Most common mistake when buying for full time

[Bob&Patty]

The most common mistake is not buying enough truck. When you are looking at the 5er...LOOK AND SEE WHAT GROSS WEIGHT of the trailer is. Any dealer/salesman will only tell you the empty weight is. Any of the bigger 5ers...Landmarks, Big Horns, Big Countrys have GWR of 15000 to 16200K. This also means you have to consider the pin weight. This means you will need a 350-3500 truck...DRW are the best, but a SRW will do. I prefer a long bed 3500 DRW and 4WD. The difference in cost between a 250-2500 and a 350-3500 is a few thousand bucks. Dont skimp on the truck. If you decide on a bigger 5er in the future....you wont have to buy a bigger truck. I would order a coach....that way you get what you want. 2nd A/C, 6 point leveling, dual pane windows, artic package if you be camping in cold weather etc.etc. You can also order the coach with disc brakes and GY G614 tires ( standard on Landmarks). The options are like on cars. They cost less when ordering a coach than adding it later. One last thing, shop around for price. You can also download a built sheet from the forum....build the coach with options you want...add it up...then deduct 25-30% from that and then make your offer to the dealer at that price.

 

[Bob&Patty]

BTW, one thing to look for beside the recliner/TV positions. IF you find a coach you like. Look at it with the slides in. See what you can get to and cant get to with the slides in. Many of the coaches with the center island...you cant get to the living area. Some you cant get to the fridge. Most of them you can get to the bedroom and toilet areas only. This can be a concern if you stop overnite and cant put the slides out. The 3570RL BH is a good roomy coach with recliners across from the TV and so is the 3160EL but you cant get to the living area with the slides in.

 

[dcwettstein]

That is exactly why we chose the 3169EL. We wanted a shorter unit but the TV across from the recliners. No brainer.

 

[mobilcastle]

That is exactly why we chose the 3169EL. We wanted a shorter unit but the TV across from the recliners. No brainer.

Very nice plan.

 

[dave10a]

A lot of good advice so far. After buying, be a real sticker on the PDI. Do not accept the trailer until you are completely satisfied while being a nit-picker and all your question have honest and direct answers without BS. If possible stay in the trailer a couple of nights if the dealer has access to a campground--- many do for customer relations and convenience. After you leave the dealership it is a big hassle to take it back and then you have worry about dealer service competence. Remember, all dealers are nice, but all don't know what they are doing. As far a PDI is concerned there are many suggestion both on this forum and on rv.net. So do your home work first and not after you get the trailer.

 

[Bobby A]

A lot of good info on this subject that will help you get started. Some of us that have been RVing and full timing have certain pet peeves that we don't like, like the TV positioning and getting to things when the slides are closed. Some are a deal breaker and some you can live with, that would be for you to decide. What we found that worked for us was, when we would go to RV shows or dealer lots we would video record the entire unit and then come back to our unit and play it back on our tv, this gave us a real good idea on things we liked or disliked compared to our original unit. Just my 2 cents worth, good luck with your search.