Fifth wheel suggestions?

[alealitha]

We've decided to upgrade from our TT to a 5th wheel and are feeling somewhat overwhelmed by the options and lack of a decent search engine (on issues we're looking for). We thought perhaps folks would have some suggestions to help us narrow the field down.
Key items we're looking for:
1) Tow-able by F250 *
2) washer/dryer/dishwasher hookups
3) Either 2nd room for office or space that can be used for office (ie not in middle of living room)
4) Kitchen Island
5) full size fridge & oven

We've got a zillion other things we're looking for, but most of them are negotiable.

We've seen the Hathaway 34IK, 36CK2, & 38FBD and passed on them...for now anyway...

Thanks in advance!
Adam
*edit* We're open to stepping up the truck, but would rather not if possible!

[X_Medic 73]

2) washer/dryer/dishwasher hookups
3) Either 2nd room for office or space that can be used for office (ie not in middle of living room)


GOOD LUCK


I'm pulling a Chaparral Lite 30RLS with F250 SCrew 6.7 (maybe a gasser will have more payload) and payload is an issue with me, I don't see you getting items 2 and/or 3.


Interested and following

[RolnThndrCat]

Basically sounds like a mid-bunk model you are looking for. You could use a rear bunk and just modify the room by taking out the sofa/bed and top bunk. A lot of the mid-bunk models have a tri-fold sofa and "desk/entertainment" area. However, finding a model like this that a F250 can handle comfortably and safely, pickings will be slim.

With some "lite" models, you lose the washer/dryer hookup. I have only seen dishwasher prep in a higher end model.

[formerFR]

check out 'mid bunk' fifth wheels, as they have a middle room, next to the kitchen, which serves as a sitting room, or bunk room, and can certainly become an easy and private 'office'... I want one myself!

[Semperfi24]

It sounds like you would be looking for a "mid bunk" floorplan. They all have a room in the mid point of the trailer (front to back, hence the name mid bunk). Perfect for an office. As I was typing, it appears that the mid bunk conversation already popped in. So I second what "they" said already.

BUT, my experience is that they are all VERY large and would likely be too much for an F250.

How handy are you? As in, if you bought a floor plan with a bunk room, would you have the capability/carpentry skills to turn the bottom bunk into a desk area?

[alealitha]

Yes, Handy enough. 20 years of 4 kids and not enough $ to pay for high dollar repairmen so have some experience with it all: plumbing, electrical, carpentry...and kids

[aceinspp]

I have a Phoenix that has the washer dryer but no dish washer. Mine does have a work station to one side of rear of camper. Not a bad set up. I chase not to get the residential refrig. Later RJD

[busch543]

Not up on the Ford specs.We are looking at A Brookstone 398mbl it has most of what you want but it is 13200# empty and up to 15500 maxed.

[Semperfi24]

Handy enough is probably good enough, lol. My fifth wheel experience is only with the trailer we have now. We tow it with a F250. The rear of the camper is a bunk room, with an upper and lower bunk that is "double". If you had a set up like that, you could turn the lower into an office space and the upper can be storage, or another bed in case you need a place for somebody else. Ours is an Arctic Wolf, 287BH. I offer you that as an example of what you might be able to find, and maybe form some ideas. I dont want to be the guy that suggests that everyone should buy my floorplan because we love it so much, lol. But maybe it will spark some ideas for you. There are probably dozens of trailers that will fit the bill. We dont have washer/dryer though. But, but there is a spot for one in the bunk room if you arent using it as a bunk room. Plus there is a second gray tank in the back for the kitchen sink. We will never fill that, so a washer could dump into that no problem. Good luck in your search

[Halfmast]

I had a 2018 Coachmen Chaparral 360IBL. Forty feet, center island but did not have a residential fridge: 11 cu ft gas/elec. It has washer/dryer hookups in the bedroom closet. This unit is a mid-bunk with a slide. I pulled out the bunks and turned it into a computer room with lots of storage.

Should be ¾T towable. I have a dually and it pulled like a dream but many would say it was overkill.

[Ampdraw]

Originally Posted by alealitha

We've decided to upgrade from our TT to a 5th wheel and are feeling somewhat overwhelmed by the options and lack of a decent search engine (on issues we're looking for). We thought perhaps folks would have some suggestions to help us narrow the field down.

I get how regulars on a message board get annoyed by seeing the same questions asked over and over when they’ve already been asked, but all the comments that just say “use the search engine” get to be even more annoying and a waste of everyones time. Also board software has a terrible search engine anyhow. New products are constantly coming onto the market, a solution that may have been sufficient a year ago in a post may very well have been superseded by an even better solution that came onto the market since the post you find in a search was made.

Key items we're looking for:
2) washer/dryer/dishwasher hookups
3) Either 2nd room for office or space that can be used for office (ie not in middle of living room)
5) full size fridge & oven

A 5th wheel Toy Hauler may be a good solution for you to look into even if you have no intention of hauling toys. Just about all toy haulers come standard with w/d hookups. The “garage” portion of the toy hauler can nicely accommodate as an office space, my own has a wall and door separating it from the living quarters. We keep a chest freezer in ours so the actual kitchen refrigerator doesn’t need to be a space consuming “full size”. Not sure how much luck you’ll have finding anything F250 small but with a “full size oven”. We have a normal RV size oven with a “convection” microwave above it which means we have the regular gas oven down below, but in addition to being able to microwave popcorn in the microwave it can also be used as a non microwave electric convection oven for baking in, essentially 2 ovens.

Another advantage of a toy hauler is just about all of them also come with a built in generator which is nice for keeping all that food in your full size refrigerator and freezer safe should there be a power outage. The kitchen refrigerators usually run on electric/propane, but we didn’t want to waste thousands of extra dollars on a “special” RV chest freezer. The salesmen will tell you “a regular domestic refrigerator will not survive use in an RV”, hogwash, we’ve been doing it trouble free for years. If you’re pulling a trailer through the Rubicon Trail (which we don’t do) you’re going to have problems with even that “purpose built” RV refrigerator. Even if the argument was valid, you could ruin and rebuy 10 new domestic refrigerators for the money you’d spend on that one cheaply built “rv specific” refrigerator.