Sorry, no experience here but I did find active forums on Fifth Wheels elsewhere than Houzz.

Rv.net

5thwheelforums

irv2.com

Hope they help. Have fun!

just a little fiy...one of my friends just bought an expensive travel trailer from the manufacturer somewhere in the midwest, I think. Paid to have it delivered. Brand spanking new! When it arrived, they discovered the driver who towed it had slept in the bed and used the bathroom!

So they had to spend hours disinfecting it. I would have sent it back, but they wanted to use it. So if you order one to be delivered from somewhere, just be aware.

I don’t have any advice per se on websites. DH would love to get one and we have looked off and on at the Class B ones on the Mercedes chassis. Ages ago we had a travel trailer. Mostly outfitted back then with stuff we had extra from the house, and I always took a cast iron skillet along from home.

If I were having to do it again, I would probably look at a basic cookware set from Costco. They used to sell a decent set from Tramontina and another from Cuisinart that were decent. And Melamine dishes are cute and decent these days. So lightweight, I wouldn’t mind a set in an RV. Same for some drinking glasses. I bought a cute set at Pier 1 as a wedding gift for friends who have a small yacht they stay on during weekends. They love it and use it all the time.

Look at the recent discussion we had here about the Dyson stick vac. For an RV I would get something small and perhaps something you can even use at home.

There is a group of women who camp together, mostly small RVs and tents they can handle alone. They call themselves Sisters on the Fly and mostly get together to fish, hike, and such. A widowed friend joined for something to do. You might get some cute decorating ideas and camp ideas from their site. They are quite creative.

Our neighbors just purchased a 42 foot RV with a back porch and a hot tub! We are in CO and their big issue is trying to find a spot that isn't in a crowded campground. IIRC, they do something called dispersed camping. They look for remote federal land and carry a generator and water.

Hint. Try to set up camp that has Uber coverage.

Our friends were about to sell their 5th wheel because it was a pain to set up and then disconnect when wanting to spend time touring areas where they have traveled. They recently learned to set up and use Uber to get from campground to points of interest. (They are still sorry they didn’t get a motor home and tow a small vehicle for day trips away from camp.)

I know nothing about trailers Lynn, but here’s to you and hubby for many happy years of travel and companionship.

My parents had a 5th Wheel, but that was many years ago, so no concrete advice.

As someone who has camped next to someone who had one, though, I find outdoor TVs to be incredibly obnoxious. I'm tent camping and I'm essentially in this guy's home-away-from-home theater. Awful.

Have you camped in one Lynn? I would do as someone suggested and rent one for a trip and see how you like it. We used to camp but sold our camper a few years ago. We are also thinking of purchasing another camper ourselves! We like a travel trailer. One thing for us, while we love camping, we do not love pulling a camper a very long distance. Many people do, you know what you like. We also do not like concrete campgrounds as we call them. Campsites too near each other, all concrete, etc. We enjoy camping in state parks, near our mountains, and a few other campgrounds that are more natural outdoor areas. We love camping near a river, etc. I will admit that I like "all the comforts of home", although we love cooking outside. Our camper had a full kitchen, heat and air, shower, etc. We had a nice "bedroom" area and had a custom mattress so that we had a comfortable bed. That is one big tip I would give you. If you plan to spend any time in the camper, have a comfy bed. RV mattresses are usually a few inches shorter than a regular mattress. We had a queen bed in our camper, same as what we have at home. I had (and still have) sheets, towels, dish towels, dish cloths, etc. strictly for the camper. Bathroom rug, kitchen rug. We did not have any carpeting in the camper. I had pots and pans and a set of dishes for the camper. That kind of thing. We kept a broom and other cleaning items in the camper but not a vacuum, but we did not go on long term cross country trips. For the amount of actual floor space a broom was fine (unless you have carpet). We would clean the flooring good before/after a trip. We had a full kitchen, oven/stove, microwave, fridge, etc. but we love cooking outdoors and mostly did that. I can't think of the brand of our grill, but it is one of those looks kind of like a rectangular george foreman (kind of a griddle) on a stand. We enjoyed it and you can always cook over a campfire if interested. We did camp at a couple of places that did not have full hook-up and had a generator for those areas. We actually did put an extra flat screen tv we had in the camper - there was a mounting device already on the bedroom wall. In all our trips, we used it one time - and that was a trip when we had a day or 2 of rain. We caught up on some movies. Otherwise, it was rarely turned on. It's nice to have because we could check news at home, etc. but not something you need. Oh, I used several of the hamper and baskets that can fold up. They are nice to pack your items in and then our bedroom "closets" had a big area where we could each sit one of the baskets with clothing. I kept one in the bathroom closet for dirties and that way we could just carry our "hamper" inside on return. No washer and dryer for us, again, we did not do long trips.

