Is there a Luxury FW under 30'

[BM Welder]

Space Craft and New Horizons custom build 5th wheels but there expensive.
There made for full time living. I think Lux shortest is about 37ft.

[mtnlvr]

Originally Posted by bikendan

Not by American standards.
The pricepoint is more related to the Airstream name and cool factor.
Since Thor Industries bought them out years ago, the quality has suffered a lot. But Thor keeps the price up to attract the more affluent buyer.

Their “cool factor” and with a hefty price, they still don’t have any slide outs. I’d be tripping over my dogs in one of those skinny things.

[bob213]

Originally Posted by DrLewie

Plenty of manufacturers make 5th wheels <30 feet. You just have to look. I have a 29' Arctic Fox made by Northwest RV in Oregon. Nicely built rig and so far much more reliable than my old Cardinal.

I think that should be "Northwood"
https://northwoodmfg.com/5th-wheels/

[DrLewie]

Originally Posted by bob213

I think that should be "Northwood"
https://northwoodmfg.com/5th-wheels/

Oops. You are correct. Northwood makes the Arctic Fox. Thanks for the correction.

[kenandterry]

Luxury FW under 30’ with King bed, and top end finishes and appointments.
Hmmmmmm.

Wouldn’t that be another variation on “Oxymoron”?

[tomkatb]

We were sort of looking for that type fifth wheel in 2016-2018.

I did my research. I found that articles on length seemed to indicate that fifth wheels under 40’ could get into a higher percentage of campgrounds.

Our 34RE at 37’ has gotten us into a lot of state parks in the Midwest. Never been turned down.

We liked the Montana. The Grand Desin Reflection. also.

After the DW saw fivers with king beds and a washer dryer, that became our new “must haves” in our search. Most lines have these. Under 35’ would maybe be better.

Another of our must haves was lighter hitch weight. Ours was under #1900.

[cadman99]

Rockwood makes two ..... I have a 2014 8244 ... took awhile to find a used one near me but there are quite a few nationwide

8244ws - 27ft
8265ws - 29ft

[zanoffmj]

You ight have to order it with upgrades. We have a 2019 Rockwood Ultra Lite 2650WS. It is just under 30 feet. We took all of the valences down, put up curtains, put up some wallpaper in the dinning booth area, painted the walls. and installed peel and stick tile for the backsplash. Made a big difference.

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by cadman99

Rockwood makes two ..... I have a 2014 8244 ... took awhile to find a used one near me but there are quite a few nationwide



8244ws - 27ft

8265ws - 29ft

Rockwood makes a good product but they are by no means considered "Luxury", which is what the OP is asking for.

[DuluthCamper]

It's not a "luxury" 5th wheel by any definition, but our 2010 FR Rockwood Signature Ultra-Lite 8244S really fits the bill for us in most places that we want space. If you were handy, you could install a king bed in it, but it's designed for a camper queen. At 26' 9" total length, it is perfect for any campsite outside of a tent-only or slide-in camper rig. And without trying to start a different discussion, it's short enough to let us double-tow a 26' boat trailer behind our 3/4 ton Chevy turbo diesel, which is the deal maker for us (we love water, love exploring by boat, and fishing!).

It's really quite luxurious--to us--because we have a different background for comparison: 100% tent camping via canoe & backpack. It really makes some things luxuries to us (TV, hot water, a big shower stall, microwave oven, etc.) even though they are not luxuries to you--unless you choose to treat them that way. We're not out to keep up with the Joneses--just enjoying senior life with fewer sore backs & legs from not carrying everything on our backs over portages.

There are too few small 5th wheels out there, IMHO, and I count myself lucky for having been shopping for a few months, and choosing to purchase a used model that was in great condition--just a few weeks before COVID shut most things down in 2020 in the U.S.

Dealers in February of that year were eager to negotiate price down to make the sale, and I was able to talk our dealer down 35% from asking price, AND have him throw in a 7" Furrion 4-way view screen for the truck and install a nice Furrion backup color audio/video camera behind the camper. Plus he gave us 50% off any accessories we wanted that were in stock. A quick comparison of prices on line at other stores, and at Amazon, revealed the 50% was a good deal on a few of their items, so we bought a bit more from him then.

Yes, it was a "starter" camper for us, but luxury is in the eyes of the camper. If you're used to a king bed and can't live without it, or if you need a hot tub / spa in your rig and a center island and six slide-outs to feel comfortable, or if you're traveling with a lot of people, a short 5th wheel like ours isn't going to do it for you. But we only travel with the two of us, not even pets. And we have plenty of room, plenty of smiles, and a happy feeling of being in a cozy little home away from home.

Maybe best of all, none of those nasty new-camper/new-plastic/new-formaldehyde-wood smells, and we don't have to continually look at bland taupe or dark wood colors. We're pretty dated, I guess, but the honey oak cabinetry matches what we have in our house, so we can move into the camper and still feel completely at home.

