Nutz!

[Oakman]

It’s not my fault. I think it must have been a conspiracy. My wife and I left our house this morning to check out a couple of campgrounds that were 90 miles away. As we neared the area of the campgrounds, an RV dealership drew us in. I’ve been wanting to look at the quality of Silverbacks by Cedar Creek and although the dealership didn’t have the floor plan I was interested in, they had one that was close. I was fairly impressed with the features, and the fit and finish but I knew Silverbacks were priced higher than what I wanted to pay for a fifth wheel.

To make a long story short, after we checked out the two campgrounds, ate lunch in Cape Girardeau, made three separate trips to the dealership, and a telephone conversation with the factory representative, we signed the papers for a 29 RL just before closing time at the dealership. Our Silverback is an almost completed unit at the Cedar Creek factory so it should be here in just a couple of weeks.

I don’t know how this happened but I suspect there were drugs in the free coffee at the dealership. And I guess I’ll have to change my avatar too. NUTZ!

[Herk7769]

GRATZ!!!!!!

Best of luck and much happiness with your new rig!

I bet you just can't wait to start ripping it apart; moding it; and making it "yours."

[Oakman]

Thanks Herk. I get this very expensive itch every five years and this time that itch needed scratching while I was at a RV dealership. Normally I can resist these urges but this fifth wheel had almost everything I was looking for with one exception, length. I was hoping to stay with a fifth wheel that was 30 feet in length or less, but that length isn't popular anymore. Our new Silverback is 34 feet long. For some reason, fifth wheels seem to be getting longer and heavier each year.

[Rugged Brown]

I see you have a Honda 2000 in your signature. Do you think it will pull your new silverback.

[Herk7769]

Let me know how your F250 handles it.

Please post your weights loaded for camping (pin, axles, etc) when you get a chance at the scales.

I REALLY don't want to buy a new truck when (not if) I get a larger unit like yours.

[Oakman]

Originally Posted by herk7769

Let me know how your F250 handles it.

Please post your weights loaded for camping (pin, axles, etc) when you get a chance at the scales.

I REALLY don't want to buy a new truck when (not if) I get a larger unit like yours.

It might be a bit before I get around to a weigh scale. Once we get the Silverback we will be heading to the Rockies.

My truck handles our current Wildcat without breaking a sweat and that statement includes our trip through the Rockies. My very first tow of our Wildcat with our 2010 Ford was 700 miles south to Gulf Shores, Alabama (a flat land drive) and the truck handled so well I could barely tell I was towing a trailer. Last year as a test I turned my brake controller down to 1.0 (no trailer braking) and stopped the trailer using only the truck brakes. While I felt the trailer give an initial push when I applied the brakes from a speed of 50 MPH, the truck stopped our rig with no problem at all.

The axle dry weight of our new Silverback is actually less than that of our current Wildcat, the pin weight is just 100 pounds heavier, and the UVW on the Silverback is just slightly higher, so I really don’t anticipate any problems towing. What I do anticipate is a reduction in my miles per gallon. The front cap of the Silverback has more surface area than the Wildcat.

The Silverback’s GVWR is 1800 pounds higher than our Wildcat, but since we will be carrying the same gear that we always carry, we won’t be anywhere near the GVWR of the Silverback. Our truck has a fifth wheel tow rating of 15,300 pounds so we should be thousands of pounds under that number.

If it turns out I’m wrong, I guess there will be a new dually in our future, but I doubt it.

[Oakman]

Originally Posted by Rugged Brown

I see you have a Honda 2000 in your signature. Do you think it will pull your new silverback.

LOL, my dealer told me they have a fifth wheel hitch that will fit on the trunk and while I thought it might be a bit lacking in horsepower and torque, my dealer assured I have more than enough vehicle for it.

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by Oakman

LOL, my dealer told me they have a fifth wheel hitch that will fit on the trunk and while I thought it might be a bit lacking in horsepower and torque, my dealer assured I have more than enough vehicle for it.

OMG funny! Had a dealer at the Philly Expo show last week try the same line on me! He had a 13,000 pound "dry weight" 5th wheel camper that he assured me was 3/4 ton towable. After questioning, he finally admitted "I would most likely be happier towing it with something bigger."

[Dave_Monica]

Congratulations on the new camper!

Your experience does however, reinforce why I should never stop and 'just look' at the dealer.

Happy camping!

Dave

[F.R.O.G.]

Oakman, congratulations on the new Silverback!

Please let me know what kind of coffee that was. We'll serve it at the FROG Rally.

[Nigels]

Hey Bob congratulations on your new rig, hope we get to see it sometime soon Let us know the brand of coffee so we can avoid it

And by the way "THIS" Honda S2000 will haul it no problem just give me a call, I'll send it over

[Oakman]

Originally Posted by Nigels

Hey Bob congratulations on your new rig, hope we get to see it sometime soon Let us know the brand of coffee so we can avoid it

And by the way "THIS" Honda S2000 will haul it no problem just give me a call, I'll send it over

After having seen you in action with a set of tools, there's no doubt in my mind you could beef up that Honda to haul a fifth wheel.

[Oakman]

Originally Posted by Dave_Monica

Congratulations on the new camper!

Your experience does however, reinforce why I should never stop and 'just look' at the dealer.

Happy camping!

Dave

We were quite fearless going in to look because we knew there was no way we would get the deal that we would need to make the purchase. WRONG!

We're both still a bit apprehensive with this purchase because this is the first time we've agreed to a deal without seeing firsthand the EXACT floorplan that we were buying. The dealer had a 29RE and we wanted the 29RL.

[Oakman]

Originally Posted by F.R.O.G.

Oakman, congratulations on the new Silverback!

Please let me know what kind of coffee that was. We'll serve it at the FROG Rally.

LOL, that would be one way to create a backlog of orders for the factory.

[Dave_Monica]

Originally Posted by Oakman

We're both still a bit apprehensive with this purchase because this is the first time we've agreed to a deal without seeing firsthand the EXACT floorplan that we were buying. The dealer had a 29RE and we wanted the 29RL.

We've ordered two campers without having set foot in either. The most nervous part is that the manufacturers tend to make changes whenever the mood strikes them and therefore, not being completely sure what will be delivered.

Before our current camper was ordered, we had the sales rep from RV Direct get assurance from their contact at Rockwood that no changes were in the works.

What is the delivery time?

Dave

[Oakman]

I know what you mean about changes in mid-stream Dave. Hopefully there won't be any surprises that would become a deal breaker for us.

The unit we are buying is supposed to be finished the middle of next week. Apparently the factory had a 29RL nearing completion that didn’t have a buyer. We are having a second A/C installed at the factory. When it will actually get to the dealership is anybody’s guess.

We actually liked the 29RE floor plan that was on the dealer’s lot, but since the fridge couldn’t be accessed with the slides in we didn’t want it.

[Earth Station]

Congrats on the Silverback..... you will have to order a small Silverback for decoration!!!!

[Crusader]

oakman...here is one

[Earth Station]

This is the one I vote for:

oh I hope I did this right

[Oakman]

I was thinking more along the lines of a Silverback Grizzly. Something like this