Yep, just got off "work"... another rainy day here in the mountains.
Well, our choice of a 5th wheel was NuWa. This is just opinion, but having owned a lot of different RVs, I have to say that NuWa stands alone in the way they construct their 5th wheels. Their use of Blue Dow Foam in the walls is an exclusive. It's a bit more expensive, but it gives better rigidity, better insulation, and no water absorption in the walls (which causes delamination). NuWa is one of the few manufacturers who builds for full time use - many other manufacturers will void your warranty if you use their product full time. Granted, you may not have any interest in full-timing, but they are built with a vented attic which reduces humidity in the coach. RVs hold humidity, similar to boats.
Here's a website:
http://www.nuwa.com/
They also have an owners forum much like the C-Brats, with fanatical owners. The owner of the company and key employees often participate on that forum.
Other brands that we liked: Carriage, Excel, DRV (the Mobile Suites). Holiday Rambler was also on our short list at the time, but since their parent company (Monaco) went through bankruptcy, they don't seem to be offering their higher end models. The Canadian 5th wheel manufacturer, Titanium, was nice, but now also bankrupt. There are also some brands that would be the equivalence of Bayliner in the boating world; not to offend any owners, but Heartland, Keystone, and Jayco. Like Bayliner, Keystone is the #1 seller, but we found them to be flash over substance. Again, just my opinion. The Montana is the #1 selling 5th wheel (made by Keystone)... look under and inside the frame area. See how walls and roof are attached, and see how trim is used to hide joints.
The order of importance for us was: floorplan, construction, weight, manufacturer support. Checking owners groups on some of the above mentioned, no one has a C-Brat type group besides NuWa.
We have also owned a series of motorhomes. For going down the road, nothing beats a diesel pusher on a bus type chassis. I would have to go back to work (real work) to justify another motorcoach. We love our truck and decided to go with a towable this time; we picked the 5th wheel to match up with the truck. It tows wonderfully - I've driven in nasty winds and found the 5th wheel to be VERY well mannered. Once down, we have lots of room and a floorplan that works well for our use. Our living room is 14' wide, with an open living room/kitchen. An enclosed bath (you can also choose a walk through bath) and a super glide in the bedroom, allowing room for decent size night stands on both sides of the bed. A full length closet, room for a washer/dryer, Select Comfort mattress, leather recliners, free standing dinette, Corian® counters, an electric fireplace, hide-a-bed couch, etc, etc. It is very livable, and suits our wandering lifestyle.
If you think you will be boondocking (camping away from RV parks) and want to be self-contained, almost all 5th wheels can be ordered with a built-in generator. Otherwise, a good battery bank and a 2000 watt inverter will cover most situations.
I sure didn't mean for this to sound like I'm pushing the brand we bought. I did a BUNCH of research, include a trip to the factory to see how they are made before making our decision. Of course, you use and needs will vary. If you are looking at used units, besides the ones I mentioned above, Alpenlite and Travel Supreme are good units. Buying a used RV is not so different from buying a used boat... condition and care make a difference. Light use is less important than how a unit has been cared for and stored. The appliances used in most RVs are pretty similar.
Hope that helps.
Best wishes,
Jim B.
Batteries can be recharged by the truck or a separate generator. Larger units have built in generators but we were never fond of them. They take up valuable storage and your truck bed can carry a very adequate generator if needed.
