Like the birds, many RVers head south for the winter in a pattern called snowbirding. As part of escaping the harshest part of winter, many hundreds of thousands of people use their RVs to head south for warmer climates. Places like Florida, California, Texas, and Arizona are targeted destinations for these people. And for good reason. You probably don’t have to bring more than one pair of long pants. (If even that.) But here’s the thing. If you’re parking the RV in place for a season, you better really like that RV. And that’s a big reason why many snowbirds are drawn toward luxury fifth wheels.
Personally, this winter I headed to the deserts of Quartzsite, Arizona for the annual RV show — and I was joined by myriad others doing the same thing. On the other side of the country, flocks of shoppers were doing the same thing in Tampa at the Florida RV Supershow. In both places, thousands of shoppers were looking for a way to upgrade their RVing experience with one of the newest luxury fifth wheels in the industry.
And from what I’ve seen, there are seven luxury fifth wheels that make a superior nest for snowbirds. But first, just for a moment, let’s talk about what makes luxury fifth wheels what they are.
What Defines Luxury Fifth Wheels
A big part of the definition of luxury includes creature comforts. You know, make life — wherever you park — more enjoyable. Nice kitchens that enthusiastic cook will love. Uncompromising bedrooms and bathrooms. A decent amount of space with nice seating for at least four — when you might want to do some entertaining. That kind of stuff.
We also favored luxury fifth wheels whose warranties covers full-time use. While most RV warranties assume the rig will be used only recreationally, many of these premium fifth wheels are actually covered for use full-time. And their interiors are designed accordingly with more premium appliances, sometimes including dishwashers and provisions for washer-dryer units.
The Criteria We’ve Used for Luxury Fifth Wheels
The fifth wheels I’ve chosen for this piece are ones I’ve reviewed in the past and which stick out in my mind as being nicer rigs with full features and good design. Each of these is a unit that I wouldn’t mind living in full-time. And many snowbirds are doing just that. (Or at least living in warmer climates until they approve of nature’s handling of the weather enough to return north.)
To keep things unbiased, this list is in alphabetical order based on the name of the manufacturer.
Snowbird Luxury Fifth Wheels: An A-to-Z List
Alliance RV Valor 42V14
As a newcomer, Alliance RV has really impacted the industry. A big reason why that they have a very direct line to customers. And they use it to do some things differently. First of all, the plumbing. In this RV, Alliance has created what is called a home run to a manifold for every water fixture in the RV. That design feature ensures separate runs for both hot and cold water. If you find a leak in your plumbing at a fixture, you can simply shut off that water line without affecting the rest of the RV.
The electrical in this RV is similar. (Sort of.) Alliance intentionally wires all their RVs such that the wiring is specifically color coded and uniformly coded from one of their trailers to the next. This isn’t typical either, and this type of intentionality means that repairs are both easier but also less likely. (Which is great if you’re snowbirding one place for a season.)
I’ve always suggest that you look under an RV before you look in it. And here you’ll find heavy-duty 7,000 Dexter axles with 8,000 springs, heavy-duty shackles and MorRyde CRE3000 components.
Like the Jayco Seismic (more on that in a bit), the Valor 42V14 also features a large fold-down party deck on the side in addition to the one created by the rear loading ramp.
Length: 44 feet 11 inches • Dry Weight: 15,989 pounds • GVWR: 20,000 pounds
DRV Mobile Suites 41FKRB
DRV is a company that has focused on building fifth wheel trailers that are designed for full-time living. The company operates in a premium place in the market, so things like high-quality plumbing fixtures are part of their DNA. They also have larger half-inch plumbing and a whole-house water filtration system.
Another unusual thing about how these are built are the walls which are 3 1/4-inch thick. (Most RV walls are 1 1/2 inches thick.) They are also built with aluminum studs and fiberglass insulation. The aluminum studs are glued and screwed together and the outer wall is a fiberglass which is gel coated and features an Azdel backer.
These units also feature disc brakes. Unlike a lot of fifth wheels, the front landing jacks are painless meaning they just can be moved to where they need to be without inserting pins in the legs. Among the Mobile Suites 41FKRB highlights are also three A/C units, a rear bedroom, and front kitchen (over pin).
Length: 43 feet 6 inches • Dry Weight: 19,440 pounds • GVWR: 21,500 pounds
Jayco Eagle 355MBQS + Seismic Luxury 4113
Earlier this year, RV Trader got to spend some time at Jayco looking at a few of their offerings. Two absolutely earned a place on this list — the Eagle 355MBQS and the Seismic Luxury 4113. Both of these RVs benefit from Jayco’s longer warranty at three years for the exterior, two year end-to-end. I also got to tour Jayco’s predelivery inspection facilities. The company really has stepped-up this process with each Jayco unit that leaves the factory having been scrutinized by a team of inspectors.
