The 5 Best 5th Wheels for Full Time Living
Everybody wants to experience the excitement of off-grid living. However, it makes sense for some more than others, depending on their lifestyles.
5th wheels are like mobile homes on a trailer that you can take with you. They are usually self-contained, so living in them would not be as cramped. They can be set up pretty much anywhere without any trouble, and there are also many of them, which makes it more convenient at campsites.
Useful features like a fridge, stovetop, and pantry will make living off-grid much more enjoyable than your average camper.
If you’re always on the go and value convenience, an RV might give you what you’re looking for.
What your vehicle of choice can safely tow has a huge impact on the size of trailer you can have and how much of your gear and possessions you can take with you on your adventure.
The Best 5th Wheels for Full-Time Living:
1. Coachmen Chaparral 5th Wheel
The Coachmen Chaparral 5th Wheel offers unparalleled flexibility when it comes to the layout of your RV.
With an impressive array of 11 floor plans to choose from, there’s little doubt in our minds that you’ll be able to find a plan to meet your needs.
If your truck has a limited towing capacity and needs to keep the weight to a minimum, then the Chaparral 298RLS is a great option. It maxes out an impressive 9,575 pounds dry weight, which is decent given the dimensions and the room offered by the RV.
To ensure it feels like a home away from home when you’re on the road full time, Coachman has added lots of features and storage options.
Its models include:
- A state-of-the-art HD entertainment system.
- Motion-activated lighting.
- Numerous USB charging points.
- A massive refrigerator.
- A large, high-powered microwave.
- A fast heating oven.
- A ducted furnace.
If you can afford to tow something a bit heavier and need a ton of room to accommodate all your friends and family, then the Chaparral 371MBRB will meet those requirements. Spanning a massive 41 feet and managing to sleep 11 people comfortably, the Chaparral 371MBRB is big enough for most people.
In-between those two extremes, there are loads of other floor plan options, so as we’ve already said, the Coachmen Chaparral 5th Wheel range is flexible.
Key Features:
- 11 distinct floor plans to choose from
- A rear-mounted camera for increased visibility
- Sliding fascia crafted from solid hardwood
- Attractive cabinets made from solid lumber
- Ample storage capacity, including under bed storage
- Heat-retaining dual pane windows
2. Jayco North Point 5th Wheel
We’ve long been fans of Jayco RVs, and the Jayco North Point 5th Wheel is no exception.
The North Point series does an excellent job of meeting the requirements of full-time travelers due to their increased dimensions and ample storage and accommodation. Typically, the trailers will range between 12,000 and 14,000 pounds dry weight.
As with most Jayco RVs, you can expect a seriously well-made, sturdy, and reliable trailer that should see you through all weather and road conditions. Depending on the floor plan, you can expect to sleep between 4 and 9 adults comfortably. Trailers range from 38 feet up to 43 feet, the North Point 315RLTS and North Point 387RDFS, respectively.
Due to the insulated design, impressive furnace, and more than capable AC unit, you’ll find this RV is at home in the sunny south and the colder North. Whatever the outside temperature is doing, you can be assured that it will keep the interior at a comfortable level.
Once you’ve set up your camp spot, you can keep yourself or any guests entertained with the addition of outdoor speakers, a fully equipped outdoor kitchen, an awning to provide shelter, and optionally an outdoor barbecue and grill.
We’re confident that you’ll be more than happy with your purchase if you decide to go with a Jayco North Point.
Not only is it a solidly built RV, but it excels at keeping you comfortable, relaxed, and entertained. It’s a great option for anyone looking for the best 5th wheel for a full-time living.
Key Features:
- 9 distinct and capable floor plans to choose from
- Stable and easily deployed front landing gear
- Weather-resistant high-grade external speakers
- Well-equipped dining area with standalone table and chairs
- Roomy and sturdy glass surround shower
3. Heartland Sundance 5th Wheel
If you’re in the market for a lightweight yet spacious 5th wheel trailer well suited for couples or solo travelers, then the Heartland Sundance 269TS might be your RV.
This trailer weighs in at a diminutive 8,307 pounds and measures just over 30 feet in length, making it ideal for couples looking to hit the full road time. However, if you have your heart set on something a bit bigger, floorplans such as the Sundance 3710MB or Sundance 3700RLB offer more room and can quite easily sleep a large family.
If you appreciate your modern home comforts and require comfortable surroundings, then Sundance delivers that in spades.
Every floor plan offers a minimum of 3 slideouts, which directly translates into tons of space to store your gear and supplies. In addition, the Heartland range comes with slam latch doors, powerful and capable air conditioning, and a refrigerator that can rival many domestic models.
If you so choose, many of these fittings can be upgraded, such as a 15,000 BTU furnace/air con unit as well as n upgraded fridge freezer option.
