We have bought a truck but are having getting financed for our 5th wheel because we had financial problems 4+ years ago due to losing jobs & insurance which caused major medical bills.  We are now retired.  We will be full timing which cuts expenses to a very reasonable amount and should have no trouble paying.  credit scores are good & going up.  Any ideas?

 
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Your trucks towing and carrying capacity is going to determine the RV size and weight it will pull and stop.

What truck you get?

You are probably not planning on getting a new RV, But if you are I suggest you look at some of the blogs describing how RV’s being built today are not being inspected before delivery, and buyers are having multiple problems after purchase. . . . . You also need to do a very good inspection on whatever you buy, as there are many RVs on the market which were in the hurricanes over the past few years. 

Buying can be a long process, as you need to do a lot of research about the buying process.

Are tires more than 5-rears old?  Water damage? etc....

Https://www.pplmotorhomes.com/used-RVs-for-sale

google rv buying checklists, like changingears.com

Part of the problem may be the RV you wish to buy. Lenders are very slow to finance any RV that is 10 years old or older. 

This idea isn't very popular, but it is what we did, so I will add it to the list of suggestions. We bought an RV we could pay for, in full, with cash. Yes, it was an older one, not very big, and certainly not the fanciest. But, we didn't have to worry about monthly payments. We lived in it quite happily. That allowed us to save up for a new one that we could pay for when we bought it, so we didn't have to worry about financing or payments on that one, either.

Have you seen this sight?

http://changingears.com/index.shtml

  On 4/3/2018 at 11:16 PM, Coleen said:

This idea isn't very popular, but it is what we did, so I will add it to the list of suggestions. We bought an RV we could pay for, in full, with cash. Yes, it was an older one, not very big, and certainly not the fanciest. But, we didn't have to worry about monthly payments. We lived in it quite happily. That allowed us to save up for a new one that we could pay for when we bought it, so we didn't have to worry about financing or payments on that one, either.

Colleen I think I love you.

  On 4/3/2018 at 11:16 PM, Coleen said:

This idea isn't very popular, but it is what we did, so I will add it to the list of suggestions. We bought an RV we could pay for, in full, with cash. Yes, it was an older one, not very big, and certainly not the fanciest. But, we didn't have to worry about monthly payments. We lived in it quite happily. That allowed us to save up for a new one that we could pay for when we bought it, so we didn't have to worry about financing or payments on that one, either.

Of all the questions that get asked, from what type of rv,  how long and can my truck pull it............?? This is the single best piece of advice that a new RVer should take to heart. 

Pay cash

Go into full timing debt free

Stay debt free

My free advice to anyone considering a trailer is pay cash for one that weighs about 1/2 what the "tow rating" is on your paid for tow vehicle. 

  On 4/12/2018 at 9:42 PM, noteven said:

My free advice to anyone considering a trailer is pay cash for one that weighs about 1/2 what the "tow rating" is on your paid for tow vehicle. 

As much as I may feel the same way, I must say that I don't really think this is the sort of advice that farleysharley54  was looking for and doubt that it is very helpful. I wasn't always able to pay cash for everything and doubt that many of us were. Of the RVs that we have owned over the past 40+ years, only 2 of them were paid for in cash the day that we brought them home. 

I apologize and wish to revise my free advice:

A pickup truck on a 6 year finance note will be much happier towing 1/2 it's advertised weight rating for the life of the loan. 

  On 4/3/2018 at 11:16 PM, Coleen said:

This idea isn't very popular, but it is what we did, so I will add it to the list of suggestions. We bought an RV we could pay for, in full, with cash. Yes, it was an older one, not very big, and certainly not the fanciest. But, we didn't have to worry about monthly payments. We lived in it quite happily. That allowed us to save up for a new one that we could pay for when we bought it, so we didn't have to worry about financing or payments on that one, either.

Because we're new to this lifestyle, we chose to get an older RV (1995 model year) that was in good shape, low miles, and affordable. Paid for it outright. If we like like the RV life, we may consider a newer and nicer one. 

We were initially ready to jump into full time but I landed an excellent job and relocated. We were wanting a new coach that had a W/D + toyhauler. It's out there but it's $$$$$. 

We found that RV dealers also will give deep discounts off of the asking price. Don't be afraid to negotiate.

We used a credit union.   They were much easier to deal with than a bank and didn't care what the age of the rv was as long as the rv had a value of as much or higher than we were asking to borrow.  They also had no minimum amount like some do ie 50,000, so it worked well for us.  Never in our lifetime would we have been able to pay cash for this motorhome - at least not while we were young enough to be able to enjoy traveling in it and were healthy enough to do so.

If you haven't spent money yet, do yourselves a HUGE favor. Find and attend an RV Boot Camp. RVBC will explain and demystify all the systems found on modern RVs. RVBC graduates are smarter RV buyers, safer RV users and, some insurers give discounts to RVBC grads. Mistakes made with RVs are often expensive and sometimes dangerous. The Escapees run a GREAT RVBC, often over a weekend. Other groups offer their own versions of RVBC, some as long as eight days (more social activities).