I also like that these units incorporate Dexter Tow Assist which uses technology from Bosch to provide anti-lock braking and sway mitigation on this trailer, a significant safety advance in towable RVs. While newer vehicles all incorporate anti-lock braking, this is a newer feature in towables and can make for much safer towing. Another feature is the ability to track mileage with this system which can help with routine maintenance.
Jayco Eagle 355MBQS
This model features a midunit room that can be an office, sleeping space, or a den — which provides great versatility. This can also be great for families or travelers with friends who visit overnight.
Length: 42 feet 4 inches • Dry Weight: 12,830 pounds • GVWR: 15,250 pounds
Jayco Seismic Luxury 4113
This fifth wheel combines the functionality of a toy hauler with a luxurious feel. A very nice layout features a deck on the side as well as the ramp deck common in toy haulers. Being a toy hauler,it offers the opportunity to bring along things like motorcycles or other smaller vehicles or many full-time RVers use the cargo bay as an office or hobby space.
Length: 45 feet 8 inches • Dry Weight: 15,815 pounds • GVWR: 20,695 pounds
Keystone Montana 3623EB
Keystone’s Montana is a very popular line of fifth wheels — and for good reason. Keystone RV has a group called their Innovation Lab, which looks at some of the pain points associated with RVs and then resolves them. Things like better air-conditioning ducting for quieter operation with residential filtration, unique man-made flooring composites, intentionally-built wiring systems, and more are features that set Keystone apart.
Recently, I got to look at a Montana model that addresses another pain point: e-bikes. The Keystone Montana 3623EB features a compartment specifically designed to accommodate e-bikes which includes a power outlet to charge those bikes. While you can clearly use this for other purposes, the fact that it solves the issue of what to do with e-bikes on the road shows the kind of thinking that happens at Keystone.
Keystone is also one of the only RV companies that owns a chamber to test their RVs for climate-readiness with the ability to freeze or heat the chamber to see how the RVs handle the temperatures.
Length: 40 feet 2 inches • Dry Weight: 13,835 pounds • GVWR: 16,725 pounds
Luxe Elite 39FB
Luxe is unusual in that they predominantly build units to order and sell factory-direct. So whatever you see that you like in this particular unit, or don’t, you can probably have built more to your taste. As with all fifth-wheel manufacturers, there are a number of floorplans and lengths to choose from.
On the subject of those slide rooms, and all the slide rooms in Luxe models, they actually do not have an overlapping flap on the outside when closed. Instead, the slide rooms fit flush with the exterior of the coach much like the door of a car. This is the first time I’ve seen that and it does make a really clean look.
The exteriors of these are all painted and you can choose almost any paint colors you prefer. If you like the idea of a solid color that can be done. If you like the swishes and swirl,s that can be done, but, somehow, those seem more attractive on the examples I saw rather than what you’d typically see in the form of stickers on many RVs.
The company makes several lines of fifth wheels with the Luxe Elite series being the largest. Some are more compatible with full-sized pickups.
Length: 40 feet 10 inches • Dry Weight: 18,000 pounds • GVWR: 24,000 pounds
Palomino River Ranch 393RL
Palomino’s River Ranch line is truly unusual in that the entire upper deck is one level from end-to-end. This layout makes these trailers more like a motorhome in that there is no upper deck, per se, and the entire lower portion of the exterior of the RV is storage.
One of the other unique features of these is the use of a Coleman Mach air-conditioning system that is more commonly found in mobile offices. Rather than being placed on the roof, this system is under the floor and features a residential-style filtration system while using ducting that is similar to how a home is ducted.
The ceiling in these units is seven feet from end-to-end, and the trailers feature residential-grade appliances throughout. Since the whole living space is on an upper deck, these also feature an entry space/mud room of sorts, which can be another bonus if you’re out camping in the desert with so many of the rest of us.
Length: 42 feet 4 inches • Dry Weight: 14,844 pounds • GVWR: 17,999 pounds
One More Thing …
Some of these fifth wheels are quite large, and there’s a community of people who have repurposed commercial trucks (think Peterbilt, Kenworth) to tow these larger fifth wheels. This actually makes sense. These larger rigs can now be quite comfortable to operate and offer incredible towing capability. So, if you’re going the luxury fifth wheel route, it might be worth considering.
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