chapters in most states which gives you choices of club rallies which are free to attend as a club member.

DeeJee · RV-Dreams Family Member

Hello Lisa and Marc,

We've been full time 2 years in October and are still so excited about it!! Of course, after you select the closest to perfect, IT comes out the next year!! LOL We're still very happy with our Cedar Creek 38FL but would love to swap for the Landmark365 Newport with a dishwasher:) However, while at Camping World last Saturday we did tour the NEW Big Horn 3875FB, which has some serious improvements since we were shopping 2 years ago. I especially love the carpet! And the bathroom and closet space is amazing!

We were always thrilled to find a dealer that had their units plugged in with air conditions on. Lighting always it look much nicer!

Best Wishes on you adventure!

soos · RV-Dreams Family Member

Hey Lisa,

go back to Sunshine and look for Mobile Suites, not DRV :) Looks like at least 4 on their lot.

Edited to add......well some of them say "coming soon" and some seem to be on the lot. Maybe call?

They brought 2 to the Vegas rally.

http://www.sunshinerv.com/pre_owned_detail.asp?veh=4349775

If you decide to come up and look at them, you are welcome to swing by ours so you can sit down and relax in one and check it out. We've had several people do that in the past. Its a few years old now but many things are the same.

As for Lifestyles, they are similar to the old Carriage. I have met up with two people who have a Lifestyle and they seem pretty happy with the quality.

Sue

-- Edited by soos on Tuesday 25th of August 2015 04:33:59 PM

Bobc · RV-Dreams Family Member

We had a very hard time finding higher end trailers to compare, we are in the northeast. Just could not find anything around here.
So we finally went to the Hershey Pa RV show in September last year and we got to see almost every trailer made. So we really got to campare and see the difference.
DRV was high On our list.
We ended up spend a little extra money and went with New Horizons for our new home. These trailer are built to last a very long time. And we thought it was worth the extra money because it worked for our end game, we would have no problem being stagnent long term if we get tired of traveling.
Great trailer but pricey and heavy, but anything of quality will be heavy

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

Lisa,

First of all, welcome to the RV Dreams forums. You've definitely found a good place for research and advice.

As for the DRV Suites 44' models, those can be very heavy, and if you're one that wants some "breathing room" with the tow vehicles with a heavy trailer, you might need to consider a pickup that is heavier than normal or even an MDT (Medium Duty Truck - mini-Freightliner for example.) For our 2010 Mobile Suites 38TKSB3, I insisted on having at least a Ford F450 for towing ours, and it is shorter than a 44-footer.

If you get serious about a DRV Suites model, I highly suggest checking with Alicia at Rolling Retreats in Elk City, OK. They really know their stuff, and Alicia has even designed some custom things for ones they order. For instance, she has custom kitchen design that a number of buyers have really liked. They (she and her husband Slade) really understand the concept of customer service and were even approached by Forks RV (makers of the Continental Coach - a custom built RV) to be their exclusive dealership. Forks used to accept orders directly at the factory, but I've heard that since Alicia and Slade are their exclusive dealers, only Rolling Retreats can order them now.

Terry

SpunkyOne · RV-Dreams Community Member

Thank you, everyone, for the warm welcome and the great info! I found myself buried in work for some time and today while I was digging my myself out, I saw the commercial for the big indoor RV Show out at the University of Phoenix stadium in Glendale.

My dad swears by LazyDays for their service and it seems that Camping World is the other one. My husband laughs, says if there's anything that needs fixing, he can do it... "It's not an RV like your parents have..." is what he says. My parents had an American Dream and then an American Eagle by Fleetwood which is what I want in a 5th wheel! LOL My concern is if anything breaks, I want to know the place I buy from will take good care of me.