I wish you the absolute best of luck finding a short luxury 5th wheel camper! If your pockets are deep, I'm sure you could take one like ours and upgrade it.

We got into ours for $10K, and have taken it many places in the last 18 months, enjoyed many fun and new places.

When I think back about the brand new rigs we saw for $40K and higher, which smelled atrociously of plastics and chemicals, and which didn't look & feel like "home" to us, I count my blessings and continue feeling we have a "luxury" 5th wheel, now that we're not carrying our home on our backs.

[Bhrava]

The only difference between mid level and "luxury" 5th wheels is the price!

Many consider the Montana a "Luxury" 5th wheel, but compared to my Arctic Wolf, I saw ZERO differences. Why spend $80K on a 5th that has the same cabinetry as in a $40K unit? They are also much heavier, requiring a much bigger truck (Dually).

Both had the same furniture, both had the same mattresses. Other than the frame and having more storage, they were both on the same interior level. So basically you need to define what Luxury means to you. A lot of what you find on the more expensive rigs can be added aftermarket to the mid level rigs, such as the suspension components, Lippert road armor or MoRryde, as well as the control system for the slides and lights. Mattresses usually get replaced with something much more comfortable on just about all of them, was in a $175K Motorocoach, the mattress was the same darn 6" one in mine.

Just keep one thing in mind with the RV's, you never get what you paid for. There are no Bentleys or Rolls Royce 5th wheels, there are fancy ones with automotive paint jobs, but they are still constructed the same inside as any other 5th wheel.

IOW, don't rule out the mid levels because of their price, there are some really nice ones out there, Luxury is in the eye of the beholder. Heck the sofa in our 5th is more comfortable than the one in my house!

[pt35cruiser]

Look at the Rockwood Signature 8263MBR

[Freebird2020]

Draw up a floor plan like the Montana 3120 or one from another manufacturer you like. Modify it with your length and try to see what you could do without.

You would probably have to get rid of the Hide a Bed Sofa and make the slides shorter.

Add the amenities you want

Send the drawing to the custom builders and see what they say. And maybe the traditional manufacturers but most probably won't respond.

And for fun, post the drawing here for comments from the forum. It could get interesting

Maybe others could post drawings also for the ultimate luxury short 5th wheel floor plan.

[Jcape]

Originally Posted by nickens

We've seen lots of nice FW's but the upper end models are so long. We like to stay in state parks, but 40' units don't fit. We are looking for something with lots of basement storage (drop frame!), a King Bed, rear living area, top-end finish and accessories, and under 30' floor length. Use would be extended weekends and two 2-3 month road trips per year.

There are so many makers and models, and so many model years that it makes research pretty tough. The closest FW to meet those needs is the Montana 3120 RL, but still a little longer than what we would like.

Any suggestions? Any custom builders?

Thanks!
Blaine Nickens
Folsom, CA

What do you mean "Luxury"? Most travel trailers and 5th wheels are all made the same with the same accesories. Pressboard cabinets, trim, same carpet, lousy beds, except for low end 18 to 24 foot they all have shower enclosures, I don't think you will find anything under 30 feet with a king sized bed.

[DrLewie]

The definition of "luxury" is an individual choice. To some folks an electric fireplace, an outdoor kitchen and a washer dryer would be considered luxury. To me, for example, nope. Good construction and reliability are more important than bells and whistles.

[U.S.ArmyVeteran]

https://northwoodmfg.com/arctic-fox-2/arctic-fox-27-5l/

[buckaroo2]

Originally Posted by bikendan

An Arctic Fox 5th wheel might be as luxurious as an under 30ft 5th wheel can get. It at least will be solid.

I totally agree on the arctic fox we had a 40ft cedar creek custom a very nice unit but after six years we traded to a small unit which was the arctic fox silver fox edition which is a solid build and you can get in a 27 ft we got the 32 with the king bed and all the nice add on like the large slider tray in the basement double door fridge which to us is a must for long stays solid wood cupboards the off road chassis with shocks the thermostat windows the door that is wind proof and very large basement have a look at them. I toured the factory and these units are truly a four season unit

[Freebird2020]

This might be your best compromise on a true luxury unit if you truly want to spend the money. Lots of options to add also.
https://vanleighrv.com/products/the-beacon/34rlb/

[JohnnyPop]

Yes. Arctic Fox and ORV Glacier Peak. Well made units, “small batch” production, better built than any Indiana trailer. Resale value is also reflective of the brand reputation, quality build, and desirability. If you can afford the spend to get into one I highly recommend.

[FirstFiver]

A little late to the party here, but I think I would look into East West brand. New company and Tandara is their fifth wheel line.
Not "luxury" but being a new company I would venture they are paying a little more attention to detail when the rigs role down the assembly line. Nothing would be worse for a new company than their rv's to be falling apart at their debut.