Given the range of options, the size, durability, and proven track record, the Heartland Sundance 5th Wheel trailers are an amazing option for RV on a full-time basis.
Key Features:
- 11 impressive and distinct floor plans to choose from
- Low power LED lighting
- Comfortable tri-fold sofa bed
- Rear-mounted reversing camera
- Powerful ducted Air conditioning
- Sturdy fiberglass design
4. Jayco Eagle 5th Wheel
The Jayco Eagle 5th Wheel offers many of the benefits, design features, and build qualities of the other trailers on our list; however, it’s often much cheaper.
The MSRP price of Jayco’s is often comparable to most other trailer manufacturers. The big difference is that it’s often possible to secure substantial discounts or free upgrades during the bargaining process. If you’re looking for a 5th wheel trailer for full-time living and budget is a concern, you need to look at the Jayco Eagle.
Jayco Eagle’s are available in a range of floor plans. For example, measuring in at 35 feet and topping out at 10,310 pounds is the Eagle 293RKDS. Or, if you need additional room, look at the Eagle 347BHOK, which measures 40 feet and weighs 12,300 pounds.
Both are sturdily built and offer more than a few luxury fittings.
In terms of fittings and features, the Eagle fits in great equipment. The near-silent 15,000 BTU AC unit will keep you comfortable no matter the weather, while the powered awning and external LED lighting will ensure you can enjoy the outdoors day and night.
By default, this 5th wheel trailer comes fitted with the luxury package, which provides a soundbar, solid maple wood fittings, and insulated frameless windows. If you want to take things up a level, you can choose any number of upgrades and optional upgrades.
The Jayco Eagle is a very competitively priced 5th wheel trailer that provides everything you could want for a full-time living.
Key Features:
- 9 versatile floor plans to choose from
- Powered awning and power-efficient LED lighting
- Insulated frameless windows
- Weather-resistant high-quality external speakers
- Intelligent command center which offers real-time tank monitoring
5. Forest River Wildcat 5th Wheel
The Forest River Wildcat 5th Wheel should be at the top of your shopping list if you have your sights set on something spacious yet incredibly light.
It beats even the Sundance trailer above in terms of dry weight, maxing out at a very small 7,466 pounds, which is impressive given its 31 feet length. If lightweight is not what you’re looking for, then be assured that other floor plans offer beefier and roomier designs, such as the Wildcat 35WB.
At this point, you should be interested in what the Wildcat has to offer, but if you need more convincing, then you check out its impressive features.
The Wildcat provides some pretty decent kit as standard, ranging from marine-rated external speakers all the way through to flexible seating dinette area. These are present as standard across all floor plans without any need to upgrade.
If you’d like to splash out and get some additional features, you can pick from a range of optional extras and upgrades, including an additional 13,500 BTU AC unit or a luxury king-sized bed with a memory foam mattress.
Key Features:
- Massive range of 23-floor plans to choose from
- Inbuilt residential-style chrome drawers and doors
- Robust and hardwearing slideout fascia
- Powerful 15,000 BTU air conditioning unit
- Warming 4,600 BTU fireplace
- Residential brushed chrome door and drawer hardware
- Adaptable home entertainment with Bluetooth connectivity
Don’t Forget the Luggage!
Most full-time travelers will want to ensure they have at least the following:
- Summer and winter-appropriate clothing
- Shoes, boots, and summer footwear
- Jackets, hats, scarves, and gloves
- Plenty of bedding and blankets
- Household appliances
- Pans, pots, and dishes
- Tinned, dried, and fresh food
- Spare parts, a range of tools, and cleaning materials
- Toiletries, soaps, shampoos, and related items
- Barbecue equipment
- Recreational items such as bikes, hiking gear, etc
- A generator as well as fuel
The weight of all of these items quickly mounts up, and it doesn’t take into account the numerous optional items you might want to consider taking.
Most items like washer/dryers, spare batteries, solar-powered chargers, or gear can get very heavy, not to mention the LP-Gas and spare cylinders and water holding tanks.
If you’re staying at a fully equipped RV campsite, you can probably hook into the mains water supply. However, it’s always good to keep your freshwater tanks topped up and the wastewater tanks empty. If you stay at a dry camp, you’re all set to stay there for a few days without any additional planning.
Even though our 36-foot camper has a ton of storage capacity (3,500 pounds), it’s extremely difficult to max this out once the water tanks are full. That’s even with half-empty shelves and very little in the way of excessive gear.
We’d love to have an extra 1,000 pounds to play with!
Given all the factors and details above, we’re now planning to upgrade our 5th wheel trailer again. We’ve carried out a ton of research, looked at dozens of RVs in person, and know from experience exactly what we’re looking for in a 5th wheel trailer.
Our requirements might not be the same as yours, but we’ve tried to cover all the bases, and we’re confident that there’s something in our list of the best 5th wheel trailers for full-time living to suit everyone.
