Which to own- a New Mid level 5er or a older High line 5er

[wantabe351]

I'm reaching out to owners that have bought a new Mid-level 5er after having a nice older hi-line Fifth wheel...After looking at the different sites on the web for Newer Fifth Wheels to buy, which would be a better deal to get,and to be happy with..A new Mid-level unit or a 10 year plus High line 5th wheel...Such as "Horizon Majestic" or a "Mobile Suites" and there are others... I know i'm asking to compare 2 different types of RV's, But at a cost of 25,000 to 30,000$... one could own a 28'to 34' nice mid-level rv OR a 7 to 10yr old 38' to 40' Hi-line unit thats out of reach new, but can do used..Sure there may be some repairs but it could be upgrades too..I'm looking to help out a fellow RVer that lives down my street and wants to do just this....Thanks

[ChuckV1]

Maybe you should look at the Kz brand of 5th wheels, there high end 5th wheels are priced in most MFG mid range's an the are built pretty darn well, no junk... Kz supports it's customer base an has a two year warranty " https://www.kz-rv.com/ "

Check out the Kz Family form " http://kzfamilyforum.com/ " an you can see why owners bought the Kz product 🙂


Safe Travels

[bigdon68]

wantabe351 wrote:
I'm reaching out to owners that have bought a new Mid-level 5er after having a nice older hi-line Fifth wheel...After looking at the different sites on the web for Newer Fifth Wheels to buy, which would be a better deal to get,and to be happy with..A new Mid-level unit or a 10 year plus High line 5th wheel...Such as "Horizon Majestic" or a "Mobile Suites" and there are others... I know i'm asking to compare 2 different types of RV's, But at a cost of 25,000 to 30,000$... one could own a 28'to 34' nice mid-level rv OR a 7 to 10yr old 38' to 40' Hi-line unit thats out of reach new, but can do used..Sure there may be some repairs but it could be upgrades too..I'm looking to help out a fellow RVer that lives down my street and wants to do just this....Thanks

Whatever decision you make you should consider how much the manufacturer or a "very good" dealer will stand behind the unit.

With Mobile Suites or Elite Suites you best bet is to deal with the 2 premier dealers around, RVs For Less in Knowville, TN; and, Rolling Retreats in Elk City, Oklahoma
They sell great units and are the best around in customer service.

New Horizons does not have a dealer network so you best bet is to deal with them direct in Junction City, Kansas

Good luck. We love our Mobile Suites.

bigdon68

[Fiver_Driver1]

We bought a quality used fifth wheel and have not been disappointed. The cabinets and drawers are real wood with dove tail joints. It has two fantastic fans. Of course it is much heavier than the three previous fivers we have owned but it is not like we put 20,000 miles a year on it. It also has shock absorbers. This unit even has a 2,000 watt inverter backed by six six volt batteries. It has a 100 gallon fresh water capacity.

[BBworkdog]

Having bought a new high end 5-er, I recoomend any potential buyer know what they will do with it and where they are going to take it. Yes, it is nice to have one to live in, extended, when you want to, but going to the beach with carpeting throughout is not a good proposition. Even my wife began to regret buying high because she wants it to stay nice, but our destinations are sometimes limited, or our precautions can put a damper on enjoyment. Older high end units almost always have full carpeting when laminate is more practical. And replacing carpeting which goes under the slides normally can be challenging. We are considering this now even though our carpets are like-new due to my wife's liberal use of roll up carpets.
Another factor to consider in all units is the type of slide mechanisms used. Many of the older high end units had problems with slides of certain types with the increased weight of quality construction and materials coupled with larger slide sizes. These problems usually came with mechanical screw-driven types, I believe.

[Dtank]

dave17352 wrote:
Used high end.

X-2 (or 3 or 4, etc.)

HOWEVER - apparently you are helping a friend decide what *he* should have, want .......could be "Mission Impossible".

IMO there are other factors for HIM to consider!

Tell him to get out and start shopping both new and used.

There is LOTS of search and research to do to find a high-end 5th in
good to great shape. (Same goes for any used RV).

Have him look at new high-end 5ths (even if they are out of his price range / spending limits) to see what the differnce/s are!

are they important to him? - May help to decide which way to go.

Happy hunting!

.

[wantabe351]

Well the fellow RVer down the street from me decided that they wanted a new RV and bought a Cougar 5er. I thought they were going for a older unit but, over the weekend they had gone shopping and found this unit and fell in love with it.....Thank you all for your help Wantabe351

[2001400ex]

SidecarFlip wrote:

IdaD wrote:
RVs depreciate like crazy. I'm not sure I'd ever buy a new unit unless I was retired and looking to spend a ton of time in one. As a camper/vacation rig I just don't think I'd want to take that financial hit.

Only thing that I know of that has a steeper depreciation curve is a snow mobile.

I'd by buying used but with a very careful inspection. Adverse to sleeping in someone's bed, buy a new mattress.

Snowmobiles are awful with depreciation. I'm not sure the answer is true with RVs if you buy a new one the right way. My first 2 toy haulers I sold with only about $4k and $2k less than I had into it total after everything like trailer covers and hitch.

My new fifth wheel had an MSRP of $70k, I paid under $50k out the door including hitch, turnover ball and air bags installed. If you pay close to MSRP, there is a huge depreciation hit, but if you are willing to drive a few miles to buy one and do you homework on what dealers truly sell them for. Of course there is a depreciation hit but can be minimal.

[ReneeG]

George H wrote:
Used high-end! The quality on majority of new models is in question. As for age limits, most parks will allow older units after they see them (assuming clean and cared for).

Agree!

[dave17352]

Used high end.

[memtb]

wantabe351, Our present unit was "full-timed" for eight (8) years. But....it was very well taken of. This goes back to knowing the original quality of construction and "you" going over it with a "fine toothed comb". Yes... you have no warranty and some things may fail and require repair or replacement, but the savings (especially if you can do much of the general stuff yourself) can keep money in "your" pocket. And, yes... the exterior will show sun-fade, tires, batteries, and other things won't be new. I figure we saved about $120,000+ as compaired to what the original owner had invested. That's far cheaper than what you will pay for a mid-range, and far better quality. So far, in 4 1/2 years the only major expenses we've had were re-roofing and cleaning and resealing the dual pane windows. Neither were necessary, but as we are going to keep the unit until we quit RV'ing....we saw those items as a good investment. Of course refrigerators, air conditioners, etc. can fail. Buying used is a gamble....but getting out of bed in the morning is also a gamble!

[wantabe351]

My thoughts were to invest on a used Hi-line Model with a plan on doing some upgrades/repairs. RV's can have good bones but there are still wearable items that will need to be replaced- Bedding, Furniture, tires and suspension but at a cost of 2-3,000$ and then a professional detail on the exterior you have a real nice unit to enjoy for many years..

[Durb]

I did buy a higher end 5er used and have been very happy with it. Being able to do my own repairs has allowed me to not need a warranty. My only concern is that I feel high end 5ers were most likely purchased by full timers as a means to justify the cost. Personally, I wouldn't buy a used full time rig as wear and tear will be multiplied. If necessary, I would step down a notch in quality to get a lightly used unit.

The older high end units are heavy. Some of the money saved might have to go to upgrading his truck. Something to consider.

[memtb]

Used high end! Let the original owner take the big hit, plus you'll get a better made unit. Of course....you need to do your homework!!

[Jayco-noslide]

I wonder if there really is a big quality difference between an expensive, high end one and a mid price one. Or if a lot of it is fairly superficial options, etc. There may be a difference but I think it's hard to know since I've heard horror stories from plenty of owners of high end stuff. Perhaps condition and features are more important?