After many years of intense research, we decided that the best RV choice for us would be a fifth wheel trailer. Being able to park the fifth wheel and explore with just our truck is the main appeal. A bad test run of a rented Class C motorhome that left us stranded on I-95 for hours with a blown tire convinced us the rest of the way. We had a few requirements, though. Everyone looking to buy an RV has their own preferences. Ours were:
1. We wanted to be able to have full access to everything we needed even when the slides were pulled in. For those unfamiliar with slides, they are portions of the RV that extend out on motorized tracks called slides, allowing for more room inside the RV.
2. The slides could not have the kitchen appliances on them. Again, just a personal choice, but research had left us leery of the weight of a large fridge pulling down on the slide and of the extra wear and tear of supply lines, such as propane lines, causing issues.
3. We did not want a huge fifth wheel. Our goal was to find one between 25 and 32 feet long. We ended up finding one a bit larger, 34'6", but we were very happy to compromise on this point, as the RV had everything else we wanted and more.
Finding the perfect fifth wheel with our requirements took quite a bit of looking. Price, weight, and quality were the major factors.
Here is the fifth wheel we purchased:
A Keystone Montana High Country 293RK
During our research, we read through many RVing forums, looking for opinions on brands that could stand up to the rigors of full time occupancy. Keystone was one of them. We decided to head over to a huge dealership in Tampa called Lazy Days. We had previously purchased a small trailer from them and had had a very good experience.
Lazy Days did not let us down, Everyone there worked with us over every detail. The sales staff, financing department, service department and others walked us through each step. We made an excellent deal on a 2016 model, since the dealership is making room for the new 2017 models. We decided to add a few features that would make full time living even better. We added a second air conditioning unit, located in the bedroom (pretty much a necessity during Florida summers), a washer and dryer, and awnings over the two slides, to protect them from debris and weather. Lazy Days is installing these items in one of their service bays and we have scheduled a delivery date, meaning the date we can go pick it up, at the end of this month.
We decided before we found our trailer that we would use nicknames for our rig. We decided that our Fifth Wheel would be named Holmes, as a play on the word home. Our truck, when we found one, would be named Watson. So, the search for Watson began.
Our fifth wheel, which we shall refer to as Holmes from here on, has a fully loaded weight, meaning all of our stuff plus the weight of propane and of liquids in the holding tanks (we will go into those at a later date) of 13,500 lbs. We needed a truck heavy enough to tow this much weight. So, more research. We knew that we wanted the towing power and durability of a diesel engine. We likely could have squeaked by with a Ford F-250 or Dodge 2500. But, when it comes to pulling such a heavy weight, we would rather be over powered than under. So, we decided on an F350 or a Dodge Ram 3500. Now, new or used?
We were surprised at how few large diesel trucks were available at the local dealerships. We ended up at Nations Trucks, a used truck dealership in our county. We found a beautifully maintained 2012 Dodge Ram 3500 Laramie Diesel with a short bed. There is a bit of controversy on the suitability of a short bed vs a long bed for pulling a fifth wheel. With a short bed, more care must be taken when making very sharp turns, as the nose, the very front of the fifth wheel, can actually hit the back of the cab if not done cautiously. And there was a concern about just how much weight the bed of the truck could take. Trying to find a precise weight limit was very difficult, as various websites and charts all seemed to list different numbers. After phone calls to the RV dealership and consulting service managers, we concluded that this truck would work. Here is our Watson:
Watson even came with a fifth wheel hitch already installed! The previous owner had to give up RVing due to health issues. It is a sad story, but one that happens all too often. We are grateful to this man, since he took scrupulous care of this beautiful truck and we will be doing the same.
We are looking to add an auxiliary fuel tank to the bed. The folks at Nations Truck are working on that with us. The truck has a 34 gallon tank, but the security of having a fuel reserve will bring us peace of mind.
In the meantime, we are learning all that we can about the truck, driving as it as much as possible. It takes a lot of getting used to, going from a small car to a big vehicle like this. Watson has a lot of bells and whistles and it has been fun learning how to operate everything! We are studying the owner's manuals for both Holmes and Watson in preparation.
Our current plan is to pick up Holmes at the end of the month and move him over to the adjacent RV campground run by Lazy Days. They have many informative seminars that run throughout the week and Shanon plans on taking as many as possible while learning the ins and outs of Holmes. So, for now, we are taking a bit of time to breathe and work on prepping our current home, what is called our sticks and bricks home, to sell. A new roof must be put on and some prettying up, such as paint and landscaping, will be done over the next few months. We will also be packing up our things and dividing them into piles to either take with us, put into storage or set aside for a garage sale.
We will continue with our progress as it happens and will post more pictures once Holmes is actually in our possession. Thank you for reading!
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