Curious to know what may be some of the better brands/ manufacturers of 5th wheels. I am coming near a time when I will be in the market for one. What recommendations do some of your seasoned RVers have? Much appreciated!
This is a loaded question. I've owned just about every manufacturer, so I'll share what I know and my opinion. Opinions vary from person to person so keep that in mind.
First and foremost, ignore brand and look at construction.
Since you have a 3500, ignore anything that says ultra-lite. Those are typically manufactured using foam board flooring in place of plywood and most have non-walkable roofs. They're not walkable because again, the roof construction/framing is minimal to reduce weight. Some will have extremely thin sidewalls. There are 2 places to measure the sidewall... 1) at the entry door. 2) at the baggage doors. Look for sidewalls with a minimum 1.5" thickness. Any less than that and you're going to struggle more with heating and cooling.
Stick and tin vs laminate construction. Stick and tin units are wood framed and are really entry level campers. They're ok for a few years but are more prone to leaking and poor construction. They're trying to save a buck, not keep it on the road for years. Laminate is almost always better even if it's not AZDEL. MOST laminate units (not all) are aluminum frame construction.
A second sidewall consideration is the construction. AZDEL sidewalls are far superior to the standard fiberglass in that there is no wood (luan) used anywhere on the outside. There are even units that now use AZDEL on the inner and outer walls. AZDEL does not delaminate, does not rot, and is much easier to maintain. After switching to a unit with AZDEL, I'll never go back. A lot of units still use the old vacuum bonded fiberglass laminated walls. They can be ok but more maintenance could be required. This isn't always the case, but some do suffer from delamination issues more than others. If the wall is bubbling, it's delaminating. This will be personal preference for you.
Next, look at the slideout mechanisms.
Rack and pinion systems are the most reliable systems. There's little to break and if one were to get racked, they can be adjusted. The main issues that these can have are from lack of lubrication, debris, etc.. that cause a rack to bind and misalign. It isn't commonly an issue if you perform routine maintenance.
Schwintek systems can be problematic. They are decent for a small bed slide, but on a larger slide they are prone to stripping gearing teeth with the slightest binding. There are TONS of youtube videos on this. LCI actually came out with an upgraded system called the slimrack. Similar concept to the Schwintek but much better executed. Tiffin Motorhomes are replacing their failing schwintek systems with the slimrack as units come in with the problem.
Cable slides are the most problematic. Cables stretch, fray, etc.. and can cause the slide to become misaligned. These are used on cheaper units more than anything else. Keystone is one of the biggest manufacturers that use cable slide systems. They're light weight and cheaper to install. All for a reason. I personally will not buy any camper with a cable system in it.
Another thing to consider is the electric service. Cheaper RVs will skimp on this and use a 30 amp were a 50 amp might be necessary. Anything more than a 30-32' RV really needs at least 2 ACs if you intend to try and cool it in a hot climate. Folks will cheat the system by installing a soft start on their ACs and try to run 2. Yes, it will work but you're still coming close to maxing out the capacity.
Lastly... look at the tires. For trave trailers, the gold standard has been Goodyear Endurance. If they come with any tire you're not familiar with plan to change them immediately. Blowouts aren't uncommon and they do a lot of damage. On fifth wheels, Goodyear is ok assuming they're not crazy heavy but if they are I suggest the Sailun S637s. A lot of campers are coming with them now. I changed mine to the Sailun and man what a difference.
Suspension - Preferable with wet bolts and greasable shackle straps. The standard suspensions can wear pretty quickly. MorRyde CRE3000 and similar are the way to go.
These are just a few areas to consider. All RVs will have issues, so if you want one that is zero maintenance, leave them on the lot. Even the "best" suffer from gremlins.
Avoid rigs built in late 2020 through early 2022. Supply chain shortages caused manufacturers to cut a lot of corners. There have been a plethora of issues with them.
Couple of things that certain manufacturers have had issues with:
Keystone - went through a few years of the roof membrane glue releasing and causing roof bubbles. This can create a leak. Keystone also uses cable slides in a lot of places they shouldn't be used. Their sidewalls are also relatively thin. Unless I were considering their higher end Montana line, I'd avoid them personally (I've owned 2).
Grand Design - Folks love their grand designs, but go to the GD forums. They have some serious shortcomings with their plumbing methods and quite a few owners have had issues with plumbing leaks. They can be fixed easily, but for the price tag, IMO, they should not leave the lot until fixed. It's been enough to shy me away from the price tag. There are units built as nice or nicer that are more affordable. IMO.
Winnebago - They've had quite a few years of failing roof systems. I'll leave this here, but go look up AZExpert on Youtube. He's rebuilt the roof structure on more than I can count. I won't even consider them personally.
Forrest River - Really depends on the models. Their Coachmen Chaparral line is the sister to the Riverstone. I owned the 392MBL (sister to the RS 398MBL) and it was literally flawless. This was probably the best rig that we've ever owned. Simple maintenance was all that it ever needed. Their lower end TT models like Surveyor have a following as well and are reasonably well made, but the construction isn't anything to really write home about. Their Grand Surveyors are pretty nice.
Jayco - I've owned 2. Would never own a third. Both of my Jaycos leaked at the nose. I think they've since solved that issue but I've walked through most of their models and unless it's a Pinnacle or a North Point I personally wouldn't consider them. Even with those, they have a problem with the front cap paint fading almost immediately. I've been in 2 White Hawks (their higher end travel trailers) recently and both already have peeling paint on the nose caps, lots of loose trim, loose windows, etc.. and the units haven't left the lot yet. These are 2023-2024 models. Definitely not worth it for the price tag.
Again - this is MY experience and MY opinion. Your mileage may vary.