Keep us posted! We enjoy camping and our besties are just now in a position to start going again (have had ill parents) so we will be in the market!

Maybe also check Reddit for RV forums?

I have a funny fifth wheel story. One of the Y instructors and her family used to do a long driving vacation every summer. They wound up lost in Midtown Manhattan in their fifth wheel. Of course, everyone thought it was very funny that these people from SC were trying to maneuver around the city with the fifth wheel.

We've always talked about wanting to try an Airstream, but neither of us have ever towed a vehicle, and we haven't camped since we were in scouting in middle school!

See if you can rent, but with the pandemic, they are in short supply as many people have the same idea. Also, some people lent their RV's to healthcare workers to keep in their driveway so that they don't have to stay inside their houses with their families.

Sorry no help here. I have some friends who purchased an rPod after they retired. They were tent campers so much more convenient. There will be no RVs in our life. We have enjoyed staying on a sailboat for a week and I thought it could be similar and nice place for the cats. DH said NWIH would he ever go on an RV trip let alone own one.

Here ya go: https://forums.goodsamclub.com/

Ignore the batch of Camping World ad subforums at the top. Go directly to the 5th wheel one.

No advice, but lots of support and good wishes. DH and I are avid backpackers and backcountry campers, though we are in a bit of a dry spell. We are starting back up this year with a bunch of car camping, ie tent at a campground. Leaving Friday for a 3 night trip actually.

I dream of hiking the AT when I retire.

It’s late, but I’ve already read through all of your posts. And, thank you all so much already!

TinaMarie: so much down-to-earth practical advice. Thank you so much!!!!!

Tartan & Fori: great sited! I’m really looking forward to getting involved with them!

3katz, Chispa, and Gscience: LOL! A long time ago, during college breaks in Oklahoma, DH drove big water trucks in the oil fields. He still drives a (wonderful) GMC Sierra pickup and is now looking to trade it in on a heavy duty diesel pickup to tow a 5wheel. He has always loved to drive. Trucks, our friend’ motor homes (that we’ve borrowed), etc. are no problem for him to manage. So, renting a fifth wheel is not what we’re looking to do.

Cawsaps: I TOTALLY agree with you about the invasiveness and rudeness of watching tv outdoors so that everyone around you has their peace and quiet ruined! I have no desire for an outdoor tv, but if we end up with one because the used one we buy does have one, it will be watched ONLY with headphones on! It‘s kind of daunting, though, to think that we stand a good chance of ending up near rude campers who do have one blasting. Ugh!

Nutsaboutplants; Thank you!!!

Olychick: OMG, yuck!!!

Dgw: we’ve thought of that, too. At present time, though, our plans are to spend a couple of weeks visiting my family in Michigan . My one sis and her husband live on their own private lake where we can stay near their house, and close to my many other siblings and their families. On to our son & DIL in Augusta. GA. My one brother and SIL live near the Gulf in very south Florida, that we want to spend time with. And then our daughter and many friends live in the Dallas/FW area now. We also have friends and family in Arizona, Washington, Oregon and Alaska. So, we have a lot of traveling planned (LOL)!

Outside Playing: thank you for that great advice! Like TinaMarie’s, I’m saving both of your posts to refer back to when I start furnishing our new fifth wheel!

BTW: I keep hitting “Say thank you to” on each of your posts and those thank yous keep disappearing!!! But, thank you all!

Maddie: good idea, thanks!

To add to what TinaMarie said, definitely look around at what you really will use in an RV and must have while camping and furnish your kitchen and bath with duplicates of those things. I did the same thing again when we furnished our lake condo. And I bought really inexpensive things for the most part like measuring cups & spoons, storage containers, and things like that. You know what items you use most in your kitchen so let that be your guide.

I can recall looking at all the different models, and I would definitely recommend a bathroom with a separate shower stall, or even a small tub/shower, especially if you will have small grandkids along. Ditto what Tina said about a mattress. Most setups have reading lights built in by the beds. Check for that.

Most people we know have a lightweight mat they can put outside their entry to keep down the debris tracked inside. Something easy to shake out and roll up when you are ready to travel.

If I think of anything else I will write again.

You might want to read this older thread:

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5299246/rv-travel-my-latest-crazy-idea#n=52

It's more than just a matter of driving the trailer around...it's a matter of lifestyle that goes with it that I would find unattractive...you are bringing your own laundry, food shopping, cooking, cleaning and other household chores with you vs. staying in a place where the household chores are done for you; and you have access to real plumbing fixtures and no dealing with the waste. One comment that was eye-opening for me was when someone said they parked and wanted to enjoy their privacy and then someone else parked right next to them as they want the socializing and meeting the neighbors. I've also seen so many long lines just to get into campgrounds at national parks and such.

