Searching that “Perfect” RV

As you know by now we’re looking for our next home. We’ve visited at least a dozen dealerships traveling between NC and Indiana. We’ve used our RVIG.org research information and searched the internet. We’ve talked to other full-timers during Escapade and since. We’ve made a list of 5^th wheels that meet the criteria that is important to us.

1. Safety..Specifically how will it tow? What is the dry weight of the unit? How much can the frame and axles carry safely? How much can it carry? What is the weight limit for the rig?

2. It needs to have at least 2 slide outs. One in the bedroom and another in the living/dining area. Space..we need more space. OK..I admit it..living in 208 sq feet after a two story house with over 2800 sq feet is HARD and I don’t want to do it any more!! Can you hear me stomp my feet???

3. It can’t be too long. We’d like it to be not longer than 32-33 feet exterior from the hitch pin to the back bumper. That is a challenge. Of course the floor plans I really like are usually longer by a couple to three feet.

4. Price has to be within our budget. We’re using the Nash as a trade in but will probably finance some of the purchase price and don’t want to price ourselves out of the ability to drag this thing down the road. We’d like to find a gently used rig that is on our list but so far that hasn’t worked out.

5. How well is it made? Is it sturdy enough for a full-timer or was it designed and built for a weekend/vacation rig? We need this one to last a long time. I don’t want to shop for another RV any time soon. The factory tours we’ve been on and the RVIG.org research information we’ve been using have helped us learn about this for some models. We’ve also talked to other owners to learn about their experiences with various brands.

6. There are a few other “minor” considerations that won’t break the deal if we like the rig overall. Nightstands beside the bed. A desk in the living area. The bath all in one room. A closet that could be used for a stackable washer/dryer unit. No combination units please.

We went to three factory tours while we’ve been in Elkhart County. We started with the Carriage RV plant on Monday morning. A very knowledgeable guide, Jennifer took us through the plant in about an hour. We learned quite a bit about how an RV is built and specifically how Carriage is built. We were especially pleased to see them building the Carriage Cameo 5^th wheel since this is a model that has made our list. The best part of the tour was the folks building them. We were able to get in their way and ask them questions. They really do a lot of quality control checks. We liked that a lot. Red tape used to mark items needing attention was everywhere. Better to find these at the factory than at the dealership or worse yet in your campsite.

There are a couple of floor plans in this line that may be OK for us. Neither is exactly what we want but pretty close. I like the plan that has the entire bath room inside a room best. And there is an extra wardrobe next to the bed in that same design. We’ve learned that extra storage is very useful to have. Of course these are new rigs and we’d really like to find a used one that is in excellent condition.

http://www.carriageinc.com/carriage_cameo_fifth_wheel.php#

On Tuesday afternoon we went to SunnyBrook RV for their tour. I must say they don’t put much effort into this. The plant had stopped working for the day. No employees were present except the gentleman doing the tour. He seemed to view the tour as a bother and wanted it to be over as soon as possible. Also, the rig being built that day was their entry level travel trailer. Not at all what any of us in the tour were interested in. We were told they build one type of unit for 2-3 weeks then change off to another. We were just unfortunate to arrive in the week they weren’t building the SunnyBrook Titan (which is on our list). We learned they don’t make their own frames (Carriage makes theirs). The gentleman wasn’t very knowledgeable about the frame. He just knew who they bought it from. Not how it was made. We couldn’t even see the frame very well. And it wasn’t the one used on the Titan anyway. Overall, I came away with an unpleasant taste in my mouth about this whole event. Disappointment!!! We’ve probably removed the Titan from our list due to it’s weight. It is a pretty heavy 5^th wheel for it’s size. And that is our most important criteria. The rig must never exceed weight limits for the truck or the frame.

Wednesday afternoon we went to Heartland RV. This was a real eye opener. We’ve been looking at these 5^th wheels ever since they started manufacturing them in 2006. They are really pretty. And if we were looking for a vacation/weekend rig we’d probably go for it. But, it isn’t built for a full timer(in our opinion). The cabinets are stapled together (not screwed). And they use a hydraulic system for the slides. It is also the tallest we’ve looked at. We’d worry a lot about bridge heights if towing this one. So, regretfully we’ve taken it off the list.

We’ll keep looking and learning. The right rig will present itself at some point.