The salesman over at Camping World in Mesa, AZ says that they even allow you to stay over night on their properties across the country at most places. ;)

I am very stuck on two specific floor plans. I love love LOVE... the Heartland Bighorn's and Forest River Cardinal's front living room models. They make me feel like I'm at home on my couches with my Yorkies.... and the big screen tv... and the kitchen and the dishes are out of sight, out of mind! I don't feel like I'm in an RV which is what I'm going for. However, if I can't find a FL that's big enough (42'+), I'll go with the rear living room but it has to have the L-couch seating with the L-counter kitchen like that of the DRV 44' Memphis, where the kitchen counter is behind the couch and I can see the tv while I'm cooking dinner. ;) And then I just need an "office" area for printer, scanner, small file drawer, desk for the iMac... but not an area that's going to be wasted space either. And I just popped back over the DRV Suites website and loving that 44' Memphis more and more... and that's a desk area to the left of the couch! I really want to visit this one!! Sue, if you see this one EVER over there, please holler!! LOL

Yup, I know what I want, I just have to walk into one that just screams... WELCOME HOME!

Back to doing more research and dreaming....

Thank you!!

Barbaraok · RV-Dreams Family Member

Why are you just looking at 5th wheels?

Barb

SpunkyOne · RV-Dreams Community Member

Hi Barb!

Why am I looking at 5th wheels vs RVs? Or in general why am I looking at 5th wheels? ;)

SpunkyOne · RV-Dreams Community Member

We opted to not go for the motorhome due to cost AND the difficulty in getting around after you get situated at a campground. We're a general contractor so we'll always need the pick-up truck... which we'll be upgrading to a Dodge RAM 3500 since the Dodge RAM 1500 can't pull what I'm looking at. The cost to maintain the motorhome vs the 5th wheel, well, big difference and I don't want that expense. My father and some of my siblings have motorhomes so I'm familiar with most of what can go wrong with those. But the biggest deal for us is... we just want to get to a campground, drop the "home" and have a full size vehicle to get around in.

I'm in the process of trying to get my home sold here, sell off the furniture, store a few things, and hit the road for a bit. When we get back to AZ, we'll build the new house on our property in Mesa and live out of the 5th wheel while we build. There are plenty of RV parks in Mesa and I've investigated monthly pricing. It beats renting a house, that's for sure!

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

Keep in mind that for "camping," the longer the RV, the more difficult it may be to find a site that is big enough for it. Our Mobile Suites is a 38-footer, and I don't think I'd want a fifth wheel that was any larger. Now, if your plans are more along the idea of moving from place to place for contract jobs or whatever, then the larger ones would be more appropriate and more accommodating. Sadly, I'm not sure that any dealer would have a Memphis that he'd take to an RV show, so you might be limited to seeing one on a dealer's lot.

Good luck in your research and planning.

Terry

BiggarView · RV-Dreams Family Member

SpunkyOne wrote:
...
Do you or anyone else know more about the Lifestyle rvs? I've been in a couple over at La Mesa RV in Mesa, AZ. Those are very nice and online I see the Alpha Gold with the optional storage room/kids room/motorcycle room and I like that idea because I still need a home office and I see nothing else that offers that.

Check out Lifestyles new Luxury floorplans( just announced)... they have migrated sidehauler options in the AlfaGold line into their Luxury line. now you get the best of both, better frame, suspension and appointments with some new options for living space. Just a thought.

Brian

SpunkyOne · RV-Dreams Community Member

Thank you, Brian! I'll check those out as well.

Just got back from the RV show out at the Cardinals Stadium in Glendale. Not a whole lot of 5th wheels but at least they had my favorite Heartland Bighorn FL that I could visit. My husband now just loves that front living room setup. So, I'm now looking at the Bighorn FLP ;) Oh, too many to choose from but slowly narrowing it down!

Those Fleetwood motorhomes are insane too!

Thank you all for your input!

Lisa

-- Edited by SpunkyOne on Friday 18th of September 2015 06:45:04 PM

soos · RV-Dreams Family Member

Lisa , we were over at Sunshine the other day just poking around. They had just gotten in 2 new rigs. One was the new 40KSSB4 floorplan.

Actually, they get a fair amount of rigs coming and going and apparently a lot of what they get is pre-sold. Might be worth a phone call to see if they will be getting in any of the larger rigs.

Sue