But clearly many people enjoy the lifestyle, and if it's for you, go for it.

We have camped since 1971 in everything from a pup tent to the fifth wheel we have now. We haven't had a motor home, but my son did. He had a Thor and I do not recommend it.

Fifth wheels are easier to tow and hook up than travel trailers. Shorter with slide out is better than long. The beds and bathroom is the most important. If you both normally sleep together in a king size bed, be sure to get one in the RV. The bigger the better for the bath, but don't get a walk thru bath. (Between the living and the master bedroom.)

That outside TV is only good if you tailgate at your college for football games. Unless you are going to live in it, you really don't need that much room inside. I like a built in dinette rather than the table and chairs. You do want a comfortable couch or recliners, or both if room.

We bought a Kit Patio Hauler. It is 35 ft long. 25 ft inside and 10ft porch for carrying the Harley. It doesn't have slide outs, because to go to that weight, he would of had to bought a diesel truck and he wanted to stay with gas. We did have to plan for gas fill ups, because it would not fit in just any gas station.

Camping is great, because your pets go with you and you have all your own stuff. It is a bit of work, and you really don't save any money. It is more of a choice than anything else.

ETA: My Coleman pop up had an outdoor stove built in, as well as the stove inside, and I really enjoyed that. I can see where the outdoor stove and grill with a small frig would be nice.

That's strange about lines into campgrounds, because we've never encountered that. Most people seem to do as we do and make reservations. Some campgrounds limit how many people you can have on a site, and national/state parks will enforce, so that shouldn't be a problem. You will find the campgrounds you like, such as we have. We know what sites we want, a large site, not situated too close to another, near water (lake/river), etc. I don't really consider cooking while camping a chore, and of course do not prepare the kind of meals I would at home. We loved taking our pup and she enjoyed camping. We are outside people and spend many evenings at home out by a fire, just as we would while camping. You are most likely going to be near areas where you can go to a restaurant if you don't want to cook.

Outside was right, a good mat/rug out front is a must. Our camper had a large canopy, but we took a smaller canopy for dining. We always took a supply of firewood and several lanterns. We did have a bathroom with the shower/tub combo. You will go a few times and see things you need/want to have with you. Sounds like so much fun Lynn!

I know one gentleman who decided when he retired that he and his wife would travel the country and "see the things we never got time to see" in a 5th wheel.

I think the difference for him vs. you (or, at least I hope this is different!) is that he had no real idea what he was in for.

He did a private travel blog and it ended up being one of the funniest things I'd ever read. Campground bathrooms, scuzzy campground pools, driving the massive thing over twisty scary mountain roads, his distaste with his fellow campers (lots of rowdy behavior), etc.

He ended up calling the entire experience "Camping - getting to know people you never knew you didn't want to meet!"

Anyway, they came home and sold the 5th wheel. LOL.

(ETA - he likened it to buying a boat. Your 2 happiest days are the day you buy it, and the day you sell it....)

One of my biggest concerns would be the annoying fellow campers, especially if they sing Kumbaya. At one campground, a fellow camper played loud Barbra Streisand music that I absolutely hated. He said he thought everyone loved Barbra - wrong! She does not belong in the wilderness of Death Valley, where I expect peace and quiet.

Pets are not allowed in many parks, as they can hunt and kill the native wild animals, which may be endangered species.

I figure between the initial cost of the 5th wheel and the vehicle to pull it, the costs of insurance and gasoline and campground fees, the ordeal of set up and take down, no matter how luxurious, i can stay in a heckuva lot of hotels and Air B&Bs and resorts and let them do all the work.

Heck, you even have to clean the darn thing and do your own housework in a 5th wheel, time you could be spending touring or seeing the sights or reading a good book instead of dealing with it all! Call me lazy, I guess.

Have fun!

Travel trailer here (24 ft). Very happy. On the road right now with limited internet. One caution with a large 5er. You may be limited to state and national parks by the size. Keep that in mind as you shop and only buy what you need, not what you are blinded by!

Check out the folks at Know Your Daydream. They have had a number of different rigs, including a 5er. Great Youtube channel, you can fast forward to the 5er time.

KYD

Our approach to the travel trailer, in addition to our boats, has been to outfit with duplicates of what we use at home, ie, down pillows, high thread count sheets, Henkels knives, Dyson stick vac, Themapen, etc.

Good luck and we may see you on the road! Currently enroute to Mackinaw City to spend the summer on family compound on Lake Michigan.